Sensuous,soothing aural summer daytrip filled with enchantment and artistic virtuosity.Unique original tunes and re-arranged Victorian music intertwine with the sounds of summer.

14 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Gentle, FOLK: like Joni



Details:
The contemporary Zen guru Alan Watts said, âthe attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be.â Not surprising, then, that for York, PA-based singer, composer and guitarist Susan Savia â a devoted Buddhist/Taoist practitioner influenced by Watts â music, like everything else in life, is about being open to the truth. For her, this has meant that music was destined to be an inextricable part of her life, but something she must approach on her own terms. The result is original, evocative and peaceful music about love and awakening.

Susan grew up in northern Virginia and played piano by ear at age 5, and like all great singers, started in the church choir. Since her teens, Susan sang only as a sideline at weddings, funerals, folk festivals and parties. She moved to Maryland, and performed with the band Easy Street. Then as one-half of the popular folk/blues duo, Backseat Drivers, she entertained for about 10 years across Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

In 1997, Susan became interested in Buddhism. While browsing in a local bookstore, she saw a flyer for a teaching in Baltimore and thought it would be interesting. She drove an hour to see him, not knowing what to expect, and was immediately drawn. Seeking peace of mind and spiritual awakening, she realized that Buddhism was the path for her and began to integrate it into her life. Working full-time at a college, she still performed music occasionally, but was losing interest singing just covers. In 1999, she bought her first house in the country, started a new relationship, and decided âtime to give up music and focus on those two things for a while. I never really expected to return to music.â

A vacation to Hawaiâi in 2004 inadvertantly changed all that. Susan and her husband took a trip to the Big Island (ââ¦so inspiring!â), and upon her return home, she left her full-time job. She ran for the State House of Representatives of Pennsylvania for the Green Party (being the only visible Buddhist in town, she was known around York as a religious leader and environmentalist.) She won 8 of the vote against an incumbent, successfully helping the Green Party maintain party status in Pennsylvania.

Following that adventure, she took some time to âfigure out what I wanted to do when I grew upâ. Everything seemed to converge: her healthy romantic relationship, the wonderful experience of Hawaiâi, spending time watching nature, continuing her path toward awakening.

Music tugged at her heart, so in 2005 she picked up her guitar and began playing again, but this time on her own terms. She started experimenting with open tunings, writing new songs and rearranging vintage music. (Susan has a passion for music from the Age of Enlightenment.) She developed a unique style, pulled from past influences Joni Mitchell, David Byrne, Incredible String Band, The Moody Blues, Jazz great Tim Warfield, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and more. People embraced her new sound when she played out in tearooms and coffeehouses and assisted living facilities.

In 2006, Susan produced and recorded Cosmic Summer Sojourn. The debut CD was brilliantly engineered and co-produced by Rob Ziv (Eric Clapton, Aaron Neville, Celine Dion) at Sheffield Studios in Phoenix, Maryland, culminating in an enchanting aural daytrip and an expression of awakening. The music is a mix of old and new; joy and love; spirituality and nature. The artistic anthology features Susanâs original music, anchored by some late 19th century songs uniquely re-arranged by her to sound current, all interlaced with the sounds of summer recorded in her backyard. One reviewer writes: âTo me the most captivating parts of the CD are the tracks where your voice and that of the guitar are pure and allow me the most access to the poetry of your lyrics. Your artistic virtuosity both vocally and instrumentally are astounding: each alone would be rare.â

For the future, Susan plans to tour and perform full-time and continue to compose new music. Her CD is already generating significant buzz, with requests for copies and interviews as far away as Eastern Europe and Australia. One song has been chosen for a compilation CD, "Chill Out: East Coast Version" due out in Spring 2007.

Susan believes the time is right for her enchanting, peaceful music. âThere's plenty of rock and roll out there. I think people are ready to listen for subtleties, longing for beauty, innocence, love -- the goodness that is all around and mixed into the music,â Susan states. âI love when they tell me âyour music is so wonderfully gentleâ or âyour CD is so relaxingâ or your 'voice is SO beautiful!â

With her incredible talents, original voice and the ability like Alan Watts âto let go and become open to truth -- whatever it might turn out to beâ, Susan Saviaâs interesting journey will continue for a long time, and one that a lot of people will want to follow.