Oraea Varis Oraea Varis has had a steady career of songwriting and performing. As a songwriter in Los Angeles, she published and sold her original songs and performed around the Los Angeles area. After moving to Colorado in 1978, she worked the folk circuit as well as serving as entertainment director for a five-star resort hotel. She was bandleader for several different bands ranging in style from country and rock to jazz and blues, playing and creating in various musical genres. After recording her first album "Earthwalk", in 1991, she began to respond to a desire for a more spiritual context for her work.

Her other works: "Pieces of Cloud", and "Your Holy Garden" reflect her great love of mystical poetry and contain melodic renditions of the poems of Rumi, Hafiz, Mirabai and many others. A third creation "Preludes", is a" best of" collage and also contains Baha'i pieces not found on any other album.

Her most recent album," Intonement", is currently being offered through the Baha'i Distribution Service as well as Special Ideas and is comprised solely of selections from the Baha'i Writings set to music. Of this album, friend and fellow musician, Joah Gringus says: "For those in whose hearts the seeds of faith have been planted, these sublime musical creations will awaken vistas of hidden meanings, while inspiring and consoling Oraea sings and rejoices in a spirit that conveys the unfailing grace and bounty of God."

In her desire for further knowledge about healing disciplines, in 1994 she returned to college to earn a degree in psychology. During this time, she formed part of a research team for an avant-garde psycho-cultural organization -- the Earth Living Foundation. Through them she became proficient in group process and learned cutting-edge techniques in cathartic emotional exercises and life-enhancing processes. She has also studied extensively the mind training that is "A Course in Miracles". Through this advanced course of study and training she has broadened her understanding of the "Art of Forgiveness" which she utilizes in her workshops. Over the years she has worked with countless individuals and groups using her various trainings in the healing arts.

She continues to produce albums of the poems of the mystics, saints and prophets and well as Baha'i scripture set to her own brand of music. Her music has been described by Justice St. Rain of Special Ideas as having "a rich mystical style that captures the mystery of the Baha'i writings....early Joni Mitchell meets Enya.". Her current work takes her into may different situations and localities. She has led workshops and performed concerts at Bosch Baha'i School, the Kingdom Conference, the World Congress in 1992, Green Lake Conferences as well as other Baha'i summer and winter schools, Unity church seminars, Universal Peace dance celebrations and many communities to present her popular concert, seminar and Ruhi Tutor Enrichment Program. She will be travelling through the United States this year and would love to include you in her itinerary. See contact Oraea page.