As a practitioner of Bhakti Yoga (The Path of Love), it has been David Newman's lifelong undertaking to appreciate the diverse ways in which love expresses itself in all aspects of life. Continuing the theme he explored on The Stay Strong Project in 2011, Stars addresses the capacity of the human spirit to overcome obstacles, and the power of light to prevail over darkness. At the same time, and in many ways, Stars is an expansion and a departure for David both musically and in the varied moods he explores and expresses on the CD. For his seventh release, the first that he's recorded in his hometown of Philadelphia, David turned to local producer Bill Moriarty (acclaimed for his work with Dr. Dog). In addition to many of his regular musical collaborators, David enlisted several gifted local musicians from all genres of music, allowing him to explore new territory as a musician, arranger and producer. David also spotlights the contribution of his wife Mira, whose vocal and percussion work he describes as "an immeasurable asset to the sound on Stars." The first song recorded for Stars, "Love Belongs to Everyone/Gayatri", illustrates the experimental nature of the recording process behind the album. For the first time on a recording, David plays lead electric guitar (using a violin bow on it during the chorus) and employs a muted trumpet. While making Stars, David embraced the idea of juxtaposing diverse elements in an unexpected way. In this case, a song about universal love was joined with the sacred Gayatri Mantra through an ambient trance arrangement with overtones of smoky blues. When writing for this album, David dug into deep parts of himself to bring back something that inevitably shares a sense of hope and celebrates the beauty of life. Spiritual liberation, the remembering of our true nature, and the quest for ultimate happiness, present a common theme throughout Stars. There were also significant personal life events in 2011 that inspired certain songs. He wrote the album opener, "Dreaming", while his wife, Mira, was pregnant with their first child, daughter Tulsi. As David explains, "When I sat down to write the song, it was with her in mind. In a sense, I felt as if we were writing the song together." As "Dreaming" was inspired by birth, "Thinking of You/Sri Krishna" was inspired by the illness and passing of a dear friend and guitar player in David's band, Rama Bala. This song came to David as a prayer for his friend, and demonstrates the power of music to reinforce beauty even during a dark time. With its reggae inflections, playful ukulele and an upbeat groove, it is one of the most cheerful pieces on the CD. Stars is also full of devotional mantras from the ancient Kirtan chant tradition, including the upbeat "Durga Maharani", the entrancing "Ancient Spirals Shiva", and "Tulsi's Bliss", a dreamy lullaby in which the sacred Maha Mantra is preceded by the sound of his daughter, Tulsi, giggling. "Ganesh Under Moonlight", a contemplative tribal chant, concludes the album. Stars has the capacity to touch listeners of all walks of life who have been or will be called to seek truth. It is David's contribution to this exciting time, one to celebrate and to approach with great sensitivity and awareness. It is David's offering of conscious reflection to others who have also embarked on this journey and are part of this global transformation: "YES, this is for real, and we're all in it together!"