A Song from Ani

For a musician, recording a song from the heart is a vulnerable thing.  It is like turning a diary page into sound waves, and then sending it into the world.  This world of harsh opinions and anonymity. It takes courage.

This original from Ani Burnet is a true song from the heart.  And she presented it beautifully!

We were in Columbia, MD, to feature at an Open Mic Community Night at Root Studio (an AMAZING place).  We rolled into town quite disheveled, having just driven through downtown Washington DC. That was insanity.  Kudos to José!

We whipped the bus into shape for tours, whipped ourselves into shape for a show.  And then got to enjoy hearing everyone who had come to perform at the open mic.

Ani Burnet

When Ani sang her song at the open mic, the whole room was still.  There was a passage in her song where she did a long run, and I did an active eyebrows-up-take-a-small-step-back.  Wow!

After the open mic, I approached her to see if she would like to record back-up vocals on my collaborative album project. And to record any one of her originals. 

It made me think about myself when I was around Ani’s age.  I was putting myself out there, performing my songs in public, when a member of my community offered to record a few of my songs.  Those few recordings turned into my first album.

Now I can be that person for others.  It’s a wonderful feeling.

A Song from the Heart

Ani chose to record this song, a very personal piece.  And she chose to perform it in a very subdued voice, almost a whisper.  At first she was unsure whether that was the right call, but I told her to follow her gut.  It’s a beautiful tune.