Listen to Next To Me on your favorite streaming service

In 2020 inspired by a very personal loss, songwriter Shanna Forrestall penned NEXT TO ME, a beautiful piano ballad that reminds us all to "come home" to find the love and support we need to get through tough times.

The song was released in 2021 as a single in English, but this September we’re proud to introduce an English/Hindi version of the song featuring a slate of amazing artists from the United States and India.

This version, being published as a duet performed by Shanna Forrestall and Mayank Sinha featuring melodic keyboards by Jeff Gold and Garrick Pitts, as well as an original poem by actress and singer Rina Sinha and soothing sarod by the talented Praashekh Borkar.  

 Find the song on the Fire & Water Youtube channel or your favorite streaming service - IT'S AVAILABLE after Sept 8th in support of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10th. Every like/comment/stream/download and share helps our important work continue.  Thank you for your support of independent music.

Shanna Forrestall - “Shanna from Louisiana” has been involved in storytelling since she was a little girl playing dress-up with her siblings and friends. Shanna uses her 15+ years of working in film, TV and reality TV to tell stories in a variety of mediums. She has produced a series of short films in the US that tackle social issues, and several video projects in India to support a school for disabled children and to raise awareness on the plight of eunuchs in Indian society. She is also an award winning writer and actress. She is a published children’s author, songwriter and music producer, as well as an experienced voiceover actress and storyteller.

Mayank Sinha was born in Asansol, West Bengal.  Music was always a part of his home as a child, introduced at an early age to Hindustani classical music by his talented actress/musician mother Rina Sinha. He went on to study and do vocal training with guru Shri. Umesh Tarkaswar, Sinha also plays guitar and loves to sing and play Hindi and other traditional folk music.

Jeff Gold, a California native, composes soulful and spiritual instrumentals which have received the attention of wellness centers, spas and music therapists for their tranquil and healing qualities.  His songs have been streamed over 17 million times and are available on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora.

Praashek Borkar was born in Pune, India in an established musical family. He was introduced to the importance of being a practitioner as well as an ardent listener of classical music at a very early age. After having toyed with a mini-Sarod since the age of four, he started taking serious lessons from the age of seven from his father and guru Pt.Shekhar Borkar under the Maihar Senia Gharana and has now been playing the sarod for over 24 years.  He has composed music for numerous dance ballets and serials in which one of his compositions was selected as background score for 'Kumbh', a film based on Kumbhmela presented for the French film festival. With the aim of promoting and teaching the Indian classical music arts in Australia, he is the Founder and Director of Praashekh Borkar Academy of Music in Australia.

Mrs. Rinha Sinha is an actress, musician and theater director  who has been a prominent figure in the field of Art, Culture and Music in Bhopal, India, for over 30 years.  She holds an MA in Music and is currently a music teacher and a senior artist with one of the most prominent music groups in India,  Madukali', founded by Late Pandit Om Prakash Chaurasia.  She wrote and performed the original poem featured in the English-Hindi of Next to Me.

Listen to all of the different versions of NEXT TO ME.