Welcome to the World of the Word's biggest fan

Welcome to my brand new Blog/Newsletter! Whether you know me well, or only slightly, or not at all, I am excited to connect with you in this medium of the written word.

Today I found a podcast I had forgotten about. Even if you know me quite well, this interview is sure to teach you something about me. So when you have the time, check it out. About halfway through (29 minutes) I read some of my poetry.

A Baha'i Perspective Radio Show & Podcast, hosted by Warren Odess-Gillett Niki Daniels - January 2016 (scroll down, it's in reverse chronological order)

As I explain in the podcast, I've been a lover of books and reading from childhood. My music is a natural outgrowth of my love of words. If you decide to try my secret word puzzle**, you'll imbibe a number of words that mean a lot to me. For example, the third letter clue is:

My third is in lonely--which no man is not,

And also in Scotland, but never in Scotch.

**The 6-letter word is a secret, the puzzle itself isn't. To play, click or tap the Puzzle tab in my website menu. There are prizes for the first 10 people who report the word to me!

Scotland is a reference to my mixed-race heritage, as well as to the year I spent in Glasgow, Scotland, studying Forensic Chemistry. "Never in Scotch" is a reference to the fact that today I don't drink alcohol--although I did before becoming Baha'i--and that the only times I've drank to the point of being drunk was in Scotland).

One of my Baha'i-inspired songs, Let's Make Religion (Alright) refers to the concept of 'progressive revelation.' Some of my favorite words are in the scriptures of the world's religions. I once created a board game called "Heart to Heart" and hosted a website with a gallery of photographs I used to illuminate some of my favorite religious quotes. Here's an example.

I hope you'll feel inspired to listen to my demo songs on Soundcloud or on bandcamp (where you can more easily see the lyrics while you listen). I'd love to hear what you think of my music. One listener (a stranger) told me Sing It Again (Love!)--one of the first songs I wrote, back in 1995--was "good-mood music." I'd not thought about my music like that. I do like to make people laugh, and to feel good. If my music does that for you, I'm happy to give it away to the wind, and the four corners of the Internet. You'll always be able to listen for free on my Soundcloud account.

Looking forward to hearing from you! NikiD