Jayne Demakos

Artist Information

Biography

Jayne Demakos lives and makes music in the Finger Lakes area of New York state. A harpist and a vocalist, she uses music as a means to heal, inform, celebrate, explore and sustain. Founder of “Move Your Heart” solo concerts, she also brings music into conferences and workshops, weaving music throughout to bring together and deepen the spoken words as well as create a sense of larger community. She is director of the Music Program in her area’s Hospice specifically using music in palliative care. Jayne’s next CD promises to be all harp music sensitive to the needs of Hospice patients.

Instrumentation

Jayne Demakos, harp and voice
Steve Gorn, bonsuri flute
Seamus Egan, whistles
Samite of Uganda, vocals
Hank Roberts, cello
Nicholas Walker, bass and viola da gamba
Marc Abrams, bass
Peter Dodge, vocals
Jeff Haynes and Charlie Shew, percussion

Discography

Collage (1999)
Hush (Nov 2006)

Audio

• The Invitation
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• Ndere
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• Hush
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• Last of the Great Whales
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• Ancient She Bear
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• Slumber My Darling
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• Hush
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• Bird On A Wire
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• Hush
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• Last of the Great Whales
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• Slumber My Darling
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• Fantasy on Kingsfold Tune
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• Ndere
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• Ndere
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Lyrics

• Hush
• Prayer
• Last of the Great Whales
• O Virdissima Virga
• Slumber My Darling
• Fantasy on Kingsfold Tune
• The Loneliness of Waiting

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Jayne Demakos' CD explores great songwriters, personal journals [+ Show ]
  

  Without apparent worry about genre, yet all holding together, "Hush" contains songs choices that cou...Without apparent worry about genre, yet all holding together, "Hush" contains songs choices that could hardly go wrong-from great songwriters like Stephen Foster and Leonard Cohen to the genius nun composer Hildegard von Bingen....In all its quietness and a refined sense of musical space-with Demakos' lovely choir girl voice, the project has, to its credit, startling, raw elements....

• Author Speaks [+ Show ]
  

  “Jayne has the gift of bringing into harmony the feelings that an event evokes in a great variety of...“Jayne has the gift of bringing into harmony the feelings that an event evokes in a great variety of people. Chords of music are threads which pull hearts together, and Jayne is a pioneer in using these threads to weave peace.”
  Brother David Steindal-Rast, author, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and A Listening Heart: the Spirituality of the Sacred. Founder Gratefulness.org
  

• "Listen now again" [+ Show ]
  

  ‘Come, come, whoever you are…’ Herein lies the essence of this inspired treasury of celestial/te... ‘Come, come, whoever you are…’ Herein lies the essence of this inspired treasury of celestial/terrestrial sounds. This is nourishing food for every ear that chooses to listen keenly and obediently and promises the listener a sonic experience which is spiritual and wholesome. There is an Irish ancient ever-wise proverb or sean-fhocal which sings: Trí nithe nach féidir a fhoghlaim – guth, féile agus filíocht. Three things that can never be learned – voice (singing), celebration and poetry. Jayne Demakos is a natural genius at all three and her instinctive gifts are set in stone-circle and sound-circle around the spirit-filled four-lettered word, ‘Hush’. Ultimately, this one woman’s crie-de-coeur is ‘…a music you would never have known to listen for. Listen now again’. (Seamus Heaney) Nóirín Ní Riain Ph.D , Singer, Theologian, Author (“Celtic Soul”; “Stor Ambran”; “Vox de Nube”; “The Gregorian Chant Experience”
  
  

• Jayne Demakos - Harp and Voice [+ Show ]
  

  Jayne Demakos [“Hush”] from Jayne Demakos, is an album that will cause listeners to relax into a p...Jayne Demakos
  [“Hush”] from Jayne Demakos, is an album that will cause listeners to relax into a peaceful and un-anxious state. Demakos has taught and performed music for over 25 years and on this album her prowess shows in spades. Her harp work accompanies her vocal tone, which goes from soft to sonorous throughout the record.
  
  .... very meditative...engaging harp skill...deep vocals....
  
  Jayne Demakos’s “Harp and Voice” is filled with brooding symmetry designed to make listeners think about elemental things and relax at the same time. Her voice goes from tranquil to quite strict throughout the album, which gives each song a distinct tone which listeners will enjoy.
  
  Reviewer: Sari N. Kent

• ...weaving music into conferences [+ Show ]
  

  “Jayne Demakos made a pivotal contribution to several weekend workshops on religion and human ri... “Jayne Demakos made a pivotal contribution to several weekend workshops on religion and human rights that we did together. With great skill and sensitivity, her music deepened our thinking, opened our hearts, and guided us to inspired actions.”
  
  Victor Mansfield, Professor, Author, “Head and Heart: a Personal Exploration of Science and the Sacred”.
  
  Victor Mansfied, Chairman of Physics and Astronomy, Hobart and Smith College.
  

• Music and Writing workshop [+ Show ]
  

  “Working with Jayne Demakos to offer a weekend writing and music retreat was a profound and de...
  “Working with Jayne Demakos to offer a weekend writing and music retreat was a profound and delightful experience. I loved Jayne’ depth and skills as a a teacher, her gifted musicality, and her flexible creativity. Besides that, she was so much fun to work with. I want to do it again!”
  
  Patricia Lewis, Patchwork Farm Writing Retreats, Senior Partner in Amherst Writers and Artists
  
  

• ...from the audience [+ Show ]
  

  “Jayne your music is incredible. It has brought me closer to myself ...It has given my life a rich... “Jayne your music is incredible. It has brought me closer to myself ...It has given my life a richness and depth that I longed for but did not know how to find. Your music has made the world seem a better place. Thank you for the gift your music has given me”
  
  
  

Setlist

mixed original and covers:
~ The Invitation - a Rumi Poem set to music and sung into my harp
~A Sacred Chant by Hildegard von Bingen (a choice of 3); can be sung alone or with harmonium/shruti box.
~Lullabies - either celtic or Stephen Foster
~Collection of songs from Africa - some for harp and voice; some can include the audience
~Leonard Cohen/Bob Dylan - arranged for harp and voice
~collection of Celtic vocals and instruments
~spoken word (poetry) woven together with harp

sets are usually 40 minutes

Basic Requirements

Calendar