For Your GRAMMY® Consideration
best classical compendium
sometimes we must go through the darkness in order to see the light
additional consideration
best instrumental composition
best engineered album, classical
"The Soul Takes Flight"
listen to the full album below
Journey to Rebirth
is a cinematic musical journey through love, loss, uncertainty, resilience, and renewal.
Sometimes we must go through the darkness in order to see the light. And while there is a tendency to resist,
there can also be a powerful opening when we choose to lean in.
To recognize these moments as invitations...
to slow down...
to listen.
Journey to Rebirth took shape during a period of cascading upheaval. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, newly navigating motherhood, and a marriage that was slowly falling apart, I was diagnosed with cancer.
With certainty in short supply, I found myself returning to the piano as a place to process what I didn't yet have words for. In my darkest moments, music became an anchor, holding me steady through the storm. Improvising at the piano became a practice of surrender - letting go of control, listening inward, and allowing the music to guide me. What emerged was a body of work less interested in resolution than in making space for what was unfolding, allowing the album to become a record of process rather than outcome. It was a doorway in.
Over time, those musical reflections grew into Journey to Rebirth. Through cinematic orchestration, intimate piano, and voice, the album traces an emotional arc from falling apart to reconnecting, and remembering who we are beneath our stories. Not by leaving the difficult parts of ourselves behind, but by listening to what they have to reveal.
Through writing this album, I began to reconnect with the qualities that I had lost touch with along the way: presence, wonder, curiosity, play, and self-trust. Healing became less about changing my circumstances and more about changing my relationship to them. Ultimately, the music helped me find my way home - to the parts of myself that had always been there, waiting to be remembered.
While this album is inspired by my own story, ultimately it is my hope that the album creates space for listeners to meet their own experiences with curiosity and compassion. It is an invitation to slow down, feel, reflect, and to ask yourselves - what do these moments mean to you?
At its heart, Journey to Rebirth is an invitation to remember who we are beneath all we’ve carried, and to find our way home to ourselves.
full album
reviews
"In an era increasingly dominated by immediacy and distraction, Journey to Rebirth asks listeners to slow down. It rewards patience with emotional clarity, offering a rare kind of listening experience that lingers long after the final note fades."
-One West Magazine
"Layla's music in Journey to Rebirth is filled to the brim with soulful energy and emotional swells. You'll go on your own personal healing journey by listening to each incredible song."
-Kelly A. Turner, PhD,
New York Times Bestselling Author of
Radical Remission and Radical Hope
I came and didn’t know what to expect. Wow! Layla’s “Journey to Rebirth” will crack your heart wide open. Be ready for what pours out! Grief, joy, sadness, elation, regret, remembrance and more. It’s a reminder of one’s humanity. Oh yes, and love.
-Robert Bohedry
"This album is an epic. The music from beginning to end, is narrative by design and expertly executes taking the listener on a personal journey from birth to rebirth, while simultaneously maintaining the space for them to interpret and reflect on their own experiences. The album is equal parts gentle, brilliantly devastating, and inspirational. It connects by creating an environment that allows the listener to empathize and personalize. It is harmonious by design. A testament to all the possibilities and dynamism of music in its entirety as an art form. ”
the creative process
The Story Behind
Journey to Rebirth
Journey to Rebirth
Album Release //
Live Immersive Show
January 16, 2026
The recording session of 'Warrior' at Bandrika Studios, CA
Featured Artists:
Lisbeth Scott - Vocals
Ro Rowan - Cello
Ben Jacobson - Violin
Dimitris Mahlis - Oud
Chris Bleth - Bansuri Flute/Ney
M.B. Gordy - Percussion
Layla Minoui - Piano
the creative TEAM
Layla Minoui - Composer / Producer
Layla Minoui is Iranian-American composer with a career spanning film, television, and animation, Minoui has composed music for more than 100 episodes of television, with credits including Disney Junior’s Vampirina, Netflix’s Ridley Jones, Bravo's Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce and DreamWorks Animation’s To: Gerard.
After her battle with cancer, Layla experienced firsthand the profound healing power of music. This journey inspired her to expand her creative practice beyond screen composition, exploring the intersection of art, healing, and human connection.With a deep awareness of the mental health and emotional challenges we collectively face today, she believes in the power of the arts as a catalyst to help us reconnect - to ourselves, to our bodies, and to one another.
Beyond the recording, Journey to Rebirth has grown into an immersive multidisciplinary live experience weaving together music, dance, visual art, embodied invitations, and reflection—an extension of Minoui’s broader exploration of the arts as a pathway for connection, self-discovery, and healing, both individually and within community.
Greg Hayes - Co-Producer / Head Recording & Mix Engineer
Greg Hayes is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning recording engineer, mixer, and producer whose work spans albums, film, television, and video games. His credits include work with artists such as Terence Blanchard, Dave Grohl, and Dr. Dre, as well as acclaimed projects including Encanto and Frozen II.
"Being a part of Journey to Rebirth means more to me than I can put into words" Greg says. "The care and intention behind every note is something truly special. You can feel how deeply personal this music is, and yet how universally it translates.
At a time when I was going through one of the hardest periods of my life, Layla made space for everything I was carrying and somehow wove it into the process. From recording through mixing, my goal was simply to preserve and bring forward everything she had put into this music. It was an honor to help bring it to life with an incredible team."
Harry Risoleo
Recording and Mix Engineer
Lucas Fehring
Recording and Mix Engineer
CREDITS
Music Composed and Produced by Layla Minoui
Greg Hayes- Recording & Mix Engineer / Co-Producer
Harry Risoleo - Recording & Mix Engineer
Lucas Fehring - Recording & Mix Engineer
Patricia Sullivan - Mastering Engineer
Brad Ritchie - Orchestrator / Copyist
Jerome Leroy - Conductor
Drew Morton - Visual Artist
Recorded at Bandrika Studios in Los Angeles, CA
MUSICIANS:
Featured Soloists:
Layla Minoui - piano
Ben Jacobson - solo violin
Ro Rowan - solo cello
Lisbeth Scott - vocals
Julia K. Bryan - vocals
Chris Bleth - world winds
Dylan Hart - horn
Dimitris Mahlis - oud
Thomas Drayton - bass
MB Gordy - percussion
String Ensemble:
Ben Jacobson - violin
Neel Hammond - violin
Camille Miller - violin
Daphne Chen - violin
Stephanie Yu - violin
Marisa Kuney - violin
Andrew Duckles - viola
Zach Dellinger - viola
Drew Forde - viola
Ro Rowan - cello
Niall Ferguson - cello
Julia K. Bryan
-Vocals-
Ro Rowan
-Cello-
Lisbeth Scott
-Vocals-
M.B. Gordy
-Perc-
Dimitris Mahlis
-Oud-
THANK YOU'S
Thank you to all the musicians, artists, and visionaries in the recording studio, behind the scenes, and in every conversation along the way, who helped bring Journey to Rebirth to life. This project is what it is because of the heart, artistry, and humanity each of you brought to it.
To Greg Hayes, thank you for your extraordinary work as an engineer, mixer, and collaborator, but even more for your friendship and your commitment to keeping human connection at the heart of the creative process.
To Harry Risoleo and Lucas Fehring, thank you for the tremendous care, dedication, and attention to detail you brought to the recording and mixes.
To Brad Ritchie, for translating the music so beautifully to the page, and for your patience, professionalism, and friendship throughout the process. To Jerome Leroy and Whitney Martin, for bringing together and guiding such an incredible group of musicians, and to everyone at Bandrika Studios who helped give this music a home.
To Lisbeth Scott, your voice carries the heart of this story, holding both the beauty and the pain with such honesty and depth. I am beyond grateful and honored to have your voice woven throughout this journey. To my dear friends Ro Rowan and Julia K. Bryan, thank you not only for your artistry, but for your encouragement, for showing up fully, and for holding the kind of space that allowed me to explore, to listen, and to trust my own voice. To Marilyn Reles-Lozano, thank you for your guidance, generosity, and belief in this project. I’m especially grateful for the connections you’ve helped foster and the doors you’ve helped open along the way. To Michael Hoy, words cannot express my gratitude. Your impact on this journey is immeasurable. You've encouraged me, inspired me, and believed in this vision every step of the way, helping me believe in myself when I needed it most.
To my family and dear friends, thank you for your unwavering love and support throughout this journey. I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you.
And to my son, Aiden—my heart, my greatest teacher, and the greatest gift of my life. I love you.
There is no greater power than the power of community.
Thank you,
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