Mahāmudrā Music

Publishing

Overview and Business Plan

2018 - 2019
 Mahāmudrā Music Publishing Overview and Business Plan
2018 - 2019

Mahāmudrā Music Publishing

High Level Overview

★ According to The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, ​Mahāmudrā​ translates from Sanskrit as

“The Great Seal” and is “an important term in Tantric Buddhism, especially in the traditions that
flourished in Tibet.” It is “regarded as the crowning experience of Buddhist practice” and is
further described as “a state of enlightened awareness in which phenomenal appearance and
emptiness are unified.” In summary, ​Mahāmudrā​ is the imprint that fundamental reality places
upon all phenomena.

★ Inspired by this titular concept, Mahāmudrā Music is an artistic project built upon a substantive
catalog of original audio resources primarily designed to support learning and practicing
Buddhism, Mindfulness and other spiritual disciplines. The majority of Mahāmudrā Music’s
content will be arranged to appeal on various levels, whether as a serious tool to aid in the
practice of traditional spiritual activities or purely as relaxing entertainment.

★ The concept emerged out of a wish to find a practical way to learn various practice methods such
as ​śamatha​ meditation or the memorization and recitation of various mantras and prayers.
While there are archival recordings and other, more generic forms of “meditation” and
“relaxation” music available, clearly structured resources to assist in learning, memorizing and
practicing Tibetan Buddhism as prescribed are largely absent from the digital marketplace.

★ Mahāmudrā Music will be run as a music production studio and record label, with digital
distribution through Sony Music’s indie distribution arm, The Orchard. Its content will be made
available on all digital platforms internationally. The label’s goals will be non-profit in nature,
securing grants and charitable donations, channeling download sales and streaming revenue
into production, development and operating costs and working toward the long-term goal of
utilizing profits to support various causes and organizations dedicated to Buddhism,
humanitarianism, education and the arts in general.

★ All content will be composed and produced by Christian Kriegeskotte and Ryan Neitznick under
the artist moniker “Yellow Hat.” Production is based in Pittsburgh at the Ice House, a
subsidized artist space in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood and will engage
local artists and performers whenever possible.

★ The development of each project will involve active outreach to traditional and established
organizations and individuals. While the content created by Mahāmudrā Music will be original
and unique (and not scholarly, archival or ethnomusicological in nature), this active dialog will
serve to promote the work and establish a community around the catalog while maintaining a
consistent level of quality, relevance and authenticity.

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2018 - 2019

Overview of Business Goals

Fiscal Sponsorship

In lieu of 501(c)(3) status, Mahāmudrā Music has been granted fiscal sponsorship by Fractured
Atlas in order to accept tax-deductible charitable donations, which will fund production and
operations.

Fractured Atlas is the country’s largest arts fiscal sponsor, and provides accessibility, efficiency
and affordability. Fractured Atlas works with thousands of artists and arts organizations to
provide education and support for raising funds.

Further information may be found here:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/FiscalSponsorship/

Budget Goals (2018-2019)

Mahāmudrā Music will seed its first year of funding by pursuing a modest goal of ​$20,000
through donations in order to fund the creation and promotion of the eight albums
conceptualized below:

Each recording will cost ​$2,500​​ including producer and artist work-for-hire fees, studio
booking and production time, mixing and mastering fees and promotion and marketing.

Sales and Streaming Revenue Goals (2018-2019)

Content will be digitally distributed by The Orchard and made available on all streaming and
download platforms internationally. Marketing will be rooted in presence on social media
including Twitter and Instagram as well as building an active subscriber base on YouTube.

Revenue earned by each project will be dedicated to supporting the expansion of the
organization, audience growth and development and the production of future projects. Once an
adequate annual operating budget is determined (based upon performance of the catalog in the
digital marketplace) as significant a percentage of future revenue as is possible will be dedicated
to charitable causes that align with Mahamudra Music’s mission.

Support Organizations and Promotional Venues

The Garrison Institute (https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/)

Tibet House US (https://tibethouse.us/)
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (​https://fpmt.org/​)
Shantideva Center NYC (​https://shantidevanyc.org/​)
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Mahāmudrā Music Publishing Overview and Business Plan
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Tsechen Kunchab Ling (http://www.tsechenkunchabling.com/)

Mandala Magazine (https://fpmt.org/mandala/)
Tricycle Magazine (​https://tricycle.org/​)
The Philosophical Research Society (​https://www.uprs.edu/​)

Album Concepts:

Eight Albums for 2018-2019

Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: Samatha Meditation

Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: 100 Syllable Vajrasattva Mantra on Emptiness
Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: Visualizing OM AH HUM
Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: OM MANI PADME HUM
Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: Generating Compassion - Green Tara Mantra (​Oṃ Tāre
Tuttāre Ture Svāhā​)
Mystic Christianity: Christmas Meditations
Mystic Christianity: Meditations on the Rosary
Mystic Christianity: Meditations on the Labyrinth

Further Concepts

Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: Visualization Technique for Vajrasattva Purification

Practicing Buddhism and Mindfulness: Overcoming Obstacles with White Tara Mantra (​Oṃ
Tāre Tuttāre Ture Ma Ma ā Yuḥ Puṇyajñāna Puṣṭiṃ Kuru Svāhā)

Artist Overview

All work created by Mahāmudrā Music Publishing will be billed as artist ​Yellow Hat ​(or in some
instances ​The Yellow Hat Ensemble​)​. T
​ he name is a reference to the ritual costume of the
Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, whose incumbent head is HH XIV Dalai Lama, the spiritual
leader of Tibet and many Buddhist practitioners worldwide. Yellow represents one of the five
Primordial Buddhas or Tathāgathas known as Ratnasambhava, whose element is earth and
whose wisdom causes the transmutation of pride and greed into kindness and generosity.

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Mahāmudrā Music Publishing Overview and Business Plan
2018 - 2019

Christian Kriegeskotte, composer and producer

Christian Kriegeskotte (b. 1980) is a

composer, writer and former record
industry professional who continues to navigate an
eclectic course through the world of music. He received
his Bachelor of Fine Arts ('03) and Master of Music ('09)
from Carnegie Mellon University where his primary
teachers were composers Leonardo Balada, Nancy
Galbraith, Fabien Levy and conductor Robert Page.

Following his undergraduate studies, Christian began his

professional career as a copyist in Hollywood with
JoAnn Kane Music Service, where he prepared scores
and parts for films including Star Wars: Episode III, War
of the Worlds, Sin City, Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory and The World's Fastest Indian as well as
television shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy,
American Dad and King of the Hill.
​
Later, Christian transitioned into the world of tour production and artist management with
Columbia Artists Management in New York City, working with artists and ensembles such as
Marvin Hamlisch, Lorin Maazel, Betty Buckley and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. After
returning to school and earning his master's degree, Christian transitioned into the record
industry where he spent several years managing operations and repertoire for Sony Music’s
indie distributor, The Orchard.

As a writer, Christian is a frequent contributor to popular contemporary music blog I Care If You
Listen and is an adamant supporter of the contemporary, avant-garde, jazz and experimental
music communities.

Christian's work as a composer has been described as "jewel-like and fascinating" and "a force to
be reckoned with.” His work has been performed by ensembles including eighth blackbird, The
Parker Quartet, The American Composers Orchestra, New York Miniaturist Ensemble, Cuarteto
Latinoamericano, The DePaul Wind Symphony and The Pittsburgh Opera. For the past several
years Christian's focus has been experimentation with small-scale electronic compositions,
free-jazz and fusion/prog-rock inspired live works. An adamant student of Buddhism and
spirituality for much of his adult life, Christian continues to use the lessons he has taken away
from this practice as a departure point in his creative process. He has been fortunate enough to
attend teachings and receive blessings from HH 14th Dalai Lama, Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche,
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and in 2016 received the Hevajra empowerment and personal blessings
from HH 41st Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga.

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 PRODUCT SHEET - MAHĀMUDRĀ MUSIC

Title: Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness:

Guided Meditation (Śamatha)
Catalog # MM001
UPC: 193483273556
Release Date: January 4, 2019
Track Count: 5
Duration: ~110 minutes
Category: Relaxation, Focus, Mind Training,
Concentration, Meditation
Format: Digital, Full-length Album

Spotify Playlists:
Yoga & Meditation (600K subs)
Deep Focus (2.8M subs)
Peaceful Meditation (200K subs)
Peaceful Retreat (100K subs)
Guided Meditation (78K subs)

Śamatha translates from Sanskrit as “calmness,” “serenity” or “tranquility.” The Princeton Dictionary
of Buddhism defines it as “the specific degree of concentration necessary to generate insight into reality
and thus lead to the destruction of the afflictions.”

As a method for meditation, śamatha is practiced in order to accomplish samadhi (Sanskrit for
“concentration”), which is the ability to reach and maintain one-pointedness of mind on a specific
object of concentration (often focusing on breathing, or a devotional image). Some believe samadhi is
synonymous with enlightenment, while others maintain that accomplishing samadhi enables the
practitioner to ultimately achieve enlightenment through ongoing practice.

In contrast with other ambient music that often distracts the listener from observing the present
moment, Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness: Guided Meditation (Śamatha) presents the listener
with a structured, auditory object of meditation upon which to focus the mind during practice. Each
track opens with a chorus of Tibetan hand bells to represent the concept of understanding emptiness
through the attainment of wisdom. This is meant to signal the start of the meditation period and clear
the mind of distractions.

As the sound of the bells subsides the meditational object emerges as a single tone, produced by the
human voice in a closed-mouth hum, which expands gradually into a subtle and radiant harmony
layered together with the droning sound of Tibetan singing bowls. This harmony is sustained for a
short period representing the potential for having accomplished samadhi, before dissolving again to a
single tone and vanishing into a closing chorus of bells signalling the conclusion of the practice period.

The complete album consists of five unique tracks that vary in duration depending upon the desired
meditation period (5, 12, 18, 30 and 45 minutes respectively). The ratio of components in each
composition is adjusted to properly fill each duration symmetrically and accordingly provide a
compelling arc through the meditation period.
©2018 Mahāmudrā Music Publishing, LLC.
 PRODUCT SHEET - MAHĀMUDRĀ MUSIC

Title: Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness: 100

Syllable Vajrasattva Mantra
Catalog # MM002
UPC: TBD
Release Date: TBD
Track Count: TBD
Duration: TBD
Category: Focus, Mind Training, Concentration,
Memorization Aid, Mantra, Chanting
Format: Digital, Full-length Album

Spotify Playlists:
Yoga & Meditation (600K subs)
Deep Focus (2.8M subs)
Peaceful Meditation (200K subs)
Peaceful Retreat (100K subs)
Guided Meditation (78K subs)

According to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, “To meditate on Vajrasattva is the same as to meditate upon all
the Buddhas. His hundred-syllable mantra is the quintessence of all mantras.”

Vajrasattva is a popular tantric deity and a Buddha of purification, whose mantra and meditations
eliminate in the practitioner mental obstacles that prevent them from realizing the true and profound
nature of reality. Recitation of the 100-Syllable Mantra is widely prescribed and serves as a basis for the
preliminary practices required prior to receiving tantric instruction. During these exercises the mantra
is recited one hundred thousand times in combination with special visualizations.

Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness: 100 Syllable Vajrasattva Mantra (Memorization Guide) breaks
the mantra down into small portions to assist the listener in memorization by chanting along. Each
track builds upon the previous, incorporating what was learned and introducing the next section. A
very minimal musical accompaniment serves as a mnemonic device to jog the memory while reciting
the mantra with the recording. The penultimate and final tracks include the complete mantra
performed at a tempo suitable for daily recitations and the musical accompaniment without chanting, to
assist the practitioner in chanting alone from memory.

Meaning of the mantra according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche (FPMT.org):

You, Vajrasattva, have generated the holy mind according to your samaya.
Your holy mind is enriched with the simultaneously-born holy actions of liberating
transmigratory beings from samsara.
Whatever happiness and suffering, good and bad, happens to me, by my pleasing the holy
mind, never give me up and guide me.
Please stabilize the realizations of the paths and bhumis, including the happiness of the upper
realms, actualize all actions and the common and sublime realizations, and make the glory of
the five wisdoms abide in my heart.
©2018 Mahāmudrā Music Publishing, LLC.
 PRODUCT SHEET - MAHĀMUDRĀ MUSIC

Title: Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness,

Volume 3: Visualizing OM AH HUM
Catalog # MM003
UPC: TBD
Release Date: TBD
Track Count: TBD
Duration: TBD
Category: Focus, Mind Training, Concentration,
Visualization, Purification, Meditation, Mantra,
Mala, Offering
Format: Digital, Full-length Album

Spotify Playlists:
Yoga & Meditation (600K subs)
Deep Focus (2.8M subs)
Peaceful Meditation (200K subs)
Peaceful Retreat (100K subs)
Guided Meditation (78K subs)

The syllables OM AH HUM (sometimes spelt “HUNG”) make up a simple and powerful mantra found
pervasively in all Buddhist disciplines. The recitation of these auspicious syllables helps us focus our
intention on the purification of the body (OM), speech (AH) and mind (HUM) and may be incorporated
into a practitioner’s daily practice in order to liberate oneself from past transgressions in these
categories while pledging to do better in the future. This mantra is also used to bestow blessings on
things such as food and ritual objects, and to purify one’s environment and those other sentient beings
who inhabit it with us.

Visualization of these special syllables in their symbolic positions on the body’s chakras (whether in
Tibetan, Sanskrit or whatever written symbols are most comfortable and familiar to the practitioner) is
a way to comprehensively achieve the full effect of this mantra’s purification.

According to Lama Thubten Yeshe, “There are two essential experiences that we can achieve through
this meditation: wisdom and method...when your concentration is good, place your attention on
wisdom; when you are distracted, generate loving kindness (method).”

The full album consists of five tracks, beginning with three special compositions each meant to serve as
an aural guide through the process of visualizing each mystic syllable (OM, AH and HUM in the first
three tracks respectively). The fourth track is a condensed recitation of the complete mantra designed
to guide the practitioner through meditation, making offerings or counting a mala and the fifth track
removes the vocal element allowing the practitioner to chant alone with the musical backdrop as a
guide.

©2018 Mahāmudrā Music Publishing, LLC.

 PRODUCT SHEET - MAHĀMUDRĀ MUSIC

Title: Practicing Buddhism & Mindfulness: OM

MANI PADME HUM (ASMR Meditation)
Catalog # MM004
UPC: 193483280585
Release Date: January 4, 2019
Track Count: 2
Duration: ~36 minutes
Category: Focus, Mind Training, Concentration,
Meditation, Mantra
Format: Digital, Full-length Album

Spotify Playlists:
Yoga & Meditation (600K subs)
Deep Focus (2.8M subs)
Peaceful Meditation (200K subs)
Peaceful Retreat (100K subs)
Guided Meditation (78K subs)

Perhaps the most famous of all Buddhist mantras, Om Mani Padme Hum is the mantra of the grand
Bodhisattva of compassion, Arya Avalokiteśvara, whose consciousness is said to dwell within HH XIV
Dalai Lama and other illuminated masters presently living.

It translates to “homage to the Jewel-Lotus one” and was first recorded near the end of the fourth
century CE. It was then known as the six-syllable spell and is and exaltation to Avalokiteśvara,
referring to him by the epithet Maṇipadma. According to the Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism the six
syllables “correspond to the six rebirth destinies of divinities: demigods, humans, animals, ghosts and
hell denizens, so that by reciting the mantra, one is closing the door for all sentient beings to any
possibility of further rebirth.”

This album consists of two tracks that layer a textured recitation of the mantra, whispered in a
stereophonic chorus designed to stimulate the sensory experience of ASMR (suitable for daily practice,
making offerings or relaxation). It is commonly believed that playing this and other mantras for
housepets is extremely beneficial and may assist in achieving higher rebirth (ascending from animal to
human in the next life). For example, if one owns a pet and steps out for the day, leaving a recording of
this mantra playing aloud will benefit the pet and enhance one’s merit.

©2018 Mahāmudrā Music Publishing, LLC.