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Ramesha and his wife Bhagavati are the co‑directors, with Jeannie Tschantz, of the Ananda music ministry. They live at Ananda Village. A professional singer and violinist, Ramesha offers singing lessons and coaching through his website, www.vocalbliss.net. (Photo: 2012) Q: How did you get started in music? Ramesha: When I was four or five years old … Read more

Photo: Mari Baughman leads chanting at the Ananda Portland Center, with David Eby, a cellist whose story is included in this series. Mari served for many years as Music Director for Ananda in Portland, Oregon.  Q: Tell us about your background in music. Mari: My Mom said that I started singing before I started talking, … Read more

Anaya serves as music director of Ananda Sangha in Palo Alto, California. Q: Tell us about your life in music, starting with your earliest years. Anaya: My parents were professional musicians. My father was a violinist and my mother was a pianist and violist, and I was introduced to violin at about age four. My … Read more

David served for many years as Ananda’s music director. He now lives and teaches in Portland. Q: You’ve had a long career as a cellist and music teacher. Did your involvement with music start at an early age? David: My dad is a Presbyterian pastor, and when I was growing up he was in charge … Read more

Q: You talk with many people who come fresh to Ananda. What’s your impression of how the music affects them? Asha: To answer your question I’ll go back a bit in time. In the late 1970s Swami Kriyananda asked me to go on the road and give talks about our teachings. So I began driving … Read more

From a talk to the Ananda singers and musicians in Assisi, Italy. An emperor in ancient China would tour his provinces once a year to see how they were faring. He never inquired about the honesty of the officials, nor did he try to find out how things were being run. He didn’t even ask … Read more

In talks that Swami Kriyananda gave in the last years of his life, he often warned us of severe economic hardships to come. How will we live, if the material foundations of our lives should be shaken or destroyed? I don’t have a single, comprehensive answer, but I pray that the following stories will inspire … Read more

Nayaswami Roma and her husband Haridas lived in the Ananda community in Mountain View, California, where Roma managed the community kitchen and Haridas was the community’s co-manager. This is excerpted from a Sunday service that Roma gave in April, 2005. (Photo: 2000s – Roma with Haridas and daughter Rose) In the last few days we’ve … Read more

We spoke with Dambara while he lived in the Ananda Community in Mountain View, California. Dambara now serves with Ananda in Oregon and also travels with Asha Nayaswami worldwide as a wandering minstrel, singing Swami Kriyananda’s music for her public talks and workshops. Q: You’ve been a long-time member of Ananda’s music ministry, singing Swami … Read more

A short and sweet Q&A with Amara in the early 2000s. Amara has since transitioned to devote more time to her art. She has a small studio in the Ananda Community of Mountain View, California. Her paintings are regularly exhibited in upscale galleries and shows in the greater Silicon Valley area. You can view her … Read more