We recorded this with sound engineer Stephen Hart at The Mix Room. It’s one of the last session taking place there at Stephen’s studio, which was purchased by Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. Bob is turning the place into a mega audio, video, digital content production facility.

Thanks to musician, producer, and engineer Todd Tate for helping with my interview.

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It is one of several songs that came through on New Years eve (2009). Instead of partying with friends, I spent New Years eve in my studio in a grateful homage to the powerful flow of music that was pouring through me. I was alone in the studio and from 10 pm to 1 am, music was in tsunami mode..so much that I cried several times listening to it. There was so much inspiration flowing that in a 35 minute piece of music, there emerged 5 or 6 fine songs. I spent about a week exploring them and evolving parts for bass, sitar, marimba, kalimba, pads, percussion, drums, etc. My close friends have heard the entire evening’s music. Inside that 35 minute piece was a tune I broke out into its own life: “Together.”

“Together” is soulfully hopeful, in the zone and confident in the future. An instrumental refrain repeats as a sort of anthem or mantra, and evolves its dimension organically with each repetition. Instruments come in… improvs emerge. From start to finish, the song is a unifying joy ride that aims to resonate a relaxed, shining optimism and willful intention for good.

On the track being recorded now are bassist Tony Levin (has performed with Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon), percussionist Jeff Haynes (toured with Pat Metheny) and myself on guitars. We’ll be announcing the drummer on the track soon.

“Together” is about one family, one community, one world. That’s the spirit in this song. The hope and the dream.

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My process is simple: I let go of my mind, let go of my body, and try to flow inside the inspiration of creation. Think of it as free falling from 100,000 feet fully confident that all is well because you can fly as high as you believe you can. Inside that confidence is this music.

When I fully let go, the pipeline opens and heartfelt music emerges. This song was a beautiful flow the entire time. It began while I was hosting two friends for a hangout and song listen. I asked them if I could compose a song with them in the studio…making the process a bit more fun. Normally I create alone, and often at 11 pm to 2 am. This was kinda cool to share this moment with friends and I had no idea how it would turn out.

I started with a beat that I could jam on. It’s the bed of the song. Jamming with a beat means feeling it and flowing it through me. So I played a set of chord changes on that flow and that became the bed of the song. Next up was Bass. I usually lay down bass on top of the initial creation and then start to decorate it. There are often mistakes along the way. I just keep layering and listening because one part helps dictate another. It’s like a puzzle that emerges piece by piece, yet fits together miraculously as I layer one part atop the other. Playing all the parts (like on the demos) is fun, but having other amazing musicians playing the parts will bring the music to life.

I had been using kalimba and marimba and sitar, and loved those sounds. So I thought, lets use them here.

I created with a motif on Kalimba, an African thumb piano, and looped it in small sections that morphed with the chord. Listening back, I was feeling this as a spacious piece…a sort of sound painting for a moment in nature. Hence the title, “Natural Moment.”

That’s how far I got in an hour one afternoon with friends. The next three days and nights I dug into this piece and fully explored its beauty, a creation from another place. I added a pad in the background to warm the repeated arpeggio of the guitar –flowing, yet haunting and unexpected single notes.

The sitar melody emerged while I was on a business call and recording the sitar at the same time. The second verse was somewhat ambiguous (who was on the line with me???) and I decided I would keep it because it flowed on in a simple stepping melody that opened into an electric guitar solo. The guitar solo literally exploded in the moment of the take. I rarely start playing that quickly in a solo, but I just jumped into it. And I love it.

The coolest and funnest side of this creative process is adding the energy and genius of real musicians. I’m in the studio these days and you’re gonna love what this song has become. I’ve added some incredible artists to this track. Check them out on video and watch them record this song and others. YouTube subscribers also get my video updates.

Click “Natural Moment” in the player and enjoy the demo.

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