Stephen Day
“Stephen Day is a musician that uses his sarod playing to elevate our hearts and minds so that we may more readily access the spiritual dimension of our selves. .”
– Gary Goldberg, In The Spirit WRPI 91.5 fm Troy, New York
STEPHEN DAY
Sarod player, singer / songwriter and composer Stephen Day writes songs and compositions inspired by his many music adventures around the world.
Day describes playing the 21-stringed fretless silver-necked lute-like Sarod as ‘being the perfect instrument for meditation with the characteristic microtonal ‘slides and glides’ facilitating the emotional yearning of the seeker on a ‘rocket ride for the inner soul’.
Born in California, and raised in Canada and France, Day developed an ardent search for meaning in life from a very young age. When he was 18 years old, while hitchhiking for the summer in Italy and Greece, he experienced a profound sense of joy and freedom. He was so moved by the experience that he vowed to search for a lifestyle that would allow him to remain in touch with the awakening that he had felt that summer. A few years later, he was introduced to a meditation called Sahaja Yoga by its founder Nobel Peace Prize nominee Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. Shri Mataji encouraged Stephen to play Indian Classical music and introduced him to world-renowned award winning Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Day was then awarded a scholarship by the Indian Council of Culture to come to India to study. Day not only had the privilege of regular lessons with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for three years but also traveled with him to various parts of India for recording sessions and performances.
After living in India, Stephen spent time touring in Europe and America where he played premier venues including the Kodak Theater in L.A. and Town Hall in N.Y. He then settled in Los Angeles and began to write music for TV and film. His body of work now contains music in 7 films, 4 music libraries, 4 albums and hundreds of television shows including 51st State with Samuel Jackson and NBC’s series ‘Madmen’.
In 2007 Mr. Day organized and performed in a concert at the United Nations where his music was featured as a uniting force for ancient civilizations and modern countries in the East and in the West.
In addition to music for TV and Film, Stephen has recorded albums of songs and traditional Indian music ragas. Namaste, a collection of songs about adventure, mysticism and the road less traveled, was produced by two-time Gold Disc Award winner Matt Forger (Michael Jackson, Stephen Spielberg, Paul McCartney), and Shenkar (John Mcglaughlin, Peter Gabriel, voice of NBC’s smash hit “Heroes”). It features musical appearances by Matt Malley (Counting Crows), Daryl Jones (Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones), Satnam Singh (Nikka Costa, Hans Zimmer), and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Ry Cooder) among others. Stephen’s latest album ‘One Heart Highway’ features Indian Classical Ragas played on the Sarod and Tablas with an added guided meditation vocal track.
Stephen is the founder of “Ombience” a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to self-reflection through the Arts. In 2017 his life long dedication to music and meditation for humanity was honored with the prestigious World Peace Award from the Global Peace Foundation in Southern California. Stephen currently resides in Los Angeles where he is recording and performing his new 1 Man Show entitled “RsVp” which invites audiences to join in and collaborate in an evening of music, dance, and theater that celebrates seeking, surrender and adventure in the new frontier of the Universal Soul.
Yoga Festival, Germany, 2017
Los Angeles 2014 with Indradeep Ghosh (violin) and Subhir Adhikari (tablas)
