Hidden Strings
A sound and energy healing meditation event
Take a moment to step outside of time… Somewhere between a concert and a sound healing, Hidden Strings create improvised musical meditations of cello, guitar and flute that inspire subtle dream states and deep relaxation. You may take the experience however you wish, whether sitting, lying down or moving gently. You could even do some knitting. This is a perfect opportunity for those that find it difficult meditate or switch off. Simply turn up and float away.
This meditation will be amplified by a group Reiki healing from Lance to combine with the healing sounds.
Who are hidden strings?
Naomi Dart
Naomi is an accomplished cellist, teacher, improviser, composer, event organiser and meditation specialist who has been playing the cello for the past 32 years and has been performing in Newcastle for the past 22 years. Aside from her commitments as a performer, Naomi is a mother of 5 and a sought-after cello teacher, where she aims to instill in her students a love of exploration and finding their own unique voice.
As a performer, Naomi has diversified from her classical training, studying Latin American tango music, folk music, improvisation and more recently meditation music and the healing power of music. Naomi performs with local orchestras, small ensembles, musical theatre, and in contemporary bands, as well as recording work with local artists. As a composer, Naomi, spends her time co creating music, through imorovisation and composition, aiming to immerse the audience in a complete experience of music that goes beyond the auditory sense.
As a musician, Naomi’s passion is founded on exploring the innovative ways in which music can be experienced. Naomi is aiming to remove the barriers between the audience and the performer and create immersive art experiences, for audiences and performers.
Abhaya Sky
Growing up on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Christopher was a shy child, full of curiosity and quiet wonder. Finding himself often misunderstood and at odds with school and socialisation, he gravitated towards storytelling, imagination, spirituality and music. As a teenager he explored popular music, fingerstyle guitar and garage band grunge. The significance of sound and story as portals to some other place became apparent at this time.
After high school he followed a breadcrumb trail of many different disciplines including jazz guitar, film scoring, orchestration, video game music and electronic music production. Having discovered a penchant for writing, Christopher continued to compose, and wrote his first songs for guitar and voice.
He moved to Sydney to study music at university. The next few years were a combination of messy and revelatory. Christopher experienced the ups and downs of young love, the transcendental highs of writing and performing with folk rock five-piece Skystreet, and an exposure to the world of choral music through The Spooky Men’s Chorale. At the same time he became depressed, anxious and unable to complete his university studies. Disillusionment with the modern world and lack of self-understanding pushed him towards the teachings of eastern spiritual traditions, first Buddhism, and later Yoga.
Christopher dropped out of university and moved back to the Central Coast. There he fell into a groove surrounded by loving friends, and underpinned by inner work. He continued performing with The Spooky Men’s Chorale, playing for large audiences around Australia and the UK. His interests in meditation and Yoga deepened, and he began spending time at a local Buddhist monastery. He took a job in disability support and returned to studying music in Sydney, where he recorded the EPs Ode to Impermanence and Rain-Soaked Heart.
In January 2020 Christopher took a leap of faith by moving to Melbourne to make a start on a career in music. He avoided taking a job so he would be forced to make a living by busking.
About three months into the journey the first lockdown of Covid-19 struck Melbourne. During this time he went inward and envisioned a new way forward. A family visit in between the first and second waves saw him stranded in New South Wales for 6 months, where he further pursued his interest in Yoga and met cellist Naomi Dart, who became a dear friend and collaborator. He returned to Melbourne to collect his things and settled in Newcastle, a small coastal city open to the arts and social change. He began teaching music with a heart-centred approach two days a week, all the while writing, performing and continuing the inner work. He hopes to create music and a message that will be a light in the dark for those who need it as much as he once did.
Christopher is currently putting the finishing touches on the first volume of his upcoming record Dreamfolk, which is entitled Painted-On Clouds. For behind the scenes content and updates on the process, please see Dreamfolk. To support the crowdfunding campaign visit gofundme.com/dreamfolk.
Christopher performs with Naomi Dart and Sarah Monk as Hidden Strings and sings with The Spooky Men's Chorale.
Sarah Monk
Sarah Monk is a multi-flutist, artist, and collaborator, who seeks to immerse audiences in unique and transformative sound experiences., Sarah draws her inspiration from improvised music, experimental, jazz, world music, as well as new music repertoire, that extends and transforms the traditional flute sound.
Working with composers, artists and musicians, Sarah uses simple recording technologies with live performance and improvisation. Inspired by Pauline Oliveros, her show for a blind-folded audience, “The Sound of Spaces” was a result of a collaboration with Sydney based duo Sonant Bodies. It was performed at Crack Theatre, TINA Festival 2017, Vivid Festival 2018, Maitland Art Gallery 2018 and was support act to New York artist Claire Chase as part of Back stage music, Redfern Sydney 2018.
Sarah founded new music group Tone Camerata, who won two grants from the New Music Network 2015 and again in 2017.
Most recently she has been performing bass flute with Newcastle improvised music group, Hidden Strings.
Sarah also performs with local Afro-Brazilian inspired Trio, Big Jarda.
