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Music for the soul

by JENNIFER PASSARO
Staff Writer | May 22, 2020 1:00 AM

Dalton Gardens artist releases album: ‘Revibify’

Shelly Page has traveled the world, taking the winding route, unspooling it like the long, lush blocks of Dalton Gardens where she grew up.

Diagnosed with an unexplainable chronic illness in college, Page sought a way to heal herself outside typical Western medicine.

From traditional healers in China, yogis in South America and the bright, vivacious undercurrent of wisdom in the traveling circle, Page found a way to heal herself with music. On May 15 she released an album: "Revibify."

Revibe, as a word, is hardly used and means "to bring back to consciousness or life."

“My life weaves in illness a lot,” Page said.

In that weft, she has found a way to care for others. "Revibify" is about sharing what she has learned. The music is designed for yoga practice, specifically for vinyasa flow.

“If I did it right, you are going to feel vulnerable when you listen,” Page said. “It’s not about me, but just about the music.”

By removing her given name from the album, Page hopes to also remove the ego from her music.

“I don’t want to have that element distracting from the point,” Page said. “When you advertise yourself more than the music, it becomes about the ego. I want to promote the music so people can heal and relax.”

Bright, humble and a vigorous storyteller, Page has a way of calling up many experiences and stories at once.

A singer from the start, Page lost her voice for several years after illness and too many performances working as an entertainer on cruise ships around the world.

After years of not singing, she found her voice again, volunteering in South America.

“They sing this Hare Krishna mantra whenever they hand out food in Uruguay — it wasn’t without purpose, it wasn’t frivolous,” Page said, describing the way the vulnerable were cared for.

“When you can genuinely and sincerely use your vocal cords to heal people, well, I don’t even know if that is a thing, but it feels like a thing to me,” Page said with a chuckle, acknowledging the ethereal quality of using one’s voice to make music without lyrics.

With another laugh, Page said the music definitely isn’t for everyone. A select group of listeners will feel its vibe, so to speak.

The album was produced entirely by Page on Logic Pro, a computer program that allowed her to manually select instruments and notes, one by laborious one.

“The whole point is to get through to people’s souls, so you can’t not think about every detail,” Page said.

If the pandemic hadn’t changed the world overnight, Page would be traveling to small music festivals around the globe. Instead, she finds herself in her parents’ home, grateful for their hospitality and support, making music and taking long walks.

“I always travel with all my recording equipment because I’m a nerd,” Page said. “My luggage is awful.”

But the practice has allowed her to record music whenever it comes to her. To find it in this small mountain town gives her another opportunity to pause, gather the music that heals her and generously gift it to the world.

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Info: www.Facebook.com/Revibify

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