“Suddenly in the midst of Agu’s bowls and Jami’s bow I remembered tenderness and time and breathing and friendship and voluptuous space between doings, and caring and generosity and waking up from the nightmare. It is as if the vibrations of bowl and cello create an architecture and the true offering is the air inside it. Thank you for the gentle and fierce infusion of this blessing. This remembering.”
-Kim Rosen, poet, author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words
“Agu’s inaugural recording is revelatory. On first listen, it’s readily apparent that this CD was born from a love of the healing qualities of sound and the creation of a fulfilling and heartfelt sonic experience. The spaciousness and depth of the recording is extraordinary, and there is a visceral sense of the tactile, resonant acoustic qualities of mallet, bowl, string, and bow. This is the sound of love.”
-Keith Carlson R.N., career coach, author
Reach In is dedicated to all children, who are our gifts of today and promises of tomorrow.
Reach back pull them forward
Reach down lift them up
Reach out bring them in
Reach in for the love that you can give
-Chant by Agu and Jami Sieber
Photo by Jami Sieber
Agu worked as an educator in the public schools for over 30 years. Serving young people is her life’s work. She began using singing bowls with her students as a way to center and ground. Agu’s intention was to help open their ears to something new through listening – to the silence, to the ringing, to the vibrations that went out beyond the hitting of the bowl. Many times during the day, they invited the singing bowls to sound-out as they tuned-in. This practice offered a collective and personal moment out of time from the stresses and distractions all around. Together they learned that the resonating harmonics and vibrations created by the singing bowls affect us all deeply and differently.
When Agu began envisioning Reach In, she saw it as a central ingredient in ceremony and celebration and as a practice in making and propagating beauty from the inside out. Over the last thirteen years she has been presented with many rich opportunities to play the singing bowls for ceremonies, storytelling events, healing sessions, workshops, and public school settings. The sound patterns are set up to be engaging, gentle, and hypnotic; they can also be dynamic and intense. Imagine the music evolving like a shifting aural kaleidoscope, offering devotional space for the heart.
Agu’s debut recording, Reach In, reveals a rich, contemplative acoustic sound of uninterrupted beauty that musically guides the mind and body to Relax, Focus, Create, and Awaken the gifts within. Try listening beyond your hearing to this symphony of singing bowls, bells, and cello. May the free-floating sounds resonate within you and take you to a place of peaceful mind. Enjoy!
To contact Agu directly, email:
jgagu.ja(at)gmail(dot)com
Musicians:
Agu: Korean singing bowl, Himalayan singing bowls, temple bell and tingsha cymbals, American meditation bell and chimes
Jami Sieber: acoustic cello (3,6)
Eve Irene Sanchez: vocal and singing bowl (7)
For CD Liner Notes click HERE
