JIMBECKWITH MUSIC
Singer. Songwriter. Sound Colorist.
Jim Beckwith (Hanuman Das) is an accomplished musician, songwriter and teacher. His love of music and yoga inspired him to focus on bringing live music to yoga classes. Jim's music is soulful and evocative of healing and inner awakening. He mixes mantra chants and English lyrics with a melodic and accessible tapestry of sound, exotic instrumentation and undulating rhythms. A compelling lyricist with a voice that soars from high to low with the greatest of ease, Jim is a devoted yogi and musician who focuses on Bhakti - the great yoga of the heart.
Jim has played with many of the world's top teachers: Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, Saul David Raye, Desiree Rumbaugh, Amy Ippoliti, Sianna Sherman, Janet Stone, Kia Miller, Silvia Mordini and Tommy Rosen, among others.
He has shared the stage with with many great kirtan artists such as Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, Govind Das & Radha, Dave Stringer, Brenda McMorrow, C.C. White, David Newman, Kirtaniyas, Aykanna, Shantala & Saul David Raye.
When not on stage Jim enjoys...
Capturing images created in beautiful light. He spent years working professionally in photography, in photojournalism and in the commercial world.
Jim is inspired by travel to faraway places as well as seeking the extraordinary in the mundane. He's a proud father and spiritual brother to many. His roots brought him from living in Florida, North Carolina, Nashville and Boulder to settling in southern California.
My Musical Life
I fell in love with music…
When my teenage friend who's mother was an anthropologist and his big brother was a jazz musician showed me the huge range of amazing possibilities during hundreds of hours of listening to records in their music room!
When I heard James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Jaco Pastorius.
What I remember about the impact of music is...
It can make you feel many emotions. Elation, sadness, etc. That's some serious power!
What music means to me…
Music is the most powerful language without words. Unless, of course, it has words - I love great lyrics, too. It's like poetry with a melody.
I had a business producing...
Music for commercials, film and video as well as artists working on their own projects.
I have worked with…
Everything from rappers, rockers, poets, Irish folk singers, African drummers, jazz musicians, documentary film producers and kirtan artists.
They have inspired me by…
showing me their passion for the idea they have and the push and commitment to see it through to the finish.
Getting in front of others meant…
fear. courage. the thrill of inspiring others with my voice. The victory of overcoming my shyness to present something to a crowd of people. Realizing that it didn't matter how many compliments I received if I wasn't happy with my performance.
I consider myself a Sound Colorist - someone who can pick up whatever instrument is necessary to add just the right shade of sound to support the flow of the music at that moment.
“I am a singer,” when asked which, among the many he proffers, is his instrument of choice. Singing, he said, “is the passion at my core. I only started playing any instrument to support the singing.”
