William Aura

William Aura (b. 1951) is a New Age, Ambient, Meditation, Healing, and Smooth Jazz musician. He began his solo music career at the dawn of the 1980s, riding the wave of California New Age from its DIY origins to the zenith of smooth jazz and contemporary instrumental. Aura found early success with a pair of zither-n-drone ambient albums on Fortuna (Aurasounds 1 and Aurasounds 2) that ultimately led to a bigger label deal with Higher Octave and the release of Half Moon Bay, his best-selling album of the '80s. Aura flexed a more groove-oriented approach for his follow-up, World Keeps Turning, but the album failed and Aura regrouped with a new band in the '90s. In addition to his music career, Aura also worked as an A&R rep for Higher Octave, ran a small music studio, and freelanced as an art director. In 2002, he founded the Aura Imports Sponsorship Project to promote education for children in the Himalayan world. Their goals are achieved primarily through child sponsorship by uniting impoverished students with individual sponsors, giving them the tools and opportunities necessary for success. His company, Aura Imports, is committed to promoting the social and economic progress of people in the Himalayan region by marketing their handcrafts in a just and direct manner. Proceeds from the web site help over 100 deserving Tibetan and Nepali students.