The Voices

The age old sacred music of Tibetan Buddhist multiphonic chant and Tuvan throat singing are the roots from which PRANA's sound has grown. The technique of these ancient vocalizations is to shape the mouth and throat into a sympathetic resonating chamber for the voice. This produces a second beautiful high whistling harmonic or overtone.

PRANA's singers use their regular singing voice instead of the low gravely drone characteristic of the Tibetan and Tuvan sounds. They apply the fundamental overtone techniques of these older traditions to the "natural voice" to sing two mellifluous pitches at once.

By using the natural singing voice the singers of PRANA can move between any pitches that they can sing with overtones added above them. This completely opens up the possibilities for use of harmonics in singing. Now, in addition to a drone with harmonics they can sing parallel movement of pitch and harmonic, different pitches sharing one harmonic, or a fully developed melody with a harmonic harmony.

Singing as a group in this unique style they create beautiful rising harmonies, shimmering vocal textures, and high arcing melodies.

The Group

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Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning: breath, vital energy, life force. It is also an overtone singing choir comprised of professional singers. PRANA, was formed by Baird Hersey in 2000 to breathe life into the music from his "Waking the Cobra" CD.

Baird and PRANA have performed at a Benefit for The Dalai Lama Foundation, and Omega Institute's "Ecstatic Chant Retreat". They have opened for Philip Glass and performed as a part of the "Gatherings", "Tibet House", Menla", "One Voice", "Woodstock Cycle" concerts series, "The CSO Tsunami Relief Benefit" and many local benefits as well Yoga studios an colleges across the country.

Prana has had the honor of giving a personal performance for Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and four pieces from "Waking the Cobra" were used as part of "Live! Light on Life" a performance for BKS Iyengar at City Center in New York City.

In 2005 Prana's "The Eternal Embrace" was featured in its entirety for the whole hour of "Hearts of Space", which airs on more than 230 NPR stations.

Over the last three years Prana has performed regularly with Krishna Das. The evenings began with the group performing. Then KD joined them to sing several of his chants over Baird's a cappella arrangements for the voices of Prana. This collaboration was the starting point for their new CD "Gathering In The Light".

As individuals, the members of PRANA have recorded and performed with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, The Talking Heads, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, John Sebastian, Krishna Das, Steve Smith (Journey), Doane Perry (Jethro Tull), Graham Parker, Aine Minogue, Maria Muldaur, Barrie Maguire (the Wall flowers), Wah!, David Hykes, Every Mother's Son, Livingston Taylor, The Fugs, Orleans, Peter Yarrow, Tiny Tim, Rick Danko, Leon Russell, and Jorma Kaukonen,

The singers of PRANA are: Peter Buettner, Amy Fradon, Kirsti Gholson, Julie Last, Julian Lines, Bruce Milner, Leslie Ritter, Joe Veillette. They are all recognized performers in their own right who join together in PRANA to sing this remarkable music.

Peter Buettner is an accomplished musician. Peter has played flute and saxophone in concerts and recordings with the seminal 80s World Beat band "Futu Futu", Karl Burger, Marilyn Crispell and presently plays with Latin-Jazz group Mambo Kikongo.

Amy Fradon, a beloved singer/songwriter, is known for her richly textured, memorable concerts. Blessed with a golden ear and a powerful, clear voice, she is also as a passionate teacher helping others to midwife their connection to their voice, heart and power. She is the founder of the Vocal Visionary Training Program. She has recorded 10 albums under her own name and with her former partner Leslie Ritter and performed with Maria Muldaur, Happy and Artie Traum, Robbie DuPree, Livingston Taylor, Ed Sanders and the Fugs, Orleans, Peter Yarrow, Tiny Tim, and Rick Danko. and in the Broadway Touring Company of Pumpboys and Dinettes. Amy currently works with the Vanaver Caravan and a corporate interactive company called Face The Music. She is an ordained minister. Amy's website.

Kirsti Gholson got her start in music 15 years ago in Philadelphia as a back-up singer, recording and performing with a variety of bands and musicians. Her "solo" career began as part of a duo in "Sweet William", leading to the formation of the band "Art Can Kill", and finally to a musical partnership with Barrie Maguire. Their first gig together was at Woodstock '99 and she released a self-titled cd in 2000. In recent years, animal and environmental activism has become full-time work, putting singing and songwriting on the back burner. Moving to Woodstock and joining Prana has reawakened her love for creating music, and she is planning a new cd with Barrie under a new name, "the janes".

Baird Hersey is probably best know as a composer and guitarist. In the '70s and '80s he wrote for and played with his big band The Year of The Ear. The group's performances and recordings were highly regarded for their blend of rhythmic percussion and innovative horn arrangements. Hersey's is a National Endowment for the Arts Composition Fellow. His diverse career has encompassed; commissions from the Harvard University, New Mexico Council for the Arts, The Brooklyn Bridge Centennial Sound and Light Spectacular, The HVP Symphony Or chestra, and performances throughout the US and Europe in such different setting as the Berlin Jazz Festival and MTV. He has also composed extensively for television. He has been a student of yoga and overtone singing for 17 years. In 1997 He began the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. The result was a change in his life, his music and his career. He is presently recording his tenth album with Prana. He has studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore India and with The Gyuto Monks.

Julie Last started in NY in the mid 1970s to became one of only a handful of women recording engineers who worked their way into control rooms of major recording studios such as the Record Plant, Ocean Way and Atlantic Studios. She worked on the albums of; John Lennon, Arrowsmith, Talking Heads, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, The Clash, and Brian Eno, among others. After a move to Los Angeles she worked with leading singer/songwriters including; Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Shawn Colvin. In 1994 she was a Grammy Selection Committee Choice for Best Engineer for her recording of Ricki Lee Jones' "Traffic From Paradise" As a singer/songwriter Julie has released her own CD and has had her music included in several films. She also wrote and recorded a song for the best selling album, Celtic Twilight Lullabies. She has sung background vocals for numerous other artists among them Joni Mitchell and Talking Heads. Julie is presently an album producer ( Click for a list of credits ) and teaches music at Bennington College. She says "I feel that the power and beauty of overtone singing has profoundly enriched my musical and personal experience".

Julian Lines studied chant, sacred geometry and world music in Auroville, South India and as part of the Lindisfarne Association in New York. He hasproduced a series of Indian Classical music concerts in Woodstock over the years. He founded a shop, Pondicherry, featuring yoga related items including clothing, videos, books and CDs located on the Woodstock Village Green.

Bruce Milner is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of "Every Mother's Son" who had a #1 radio hit in 1967 with "Come on Down To My Boat Baby". A keyboard player and singer, he is the musical director for the politically progressive Sunday morning television show "In Your Face".

Leslie Ritter has been performing and recording as a singer since 1984. She spent 12 years as half of the duo "Amy and Leslie" and as a session singer has recorded with many wonderful musicians including James Taylor, Dr. John and Rick Danko. Leslie has been working in partnership with Scott Petito since 1995. They have recorded two CD's together, "In the Silence" and "Circles in Sand" and are in the studio producing their next release. Leslie's website.

Joe Veillette co-founded the Phantoms, a 5-piece cover and acappella group. They have worked with Leon Russell, Todd Rundgren, Jorma Kaukonen, John Sebastian, Soupy Sales(!), etc, live and on recordings. They have performed at venues ranging from small bars to Radio City Music Hall. He is also a member of Blind Mice, an original harmony-laden acoustic group. Joe has been active in Kirtan, recording with Krishna Das and performing with Shyam Das and Shubhra. He makes Veillette Guitars. His customers include James Taylor, Lauryn Hill, Tom Chapin, Ani Difranco, and Eddie Van Halen. Joe says, "I feel that my work with Prana has helped deepen my understanding and appreciation of the power of music and most important, the human voice".