Rooted in ancestral memory
I spent my first 11 years of life in Tehran. Grief has always lived close to the music in my family. My Maman (Mom) sang folk songs in her melancholy alto voice, yearning for a singing life she was not allowed to live. She wanted to pass that love of music on to me, so she signed me up for Santur class. My teacher often lamented about my lack of practice, but was impressed by my memory and ability for repetition. As a child I memorized my favorite children's book and recited the words before the narrator on tape spoke. After watching The Sound of Music countless times, I knew the scenes by heart.
I became good at learning by memorizing sounds, a skill I carried with me to the United States when I enrolled in the orchestra in middle and high school. My ears grew attuned to when something sounded off.
I am a vocalist, a grief alchemist, and a keeper of sacred space. My chants are rooted in ancient memory and channeled through deep intuition, in service of one mission: to help each of us remember our innate agency and power through the oldest technology we have, the human voice.