Maya (And The Eight Illusions)

In 2003, I was hired by my dear friend and longtime collaborator Chip Duncan to create a score for documentary he was working on called In A Just World. The film dealt with women's rights to choose abortion and contraception in various cultures around the world. It called for a score that reflected cultures in the Middle East, Central Africa, South America, and the USA. In the original score, I featured several women's voices including the ethereal and evocative voices of two of my beloved acquaintances - sacred chant chanteuse Deva Premal and R&B singer Martha Redbone. In 2004, I was awarded an Emmy for the score. In 2006, I decided to elaborate on several of the themes and create full compositions of them. I enlisted another dear friend, Eric Zang, who added percussion, chant, and flutes to the growing arrangements. At that point life took me in many directions and I shelved the project for the time. In 2010, I was cleaning off a hard drive in my studio, and I discovered the songs that I'd all but forgotten about. Upon listening to them, I felt inspired to develop them further. I composed three new pieces for the project, and for Christmas of 2011, Maya (And The Eight Illusions) was complete.