“The Silent Life is an album of grand ambiance and deep noise, influencing one not to nap, but to look within. To give time to breathe and let your mind wander with wonder.”
— Big Easy Magazine
Myers’ Debut album, The Silent Life, features 10 original compositions and a diverse line-up of some of New Orleans’ top musicians. Combining the sounds of African-American Music, Haitian Voudou, West African Voudou, and Electronic Ambience, The Silent Life refers to a concept outlined by Hazrat Inayat Khan in the book The Mysticism of Sound and Music, where all vibrations and life arise from the stillness of nothing.
“There is a book called The Mysticism of Sound and Music: The Sufi Teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This book is actually part of a series of lecture-transcriptions Inayat Khan gave over his life. The chapter “The Silent Life” really changed how I think about everything. There are so many beautiful metaphors and ideas in this book that have helped me to look deeper in all things. This particular chapter in the book discusses the idea that everything comes from the stillness of nothing. It’s a beautiful idea! I don’t want to do too much paraphrasing because he is an incredibly eloquent human. Get the book! I am not Sufi, but I do enjoy learning about all kinds of connection to the world and spirit.
Through using Khan’s words and message as a foundation for this project, I hold the music to a very high degree of spirit. Ultimately, how you connect to the word spirit is personal and unique. No matter what your background and connection to “spirit” is, music of strong “spirit” affects and moves. ‘The Silent Life’ is connecting to the natural world to bridge culture or stature. Relating to something deeper and more fundamental in all of us.”
- Shawn Myers
