Part of the Festival of Sacred Music Series at The New School at Commonweal

Join us for the third in a series of sacred music celebrations at Commonweal, an afternoon duet of sarod and tabla with Manik Khan and Nilan Chaudhuri. 

Part of the Festival of Sacred Music Series

These concerts are presented in collaboration with long-time Commonweal friend Toby Symington, executive director of the Lloyd Symington Foundation and transpersonal astrologer. Held at the solstice and equinox, the concerts—and gatherings afterward—are designed to bring people together in a convivial setting around music which delights, inspires, and elevates the soul. From Toby:

Manik Khan has been steeped in the ancient melodies of North Indian classical music since birth. The youngest son of the legendary Sarod maestro, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, he grew up listening to his father in countless concerts and attending his classes at the esteemed Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California. He initially studied tabla under the guidance of Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, but the greater call to follow in the footsteps of his family brought Manik, at the age of 13, to formally train on the Sarod with his father. He spent his formative years accompanying his father on stage, touring for the last decade of his father's extensive and iconic performance career. Manik's own solo career has brought him throughout India, South America, and the United States.

Nilan Chaudhuri is a Bay Area based percussionist, educator, and performer. Initiated into the tradition of Indian Classical Music at the age of five by his father, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Nilan has been performing as a tabla soloist and accompanist for nearly two decades. Drawing inspiration from his father’s innovative approach to classical tabla solo,  Nilan was determined from a young age to be a soloist. In addition to maintaining a rigorous performing schedule, Nilan teaches Tabla throughout the Bay Area as a faculty member at the Ali Akbar College of Music, in San Rafael, and as the Director of Percussion at Chitresh Das Institute, in San Mateo. He also serves as an archivist at the Ali Akbar College of Music, where the construction of a musical archive spanning 40 years of his Father’s work, is underway. It’s his lifelong mission to contribute to the preservation and enrichment of Indian Classical percussion. 

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The New School is Commonweal’s learning community and podcast — we offer conversations, workshops, and other events in areas that Commonweal champions: finding meaning, growing health and resilience, advocating for justice, and stewarding the natural world. We make our conversations into podcasts for many thousands of listeners world wide and have been doing this since 2007.  Please like/follow our YouTube channel for access to our library of more than 400 great podcasts. tns.commonweal.org

#indianmusic #sarod #imamcollective #worldmusic

An Afternoon of Indian Classical Music with Manik Khan and Nilan Chauduri

A elegant downtempo melodic theme in light sadness mood  available for airy cinematic soundscape usage. This track is perfect for emotive projects, slideshows  and sentimental video.

Raindrops

Promo: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/strengevind/ei-l-og-noko-attt

A warm folk rock tune from the Norwegian countryside, where the sun sets slow and the small moments matter. With fiddle and electric guitar, Ei øl og noko attåt celebrates a man winding down with a cold beer, some good food, and time to just be. Simple joys, honest words – Strengevind style.

Lyrics: 

Eg har spylt terrassen og hengt opp kle
Lagt beina høgt og latt dagen få le
Det er fredag – og det freistar med noko
Ei kald ei i handa og noko godt attåt

Ei øl og noko attåt – det er alt eg treng
Når kvelden kjem og verda blir mild
Ei skive med ost og ein latter i lufta
Livet smakar best når ein tek seg ei stund
Ei øl og noko attåt – medan kvelden fell ned
Eg lener meg bakpå – og alt kjennest rett

Eg høyrer naboen klippe plenen
Ein fugl kvitrar frå toppen av steinen
På bordet står peanøtter og spekepølse
Og sola gjer glaset mitt gyllent og reint

Ei øl og noko attåt – det er alt eg treng
Når kvelden kjem og verda blir mild
Ei skive med ost og ein latter i lufta
Livet smakar best når ein tek seg ei stund
Ei øl og noko attåt – medan kvelden fell ned
Eg lener meg bakpå – og alt kjennest rett

Det enkle kan bera det store i seg
Ein pause i alt – litt tid berre meg
Ein slurk, ein tanke, ein bit på eit fat
Me treng ikkje mykje for å ha det bra

Ei øl og noko attåt – det er alt eg treng
Når kvelden kjem og verda blir mild
Ei skive med ost og ein latter i lufta
Livet smakar best når ein tek seg ei stund
Ei øl og noko attåt – medan kvelden fell ned
Eg lener meg bakpå – og alt kjennest rett

Ei øl og noko attåt

Pink Moon

Free Download

A chill rainforest loop made to reset your mind.
Layered with jungle ambiance and soft melodies—this one’s for late nights, deep focus, or escaping the noise.
Let it run in the background or loop forever.

🌿 More sounds on the way
📺 Watch the visual on YouTube
🛍️ Grab full packs: https://alexdaley.gumroad.com/l/ihuky

Where the Rain Breathes

Easy Going

Saba

The Mul Mantra from the Japji Sahib, sung with peaceful digital music backing.

Mul Mantra

A meditative improvisation on rocroco with some accompanying parts and vocalisation.

Choiceless Love

Always in Love

Decoration of life

MAYBE

Dreamy Summer

Melancholic

First moment

Lyrics by Zynab & Essa Ahmed
Vocals and Music by Suno AI

Note: No AI was involved in writing the lyrics or the editing

The Lyrics:

Many keep asking me
How come I can sleep in the dark
How come I can walk without a light
Many really don`t know
I found a kind of light never dies
I found it when my chest, felt so tight

[Chorus part 1]
It is a light
So transparent and white
Only you find it when you look up to the sky
It is a light
live beyond all the suns and stars
Only you find it when you feel you are so small
Only you find it when you feel you are so small

[Chorus part 2]
It is that kind of light
Never fail you or leave you
As long as you never stop to wonder
It is that kind of light
Never betray you or weaken you
As long as you remember who is the owner

Many chose following
A different light, the color is blue
so artificial ,so electric,  fed by a big pack of gold
Many chose following 
The owners, believing they are the comfort
the light, even though their statements are so bold


But I kept following that light

[Chorus part 1]
It is a light
So transparent and white
Only you find it when you look up to the sky
It is a light
live beyond all the suns and stars
Only you find it when you feel you are so small

[Chorus part 2]
It is that kind of light
Never fail you or leave you
As long as you never stop to wonder
It is that kind of light
Never betray you, only empower you
As long as you remember who is the owner

Many chose following
A different light, the color is orange
So sincere, yet so small, much like its carriers
Many chose following
Little candles carried by men of long robes
Their words so comforting, feels there are no barriers


But I kept following that light

[Bridge]
That same light had other followers like me
Found what I found, and lived many days of peace

But some forgot the owner, then thought they were the source
Fooling their selves, and others, through yellow reflection of that light

Until it died like any other earthly lights
never forget the owner of that light

[Chorus part 1]
It is a light
So transparent and white
Only you find it when you look up to the sky
It is a light
Live beyond all the suns and stars
Only you find it when you feel you are so small

[Chorus part 2]
It is that kind of light
Never fail you or leave you
As long as you never stop to wonder
It is that kind of light
Never betray you, only empower you
As long as you remember who is the owner

The Empowering Light

Gentle Moment

Set beside the quiet stillness of Teddington Lock, Reflections at the Lock is a traditional folk ballad about slowing down, looking back without regret, and gently stepping forward. Inspired by the soft current of the Thames and the calm presence of narrowboats and morning wildlife, the song carries hope in its restraint and peace in its simplicity.

Written in classic folk ballad meter, it invites listeners to sit with their thoughts and find comfort in knowing that — like the river — we move forward, even if slowly.

Part of a continuing folk cycle rooted in Teddington, this entry offers warmth, reflection, and reassurance for anyone caught between memory and renewal.

[LYRICS]

The footbridge hums beneath my feet,
The current rolls below.
A narrowboat is tied and still,
With nowhere else to go.

The ropes are worn but hold with ease,
The water shines like glass.
I sit and watch the river drift,
And let the silence pass.

A magpie lands and hops along,
Then lifts without a sound.
It doesn’t ask where I have been,
Or where I might be bound.

The lock may pause the river’s flow,
But not the heart or mind.
It slows me down to see myself,
And leave some fear behind.

The trees reflect in gentle waves,
Their roots in softened clay.
They bend but never break with time,
And guide me on my way.

The lock may pause the river’s flow,
But not the heart or mind.
It slows me down to see myself,
And leave some fear behind.

So if you find your spirit low,
Just wander here awhile.
The water waits for no one’s pain,
But always brings a smile.

So if you find your spirit low,
Just wander here awhile.
The water waits for no one’s pain,
But always brings a smile.

Reflections at the Lock - Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (Lyrics Below)

She’s not just a melody – she’s the breath of love itself.
A soft whisper in the quiet of the heart,
a gentle embrace woven from starlight and silence.
This song holds the warmth of a soul awakening to itself…

She’s the Song

A lyricist, a storyteller and a modern philosopher

Instant composer of whispered melodies - Authentic. Every song is written in a single breath — a musical memory, inspired by people and moments that crossed my path. Piano stories to breathe, heal, love, and reflect. Music is most beautiful when it’s shared. 🎹✨
Thank you for listening   - No AI --

A producer, songwriter, and sonic architect, John AI Smith thrives on artistic evolution. Starting as a singular force in music, he has expanded into ten distinct artist identities—each representing a unique soundscape, from melancholic folk to bass-heavy electronic beats.
Rather than conforming to a single style, John AI Smith embraces a genre-fluid approach, crafting music across atmospheric indie-folk, cinematic storytelling, trance, trap, synthwave, and beyond. 

His projects include following artists and their spotify links:

John AI Smith - https://vshrt.in/ITRa
Chill Fader - https://vshrt.in/zCwt
Calisnor - https://vshrt.in/stNU
Isak Evermore - https://vshrt.in/pEJx
Obscyron - https://vshrt.in/cfTh
OrchraX - https://vshrt.in/dJZO
Strengevind - https://vshrt.in/cQej
Vargkald - https://vshrt.in/wrrK
Bassvoid - https://vshrt.in/Nnak
Nordskygge - https://vshrt.in/sShw

With SoundCloud as his creative playground, John AI Smith invites listeners into a boundary-defying musical universe. Whether crafting immersive electronic beats or heartfelt folk melodies, his work remains centered on innovation, emotion, and sonic exploration.

"🎧 TorGio Records • Leya & AI • Ambient, Psychedelic, Soul • Mindful music for every mood • SoundCloud-first".

Experimental sounds from the edge of AI.
chill music using neural networks + nature.
Each track is uniquely generated.
🔗 https://alexdaley.gumroad.com/l/ihuky

I’ve always lived at the crossroads of music and poetry — where feeling becomes form, and melody turns memory into meaning. Whether it’s a lingering jazz note, a well-placed rhyme, or a shift in tempo that tells a deeper story, I’m drawn to that quiet magic where art reflects life with a little more style.

My roots are in classic music — the kind that doesn’t chase the moment but lingers with you long after the last note. Over time, that love expanded into poetry writing and jazz — especially the kind that swings, speaks, and smirks all at once. Jazz, to me, isn’t just a genre; it’s a personality. A conversation. A little tilt of the head and a grin that knows more than it says.

When I set out to create an album, it’s rarely just a collection of songs. I approach it like a personal playlist — one that drifts and flows as if the entire tracklist were one long, uninterrupted piece. Each track leans into the next, shifting mood, pace, or voice, but always carrying the same thread of feeling. I want you to listen the way I do — not as a shuffle of moments, but as a cinematic arc. One breath that lasts an hour.

Lyrically, my work is rooted in lived experience. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times it’s just the skeleton of a memory, dressed up in wit, irony, or longing. I draw from real-life events, then let the poet in me twist, stretch, or sweeten them to taste. Depending on the tone of the album — playful, romantic, nostalgic, or something in between — I try to keep the emotional truth intact while giving it a fresh coat of creativity. A little humor where it fits. A deeper dive where it hurts.

My newest jazz album continues this tradition — short-lined swing tracks, conversational duets, and tongue-in-cheek storytelling. It’s an homage to late-night alleyway ballads, rooftop serenades, and train station goodbyes — all bound together with a sense of charm and cohesion. Each song is its own little scene, but together they tell a story — one you can revisit with each replay.

Thanks for stopping by my profile. I hope you find something that earns a spot on your repeat-play list — a melody, a lyric, or a moment that feels like it was written just for you.

Audio engineer / producer / singer-songwriter / world musician

The New School presents conversations, book signings, art, and lectures with thought and action leaders of our time. We are a learning community of 4,000 people in the Bay Area and around the world dedicated to learning what matters. 

TNS focuses on the emergent, seeking out the thought and action leaders who are bringing discussion, beauty, and change to the world. We present events and podcast them in many areas: arts and sciences, health and the environment, and inner life. We follow streams of inquiry, including our End-of-Life Conversations, and series on Resilience, Archetypal Psychology, and Healing Circles.

New music every Sunday on SoundCloud and every Friday everywhere else

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2KWVrQxzJxZIDWtKCDOcz0?s
New ep with New-Z (octoboer) !!
New solo album (December) 
Hit me up @yunghennessy420@gmail.com
I make and sell beats
Produce songs $35 full edit (pro tools)
Willing to work with any artist with a passion in their craft

Our label specializes in high-quality commercial music designed for a wide range of projects. While our music is not royalty-free, you can easily purchase a sync license through lesfm.net to use our tracks in your videos, advertisements, podcasts, and other media. With a team of over 20 talented musicians, we’re committed to producing impactful music that elevates any project.

New tracks tagged #peaceful