Alana Grier makes music for challenging times
ALANA GRIER’S latest release “Give Peace A Chant” is a modern musical collection of traditional Sanskrit mantras and songs written by Alana Grier and Gary Cook. The songs are inter spiritual devotional songs known as Kirtan in India. Singing Kirtan is a joyful way to come together in community with many voices merging together to become one united voice.
“Gary Cook is a professional guitarist, songwriter and producer originally from Santa Fe who relocated to Taos in 2016,” said Grier. “During his music career in Los Angeles, Gary had the honor of working with an array of talented artists including Sting and Joni Mitchell. Gary composes and records music for film and television and tours with Grammy Award-winning artist Robert Mirabal among others. Much of the music on this project was recorded at Gary’s Blind Tiger Studio in Taos.”
GRIER EXTENDED THANKS to everyone involved with the project. “There are several musicians, studios, and recording engineers who made these songs what they are and during the last year of recording through COVID restrictions, we have all gotten more creative in how these projects come together. Musicians include Ryan Cook on drums with Mark Clark and Patrick Turnmire on percussion. Background vocals by the amazing Toni Morgan, Ginger Griffith and Susan Clark (as well as Alana Grier and Gary Cook). Robert Mirabal graces us on flute on Om Namah Shivaya. Thanks to Ryan Clement and James Bobchak for their beautiful playing. Jono Manson at Kitchen Sink Studio, Joel at G&J Audio Mastering, Michael at ABQ Post. Rick Hale at Rick Hale Production Studio and my daughter, Zia Ray for the cover art mandala.”
“I first came out to Taos in 1988 and fell in love with New Mexico,” Grier told us. “As a brave young woman, I hitchhiked to Taos and explored the hot springs in the area before heading back to my home in Hawaii. I lived in Hawaii for many years and raised my five children on Kauai until 2006 when we moved to New Mexico. For the kids’ sake I lived in Albuquerque for several years to give them the opportunities of the big city, by 2011 everything finally fell into place to move to Taos. With my oldest three already off on their life’s adventures, my two youngest and I moved to Taos.
“Having taught yoga and mindfulness to a wide variety of people from different backgrounds I can see that many Westerners ‘hold back’ because they think yoga is a religion or they are going against their religion to practice yoga. Yoga has never been considered a religion and has been central to many ancient cultures from India to Russia and even China. It is a variety of practices and pathways to choose from that give you control over your mind.
“There is nothing more powerful than gaining control over your mind. Case in point with this honest quote from Mark Twain, ‘I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.’ All those worries literally age our bodies and wreak havoc with our emotional well-being.
“Yoga has literally saved my life because it helped me to heal from an abusive upbringing by my alcoholic father and helped me to develop into the woman I had to become to provide for my large family without the support of their father. I don’t know what would have happened to me and my children if I did not have the tools that yoga gave me. Especially Nada and Bhakti yoga, which both involve music to aid in meditation.
“For many years I have wanted to put out a CD of Kirtan music that’s more accessible to the Western ear. ‘Give Peace A Chant’ has been a labor of love from 2016 when Gary Cook and I sat down to map out the project through it’s release in December 2020.
The more time went by, the more important this project became. It was also important to me that we record the music in A-432 Hz tuning, adding to the therapeutic properties of reciting the mantras. Just like a baby, it was ready in its own time and after much time, money and a few tears of joy, it’s finally out there.
“I have been leading mindfulness groups specifically for people in addiction recovery for many years and was teaching with most of the local rehabs and nonprofits like Inside Out until I took a full time job managing the Spa at Ojo Santa Fe. I was considering moving to Santa Fe for the position. This was just a few months before the quarantine. I have since moved to managing the Spa at Ojo Caliente and am grateful to be able to stay in Taos. It’s my dream job right now because we are closed for renovations and I get to train the licensed massage therapists who contract between both Spas on all of our treatments. I love teaching and am very excited about the improvements we are making in the Spa at Ojo
Caliente since a fire took most of our Historic Bath House last August. When we reopen it will truly be an exceptional spa experience with new pools to soak in and new treatments on our spa menu.”
Grier shared her trick for maintaining sanity and balance during the pandemic restrictions.
“I actually only had a little over a month off of work before being called back to my job as spa manager at Ojo Santa Fe. There were only a few of us preparing to open the property until we opened in July. I definitely have envied those who have had a total break from their work, but I’m also glad I’ve been busy. It was such a joy to reopen the spa but working during COVID definitely has been challenging. The simple trick I use when I start to feel overwhelmed by all of the bad news is to play the songs on ‘Give Peace a Chant’ and sing my heart out. I always feel uplifted and positive after singing Kirtan.”
We asked her about upcoming plans and projects. “I will be holding zoom trainings, videoing lectures and zooming one-on-one with students, as well as giving them opportunities to practice together over zoom. The workshops all take place, live, every other weekend from Jan. 16 through mid-June. Students can start anytime this year as everything will be recorded.”
“GIVE PEACE A CHANT” is available online at itunes, amazon, spotify, etc. See alanagrier.com for more information.