I recently attended Bhakti Fest at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center for the second year in a row. This year was my first time going with the intent share the music, and a wonderful opportunity to play during the festival presented itself and the resulting experience was deep and profound. Just click the pictures above to see some really beautiful moments that took place in the meditation enclave while I played.

This was a first … I have never played in an environment like this before! Between the people and the landscape, there was a lot of musical magic happening everywhere, and in my immediate area there were people scattered all around meditating and taking cat naps while I played that are not pictured above.

Debbie was the first person to sit and listen. She had arrived at Bhakti Fest straight from Burning Man and was thrilled to plop down beside me and absorb the moment. She created a beautiful impressionistic drawing while listening and set it at the foot of my piano before she left. John, Nick, and D’mian appeared a little later and this group hung out with me for the better part of an hour, listening, meditating, humming along, and playing the Djembe. Here is a short video of this magical moment.

Bhakti Fest 2011 was an amazing stream of meaningful connections with new friends and old friends alike. I cannot thank Bhakti Fest or these beautiful souls enough for creating and sharing this experience with me. See ya next year!