Category Archives: Do It Yourself

Resources for Online Baha’i Activities (During The Coronavirus Quarantine)

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NOTE: THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED AS FREQUENTLY AS WE GET NEW ACTIVITIES IN. PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN.

As a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, a multitude of communities around the world find themselves quarantined, isolating the sick and practicing extreme social distancing. Aside from upsetting the lives of so many of our fellow countrymen, these changes are transforming the ways in which we socialize and connect with our communities.

These ongoing challenges are giving rise to Baha’is finding new and innovative ways to safely engage with their community, celebrate holy days and meet together virtually. We have seen and experienced many new online activities including group devotionals, web based children class gatherings and a host of artists offering free online concerts. These creative solutions go a long way to help our communities continue to do the work of the Cause even when separated by an ongoing health crisis.

Hopefully some of the links below will serve you, your family and your community during these trying times.

NOTE: THIS IS AN EVER UPDATING LIST… AS SUCH, CHECK BACK REGULARLY FOR THE LATEST RESOURCES FOR YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. IF YOU KNOW OF AN ACTIVITY WE HAVEN’T INCLUDED, PLEASE EMAIL US VIA OUR CONTACT FORM HERE: https://9starmedia.com/contact

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Eric Harper Song A Day

Write Time – Part 3: An Interview with Eric Harper

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Photo by Dean Kalyan

Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3 Part series on songwriting.

Eric Harper destroys guitars. No, I don’t mean that in a ‘Jimi Hendrix – light it on fire and watch it burn’ sort of way, nor do I mean it in a ‘Kurt Cobain – Swing the guitar like an axe into the drum set’ kind of way either… Eric destroys guitars with his fingers. Literally. One look at his instruments makes you feel sorry for them… while simultaneously sparking a curiosity as to what kind of music leaves sawdust in it’s wake. Eric’s musical weapon of choice is Flamenco.. and he wields it well. 

His guitar playing and producing has graced several Baha’i albums that we love, and when we saw he was posting songs almost daily onto his ReverbNation page, we had to check it out. The songs are eclectic, as you would expect from someone who’s influences run from Heavy Metal to Flamenco. Some of his songs have lyrics, but many don’t. Eric doesn’t constrain his writing approach by requiring lyrics. His focus is to create a singularly massive music library for licensing to film and television. With the catalog of songs he has been developing as well as the songs he already has being placed, Eric is headed towards success. Sit back and enjoy our interview with Eric Harper and his song-a-day experience.

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Song-A-Day With Robert Gillies

Write Time – Part 2: An Interview with Robert Gillies

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You can check out Part 1 of our 3 Part Series on Songwriting by Clicking Here.

Robert is one of those songwriters we all dream of becoming. His ability to put pen to paper and turn ink to words invested with power and potency and then clothe them in a heartrending melody leaves us in awe… so when he announced that he was embarking on a song-a-day challenge for the month of May.. well, we had to see it unfold. And unfold it did. In the month of May he crafted a collection of compositions which are the makings for several albums. Poignant, passionate, and personal. There was no choice but to get in touch and get him to share a bit about the process with you. Sit back and enjoy our interview with Robert Gillies and his song-a-day-May adventures.

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Write Time: A 3 Part Series on Songwriting

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As the Faith gains recognition and our efforts to reach out to the greater community and engage in dialogue increase, it only seems fitting that the songs we create, whether simply setting the Bahá’í writings to music or crafting original compositions, be of the utmost quality, in a language addressed to the heart. We have to create music which transcends the tastes of our own community and opens up the possibilities of engaging the hearts of the masses. We felt compelled to share these posts on songwriting, that they might prove a source of assistance and inspiration to the aspiring and veteran songwriters within our community. Please read on and leave your comments below. Thanks…

[quote] “It is incumbent upon the children to exert themselves to the utmost in acquiring the art of reading and writing…. Writing skills that will provide for urgent needs will be enough for some; and then it is better and more fitting that they should spend their time in studying those branches of knowledge which are of use. As for what the Supreme Pen hath previously set down, the reason is that in every art and skill, God loveth the highest perfection.” – Bahá’u’lláh (from a Tablet-translated from the Persian) [/quote]

Becoming a good songwriter is hard work… becoming a great songwriter can be excruciating. Perhaps that is one reason that so many aspiring songwriters fall short of excellence. But what if there were a way to break open the doors, shake off inhibitions, and develop your craft in a fraction of the time that it typically takes? And what if you could build your fan base at the same time? It sounds too good to be true… but perhaps it isn’t.

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