Last week I had the honor and privilege of playing my violin at the Gentle Barn FOR the animals. It was magical. There was a beautiful energetic shift that occurred during my time there.

Truthfully, this was not my first time playing in a barn. In 2018, my lovely friend Doris Degner Foster interviewed me for a piece in Sidelines Magazine. I had a fun photoshoot with my violin at Sonrise Stables in Broken Arrow, OK. You can read that article and see more of the photos here.

BUT this was the first time I’ve been invited to not just pose, but play in a barn, and not for humans – for the horses. This musical offering is a career highlight for me. I love horses. I’ve learned so much from watching them, riding them, caring for them, and competing with them (not against them). They are magical, and I swear one day I will have one of my own – just putting that out in the world.

A few weeks ago, my long-time friend and Reiki healer, Faith, invited me to join her for a sound and Reiki healing session for the horses at the Gentle Barn (You may have read about my very first Reiki session ever, gifted to me by the very same Faith last summer – if not, you can check that out here). Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend time with horses. She could have asked me to come to clean out their stalls, and I probably would have said yes, so this was an extra special invitation.

This was my first sound healing session. I asked Faith for parameters to work within – colors of clothing, types of music, moods, etc. but Faith trusted me. Before the healing session, this made me a little nervous, but it turned out to be much more enlivening.

I didn’t bring a stand. I didn’t bring any music. I came prepared to follow my intuition and play what came from my heart, through my hands. When we started, I intuitively began to move from one horse or donkey to another, gradually making my way around the barn. At first, I could feel their curiosity. Many moved closer to me and watched and listened intently. Lulu, the donkey, might have been my first real fan. She never moved to a place where she couldn't see me, and she never multitasked while I played at her end of the barn. I made my way around the barn twice. Faith moved with me as I visited each horse, providing energetic support and relief for the animals.

My first trip around the barn felt like an introduction. I didn’t know these beautiful animals yet, and it felt like an opportunity to say hello musically and energetically. The second time felt quite different. Each animal has such a unique soul, and while playing for each horse, I could feel their essence radiating more strongly. I tried to stay open to this, and in turn, the music I created reflected their spirit back to them. That sounds very new age, but when I silenced the "must perform" urge, I could pick up on the subtle clues that the space provided. You could see and feel some of the horses respond positively to more lively and flowing music. Others were soothed by the long, slow vibrations of a held note.

The horse I ended my playing with was Hiroka, an older mare who struggles with poor vision from previous traumas in her life. She is beautiful, but what she must have endured previously in her life breaks my heart. As I played long, slow tones for her, accentuating the resonance through subtle vibrato, I was overcome with the desire to make physical contact with her by placing my hands on her forelock. I’ve never felt so intensely called to physically connect with an animal like that. Of course, I want to pet cute dogs and love animals, but this was different. It felt like a pull from the horse and motivated less from my own desire to pet.

This was such a special experience. A heartfelt thanks to Faith, the Gentle Barn, and to the horses for being the best audience a violinist living in quarantine could ask for.

I hope others are finding ways to connect with the arts and music right now. Musicians and performers, are you finding ways to connect with audiences (literally of any kind)? I know it has been hard for me to be "sidelined" as non-essential recently, so readers of this post – tell me how I can serve you from a social distance? I'm game to try (almost) anything.

PSA:

LA Friends – I give a weekly pop up concert every Thursday evening with my dear friend Caroline Campos. We play in public parks all over the city and surrounding areas. They are free but donations are appreciated. Follow us on Instagram to find out more about times, dates, places, etc. We are @lasunsetduet

I also have a Youtube channel if you want to see a few other videos. I'm slowly adding teaching and playing materials, but let me know if you have any requests. Please subscribe to stay in the loop and see some fun stuff.

Finally, I have a Patreon page where you can subscribe at various fiscal levels to support me and my endeavors. You also get certain perks at each tier, so it is not just a selfless act of love – you get stuff in return.

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