A Breath of Song: Recent Episodes
Patricia Norton
Ella Fitzgerald said, ”The only thing better than singing is more singing!” Use song to find wellness in ourselves, each other, and our world. In each episode, Patricia introduces a song that she trusts to help her navigate life. These songs provide a great soundtrack to your day — whether it’s comfort, presence, delight, grief-tending, or simply easing the way. Periodic interviews with song creators add color and understanding. Songs have helped Patricia heal, adapt, and grow, and she hopes these selections will become companions for you as well. Visit the website, abreathofsong.com, to learn more and suggest a song!
Song: Mountain River
Music by: Kjersten Hallin
Notes: I absolutely adore the way this song embodies a river by having a low, slow undercurrent that lasts longer than the bubbling, swirling upper layer -- and the two layers sound different on top of each other in different places. As I sing it, I can feel into being the light sparkle on top and the dark fertile below... both needed. Which part calls to you to sing today?
Songwriter Info:
Kjersten Hallin (Pronounced Shares-ten Ha-leen) is a Community Song Weaver, Artist and Beauty Activist, Grief Tender, Earth Steward, Producer of Cascadia Song Rise, Eco-Edutainer and Youth Outreach Specialist. Kjersten is of Swedish/Norwegian ancestry, born on Lakota/Anishnaabe land (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and currently living/singing/practicing in the unceded Kalapuyan homelands of Champinefu (Corvallis, Oregon).
Kjersten’s songs spring from an intimate relationship with the beauty of the living world and her/their name literally translates to “Love Stone”. Attuning and tending to the aliveness of all beings, seen and unseen, past-present-future, human and more-than-human, is at the core of Kjersten’s work and purpose. She/They believes that songs themselves are living beings that are fed by our singing.
Kjersten leads monthly CommUnity BlesSings song circles and Community Grief Rituals in Champinefu/Corvallis, produces an annual song gathering in the Cascadia Bioregion, offers musical climate action presentations to local schools and youth groups, tends to several gardens and two grown children, and makes art and beauty of all kinds, walking humbly and gently on this precious planet.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Kjersten always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:19
Start time of reprise: 00:22:16
Links:
Kjersten's Music: https://kjerstenhallin.bandcamp.com/music
Kjersten's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-songs-and-love-flowing-in-corvallis
Kjersten's Instagram: @kj_creatrix https://www.instagram.com/kj_creatrix
Eco-Edutainment: https://nofoodleftbehindcorvallis.org/videos/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 2-part round with different length parts
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The Sunday after this episode is released, July 26th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
AN OPEN HEART
by Scott Kalichstein
travelled version (song 2)
I'm gonna let life move me,
I'm gonna let life stir me deep,
I'm gonna let life wake me
from an ancient sleep.
I'm gonna laugh all my laughter,
I'm gonna cry all my tears.
I'm gonna love the rain as deeply as
the sun when it clears.
BEAUTIFUL RAIN
with singer Rebecca Csuy
mysterious origins
Patricia wrote 2nd part
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
beautiful rain.
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
beautiful rain.
Rain falling down on the plains,
On the roofs of our towns,
Beautiful rain.
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
beautiful rain.
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
beautiful rain.
Rain falling down on the plains,
Rooftop raindrops,
rooftop raindrops falling,
Beautiful rain.
THE RIVER
by Coco Love Alcorn
Bass part:
Dum t-ka dum dum dum k
Dum t-ka dum dum dum k
Dum t-ka dum dum dum dum
Dum t-ka dum dum dum k
Melody:
- The river is a healer,
the river is a sage.
The river knows no end and
the river feels no age.
The river is a leader
every single day,
It's living in the moment and
it always finds a way.
Chorus:
Water heal my body,
water heal my soul.
When I go down down to the water,
by the water I feel whole.
- The river calls me over,
it's calling out my name
In the day and in the night
I hear that river all the same.
It's calling me over,
calling out my pain,
oh a river gathers tears
just like a river gathers rain.
- The river is a traveller,
always on the go
A river never worries
if it's fast or if it's slow
River take me
to where I need to go,
Oh and I will just relax
and let the river flow.
STAND IN THAT RIVER
by Moira Smiley
Chorus:
Come and stand in that river,
Current, gentle and slow,
Send your troubles down water,
Down on that water flow.
Verse:
When you stand in that river,
Angels sing in your head.
Secrets beyond every worry.
Dreams beyond every dread.
AN OPEN HEART
by Scott Kalichstein
original version
I wanna let life touch me,
wanna let life move me deep,
Wanna let life stir me,
from an ancient sleep.
May I laugh all my laughter,
may I cry all my tears,
may I love the rain as deeply as the sun when it clears.
Living my life with an open heart.
INNER PEACE
by Kate Valentine
I am the deep peace I seek,
I am, I am,
Look upon the rolling ocean
Look above the sky unfolding
All around the tide is turning
Right here I am standing.
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Song: Sing Your Roots
Music by: Eileen Hazel
Guest Singers: Becky Peterson, Karen Chickering, Molly Moerdyk
Notes: There's a slightly strange sound quality in this one, as something weird was going on with my mic when recording... maybe we were so rooted and grounded singing this that we changed the electricity in the room?! I invited three friends over to sing Eileen's round with me, and a little delightful chaos ensued... pick a place to start singing the song, with one of us or in between us, and see what happens. I wonder how we would all be if we felt that sense of deep rootedness, combined with a rise to the stars?
Songwriter Info: After many years of singing, composing, and performing, Elieen discovered her deepest love in community singing. The joy and deep connection found in singing together deeply fed her soul.
Since 2023, Elieen has been facilitating community song circles in the East Bay. She especially loves co-facilitating with other song leaders and cultivating spaces that feel joyful, welcoming, and harmonious.
In the last few years, Eileen's connection to the Muse has opened in new ways. The songs flowing through her are now largely created for community singing—meant to be shared, experienced, and sung together. The songs she creates emanate from a place of spirit, drawing inspiration from her profound connection to the natural world, and to our communities. Visit her website (eileenhazel.com) to see what’s coming up.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Eileen always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:44
Start time of reprise: 00:13:13
Links:
Eileen's Website: eileenhazel.com
Bandcamp to buy music: https://eileenhazel.bandcamp.com/.
More music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel Eileen's own recording of Sing Your Roots: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel/sing-your-roots
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, minor, round
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Song: What Have We Done
Music by: Kaitie Ty Warren
Notes: Kaitie and I talk about how we get to practice skills in singing that help us show up in full right size to help build the kind of culture we want to live in. This includes stories about cockroaches, childraising, computer-savvy friends... and Kaitie brings it all "earthside" by teaching this powerful layer song which is intimately connected with the South African song "Senzenina". We talk about cross-cultural connections, and how we try to continually update our learning -- what it is to be in right relationship, the illness of wetiko, how to be "other" in a non-inclusive dominant culture. If any of this sparks your curiosity, join us!
Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.
Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:18
Start time of reprise: 01:14:26
Links:
Where to find What Have We Done:
https://livingroomchoir.com/what-have-we-done/
https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety/posts/song-what-have-143827793
https://kaitietywarren.bandcamp.com/track/what-have-we-done
Living Room Choir's Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingroomchoir
Living Room Choir's Website: LivingRoomChoir.com/song-library
Kaitie's Website: https://kaitietywarren.com/
Kaitie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/
Senzenina – The Joy covering it: https://youtu.be/0ye19cENvY4?si=okLZ6YrsQrXwHJb4
Vukani Mowethu South African choir in Oakland: https://www.vukani.com/
Kele Nitoto: https://www.instagram.com/kelenitoto/
Ahimsa – concept of non-violence: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ahimsa
Heather Houston retreats: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/retreats-old/
Laura Sandage: https://www.lauraschapel.com/
“I Am” by Tom Shadyac (available on Netflix) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_(2010_American_documentary_film)
Wetiko: Algonquin term for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess and selfish consumption (in Ojibwe it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan) - https://www.lapishealingarts.com/lapidary-blog/wetiko-and-the-collective-dark-night-of-the-soul
East Bay Songfest April 16-18, 2027: https://eastbaysongfest.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, layer, major
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Song: My Body is Perfect
Music by: Kaitie Ty Warren
Notes: Kaitie started quite a discussion around our house with this song. What is perfect? Who gets to decide? And why is it so darn comforting to be told you're perfect, anyway? But when I first sang this song with Kaitie at Heather Houston's Global Summit many months ago, I was struck by how much better I felt after singing it to myself -- and I have continued to sing it through a flare of pain that I'm still seeking answers for and is constricting my way of life -- and I continue to find it comforting! Maybe you will, too? Next week, I get to talk with Kaitie directly about all kinds of things, including the ways we're trying to move away from the harm done by white colonial cultures and toward a vibrant, inclusive kind of presence that hums with life and generativity.
Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.
Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:54
Start time of reprise: 00:14:00
Links:
"My Body is Perfect" on Kaitie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety/posts/new-song-my-body-137978799
Kaitie's Patreon: www.patreon.com/kaitiety
Living Room Choir's Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingroomchoir
Living Room Choir's Website: LivingRoomChoir.com/song-library
Kaitie's Website: https://kaitietywarren.com/
Kaitie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/
Kaitie's Bandcamp: https://kaitietywarren.bandcamp.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, call and response, major
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Song: Got It Goin' On
Music by: Patricia Norton
Notes: Thanks to Liz Rog, I'm sharing this relatively new song (she requested it after hearing me sing it briefly on the road trip when we were exchanging songs.) I wrote it for my fabulous songleaders in training as we were tackling sometimes intimidating skills and breaking them apart into what we could actually try next. Singing it this week has been encouraging to me as I grapple with elevated pain levels, trying different next things to see what can help my body find more ease. I sing it, I get out of breath, I start laughing, I have to dig in a bit to keep it rolling -- by the time I was done recording, I was grinning and felt energized and like it was worth trying another thing! I hope it's a lift for you, too...
Songwriter Info: You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html
Or the whole team that puts this podcast out here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/about.html
Sharing Info: Feel free to sing this song yourself and with your friends and family as often as you please! If you are using this song in a way that is making money for you, please contribute to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar, and/or send me a note letting me know how the song is helping you, so the song brings us into relationship. Thank you!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:14
Start time of reprise: 00:13:59
Links:
Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html
All of what I'm up to: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/
Kindred Voices Retreat: https://kindredvoicesretreat.com
Nuts & Bolts: 15:8, minor, 6-part round
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The Sunday after this episode is released, June 21st, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- We Are the Door
by Lyndsey Scott
(second half inspired by Rainier Maria Rilke)
We are the door that's blowing wide open
We are the path that's winding down
We don't know where…
Enter me!
Embody me.
Give me your hand --
Make big shadows I can move in
- There Is Only Now
by Steph Drouin
- There is only now,
there is only this.
Don’t you look behind
or you will miss it!
There is only now,
there is only this.
Don’t you look ahead
or you will miss it!
- There’s only now.
There’s only this.
Blink, and you
will miss it.
- Land
with your feet firmly planted
right here, right now
is all there is!
- Bring your full self
into this moment.
One breath
is all it takes.
- I Release Control
by Alexa Sunshine Rose
I release control
and surrender to the flow
of love, that will heal me.
- Spiral
by Patricia Norton
- I’m letting myself move in a spiral,
I’m flexing and I’m swaying
and I’m bending with the wind.
- I’m coming down
to where I need to be.
- Gonna let it go,
gonna let me go;
you know,
I’ve got to grow.
- Creature Teacher
by Hannah Jeffery
Am I tired, am I hungry?
Do I need to take a break now
And rest?
Am I tired, am I hungry?
Do I need to take a breath?
We are responsible for tending these creatures
Let the growls and the howls and the cries and the whines
Be our teachers.
- I Am Blessed
by Desirée Dawson
I am blessed, yeah, I am blessed
Even when I′m here feeling like a mess
This life has shown me all kinds of stress
And also opened up my heart like the greatest treasure chest
I have grown
Yes, I have grown
And I'm finding my way home
Yes, I have grown
And I′m finding my way home
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Notes: Singing a song of my own with my long-time mentor and vocal coach was a huge honor... and brought out some vulnerable moments around my own history of working with my voice. I also made some mistakes, which is funny, since I chose these words and notes myself... but can't always come up with them in the moment!!! But Judi and I have fun settling into this song about constant change -- hope you do, too!
Song: Earth and Sky
Words by: Patricia Norton
Music by: Patricia Norton
Songwriter Info:
You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html
Or the whole team that puts this podcast out here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/about.html
Sharing Info: Feel free to sing this song yourself and with your friends and family as often as you please! If you are using this song in a way that is making money for you, please contribute to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar, and/or send me a note letting me know how the song is helping you, so the song brings us into relationship. Thank you!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start of teaching: 00:03:34
Start of reprise: 00:27:12
Links:
Judi Vinar –
Email for newsletter: judivinar@gmail.com
Website: https://www.judivinar.com/
ABS episode: https://www.abreathofsong.com/p/53-wish-for-we
Video of I Can See Clearly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXeY696gZW4
Heather Houston: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/
(Heather on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/p/75-easy-does-it-with-guest-heather-houston)
Visual of Bryce Canyon from Rt 66: https://www.relaxednomad.com/grand-canyon-zion-bryce-canyon-route-66/
Unity churches in Minneapolis area: https://www.unityminneapolis.org/
Bobby McFerrin and Gimme 5/Voicestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX4UWy7X4SY
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part round
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Notes: It was both an honor and illumination to meet with Sarina Partridge and Annie Schlaefer to talk about Singing Resistance (they were both in it at inception…) and learn two of the songs in the Singing Resistance Songbook – and I left feeling so much encouragement for community and relationship. Annie said, “People want to come to the streets if we’re singing together.” Sarina shared her slogan: “More song circles than gas stations!” We talked about weaving the learning from one event into the next crisis you face – the wisdom of long-standing organizers who help grass-roots eco-systems evolve. The role of singing in building community, showing people what we are FOR and welcoming them in, dispelling the belief that we are powerless and isolated, easing numbness, creating a container of beauty we can be in together during these times. And these songs – soooo beautiful!
Song 1: We Belong To Each Other
Words by: Nikita Gill
Music by: Annie Schlaefer
Songwriter Info: Annie Schlaefer (she/her), a community song-leader, has been collecting songs and facilitating song circles for 13 years in various communities (Northern Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin) and has more recently been co-facilitating a weekly local community song circle in Minneapolis with a dear friend, Linnea Champ, for nearly 5 years. She continues to be awed by the beautiful ways that singing together brings connection and community. She learned about this style of singing in 2012 in Decorah, Iowa from a local song-leader and now mentor, Liz Rog.
Sharing Info: Annie says: "Please freely share this song in community gathering spaces. If you want to share this song and are making a bunch of money, I would appreciate some of these funds to come my way in the form of a one-time venmo donation @Annie-Schlaefer, or by joining my Patreon as a monthly subscriber. Thank you!"
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start of teaching: 00:03:10
Start of reprise: 00:51:46
Links:
Annie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/AnnieSchlaefer
Nikita Gill: https://www.instagram.com/nikita_gill/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, round, major
Song 2: Grief and Love
Music by: Sarina Partridge
Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, songleader, educator, and activist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs. Sarina sings with a wide variety of music projects: community song-leading; harmony-rich original music with folk trio Heartwood; and performing and teaching of Eastern European and Yiddish song. Sarina has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing as a modality to help folks develop a sense of wonder and belonging in this wild world
Sharing Info: Sarina says: "Please sing the song with your group! You can buy sheet music for it through my website (link below). If you’d like to have tracks of the separated harmony layers, please contact me. One meaningful way to support me is to join me on patreon for whatever monthly donation amount feels right to you. I post a new song - with separated out tracks for harmony parts, lyrics, the story of the song - on patreon every other week. Thank you!"
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start of teaching: 00:11:05
Start of reprise: 00:49:36
Links:
Sarina's website: www.SarinaPartridge.com
Sarina's Patreon: www.patreon.com/sarinapartridge
Sarina's Bandcamp: www.sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2; 3-layer, minor
Extra links:
Barbara McAfee ABS episode: https://www.abreathofsong.com/p/195-get-up-with-guest-barbara-mcafee
Lia Falls: https://marinemillsfolkschool.org/lia-falls/
Liz Rog: https://marinemillsfolkschool.org/liz-rog/
Linnea Champ - Sing As You Are: https://www.patreon.com/cw/SingAsYouAre
Sara Thomsen: “Hearts awakened are unstoppable.”: https://www.echoesofpeace.org/vision
Frankie Armstrong: Founder of Natural Voice Network in England (NVN): https://www.naturalvoice.net/about/history-of-the-network/
Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Vocal improv by: Angela Gabriel, Pam Blevins Hinkle, and Patricia Norton
Notes: I love patterns -- mandalas, fractals, tesseracts, pieced quilts, Fair Isle knitting -- and singing! In Bloomington, Indiana, on this fabulous road trip, I got to pattern-make with Angela Gabriel and Pam Blevins Hinkle... and we had so much fun imagining you singing with us. We leave space for you, building up soundbeds that you might want to add a pattern to, too, or maybe you feel a soaring line that weaves through the space? Maybe words come from deep in your body, needing to be said or sung? Maybe you sing along with one of us, letting the pattern sit down in? After the experience of singing together, we felt incredibly close -- please come join our closeness and let yourself play with us.
Songwriter Info:
Angela still identifies as a performer, teacher, facilitator, and lifelong learner, even though disabilities have forced her to retire. Living with multiple invisible illnesses, some of them breathing-related, she has learned firsthand the life-saving power of song and breath. This has only amplified her mission in life, which is to spread joy through creative experiences and to encourage folks of any age and background to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique voice. In fact, it has made it even more precious when she does have opportunities to engage with others.
She is living and loving in Bloomington IN, singing with Singing Resistance, Threshold Choir and the local UU choir.
She has adopted pacing as a new way of life, which includes prioritizing herself and only saying “YES“ to the things that truly matter to her. Singing matters! She would love to come sing with your community.
Pam Blevins Hinkle is a composer, song leader, ritual artist, tree-lover, and kazoo fanatic. She creates participatory, song-centered experiences that invite people to show up as they are and make beauty together. Whether singing knee-deep in rivers, inside prison walls, or at company retreats, she aims to spark aliveness, joy, and shared humanity while practicing skills that support resilient living: collaboration, risk-taking, adaptability, vulnerability, and deep listening. Her current projects include SongSquad Indianapolis, SongSquad Inside-Outside @ Indiana Women's Prison, Indy Singing Resistance, Indy Winter Solstice Celebration, Rooted, Resilient & Reaching (community singing and documentary songwriting in partnership with Aspire House), and Artist-in-Residence at Castleton UMC.
Links:
Angela's website: www.AngelaGabriel.me
Pam's website: www.pamblevinshinkle.com
SongSquad Indy: www.songsquadindy.com
Velma Frye’s The Truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_qQ8khgXto
Nuts & Bolts: patterned vocal improv, loops
Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
The Sunday after this episode is released, May 17th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Easy Does It
by Heather Houston
Easy does it now
Slow it down
Feel the sound
As you breathe, sing, freely now
Tune, croon, swoon…
- Settle Like A Pebble
by Laura Walker
Settle, settle like a pebble.
Settle, settle like a pebble.
Settle like a pebble on a riverbed.
Drift like a feather on a stream.
You can travel with the flow, if you just let go,
and close your eyes and be.
Drift, and settle gently.
You can travel with the flow, if you just let go.
The water flow will wash you clean.
- This Is It
by Maggie Wheeler
This is it.
This is it!
This is the place you wanna be (x2)
Don't wait until tomorrow to let yourself be free
This is it
This is the place you wanna be
- This is the song you wanna sing
Don't wait until tomorrow to let your voices ring
- This is the love you wanna feel
Don't wait until tomorrow to let your love be real
- The world is calling out to you
Don't wait until tomorrow for what you came to do
- Dahil Mahal Kita
by Gérone Pascal
Dahil mahal kita
dahil mahal na mahal kita
dahil mahal kita
ibibigay ko ang lahat
Because I love you so much,
Because I love you so much, so much, so much
Because I Iove you so much,
I give you all of my heart.
- Heaven Above, Earth Below
by Becky Graber
Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the path between,
Making my way through fields of ever rolling green,
Making my way through fields of ever rolling green.
Heaven above, Earth below,
And in between am I,
Finding a path with heart and spirit, earth and sky,
Finding a path with heart and spirit, earth and sky.
Ah dah dah, ah dah dah, ah dah dah dah.
Ah dah dah, ah dah dah, ah dah dah, Ah.
Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the two reveal,
Shining through me the light of Spirit that can heal,
Shining through me the light of Spirit that can heal.
Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the path between.
- Don't Give Up
by Becky Reardon
Don't give up; give a little kindness to yourself.
Put a little flex -- put a little flex in your plan.
Find another way -- like a river!
Flow -- may you never stop flowing.
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Song: Love Wears the Crown
Music by: Maggie Wheeler
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start of teaching: 00:03:19
Start of reprise: 00:27:13
Notes: I'm visiting Carol Bardenstein and TatiAnah Thunberg, and Carol shares a song by Maggie Wheeler. "Love Wears the Crown" felt to Carol like the perfect song for a No Kings march, and as she teaches it to us, she talks a little about the ways she adapted it for singing in crowds without time to learn nuance... and TatiAnah and I learn it on the spot. I play with harmonies (some more successfully than others, natch!) -- and we reprise it with Carol's whole song circle, so if you're ready to join a crowd, it's time! I loved hearing about the ways these two songleaders are being led by love into interweaving their work and including folk in their circles. There's bounty here!
Songwriter Info:
Maggie Wheeler is best known in the U.S and internationally for her extensive work as an actress in film, television, and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator, teaching her vocal workshop Singing In The Stream for over 30 years. It is Maggie’s belief and experience that by singing together we build community, counteract loneliness, become inspired and energized and feel more deeply connected to others and to ourselves. Maggie is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs and singing communities worldwide.
Her original music for choirs and communities is available on Bandcamp, Apple Music and other music platforms.
Carol Bardenstein is a beloved local song-catcher and song leader of numerous community song-circles and singing workshops/retreats, based in Ann Arbor, sharing her singing there, elsewhere in Southeast Michigan, and beyond! She also facilitates song circles for meaningful life-cycle events and milestones, as well as song healing for bedside, and hospice singing. More recently, she has become very involved in local iterations of the Singing Resistance movement bubbling up from the streets of Minneapolis, inspired to help facilitate the emerging synergy between community singing and singing resistance in rising to meet these times in heartful and empowering ways.
Carol discovered heart-centered singing with others as a deep and transformative spirit portal some 15 years ago, and she’s been singing her heart out and in with others, facilitating many different kinds of song circles ever since! Grief, joy and everything in between, and all that you are, are warmly invited into her song circles, for expression, connection and communion in heart and song.
Contact Carol for information about her offerings via email at cbardens@umich.edu.
TatiAnah Thunberg, LMSW (she/hers) is a somatic psychotherapist, singer, song catcher, expressive and improvisational artist, and a seasoned experiential facilitator with more than thirty years of experience guiding transformative group practice. Her work centers the voice as a path to belonging—an embodied, relational exploration of presence, creativity, and communal care.
She is the founder of Spirit Moves LLC and co-founder of the Vocal Wilds Collective, Supper & Sing Community Jam, Ensemble Night, the Vocal Lab, Creatrix Lab, and TAZ, all circles of artists dedicated to the art of embodied improvisation in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Maggie always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
https://www.goldenbridgechoir.com
https://maggiewheeler.bandcamp.com/album/the-crow-calls
https://maggiewheeler.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-turning
https://music.apple.com/us/album/walk-with-me/1441718449
SongFest with Maggie Wheeler in 2026: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/songfest
Maggie says: "This song was inspired by a talk given by cultural historian Josh Kun. He spoke about a composition for 50 trumpets titled 'Walls Will Fall - The 49 Trumpets of Jericho' by Mazen Kerbaj.
The musicians gathered in a defunct water reservoir in Berlin.
Mazen says, 'According to the old testament, Jericho’s walls collapsed under the sound of seven trumpeters, blowing their horns for seven days while circling around the city. Far from the religious background of the story, it is the idea of music breaking walls and barriers that is central to this composition.'
The participating trumpet players came from from Australia, Austria, Cuba, Denmark, England, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey and the United States.
This story and this work deeply inspired me. I wrote LOVE WEARS THE CROWN to invoke the power of music, the power of voices gathered to dissolve barriers, and to dismantle the walls of hatred and injustice."
https://mazenkerbaj.bandcamp.com/album/walls-will-fall-the-49-trumpets-of-jericho
TatiAnah's websites:
https://www.VocalWilds.com
https://www.SpiritMoves.Us
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, minor, unison with call and response section, optional harmonies
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Notes: Our first road trip stop is Kingston, Ontario in Canada, where I got to meet up with three delightful songleaders – and we sang SO many good songs over the weekend! It was impossible to narrow down to one, so this episode is a three-fer, and you get three very different songs, one from each songleader. You hear us playing; making up harmonies on the spot, trying to get the words in the right order – this is an unrehearsed, “what-can-happen-when-you-put-four-people-who-love-songs-into-one-room?” kind of moment. We had such a good time doing it and hope you get to catch our joy as you sing with us.
Song 1: Lifted
Music by: Wendy Luella Perkins
Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins founded SOULFUL SINGING (singing meditation for all) in 2002. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she shares "short-on-words, long-on-meaning; easy-to-learn, hard-to-forget" songs in the oral tradition. Soulful Singing fosters depth and uplift, resonance and healing, connection and community.
Enjoy singing in community? Had a fourth grade teacher who told you to mouth the words? Dedicated shower singer? Shy about singing out loud? Love to belt it out? Committed chorister? Everyone is warmly welcomed into the circle of song. Wendy Luella strongly believes that connecting with our singing voices has beneficial effects on many, many areas of life, including enhancing our capacities to trust ourselves and to learn and grow with others.
Back in March 2020, Wendy Luella, who is based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada responded to the call of our times by taking Soulful Singing online "for a couple of weeks until this whole pandemic thing blew over". She has been singing via zoom every single morning at 9am, and Thursdays at 6pm (ET) since then. EVERYONE is welcome to attend these gatherings. More than 200 of her original Soulful Singing songs are available on tiktok @wendyluellaperkins. She is also working on an online song library of her original songs. Find out more at info@wendyluellaperkins.com.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Wendy for recording and/or performing permission. When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Wendy for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Intro: 00:04:42
Start of teaching: 00:09:40
Start of reprise: 00:47:37
Links:
Wendy's website: www.wendyluellaperkins.com
Soulful Singing with Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com
Nuts & Bolts: slow 4; major, unison, harmonies optional
Song 2: Present Moment, Sacred Moment
Music by: Steph Drouin
Songwriter Info: Steph Drouin (she/her) is a community song leader, singer, songwriter, and Expressive Arts Therapist based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. For over a decade, she has guided people of all abilities into easeful, joyful, and healing singing experiences. She has helped sow the seeds of community singing throughout Toronto and across Ontario with groups such as Sing for Joy, and in 2019 founded her own social enterprise, Fiercely OK.
Through Fiercely OK, Steph offers weekly in‑person and online song circles with her partner, Paul Barton, as well as special events with visiting artists such as Coco Love Alcorn and Luke Wallace - all in the spirit of nourishing a vibrant, connected singing community. Her most recent project includes co‑creating Kingston Pop Choir with Paul.
Informed by a lifelong relationship with anxiety, Steph writes and teaches songs that help people embrace their full, messy humanity and stay connected to their sense of being OK. She is known for her warm, playful presence and her ability to create spaces where people feel safe to show up exactly as they are.
Steph completed the Community Choir Leadership Training program and Lisa Littlebird’s Flight School in 2018, and is a graduate of the three‑year Expressive Arts Therapy program at the CREATE Institute. In 2024, she moved back to Kingston to be closer to family and to share her gifts with her home community.
Sharing Info: Steph says:
"I encourage (and am trying to remember to practice) a slow culture of learning and sharing songs - taking time to embody the notes, rhythms, and stories behind them, and to build relationships with the people who wrote them. Please take your time and enjoy singing this song, and if you feel moved to share it, please do. You have my permission!
Keep it as close to the original as you can to start. If your group wants to play with adding other layers or harmonies later, this is most welcome. This songs invites being in the present moment; whatever comes out being in the moment while singing this song belongs in it! I just ask that the song be taught first as it came to me (and my nephew). If you would like to teach it differently from what you heard on A Breath of Song, please reach out.
I encourage forms of reciprocity that align with your gifts and context. Here are some I love:
-
Tell me or show me what it was like to share the song with your community. It's fun to see how songs travel!
-
Come sing with us (Paul and me), in person or online. Learn the songs directly from us and hear their stories. This feels important - it means so much when folks carry the songs with an intimate sense of their origins and intricacies.
-
Song swaps! If you also write songlets, let’s exchange. I love being in meaningful song‑sharing relationships with other song leaders. This kind of reciprocity feels alive and good.
-
Financial reciprocity. If you have room in your budget or are making oodles of money (more than a living wage), we'd love for you to send a little our way. For non-performing groups, folks generally send $25-50 per song or $1 per singer (whichever is greater). Performing or recording rates would be a little higher. For Canadians, e‑transfer works well; otherwise, Wise is my preferred option.
-
Follow and share our work. Join the Fiercely OK mailing list, follow us on social media, and help spread the word to folks who would enjoy what we offer.
-
Patreon. I’ll be adding my songs to Patreon this year, and I’d love for you to join me there as a monthly patron.
If you have any other ideas, send them my way!"
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Intro: 00:14:01
Start of teaching: 00:20:03
Start of reprise: 00:48:30
Links:
Join the Fiercely OK Mailing List!
https://forms.gle/97Y9hQn55HHL1kHP7
Website: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephdrouin3973
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyok/ & https://www.instagram.com/therestlessinchoirer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiercelyOK/
Join our online song circles! The next series begins May 11th, 2026.
https://www.fiercelyok.ca/online-weekly-song-circles
If you're ever in the Kingston-Toronto area, come sing with us in person! We offer weekly song circles and a monthly pop choir in Kingston, and occasional workshops in Toronto.
I'll be getting my songs up on Patreon this year. There's nothing up there yet, but you can be the first to get updates here:
https://patreon.com/fiercelyok?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, mixolydian, 3-layer song
Song 3: I Am Grateful Deep Down
Music by: Paul Barton
Songwriter Info: Known by some as a musical “wizard,” Paul makes clever use of his education in Jazz guitar and experience as a professional musician to help song circles run seamlessly. His songs, infused with his passions for the environment, community, and mental health, are among the most requested songs in the Fiercely OK singing community. His simple melodies carry deep truths right to the heart.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Paul always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. The best way to support Paul's songwriting is on Patreon.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Intro: 00:31:56
Start of teaching: 00:32:45
Start of reprise: 00:49:04
Links:
Paul's website: https://www.paulbarton.ca/
Paul's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/paulbartonmusic
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized
Extra links:
Lone Wolf by Steph Drouin and Aimee Ringle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SFrSkZ-0Hs
Thich Nhat Hanh: “Present moment, wonderful moment” https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/710946/present-moment-wonderful-moment-revised-edition-by-thich-nhat-hanh/9781952692239
500 Days in the Wild https://tctrail.ca/dianne-whelan-documentary/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21899380530&gbraid=0AAAAABzGiwLd2QCJzToHLUN4HbIpFlKx_&gclid=CjwKCAjwtcHPBhADEiwAWo3sJpemebM5-j0FsOefQ1hxcS4-spp7nBB2-QlQnybCRxiX9UxcfU5bQxoCO68QAvD_BwE
Present Moment, Sacred Moment movement video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZedwiqraNQ
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Song: Great Turning
Music by: Joanna Colwell
Notes: It seems fitting that Grace Oedel, who tells us she is “Not doing any of this alone," brings us a song caught by a friend of hers, Joanna Colwell... and that this song references the mentor and teacher Joanna Macy, who helped so many folk seek reconnection. Grace and I are joined by Rebecca Csuy to learn this three part song, and then we dive into a laughter-filled conversation that visits some hard questions and nourishing responses. Grace is doing vital work in the world in many different arenas, seeking ways to help us get comfortable with the enormous changes we are facing, hospicing modernity -- but she points out, “I eat chocolate chips in bed… I am not a holier-than-thou person!” "We're all in it together," like the song says... "we are turning it around."
Songwriter Info: Joanna Colwell is a yoga teacher and song leader in MIddlebury, Vermont. She started the Yoga Equity Project and can generally be found tearing down the patriarchy with art, song, ritual, and good cheer.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Joanna for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:03
Start time of reprise: 01:08:19
Links:
Grace's Substack: https://graceoedel.substack.com/
Joanna Colwell – Middlebury yoga teacher:
https://www.yogaequity.org/
www.ottercreekyoga.com
https://www.instagram.com/ottercreekyoga/
Joanna Macy – The Work that Reconnects: https://workthatreconnects.org/
Octavia Butler: "Kindness eases change." "God is change.": https://www.octaviabutler.com/
Moira Smiley on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/39-stand-in-that-river#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/40-render-a-remedy-with-moira-smiley#/
Heidi Wilson on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/139-bend-and-rebound#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/140-the-feast-with-guest-heidi-wilson#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/228-all-call-this-home#/
Singing Resistance: https://linktr.ee/singingresistance
Kairos Center with Songs in the Key of Resistance: https://kairoscenter.org/projects/songs-in-the-key-of-resistance/
NOFA – Long-Handled Spoon Dinners: https://www.nofavt.org/about/blog/announcing-new-long-handled-spoons-dinners
L’Chaim Jewish collective leadership in Burlington: https://www.lchaimcollective.org/
Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, UVM professor: https://www.uvm.edu/cas/religion/profile/ilyse-morgenstein-fuerst
Elise Witt on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/21-song-deep-in-your-bones#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/211-set-us-free#/
Nero’s Expedition Up the Nile by Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpUIzHWB_zc
James Baldwin “The children are always ours.”: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/notes-house-bondage/
Aylie Baker – wayfinding in Micronesia: https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/wave-patterns/
Indigo Girls: https://www.indigogirls.com/
Batya Levine on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/166-breathe#/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layers
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Song: We Will Not Stand Down
Music by: Grace Oedel
Notes: This song came directly out of protective action, as Grace was asking herself how to develop a chant into a song -- it's got a groove, it's alive, and it's adaptable. Sing it with only a few words, or add some lyrics. Get people moving on the parts they resonate with and help them hear the collective pulse that underlies it all. Add what feels good in your body and voice -- and next week, join Grace and me for a wide-ranging conversation that asks questions about how can we keep showing up with and for each other for the long haul? How can we use rage as a fuel that doesn't burn us out, but helps us to not stand down, to not go home, to do what scares us because love is underneath that rage, moving us on!
Songwriter Info: Grace is a doula for change and an enthusiast for collective action. She's an ordained rabbi who organizes with the L'Chaim Collective and serves as the executive director of NOFA-VT, building power for a just and delicious future. She sits on the boards of Rights and Democracy, Milk with Dignity, National Family Farm Coalition, National Sustainable Ag Coalition, the Better Selves Fellowship, and is an affiliate for the Institute for Agroecology. She leads a monthly community sing for resistance and hope that is a real banger, is a fan of desserts, and is mama to three little ones.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups - use it anywhere it can be helpful! - but please contact Grace for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:44
Start time of reprise: 00:15:29
Links:
Grace's Substack: https://graceoedel.substack.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layers
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Song: All Call This Home
Music by: Heidi Wilson
Notes: Heidi Wilson has devoted herself to the craft of songweaving -- and it shows! My groups have all loved this song -- a great mix of almost-rap with sweet harmony swells, and trading back and forth playfully. Once it's in your head, it stays, providing a rhythmic counterpart to walks and a sweet sense of neighborliness with all our more-than-human kin.
Songwriter Info: Heidi Wilson has a passion for sharing songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for healing. She is drawn to the potent and surprising journey of deep-listening and collaborative emergent music making. Heidi has been leading community singing groups in Vermont for the last 15 years and currently sings with the vocal trio Heartwood.
Sharing Info:
Heidi says: "I’m on an ongoing journey figuring out how to share songs (that feel like generous gifts from the world) while also making a living as a songweaver. I am happy for the songs coming through me to be shared! If people are singing them in informal, community, or ritual settings that’s awesome, sing away! If people are sharing them in a setting where they are making a bunch of money or there is a budget for educational/repertoire materials and they are able to pass some of those resources my way I appreciate that. I would feel good about that reciprocity coming in the form of a one time donation (venmo: @Heidi-willsing) or by joining me on Patreon and supporting my songweaving work at any monthly level. And if you are interested in recording any of these songs let’s talk!
Looking for recordings of more songs? I mostly share music through Patreon, an online platform to support artists. On my Patreon site I’ve posted 80+ songs. Each post has downloadable practice recordings of the harmony parts. And through Patreon I also link to a spreadsheet where the songs are organized into categories, so you can listen through and find just the right song for Spring, or Gratitude, or Trees."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
Start time of reprise: 00:15:28
Links:
Website: www.HeidiAnnWilson.com
Patreon: www.patreon.com/HeidiWilson
Heartwood Trio: www.heartwoodtrio.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layers
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
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The Sunday after this episode is released, March 29th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
74 Equinox Blessing
by Heather Houston
Honoring the darkness, Honoring the light,
Honoring the day, Honoring the night
All things find their way into balance
Suspended in time
Shadows and light
205 Set It Right
by Ana Hérnandez
Call: There’s a great trouble in the land
Resp: We’re gonna set it right again
(3x)
All: We’re gonna set it right, set it right again.
More verses to zip in:
Trouble’s been brewing too many years
We need clean water and healthy food
People need housing, we’ve a right to thrive
Mass deportations tearing families apart
We are the ones who can change the world
We need education to build a just world
Families need childcare, they don’t need to go broke
We need fair wages, rich folk need to be taxed!
Add more verses to suit your actions.
146 Begin Again
by Jean Farmer
I begin again with my breath,
joining earth,
earth and spirit.
I return again to my breath,
walking home the unknown path.
168 The Net
by Patricia Norton
(inspired by Sri Nisargadatta)
The net that I thought
was holding me,
it is full of holes, full of holes.
The net that I thought
was holding me,
it is full of holes!
The net that I thought
was holding me tight –
it is not a big barrier,
I can get by it.
The net that I thought
was holding me,
it is Full. Of. Holes.
There is a ground of truth
beyond the net!
(a gazillion times)
Like the water,
I’m falling free. (4x)
184 Where the Moss Grows
by David Ruffin
Where the river flows
and the moss on boulder grows,
we can remember what we deeply know.
There is time to be here
and see what becomes clear...
when we let it go,
and go where the moss grows.
Oh, when we let it go,
and go where the moss grows.
36 Brighter Days
by Jenny Cook
There's so much hope in a snowdrop,
the promise of spring to come.
Hold on, hold on
through the cold,
brighter days will come.
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Song: Life's Dance
Music by: Tarren van Ettinger
Notes: This dance of a song loosens me up every time I sing it -- both with the original two parts from Tarren, and then I snuck a third part in when I was singing it on my looper, and I was having so much fun with it, I added it too! Learning the steps as we go -- in and out of the circle, day into night into day, confident, then confused, and back again -- I am grateful for the way this song makes a sweet dance of the whole kit & kaboodle!
Songwriter Info: Tarren is an AuDHD, agender singer/songwriter from Davenport, IA, formerly from Alaska. They have been writing songs actively since 2015, when they wrote their first song at the Village Fire gathering in Decorah. They take inspiration from everything from literature to personal experiences. Tarren lives with their animal-trainer partner, a dog, bird and rabbit, and the occasional foster-critter.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Tarren always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:19
Start time of reprise: 00:16:33
Links:
Bandcamp: https://tarrenvanettinger.bandcamp.com
Mastodon: https://musician.social/@tarrenvane
Discord: @tarrenvane
Email: tarrenvane@proton.me
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, 3-parts
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Song: Walk Me Home
Music by: Una McCann
Notes: What do you do with anger? Can you set shame gently aside so you can get out of the way of what's coming through you and wants to be voiced? How do you move through times of doubt and grief to do what you are called to do? Una shares with us a beautiful song companion for walking each other home, and we explore these questions and so, so much more in this extended conversation.
Songwriter Info:
Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working with adult choirs for 15 years.
Una is a proud and active member of the UK Charity The Natural Voice Network, and works in line with the principle that we are all born to sing. She is passionate about the power of song and creativity to transform lives.
Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.
In her spare time, Una enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.
Sharing Info: Una says: "Please sing these songs; they were born to be sung.
If you make money through singing the songs and would like to support me in my work as a song carrier, please purchase songs through my website or drop me an email for more options."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:32
Start time of reprise: 01:28:35
Links:
Website: www.unamccann.org
Facebook: Una McCann Music
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unamccann47/
Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/home
Earthsong camps with John Bowker: https://www.earthsong.ie/about-earthsong
A note in sand or water: https://youtu.be/-CZlrgq8syE?si=VzijHkmvxuPUJ7MD
The first song Una remembers singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QfXXj8RoPk&t=32s
Stéphane Grappelli – musicians of the eyes and musicians of the ears: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Grappelli
Una’s Soundcloud – Henrietta!: https://soundcloud.com/unamccann/henrietta
Tara Brach – teachings of kindness and wellbeing: https://www.tarabrach.com/
Natural Voices Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Indigo Girls: https://www.indigogirls.com/
The Roches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roches
Airplane: https://youtu.be/MhVcbRldEfs?si=rubOOaeZ2S8lXF-a (from the Indigo Girls 1992 “Rites of Passage” album – my gift to Una was finding the song she loved!)
Gamelan instrument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized (intriguingly, it starts with a descending Phrygian scale...)
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Song: We All Need A Little Love
Music by: Una McCann
Notes: In this super-satisfying song, Una McCann stepped into the funk so we can all dig into a little more love in our lives -- not a bad thing to wish for filling our hearts. Doesn't matter what the regimes of the world are doing; we can invite a little more love into our hearts right now! Next week Una and I get to dive right into a conversation about the songwriting shift from singer-songwriter to community songs, how Una manages the energy of 300 singers every week, and more -- hope you can join us!
Songwriter Info:
Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working with adult choirs for 15 years.
Una is a proud and active member of the UK Charity The Natural Voice Network, and works in line with the principle that we are all born to sing. She is passionate about the power of song and creativity to transform lives.
Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.
In her spare time, Una enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.
Sharing Info: Una says: "Please sing these songs; they were born to be sung.
If you make money through singing the songs and would like to support me in my work as a song carrier, please purchase songs through my website or drop me an email for more options."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:16
Start time of reprise: 00:18:15
Links:
Website: www.unamccann.org
Facebook: Una McCann Music
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unamccann47/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, SATB
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Song: The Reach
Words by: Wendell Berry
Music by: Malcolm Dalglish
Notes: I learned this beautiful round from the amazing Moira Smiley, who connected me with Malcolm Dalglish to request his permission to share on this podcast. I continue to be amazed by the seeds we sow when we befriend and tend each other, unfolding understanding and trust. It's not always easy to reach forward or back -- but these seeds we plant with each other open, even if the winter is long and icy! At least that's where this poem is taking me today. And let me tell you, I practiced deep love and care for all of you whose voices are comfortable in higher ranges than mine! I taught it where I'm comfy -- but I did the reprise where Malcolm actually set the sheet music (nice tenor/soprano range) -- so if you want to buy the sheet music from him and sing along with it, that's where you should head...
Songwriter Info: Malcolm Dalglish is a hammer dulcimer player and composer from Bloomington Indiana, whose many vocals celebrate a love of our natural world. He has set many poems by Kentucky author, and farmer, Wendell Berry.
Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Malcolm's website if you plan to share this song as a songleader.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:50
Start time of reprise: 00:14:29
Links:
Malcolm's website: https://oooliticmusic.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round with optional descant
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The Sunday after this episode is released, February 15th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- There Is A Love
Words by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
Music by Elizabeth (Beth) Norton
There is a Love holding me; There is a Love holding all that I love;
There is a Love holding all; I rest in this love.
There is a Love holding us; There is a Love holding all that we love;
There is a Love holding all; We rest in this love.
- In This House with MaMuse
By Karisha Longaker
In this house, we lead with love.
In this house, we lift each other up.
In this house, we learn to fly with the dove.
Oh, this is the house we've been dreaming of.
Oh, this is the house we've been dreaming of.
So come on over (come on over),
Welcome in (welcome in),
Come on over (come on over).
Let's be friends (let's be friends).
Come on over (come on over).
There is enough.
Oh, this is the house we've been dreaming of.
Oh, this is the house we've been dreaming of.
- Sacred Breaking
By Hannah Jeffery
The only way to be here is to be constantly breaking open
How else do we make sense of this human experience?
Beauty, break me open
Tragedy, break me open
Humility, break me open
Love, crack open my heart
Heartbreak is our birthright
It's the only way to be here
Heartbreak is our birthright
It's the only way we can heal
- Quiet At First
Music by Eileen Webb
Lyrics by Kai Skye
It's quiet at first,
this song of love
for all the living things.
But once you start to hear it,
it's quite impossible to pretend
there's something better
you could be doing.
- My Body
By Alexandra Sarton Love
My body is fly
My body is beautiful
My body is bold
My body is mine
- Arms of Love
By Alexa Sunshine Rose
Come now child, lay it down
Just breathe
Just be
Come be cradled in the arms of love
Just breathe, just be.
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Song: Heading Home
Music by: Ben & Dom
Notes: I read a commentary by Ailey Jolie, saying, "You cannot breathe your way out of patriarchy." She was observing that regulating the body's emergency responses is good to do as a way of caring for ourselves -- but not if it means simply increasing our ability to tolerate a situation that is causing our bodies to cry "emergency." We need to breathe and steady ourselves, as this song of Ben & Dom's does so beautifully -- and the reason is to bring ourselves even more fully into the present, ready to respond effectively to what actually is because we have the capacity to look directly at what is not working. So let this song bring you home to yourself -- whole, rested, and ready.
Songwriter Info: Ben & Dom are a singing duo, weaving their voices around songs old and new. Ben takes the high notes and Dom takes the low notes (most of the time). Their lyrics touch on friendship, nature and what it means for two men to sing together in this modern day.
Sharing Info: Ben & Dom say: "We would love this song to be sung and shared in any circle. It is a parting song suitable for lots of different situations and occasions. If you feel like you want to share the song we have sheet music and teaching tracks available on our website. There is a tiered pricing structure to suit groups of different sizes and setups. If the cost is any kind of challenge for you then please be in touch and we can send you the materials free of charge. "
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:04
Start time of reprise: 00:18:29
Links:
Ben & Dom's website: www.BenAndDom.com
Ben & Dom's Bandcamp: https://benanddom.bandcamp.com
Buy score for Heading Home: https://benanddom.bandcamp.com/
Essay of Ailey Jolie: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16LcZ7iR43/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-part harmony
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Song: Pray With Our Feet
Words by: Paul Vasile, based on a quotation by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Music by: Paul Vasile
Notes: This is what folk in Minneapolis are doing -- praying with their feet, getting out on the street. They're singing songs to bless each other, the people they're protecting, and the ICE agents who are so misguided. And this is not the only place in the world where people of "middle power" gather -- not super-powers, not uber-wealthy -- just people who care about living in a world where we feed and educate our children, hold jobs with purpose. Paul Vasile describes it as "belonging belovedness -- you are safe, you are seen, you are heard." In this conversation, we dive into the sometimes knotty weeds of faith and how someone who is deeply connected in a faith tradition might want to expand into questions of what world we want to create together. Big trees. "Talk less, sing more." "As a queer person, I experienced a faith that helped me be a bigger, better me."
Songwriter Info:
Paul Vasile (he/him) is a church musician, teacher, coach, and composer who finds his greatest joy in collaborative and community-centered work. Committed to modeling expansive, imaginative, and hospitable experiences of music making wherever he goes, Paul's leadership builds trust, invites spaces of creativity, vulnerability, and play, and supports practices of reflection and holistic learning.
For the past decade he has offered short- and long-term transitional leadership, consulting services, and creative resources to faith communities in seasons of discernment, challenge, and transformation. From 2016 to 2023, Paul served as the Executive Director of Music that Makes Community, a non-profit that shares "paperless" (oral tradition) leadership practices and songs. He traveled across North America modeling distinctive approaches to communal singing and learning at retreat centers, conferences, denominational gatherings, seminaries, and in congregations of all sizes.
Paul also composes music that invites communities to express and explore their connection to sacred stories, their bodies, and the ecosystems that sustain us. His music is represented in Glory to God, All Creation Sings, and Voices Together, as well as The Hymn Society’s resource, Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming The LGBTQIA2S+ Community.
Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Paul's website if you plan to share this song as a songleader.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:35
Start time of reprise: 01:15:00
Links:
Paul's website: https://www.paulvasile.com/
Paul's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovedintobeing/
Sheet music for Pray With Our Feet: https://www.paulvasile.com/products/pray-with-our-feet
Feb 7th workshop at Lutheran church in Ft. Washington, MD with Maren Marchesini: https://www.sharingthesong.org/
Inspiration for lyrics, including quote by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel: https://www.tbemaine.org/praying-with-hearts-and-feet
Music that Makes Community: https://www.musicthatmakescommunity.org/
Rev. Donald Schnell, a 2012 interview as Music Makes Community was beginning: https://www.conversations.org/story.php?sid=329
Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/
Taizé chants: https://www.taize.fr/en/the-songs
Chanda Rule: https://www.chandarule.com/
Hold Me by Nina Wise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxU_egWayc4&t=16s
Nina Wise: https://ninawise.com
East Coast songleader trainings:
Mila Redwood in Toronto: https://www.milaredwood.ca/song-leader-training
Patricia in Burlington, VT: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/songleader-training.html
Alice Parker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Parker
Liz Rog -- here's a place to find her book on songleading: https://www.centerforbelonging.earth/
Arvo Pärt – Passio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passio_(P%C3%A4rt)
Spencer LaJoye: https://www.spencerlajoye.com/
Spencer's song Plowshare Prayer: https://youtu.be/MhOZv5i7CHY?si=S5bbjdBDJP2cU_4I
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, minor, unison
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Song: Trust the Work
Words by: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.
Music by: Paul Vasile
Notes: Trusting the work of love inside us, as excruciatingly slow as it seems sometimes.... this is a mantra I can fold right into my life, singing it on the regular to remind me back into the power of inner trust. Next episode is a conversation with Paul where we talk about the choice (he ok'd) to replace the word "God" with "love" -- and what it is we all seek. I offer this as a somatic check in as well -- as you sing it in different ranges, how does your voice and body respond?
Songwriter Info:
Paul Vasile (he/him) is a church musician, teacher, coach, and composer who finds his greatest joy in collaborative and community-centered work. Committed to modeling expansive, imaginative, and hospitable experiences of music making wherever he goes, Paul's leadership builds trust, invites spaces of creativity, vulnerability, and play, and supports practices of reflection and holistic learning.
For the past decade he has offered short- and long-term transitional leadership, consulting services, and creative resources to faith communities in seasons of discernment, challenge, and transformation. From 2016 to 2023, Paul served as the Executive Director of Music that Makes Community, a non-profit that shares "paperless" (oral tradition) leadership practices and songs. He traveled across North America modeling distinctive approaches to communal singing and learning at retreat centers, conferences, denominational gatherings, seminaries, and in congregations of all sizes.
Paul also composes music that invites communities to express and explore their connection to sacred stories, their bodies, and the ecosystems that sustain us. His music is represented in Glory to God, All Creation Sings, and Voices Together, as well as The Hymn Society’s resource, Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming The LGBTQIA2S+ Community.
Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Paul's website if you plan to share this song as a songleader.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:43
Start time of reprise: 00:16:07
Links:
Paul's website: https://www.paulvasile.com/
Paul's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovedintobeing/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, optional round
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Song: The River
Music by: Coco Love Alcorn
Notes: Coco is entering a long and challenging journey with an aggressive cancer diagnosis. She’s hopeful and grounded, but as an independent musician, she doesn’t have access to benefits like employment insurance or sick leave. With her treatment schedule, she’s had to cancel every concert, every tour, and even postpone the recording of her new album. She also had to pause her local choir until further notice. This means she’s facing at least a year ahead with almost no income — while focusing all her strength on healing. Supporting her directly through buying her music, or donating to the GoFundMe will make this time easier. In the meantime, you can sing this song of Coco's, bringing river healing energy into the world!
Songwriter Info:
“Coco is the ultimate musical spark plug... an electrical connector through which the creative energy flows. In my 30 years of touring around the world, I have never seen another performer able to bring people together like Coco does.” ~ James Keelaghan - Artist Director, Summerfolk and renowned Canadian singer/ songwriter
The first thing you notice about Coco Love Alcorn, is the voice. It's a rich, dynamic, supremely soulful instrument – hailed by the press as extraordinary, beautiful, and stunning – that has a way of touching your heart and making you care.
As a performer, Alcorn is always in the moment, joyful, and genuine. She combines diverse musical influences including jazz, R&B, pop, folk, and Gospel. Her playful and witty character, love of improvising, and willingness to engage fearlessly with the audience has made Alcorn an established presence on the Canadian music scene.
Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and now based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Alcorn’s career has spanned more than 20 years, 12 (9 solo) albums, cross-Canada tours, collaborations, festival appearances, award nominations, and notable success in TV and film licensing. And it took someone with a spirit like Alcorn's to navigate this path.
"Throughout my career I have explored across many genres, collaborations and projects, taking a winding path to get to here,” she says. “But I’ve loved every step of my journey and trusted my inner curiosity to take me where it wanted to go.”
Sharing Info: Please support Coco directly if you are sharing this song, either by buying the music on her website here: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store or supporting her GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:49
Verses taught slowly: 00:11:55
First run through: 00:15:50
Start time of reprise: 00:20:53
Links:
Coco teaching the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgmg1K7BFxo&t=133s
Coco's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer
Lisa Littlebird teaching tracks: https://thebirdsings.com/the-river/
Sheet music for The River: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, verses & chorus, harmonize
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The Sunday after this episode is released, January 4th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Let It Blow Through
by Maggie Wheeler
Let it blow through, let it blow through.
Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.
Hard times come, and hard times go, let it blow through.
Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.
Hard times come and hard times go, let it blow.
Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.
- Awaken Me
by Abigail Spinner McBride
- Open my eyes to the miracles around me,
wake me up, wake me up.
(2x)
- Shake me from my sleep and stir me from my dreaming.
Chorus: Awaken me. (4x)
- Borrow Trouble
by Patricia Norton
Let me not borrow this trouble
ahead of time.
Let me not carry this sorrow
before it's mine.
It will come when it comes, and go when it goes.
I will know; I will know.
It will come when it comes and go when it goes,
I will know.
My trust and love are banks on the river
where grief and praise can find a flow.
My tender heart, it floats on the ocean.
The waves come. The waves go.
- Good Friend
by Jan Harmon
Oh the wind, it is a song
that harbours through the winter,
Oh the sail, it is a door
that bids the song to enter,
And let us sail the sea, good friend,
And let us sing together,
The singer lasts a season long,
While the song, it lasts forever.
- May the Way Open Before You
by Ana Hernández
May the way open before you.
May you see beyond darkness and light
to the love you are;
to the love you bring into the world.
- Be Open
by Debbie Nargi-Brown
Be open for something wonderful to happen
Be open to the possibility
(x2)
Aiye Aiye Aiye, Aiye Aiye Aiye (x2)
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Song: I Believe
Music by: Una McCann
Guest singers: Rebecca Csuy, Seth Norton, Tom Norton, Marika Tabilio
Notes: You'll hear a wonderful group of singers helping me cover all the ranges of this song: Tom and Seth bring the bass, Marika nails the tenor, Rebecca lines up the alto, and I take on soprano. There's a bit of octave confusion -- where do we find these pitches in our different voices?! And then this fabulous song and groove reminds us to see the goodness -- in you, in me, in everybody. So grateful to Una McCann for living into the teachings of Tara Brach and catching this song that feels so good to have singing in my body! Wishing everyone a week of discovery and festive comradery, whether you are celebrating holy days or simply the close of 2025...
Songwriter Info:
Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working professionally with choirs for 15 years.
Currently the chair of the Natural Voice Network, Una runs 6 Natural Voice style weekly choirs. She also enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.
Una is passionate about the power of creativity to transform lives and encourages her singers to improvise, play and explore their own creativity.
Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.
I Believe was born out of the wish to always see the best in people even when it’s hard and we don’t want to, and to remember that underneath all of us is someone who just wants to be happy. We all come from love but sometimes we lose our way a bit.
It was inspired by listening to Tara Brach who creates beautiful talks on topics such as this.
Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Una's website (see below) if you plan to share this song as a songleader.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:24
Start time of reprise: 00:19:52
Links:
Una's website: www.unamccann.org
Sheet music for this song: https://unamccann.org/product/i-believe/
Una's Instagram: www.instagram.com/unamccann47
Una's Facebook (Una McCann Music): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558408430060
Tara Brach's website: www.tarabrach.com
Natural Voice Network: www.naturalvoice.net
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 2 layers, one layer with melody & two harmonies
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: What A Gift
Music by: Angela Gabriel
Notes: What a gift it was to be in conversation with Angela Gabriel -- we talked about how to deal with having been "poked in the voice" -- and the sensation of healthy singing. -- What was "one of the most idea shattering things" Angela has ever done in her life, and how "that butterfly excitement" led her there. How she's gotten to a place where, "I don't shame myself anymore," and a slew of adulting tactics she practices. ("I have a lot of arrows in my quiver.") How community singing can show up in activist spaces, where "it is difficult, but it doesn't have to be somber." How she sets up her own space -- "I actively choose to make it colorful..." and how that helps with healing. "The tremble" when singing for someone who is dying. Percussion and how it that has made Angela's voice distinctive in community singing songs... SO many things I loved in our conversation, not to mention this song!
Songwriter Info: Angela is a performer, a teacher, a facilitator, and a lifelong learner. Her mission in life is to facilitate expressive creative, musical, and vocal experiences and to encourage folks of any age and background to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique, creative flow.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Angela always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:55
Start time of reprise: 01:22:01
Links:
Moira Smiley: Leather Britches: https://moirasmiley.com/downloads/leather-britches-2/
“The Truth” – Velma Frye: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/18-the-truth#/
Josh Habermann – Santa Fe Desert Chorale: https://desertchorale.org/about/our-people/#artistic_director
Susan Swaney – choir director in Bloomington UU church: https://www.uubloomington.org/about/our-ministers-and-staff/
Kate Munger – Women Singing In Circle retreat: https://www.lamafoundation.org/engage/events/women-singing/
Threshold Choirs: https://thresholdchoir.org/
Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/
Becky Reardon: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/
Terri Garthwaite: https://terrygarthwaite.com/
Poor People’s Campaign: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/
Pam Blevins Hinkle – No Kings Song doesn't seem to be online yet, but her website is https://pamblevinshinkle.com/
Online group called “Lumos Transforms”: https://lumos-transforms.mn.co/
PetCanvas: https://mypetcanvas.com/
Mbira: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira
Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington, IN: https://www.uubloomington.org/
Rhiannon’s All the Way In improvisation class: https://rhiannonmusic.com/2026-all-the-way-in
“I live my life in a river of grace…” Kate Munger: https://thresholdchoir.bandcamp.com/track/life-grace-trust
Yes – Fragile: https://www.yesworld.com/discography/fragile/
Willow Smith – Empathogen: https://willowsmith.com/products/empathogen-digital-download
Angela's website: www.angelagabriel.me
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, blues minor, 2 layers and body percussion
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Song: Make Good Trouble
Music by: Angela Gabriel
Notes: I had the privilege of recording this song together with many members of my family -- and something happens on this recording that is very common in community singing -- I started in the key of A minor, and group wisdom decided that the key of A-flat minor, slightly lower, felt better in our collective voice! So you'll hear us readjusting together to reach an agreed sound, and what's cool is we all get there. Rather than rerecord to get an ordinary "perfectly pitched" recording, I decided to stay with the energy of the moment -- that really beautiful feel of connection that we had in that room -- because that's what this song is encourages. We support each other to speak up, to disrupt when needed, to make good, necessary trouble! You'll hear the six-year-old in the room leading some warm ups, and even a blooper at the end (never telling whose phone it was....)
Notice: Some of you might remember that we've already done a song that sets these words -- and that is absolutely true! Good words deserve more than one way to be sung -- you can find the other setting here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/p/121-make-good-trouble, with a completely different and wonderful setting by Elizabeth Melvin. You find which one speaks to you!
Songwriter Info: Angela is a performer, a teacher, a facilitator, and a lifelong learner. Her mission in life is to facilitate expressive creative, musical, and vocal experiences and to encourage folks of any age and background to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique, creative flow.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Angela always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:56
Start time of whole song: 00:09:21
Links:
Angela's website: www.angelagabriel.me
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3 layers, each harmonized
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Song: Breath By Breath
Music by: Juliana Murphy
Notes: There is so much joy and delight in the holiday seasons -- and there can also be so much grief and loss. The air is thick with the smells of sugar and memories, we are in contact (or not) with folk with whom we carry long histories, and sometimes it's really hard to show up as we are now. I love this song of Juliana's for the full acceptance of grief: "I will allow my heart to be broken." And I love the way that very allowing unsticks feelings, so they become a river flowing, a soul opening... and I love the way she gives a concrete way to do all this: "breath by breath, steady and slow." This song helps me be wiser about allowing my full self to include my grief -- and reminds me that breath by breath, that grief can be a gentle, soul-opening presence.
Songwriter Info: Juliana Murphy (she/they) comes to the circle with a lifelong love of singing and a library of original and collected songs that connect us to ourselves, nature, and the cycles and rhythms of being a human on this planet. She brings a deep desire to sing a more beautiful, inclusive, loving, sustainable, and delightful world into being. Juliana is co-founder of the Monsoon Seed Choir and Chrysalis Choir, co-tends the Tucson Community Song Circle, is a graduate of the Littlebird Songleader Flight School for community songleading and is a member of the Ubuntu Choirs Network.
Sharing Info: Juliana says: "This song being carries potent medicine for moving grief. It is most supportive when sung within a container of care, both individually and in community. If you plan to perform or record it with the intent to sell, please contact me for permission."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:22
Start time of reprise: 00:15:51
Links:
Website: https://www.julianamurphy.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/julianamurphy
Community Singing Offerings: https://www.tucsonsongcircle.com/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jumutx
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, 2-layer
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The Sunday after this episode is released, November 23rd, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- a spell for intergenerational trauma
by Ahlay Blakely
Breaking
Breaking
Breaking the cycles now
Ripple through
Through to the ancient ones
Ripple through
Through to the future ones
Healing at the Root
We’re calling
Healing at the root
of our belonging
- Over/Under
by Lyndsey Scott
Over / under
All the way through
Over / under
Back to you
Over / under
All the way down
Over / under
Lost then found
I am the love that doesn't leave
We do this til we free us!
Feel thru the dark is how we see
We do this til we free us!
We are remembering how to grieve
We do this til we free us!
You are a part of my family
We do this til we free us!
- Winter Song
by Dirk Mont Campbell
All things come and go, summer sun and winter snow.
Blow wind, fall, rain; all things die and live again.
Fallen leaves lie on the ground so cold and dead.
Oak tree stands bare, and the holly green and red.
Robin sings of love and loss for Jenny Wren.
All things that die will return to life again.
- Navigate the Current
by Saro Lynch-Thomason
I often feel a deep despair For a pain that feels unending
For a body made with many faults That resists all salve or mending
I’m tossed and driven with a tide Of an ocean unforgiving
I am left shaking on the shore Afraid of even standing.
I feel a deep temptation then As I am lying weary
For a marble form to encase my bones That I may rest more deeply
What comfort to be cast as stone To be static and suspended
No ecstasy, no misery Nothing given or expended
I am startled then by the touch of friends Who raise and fortify me
Who say my name, bid me stretch my frame Help me face the sea’s great fury.
Where would I be in these long hours Without their voices by me?
To ease the pain and soothe the strain Of a troubled and angry body?
I am bound between the amity That salves a body splintered
And the cries and sighs of the daily hours That pull my soul more inward.
Oh, may I learn to trust the hands That soothe a pain so fervent
May I ride each wave with a greater faith And navigate the current
- Walk On Through
by Samara Jade
The Mystery is holding your hand
The Mystery is holding your hand
The Mystery is holding your hand
As you walk through
The angels are holding your hand
The angels are holding your hand
The angels are holding your hand
As you walk through….
Chorus:
So walk on through - no turning back
Walk on through - we got your back
We’ll stand by you
You’re not alone
So walk on through, we’ll walk you home
(other verses, same form, fill in the blank with: stars and moon, mother earth, ancestors, all of us, etc)
- Share the Journey
by Katie Sontag
As the dark fades away, here it comes, a brand-new, new day.
As it leaves, we watch it go, all we learned, all we need to know.
I believe we will survive. I believe this is our time.
I believe we are alive to share the journey, to share the journey.
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Song: Set Us Free
Music by: Elise Witt
Notes: Elise is an inventive songleader and huge heart in Georgia, USA, whom I met online during the pandemic doing vocal improv with our shared teacher, Rhiannon... but I had been in contact with her before then because I wanted to sing a song of hers with my community chorus. Here, she has set words from the Rev. Timothy McDonald, calling us to the kind of integrity that gives freedom. I teach the song a capella, so you can sing with just my voice -- and then do it with piano at the end, so you can experience it that way -- and then if you follow the shownote links, you can sing it in Spanish and English with Elise, Judith & Lisset Rodés -- Lisset wrote the Spanish words... and it's a little slower, a little more legato than I sang it. I love it when there's a chance to compare different versions of the same song!
Songwriter Info: Elise’s concerts of Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ and her Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ workshops create and connect singing communities around the world. Born in Switzerland, raised in NC, and living in Atlanta since 1977, Elise speaks 5 languages fluently and sings in at least a dozen more. The Elise Witt Choral Series features choral arrangements of her original compositions and she recently published All Singing, a songbook with 58 original songs including music notation, lyrics and chords, stories and photos.
A founding member of Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit, Elise spent many years as a Resident Artist, visiting communities around the state of Georgia and the Southeast, teaching global music and writing local songs with students of all ages.
From 2009 until 2024 Elise served as Director of Music Programs at the Global Village Project, a non-profit, special purpose middle school for teenage refugee girls in Decatur Georgia, for which she published Imagine A Circle: The Global Village Songbook, Using Singing and Songwriting to teach English for Multi-lingual learners.
Elise currently gathers singers of all persuasions in joyous circles, and continues her global touring.
Sharing Info: Elise says: "I always love to share songs in oral (by ear) tradition and I'd love to hear from you how and with whom you share the song...
AND the song is also available as a choral arrangement (SATB, SSAA, TTBB) on my website https://elisewitt.com/web/ewcs-choral-music/"
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:49
Start time of reprise: 00:15:29
Links:
Website: www.EliseWitt.com
A glimpse of what I do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0YHTe_Q7bE&feature=youtu.be
All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook:
https://elisewitt.com/web/product-category/songbook/
“Jenny Jenkins” global community music/art video created for DAS Year 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmNNZIVZkw&t=2s
“Ready or Not” global community music/art video created for DAS Year 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsUsSobImw&t=11s
Imagine A Circle: The Global Village Project Songbook
https://elisewitt.com/web/gvp-songbook/
Elise's Bandcamp: https://www.BandCamp.com/EliseWitt
Choral arrangements by Elise: https://elisewitt.com/web/ewcs-choral-music/
Choral arrangements for Set Us Free in particular: https://elisewitt.com/web/product/set-us-free/
Spanish and English version of Set Us Free in concert: https://youtu.be/L5IjAhJZyOo?si=5WIleerpseLX_rxo
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, many verses
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Song: In This House
Music by: Karisha Longaker of MaMuse
Notes: Today we get “right in the river, totally listening, totally all in” with MaMuse, the duo of Sorah Nutting and Karisha Longaker, whose description of songcatching is what I just quoted. I came out of our conversation thinking about so many things -- how we see and appreciate those we love, kindness as our common wealth, danceable songs, being led by feeling and what's insanely fun, and especially house rules for how we be in the world... which comes from "In This House." I was singing harmony with them by the time we sang the song the second time, so you'll hear me making stuff up... partly because of the big, beautiful permission Karisha and Sorah give each other and us to celebrate creativity. I hope you feel that extra space and encouragement, too, after you sing with us!
Songwriter Info: MaMuse (“Ma” as in Mamma; “Muse” as in the one who inspires) was born out of a collaboration between songwriters Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting. 2008 was a year of great alchemy. Fires erupted in Northern California, a great wind of inspiration blew through, catalyzing a series of songs written from the soil and rivers, ash and heat of Chico where these two musicians met.
In the early days these troubadours toted instruments around town by bicycle and shared their songs at farmers markets, community gatherings, small cafes and festivals. Not too long after, these two voices became iconic to the Chico community, representing idyllic values of friendship, community, love for nature and care for Self and World. The love spread, sisterhood held strong through two decades of LIFE: children, relationships arriving and dissolving, making home in many new places.
MaMuse songs such as “We Shall Be Known” and “Hallelujah” have sprouted wings and are now sung at the bed sides of birthing mothers, round campfires, at weddings and funerals... All places where people are gathered to celebrate and to mourn. These are songs born of the Folk lineage; songs for all of us.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Karisha and Sorah always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:56
Start time of reprise: 01:03:15
Links:
Show info, bookings and newsletter signup: www.mamuse.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamusemusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaMuseMusic
Patreon: www.patreon.com/mamuse
Download and contribute to recorded music funds: mamuse.bandcamp.com
Song Village in Santa Cruz: https://www.songvillage.net/
Kirtan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtan
ReMuse: https://mamuse.bandcamp.com/album/remuse
Patrick/FunkPharm who produced ReMuse: https://www.instagram.com/funkpharm/
Tidal as a subscription platform: https://tidal.com/
Community Choir Leadership Training in Canada: https://www.communitychoirleadership.com/
Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion duet competition October 2012: https://www.prairiehome.org/shows/47951.html
Arnaé Batson: https://www.eomega.org/people/arnae-batson
Scott Elliot Ferreter (guitar and bass): https://www.scottelliottferreter.com/
Trying Time album: https://open.spotify.com/album/3BSIiZwg5MdqY6OuVLRMdR
Nathan Dittle (keyboard/piano): https://www.instagram.com/redbeardthecat/
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder: https://open.spotify.com/album/6YUCc2RiXcEKS9ibuZxjt0
Blue by Joni Mitchell: https://open.spotify.com/album/1vz94WpXDVYIEGja8cjFNa
Aimée Ringle – Human and Tender: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com/album/human-and-tender
A Breath of Song conversation with Aimée Ringle: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/160-o-spirit-guide-me-to-those-i-need-with-guest-aimee-ringle#/
Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/
A Breath of Song conversation with Melanie DeMore: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/175-one-footlead-with-love-with-guest-melanie-demore#/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized, call and echo
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Song: We Shall Be Known
Music by: Karisha Longaker of MaMuse
Notes: I could not be more delighted than to bring you this beloved song in a real-life song-sharing situation. My Flow Singing folk were singing "We Shall Be Known" for the third week -- so we simply recorded! You'll sing with them as they review the main melody, learn the upper harmony for the first time -- and then I inserted a quick teach of the low harmony -- and then we get to sing "in the room" with the Flow Singers, who were leaning into the song in such a beautiful way. I feel so lucky with the company I get to keep... and next week, I find myself in a Zoom room with Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting themselves, talking about the "insanely fun, incredibly connected" first years, and what it means in practical terms to "believe in kindness as our common wealth."
Songwriter Info: MaMuse (“Ma” as in Mamma; “Muse” as in the one who inspires) was born out of a collaboration between songwriters Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting. 2008 was a year of great alchemy. Fires erupted in Northern California, a great wind of inspiration blew through, catalyzing a series of songs written from the soil and rivers, ash and heat of Chico where these two musicians met.
In the early days these troubadours toted instruments around town by bicycle and shared their songs at farmers markets, community gatherings, small cafes and festivals. Not too long after, these two voices became iconic to the Chico community, representing idyllic values of friendship, community, love for nature and care for Self and World. The love spread, sisterhood held strong through two decades of LIFE: children, relationships arriving and dissolving, making home in many new places.
MaMuse songs such as “We Shall Be Known” and “Hallelujah” have sprouted wings and are now sung at the bed sides of birthing mothers, round campfires, at weddings and funerals... All places where people are gathered to celebrate and to mourn. These are songs born of the Folk lineage; songs for all of us.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Karisha and Sorah always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Melody: 00:04:20
High harmony: 00:07:16
Low harmony: 00:11:34
Whole song: 00:15:05
Links:
Show info, bookings and newsletter signup: www.mamuse.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamusemusic
Patreon: www.patreon.com/mamuse
Download and contribute to recorded music funds: mamuse.bandcamp.com
Lisa Littlebird's page for We Shall Be Known: thebirdsings.com/we-shall-be-known/
Burlington, VT Flow Singers: www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 3-part harmony
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Song: Estrellitas
Music by: Ana Lucia Divins
Notes: Singing this song of grief and the lifting of grief connected deeply with my heart this week. No matter what grief is in my heart at the moment, the wordless "O", followed by the shaping of Spanish words for sorrow, doubt, and fear as well as let go and little stars -- letting all the grief light the fire and then the sparks carry it away -- oh, it felt good to sing this. Soft and strong, velvet and spark, ache and motion. I'm grateful Ana Lucia gifted us this song to sing, and excited that once you've learned the core of the song with me, you get to sing all of it with her if you follow the Bandcamp link!
Songwriter Info: Music has been a lifelong companion for Ana Lucia Divins, who has witnessed its healing power and the strength of community connections. This journey led her to explore sound and therapeutic music studies. She is a Certified Music Practitioner by MHTP and a Holistic Voice Therapist with the British Academy of Sound Therapy. Since 2022, she has integrated healing music into her offerings, singing by patients’ bedsides and sharing therapeutic music in the community for restoration and relaxation. In 2023, she received the Arts and Science Council Creative Renewal Fellowship and in 2024, the Arts and Science Council Artist Support Grant, enabling her to delve deeper into music’s healing potential and produce new works. Ana Lucia’s exploration of her voice has taken her to national and international workshops and retreats in Greece, Spain, the UK, and Colombia.
In the summer of 2024, Ana Lucia and Carlos Crespo, an Ecuadorian guitarist, released their debut healing music album, “Emerging,” in collaboration with other talented musicians. Available on all digital platforms, "Emerging" offers a deeply relaxing and uplifting sound bath of original new-age world music. It is a sonic journey mirroring life’s ebb and flow, from dawn’s gentle awakening to night’s tranquil embrace, remembering the cycles of healing, new beginnings, and transformation.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Ana Lucia always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:39
Start time of reprise: 00:13:14
Links:
Ana Lucia's website: https://www.adivins.com
Divins Music Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divinsmusic/
Azul Healing website: https://www.azulhealing.com
Azul Healing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azulhealing/
Emerging album on Bandcamp: https://divins.bandcamp.com/album/emerging
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, unison
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The Sunday after this episode is released, October 12th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Drifting Dark
by Patricia Norton
Drifting dark, cold and spark,
floating dream, holiday scene.
I know this world keeps on turning,
spinning songs of hearts in yearning.
Dark. Spark.
Dream. Scene.
World. Turning.
Spinning candescent, spinning candescent,
spinning hearts in yearning.
- The Turtle Remembers
by Becky Reardon
The Turtle remembers
a dream in December,
alone with God.
Alone with songs of the whales,
returning, returning.
- Hearth
by Yuri Woodstock
Fire at the center in my heart
Rise of the night spark fly away
Smoke twines together in the sky
Oh how the dark times light my way
Fire in my heart
Praise be to the dark
Dreaming in an endless night
Living in an endless dream
- Alchemy
by Te Martin
Everything is helping you
grow and thrive;
know what you need to know.
It is not too late,
it is not too late to follow
(3x)
your dreams.
Dream!
- Let Me Be The Love
by Karly Loveling
Doing my best to be the Love
my deepest heart is dreaming of.
With every breath I take,
Let me be the Love
Letting my cup overflow
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Song: Breathe Easy
Music by: Karly Loveling
Notes: When I heard this song of Karly's, I couldn't wait to tease apart the harmonies -- and I find I sing it to myself at odd moments -- its kind, gentle advice lets me release into my own wisdom. What's funny is I came to record it in a bit of a rush, after a rather stressful day and knowing I'd be travelling in the morning, so I really had to get it done... and the breath of song did its thing. As I taught it, my heart eased, my breath deepened, I reconnected to my own wholeness -- and by the end of the episode, I was loathe to stop! I'll be curious to know if your body responds the same way?
Songwriter Info: Karly Loveling is a seasoned songleader, songwriter, and permissionary of heartfelt expression. For over two decades, she has been guiding voices and hearts through community singing, classes, and workshops in Eugene, Oregon and beyond.
Karly’s journey in Oregon began with a formative chapter at Lost Valley Educational Center, where she immersed herself in personal growth workshops and forged lasting connections. With a background in dance and a degree in the field, she co-founded Coalessence Dance, an ecstatic dance community that continues to thrive, with Becca Perry in 2006.
Karly’s love for community singing deepened through her many years at Singing Alive, where she led song circles and found inspiration among fellow songleaders from the gathering’s inception through 2023. In 2013, she founded the Hummingbirds Girls Choir, whose joyful harmonies became a beloved feature at the Eugene Saturday Market, Holiday Market, and the Oregon Country Fair.
In 2015, Karly launched Singing Heart, a community singing group, which inspired her to complete the Community Choir Leadership Training in British Columbia the following year. Singing Heart is proud to be part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, affirming the principle that everyone can sing and that singing builds connection.
Karly’s often playful, layered, and meaningful original songs are sung by songleaders from Appalachia to Ireland. She currently offers in-person and online classes, leads retreats, and shares her work at community singing gatherings across the country.
Sharing Info: This song is free to sing, but Karly always welcomes and appreciates financial and networking support.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:34
Start time of reprise: 00:14:16
Links:
Karly's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/KarlyLoveling
Karly's Bandcamp: https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/music
Singing Heart Harmonies: https://singingheartharmonies.com/
Karly's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlyloveling
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, melody & 2 harmonies
Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share
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Song: Set It Right Again
Music by: Ana Hernández
Notes: Ana Hernández has been in the music business for quite a while, finding ways to follow the sounds she loves, to express her activist wishes, to ease her anxiety, to remember wise words... and she writes powerful, moving community songs to do all these things! Her book, the Sacred Art of Chant, was a game changer for me when I discovered it in 2019 for the way it named how singing with repetition changed my body. It was a huge honor to be in conversation with her, and then play with harmonies as we sang together (no, I didn't get ALL of them "right"! 😊 But I was having a great time!!!) "Set It Right Again" is a song to take into protests, and Ana advises listening to the speeches to adjust the lyrics to fit... newsletter subscribers will see the flowers and the little black book that get described.
Songwriter Info: Ana Hernández is a composer, recording artist, retreat leader, and activist song leader creating and collecting tunes to build living and just communities through skillful action. A theomusicologist with NYS Poor People’s Campaign, Ana is also the author of The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice (Skylight Paths/Turner Publishing).
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in public resistance actions and oral tradition groups. Please contact Ana for recording, streaming, or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:34 and 00:06:39
Start time of reprise: 01:11:55
Links:
Ana's website: https://anahernandez.org
Ana's Patreon: www.patreon.com/anahernandez
Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/in/artist/ana-hernandez/214582777
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NGPpe3jeQqHFeFArIqYEH
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/anahermusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-p9kisJu1ISLW7w6Wy2lVA
Poor People’s Campaign: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/committee/new-york/
Sojourner Truth: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth
Gandhi’s mantra Om Sri Rama: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramanama
Aham Prema: you are divine love: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/9462/aham-prema
Raimon Panikkar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raimon_Panikkar
Malka Heifitz Tussman: https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/quotes/quotations/view/33350/spiritual-quotation
Marcia Falk The Book of Blessings: https://www.marciafalk.com/blessings.html
Hold My Hope: https://www.musicthatmakescommunity.org/teach_me_to_be_love
Open My Heart: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vlnE5GMkSsA
Louis Armstrong: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/biography/
Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain: https://www.milesdavis.com/albums/sketches-of-spain/
Cantus Firmus in Monteverdi Magnificat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RajAq0Yd-s4
St. Columba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columba
Ranunculus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus
Alice Parker: “My belief is that a page of music conveys about five percent of the information needed to perform it.” https://giamusic.com/resource/the-anatomy-of-melody-book-g6765
Augsburg Fortress Publishers: https://www.augsburgfortresspublishers.org/
Banquet of Love album: https://anahernandez.org/album/banquet-of-love/
Mame: Ethel Merman play: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mame_(musical)
Sending You Light album: https://anahernandez.org/album/sending-you-light/
Melanie DeMore: https://www.abreathofsong.com/apps/search?q=melanie+demore
Caravan of Empathy: https://ruralmigrantministry.org/save-new-yorks-rural-economy-a-journey-of-empathy-caravan/
Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Tenderland Suite: https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring/
https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/the-tender-land/
Amina Alaoui from Morocco – Alcantara: https://open.spotify.com/album/1EDReLi3Q3luXIHcUgR0k7
Correction about the Kuan Yin Mantra: Namo Kuan Shi Yin Pusa - We said it was a Hindu mantra and it is actually a Chinese mantra.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, blues minor, call and response
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Song: May the Way Open Before You
Music by: Ana Hernández
Guest singers: Sadie Jones, AJ Banach, Cameron Brownell, Rebecca Csuy
Notes: Recording this was a complete treat, because I had four friends in the studio with me -- Rebecca Csuy, Cameron Brownell, AJ Banach, and Sadie Jones learned the song and loved it. AJ catches me when I make a note mistake in the harmony, which is fabulous -- friends who have your back! Next week, I have the privilege of talking with Ana and learning about her extensive background and why community singing matters to her... for now, please enjoy this, which she calls "a simple blessing," and her wish for everyone in the world.
Songwriter Info: Ana Hernández is a composer, recording artist, retreat leader, and activist song leader creating and collecting tunes to build living and just communities through skillful action. A theomusicologist with NYS Poor People’s Campaign, Ana is also the author of The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice (Skylight Paths/Turner Publishing).
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in public resistance actions and oral tradition groups. Please contact Ana for recording, streaming, or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:29
Start time of reprise: 00:13:05
Links:
Ana's website: https://anahernandez.org
Ana's Patreon: www.patreon.com/anahernandez
Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/in/artist/ana-hernandez/214582777
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NGPpe3jeQqHFeFArIqYEH
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/anahermusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-p9kisJu1ISLW7w6Wy2lVA
Also look for HARC (with Ruth Cunningham): https://anahernandez.org/album/inside-chants/
The Miserable Offenders: https://anahernandez.org/album/keepin-the-baby-awake-music-for-advent-and-christmas/
Eternal Spirit (w/ Sr. Helena Marie, CHS): https://anahernandez.org/album/eternal-spirit/
Banquet of Love (w/ Ike Sturm and so many friends!): https://anahernandez.org/album/banquet-of-love/
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, major, 2-part harmony
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Song: Towo Kalona
Music by: Alix Thorpe
Notes: I did something a little different in the way I shared this -- I took time with the proto-Celtic, so you could be comfortable singing in a Bronze-Era language... and then there's the usual looped section, with a harmony above and below -- but then at the reprise, I sing just the melody with piano, and then just the piano so you can sing the melody yourself, and allow me to accompany you. I find this song of Alix Thorpe's beautifully addictive, and there's something about singing in a bone language that feels like healing perspective to me. After you are snagged by the melody and parts on the podcast, buy it from her on Bandcamp, where you can hear the full English lyrics!
Songwriter Info: Alix is a mother, a birth doula and a shiatsu practitioner who lives in Devon in England. She found her voice and began writing songs only a few years ago. Song for Alix is a way of prayer and an expression of soul. She has written several songs in proto-Celtic; a kind of "spirit language" and ancestral mother tongue made of the earliest traceable fragments of the Celtic languages, dating back around 4000 years. Dreaming with proto-Celtic has been a powerful vehicle for kindling connection with her ancestral roots. Alix's songs are particularly inspired by whales, the spirit of the rose, Buddhism and honouring sacred rites of passage.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Alix always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:01
First full singing: 00:10:40
Start time of reprise: 00:20:16
Just piano: 00:21:20
Links:
Alix's Bandcamp: https://alixthorpe.bandcamp.com/track/towo-kalona
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, melody with 2 harmonies
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The Sunday after this episode is released, August 31st, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- The Crow Calls
by Maggie Wheeler
- The crow calls,
the sun falls;
they know the rhythm,
the rhythm of it all.
(2x)
- We are the only ones
who have forgotten
how to listen,
we’re the only ones
who have forgotten
how to listen.
We are the only ones
who have forgotten
how to listen,
the earth
is calling us to
open up our ears.
- Put your hands in the dirt,
let’s heal the hurt.
The earth is waiting
for us to do the work,
do the work!
(2x)
- When the Water Is Glass Calm
by Paul Barton
- When the water is glass calm,
the stillness cradles life.
- The sun rises slowly,
pealing through the trees,
bringing colour to the sky.
- Listen, listen,
to the small sounds
of this new day.
- Hildegard's Song
by Barbara McAfee
based on words of Hildegard of Bingen
There is music
in, in all things;
but we can't hear it
until we sing.
- Listen In
by Jennie Pearl
Listen in
Here I am
this is my center
What is mine, What is mine?
We're learning how to reach for each other
may we reach
may we teach
Through the blurred lines,
The pain and confusion,
may we reach
may we teach
- Just As You Are
by Lea Morris
Just as you are, without changing a thing.
Just as you are, I accept you.
I see you, I hear you, I
welcome you in; just as you are.
Just as you are.
- Another World
Patricia Norton
text from My Seditious Heart, p.204
by Arundhati Roy
Another world
is not only possible,
she is on her way.
On a quiet day,
I can hear her breathing.
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Song: I Walk in Beauty
Words by: traditional Navajo (Diné) blessing
Music by: John Harrison
Notes: John Harrison turned to the teachings of the Diné people, the Navajo, to help him find the awareness of the beauty that exists in our world alongside everything else. As we live in a complex time, beset with multiple crises, wisdom teachings that have survived complex, critical times are a resource. This episode was a challenge for me, as I ended up leaving it in the range that John gave it to me -- one best suited for tenors and sopranos, and requiring a little more opening and exploration for lower voices! I share a technique that helped me find my way, but you are also welcome to just drop it down into the lower part of your voice -- find a way that feels good to sing!
Songwriter Info: John Harrison is a composer, choral director, singer, and voice teacher who has been performing professionally since he was a lad. He sings and teaches in a variety of styles that reflect his eclectic performing background in church music, rock bands, jazz combos, gospel choirs, musical comedy, and a few things that defy description. Currently he directs Rock City!, Vermont’s rock and soul chorus, in Barre VT; Reelin’ & Rockin’, a rock and roll choir for seniors in Montpelier VT; and is the emeritus director of the Montpelier Community Gospel Choir in Montpelier VT. He has taught teenagers and adults in workshops, camps and holidays through Village Harmony, Turtle Dove Harmony, Songways (UK), as well as on his own. He was a K-12 Vermont music educator for 10 years. His compositions have been performed and recorded by many community choirs in the US and the UK. John lives with his wife Scottie in Plainfield, VT.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact John for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:55
Start time of reprise: 00:18:21
Links:
John's website: www.johnmarkharrison.com
More about Navajo (Diné) teaching of The Beauty Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tZHIER3Jb4
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, minor, round or 3-layer
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Song: Don't Give Up
Music by: Becky Reardon
Notes: Thinking about tough times, Becky Reardon says, "The worst thing we can do is go silent." Here's a song to help with that -- a song about both grit and kindness; how a little flex can be the strongest response. She says, “Of all times when we need to get together and sing… this is the time to keep it going.” We talk about her love of the high desert, trees, community... how church and family singing embedded love of harmonies. How Naomi Shihab Nye reminded her, "When times are hard, do something satisfying." Plus a sticky cocklebur song! It's a good conversation to help return you to yourself, your power to bring more decency and compassion into the world.
Songwriter Info: Becky Reardon's voice is familiar to the millions of people who hear her sing on the Charlie Brown/Peanuts TV specials. She is a composer whose songs and rounds are widely sung by community and university choirs, song circles, and singing classes. Sometimes jazzy and fun-loving, sometimes trance-inducing and deeply spiritual, her music always conveys her passion for the natural world and the cycles of life.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:42
The Moon instructional song: 00:42:11
The Sticky Cocklebur: 00:43:19
Start time of reprise: 00:56:19
Links:
Becky's website: www.beckyreardonmusic.com
Alone from “Someday You’ll Find Her, Charlie Brown”: https://youtu.be/5VpmohI_ZZQ?feature=shared
Farther Along from “Why, Charlie Brown, Why”: https://youtu.be/6SY1MNEXHvY?feature=shared
Video of workshop improv singing: https://youtube.com/shorts/i2Z2Ltqy6dA
Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/
The Lama Foundation: https://www.lamafoundation.org/
Winter Solstice Song (Deep down in the belly of the night): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbV-DaVxzE8
Becky Graber: https://beckygraber.com/ – and her conversation episode on ABS: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/165-heaven-above-earth-below-with-guest-becky-graber#/
Sue Coffee: https://www.resonancechorus.org/artistic-director.html
Elise Witt https://elisewitt.com/web/about-elise-witt/
Retreat with Elise and Becky on Ossabaw Island:: https://elisewitt.com/web/calendar/ossabaw-island-retreat-2026/
The Moon instructional song: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/product/where-is-the-moon/
The Sticky Cocklebur: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/product/the-sticky-cocklebur/
Becky’s Bandcamp page - to come!
Ella Fitzgerald: https://www.ellafitzgerald.com/
René Marie: https://renemarie.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, mixolydian, round
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Song: The Turtle Remembers
Music by: Becky Reardon
Notes: Becky Reardon's songwriting drew me toward community singing when I was still in a choral paradigm -- and this round is a stunning example of combining a haunting melody with words that help me remember the ancient self that moves within. Happily, I didn't sing it alone for this episode -- I'm joined by friends and neighbors, Karen Chickering, Molly Moerdyk, and you may recognize Rebecca Csuy from earlier episodes?! We take our time with the round, leaving space for you to sing a line alone for a bit if you'd like -- or sing with any of us! Next week, in our conversation, Becky talks to me about singing with others and the communities that's built -- and we get a little peek into cartoonist Charles Schultz's life, too -- because people are connected in all kinds of wild ways! (A wee blooper at the end -- what happens when you start a round and no one else comes in?)
Songwriter Info: Becky Reardon's voice is familiar to the millions of people who hear her sing on the Charlie Brown/Peanuts TV specials. She is a composer whose songs and rounds are widely sung by community and university choirs, song circles, and singing classes. Sometimes jazzy and fun-loving, sometimes trance-inducing and deeply spiritual, her music always conveys her passion for the natural world and the cycles of life.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:14
Start time of reprise: 00:15:09
Links:
Becky's website: www.beckyreardonmusic.com
Abbey Lincoln's song Down Here Below: https://youtu.be/S4jvYELMUZc?feature=shared
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, harmonic minor, round
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Song: Loosen
Music by: Aly Halpert
Notes: Written in 2017, this song by Aly Halpert catapulted its way around songleader circles, shared friend to friend, sung in cars and buses, after dinners, on walks, between dances, around fires, beside rivers and on beaches. I learned it in 2019, and it has accompanied me since through the pandemic, an intense year of many deep losses, over to Europe twice, in groups, with single friends, and alone. Some songs are like sunscreen in summer, a warm coat for winter. You may already know this one; please enjoy singing it with me. It may be new to you -- may it spread wider, carrying its healing, kind reminder to loosen.
Songwriter Info: Aly Halpert (she/her) is a queer Jewish musician, educator, and activist living on Lenni Lenape land in Philadelphia, PA, USA. A singer, pianist, drummer, and guitar player, Aly writes songs for building community and visioning different worlds. Aly leads music and prayer for Jewish community, including Let My People Sing, Kol Tzedek Synagogue, Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, and Hadar's Rising Song Institute. Her songs have been sung in national gatherings, song circles, and quiet moments of personal prayer, and have moved people all over the world. Her first full-band album Loosen was released in April 2022 with Rising Song Records. Aly believes deeply in the power of music to awaken us to the loss and hope we carry, expand our sense of possibility, and connect us to each other and our collective strength.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups. Aly welcomes financial and/or networking support, she would like to be contacted re: recording/performing permissions, and she appreciates donations when used by organizations with means.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:12
Start time of reprise: 00:16:10
Links:
Aly's website: https://www.alyhalpert.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/alyhalpertmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alhalpal
Loosen with Aly on Bandcamp (great opportunity to support her directly!): https://alyhalpert.bandcamp.com/album/loosen
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, minor, 2 layers, optional harmony, optional round
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The Sunday after this episode is released, July 20th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- The Feast
By Heidi Wilson
(sung by Heidi Wilson)
Holy
Fire in the sun
Water in the river, and
Wind within my lungs
Oh holy
Earth beneath my feet
All of us are offerings
and also at the feast
- Gandalf's Blessing
Words: J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)
Music: Joshua Blaine
May the wind, may the wind,
may the wind under your wings
Bear you where, bear you where
the sun sails and the moon walks.
Not all who wander are lost.
- September Moon
By Chandler Yorkhall
(sung by Patricia & Rebecca Csuy)
Full Moon outside my window
this warm September night
Pulls me into wakefulness
far too early.
I’d rather be sleeping
the day is already too long for me
I’ll just wait for dawn.
- Wish For We
By Judi Vinar
Every little wish
that I wish for me,
is a wish
for we.
Sunshine,
then some rain.
Sunshine,
and then some rain.
Moonlight and starlight (3x)
- Let Me Sing
By Jane Lewis
Let me sing as the sun rises
Let me sing as the day falls
Let me offer this prayer to the moonlight
Let me stand in the beauty of it all
(Let me sing to the beauty)
- Farewell
By Patricia Norton
May you know
the love that surrounds you
is as warm
as summer sun on sand;
and until
the time that we meet again,
may love hold you
in the palm of her hand.
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Song: I Am Blessed
Music by: Desirée Dawson
Notes: Ok, so there's a bit of mess in this episode -- the reprise happens twice, because I couldn't get my Loopy app to turn off when I wanted it to -- but we just get to sing it again, so it turns into a good thing! Desirée's song really helps me remember how blessed I am, with my mess, my stress -- the way it all opens my heart, like a treasure chest. Great body percussion part for all you rhythm-hungry folk, plus oohs for the Supremes fans. I take some time picking it apart so you can find some of the intricacies...
Songwriter Info: As a recording artist, songwriter, producer, facilitator, and yoga teacher, Desirée is driven by a passion for collective liberation. She is a two time SXSW music video winner and was nominated for a Juno Award for best adult contemporary album of the year in 2022. She has had multiple viral moments on TikTok and Instagram with her most popular video being for her song I Am Blessed. With her powerful voice as her main instrument, Desirée often accompanies it with her baritone ukulele, body percussion and other musicians. She has a passion for harmonizing and singing with others. She blends folk, soul, pop, Americana, and old-time country influences into her creations, though she often labels her music as 'singer-songwriter' for simplicity.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Desirée for recording and/or performing permission. Desirée says, "Donations are encouraged and welcome but I do not want money to be a barrier for people to share and learn the song."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:31
Start time of reprise: 00:21:53
Links:
Desirée's website: www.desireedawsonmusic.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/desireedawsonmusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desireedawsonofficial
Desirée singing I Am Blessed on Bandcamp: https://desiree-dawson.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-blessed-loop
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, melody, harmony, body percussion
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Song: Get Up
Music by: Barbara McAfee
Additional vocals by: Lia Falls
Notes: Barbara McAfee describes herself as "A nice Minnesota girl -- I like things that work!" -- and in her framework of the Full Voice, she has shaped the teachings of skilled choir leaders and the Roy Hart vocal work, as well as her own discovery of her voice into just that -- a framework that works! She says, “I’ve never believed more in the need for people to find their own voice…” and observes the deep courage of people coming to community sings for the first time after vocal wounding. The work of Angeles Arrien inspired Barbara in her own journey, and this song pulls in the grittiness and determination needed to keep waking up. Barbara adds a surprise bonus song in the middle of the episode -- "May It Go Easy As You Go" -- as we talk about singing as a way of saying what's hard to say. So much more in this conversation -- "twisting on a meathook", scheduling "workity-work" things, doing laundry before listening to the muse -- enjoy Barbara's Full Voice, and let it help you find yours!
Songwriter Info: Barbara lives on the wild and scenic St Croix River about an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul. She is a master voice coach, songwriter, song leader, hospice choir director, long distance swimmer, poet, and author of Full Voice. She feels so lucky to be alive on planet Earth.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Barbara for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:43
Start time of bonus song: 00:47:50
Start time of reprise: 01:03:55
Links:
Barbara's website: www.barbaramcafee.com
Barbara's community singing page: https://www.barbaramcafee.com/community-singing.html
Barbara's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barbaramcafee
Barbara's first TEDx talk about Full Voice: https://youtu.be/Ze763kgrWGg?si=hueWlQGYCqtDrarr
Song: "May You Go Easy" https://soundcloud.com/barbara-mcafee/may-you-go-easy-for-tom
Lia Falls: https://soundcloud.com/user-860092984
Diana Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Ross
Full Voice: https://books.google.com/books?id=pETKks1jdKUC
Saule Ryan/Roy Hart Centre: https://roy-hart-theatre.com/teachers/saule-ryan/
Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/
Daniel Nelson: https://www.facebook.com/singingfortheearth/
Jenna Lindbo: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jenna-lindbo/395790602
The story of Inanna: https://tamedwild.com/a/blog/storytime-inanna-descent-into-the-underworld
Te Martin: https://soundcloud.com/temartinmusic
Lyndsey Scott: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth/
Sarina Partridge: https://sarinapartridge.com/
Heidi Wilson: https://heidiannwilson.com/
Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/
Joni Mitchell’s Blue album: https://open.spotify.com/album/1vz94WpXDVYIEGja8cjFNa
Jon Batiste: https://www.jonbatiste.com/
Jacob Collier: https://www.jacobcollier.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, minor, 4.5 layers
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Song: Hildegard's Song
Music by: Barbara McAfee
Notes: Sometimes a great groove and simple harmonies is exactly what you need to explore over -- and this song is a beautiful way to listen to your own singing voice playing. Barbara McAfee joins us next week to talk about her journey toward becoming a voice mentor to many folk, developing the Full Voice program, and what that means to her. We were both reeling a bit in the wake of the apparently politically motivated shootings in Minnesota, close to Barbara, shortly before we recorded. Reflecting on the effect of listening to our own voices helped us both stabilize and ground.
Songwriter Info: Barbara lives on the wild and scenic St Croix River about an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul. She is a master voice coach, songwriter, song leader, hospice choir director, long distance swimmer, poet, and author of Full Voice. She feels so lucky to be alive on planet Earth.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Barbara for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:58
Start time of reprise: 00:10:14
Links:
Barbara's website: www.barbaramcafee.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, mixolydian, 3-layer
Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share
Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
The Sunday after this episode is released, June 15th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- In the Spring
By Yuri Woodstock
In the spring, among the flowers
Bird song rings in the morning hours
Sun is up and the day is bright
What a time to unleash your light!
- Blessings Whenever You Breathe
By Melanie DeMore
Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings all around
Bless your heart
Your tender, tender heart
Bless your heart
Blessings whenever you breathe
- My Thoughts Make A Difference
By Chandler Yorkhall
My thoughts make a difference
My feelings make a difference
My words make a difference
My healing makes a difference
I will not shy away from the struggle in my soul
I will waste no time, for this day is growing old
What can I do for this broken world?
- Great-Full
By Ishka Shir
I am here on this planet, living my life,
doing what I do, feeling grateful.
I am here, this is life, I'm grateful. (2x)
- I Let Go
By Te Martin
I let go
I lay down
I release
Return again
- Lullaby My Sweetness
By Patricia Norton
Lullaby my sweetness, rock me forever;
cradle me deep in an ocean of blue.
Lullaby my sweetness, hold me so gentle;
this is the song that I sing for you.
White birds winging above me,
calling wild and calling free.
White thoughts, wheeling away now;
loose and alight and afloat on the sea.
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Song: Freedom Over Fear
Music by: Tembre de Carteret
Notes: Which freedoms do we get to choose? What are the places or times in your life when certain freedoms were not available? Have you ever lost freedoms because of violence or threat? Sometimes it's hard to release fears that may have helped protect us in the past -- and sometimes the feeling of letting go of fear is like standing on an ocean cliff, proclaiming again and again, "I choose freedom over fear!"
Songwriter Info: Tembre de Carteret lives in County Clare, Ireland, and has led a beautiful online singing circle called "We May Sing" since 2020. You can learn more about her and the way in which she facilitates, mentors, and builds song communities at her website, www.tembresong.com
Sharing Info: Tembre says: "This song is free to share with your circle of loved ones and singing group. I just ask you credit me and I whole heartedly welcome any recording/video you do of the song with your group, please send to me."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
Start time of reprise: 00:16:35
Links:
Tembre's website: http://www.tembresong.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tembre.decarteret
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tembredecarteret/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5NOOeWM2w3Og68acT2zPei
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhgwiqOGcvICIjSsJq6iJg
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer
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Song: Another World
Music by: Patricia Norton
Lyrics by: Arundhati Roy
Notes: Hearing these words in 2020 for the first time felt like a gift of possibility. I love the deeper listening they invite. It took five years before they found a melody in my head -- and the reminder of the quote in its entirety, which is, "Another world is not only possible, she's on her way. Maybe many of us won't be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing." Listening. That's the invitation of this melody, which stacks up into an complicated chord when sung as a round.
Songwriter Info: You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html
Or the whole team that puts this podcast out here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/about.html
Sharing Info: Please share freely, and consider contributing to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar in reciprocity -- or write a review, leave a comment!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:25
Start time of reprise: 00:14:00
Links:
Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html
All of what I'm up to: https://www.juneberrymusic.com
Kindred Voices Retreat: https://kindredvoicesretreat.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round
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Song: In the Spring
Music by: Yuri Woodstock
Notes: Yuri Woodstock describes himself as the "bossy pirate in the middle of the room" when songleading, and tells a supernatural story of his phone bringing him song advice. He also describes why he thinks his song gatherings have grown so large, why he's now living in a "housey-house" (and what he did before), how literally letting his hair down helped him "tease out the subtle mystery" of what makes him feel most like himself. Fortunately for us, that includes songleading and writing this joyous spring round. You'll learn it with me (and hopefully not mess it up with me when I go a bit wonkers at one point!) We talk about the importance of noticing when you're okay, not giving "the stank-eye" to people who miss notes, and how his brother, Jonah, helps kickstart his songs.
Songwriter Info: Yuri Woodstock is a community song leader based in Asheville, NC, who has run the now 180-member Hark! Community Choir for the past seven years. It is a non-performing, non-auditioned group that sings for joy and connection. He specializes in quick teaches of layer songs and SATB bangers that are easy to learn and fun to sing. Often Hark! feels like a singing dance party.
Sharing Info: Fully free, no donation requested
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:44
Start time of reprise: 01:02:21
Links:
Yuri's website: https://www.weringlikebells.com/
Yuri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weringlikebells/
Village Fire: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/
Jonah Woodstock: https://www.woodstockbookstock.com/
Community Choir Leadership Training – CCLT: https://www.communitychoirleadership.com/
Tebe Poem: https://www.omniglot.com/songs/bcc/tebepoem.htm
The Wild Ashville Community chorus with Susannah Park: https://www.wildashevillecommunitychorus.com/about-1
Laurence Cole: Let Things Ripen and Then Fall: https://www.laurencecole.com/album/let-things-ripen/
Shireen Amini: The Sun Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLa23Lfe5w
Bex Lipps: Take Your Medicine: https://music.apple.com/au/album/take-your-medicine-single/1729594936
Karly Loveling: I’ve Got a Fire: https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/track/ive-got-a-fire-2
Alexa Sunshine Rose: Pool of Love: https://alexasunshinerose.bandcamp.com/track/pool-of-love
Kira Seto: https://www.instagram.com/kira.is.singing/
Heather Houston: https://www.instagram.com/heatherhoustonmusic/
“We contain multitudes.” - Walt Whitman: https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-51
“Shrinking”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/
Laurence Cole: “Notice where you are” from "Attention is the Healer": https://www.laurencecole.com/album/attention-is-the-healer/
The Strokes: "Is This It": https://music.apple.com/us/album/is-this-it/266376953
Double syrinx birds – veery or hermit thrush: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds
The Bowerbirds: “Tuck the Darkness In”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeFTPj8zljQ
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round
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Song: Hearth
Music by: Yuri Woodstock
Notes: Yuri Woodstock knows how to start and tend fires -- and this song sings the magic of smoke and spark. He's managed to make it feel dark and joyous, with a sinuous, smoky sound to remember the mystery, the dream of being alive. Next week is a conversation where Yuri brings his high energy take on community singing and how he found his way into the world through a combination of friends and mentors and skills so deeply embedded it's hard to remember how he got them. By the end I was wishing I could visit his song groups -- I may have to plan a road trip!
Songwriter Info: Yuri Woodstock is a community song leader based in Asheville, NC, who has run the now 180-member Hark! Community Choir for the past seven years. It is a non-performing, non-auditioned group that sings for joy and connection. He specializes in quick teaches of layer songs and SATB bangers that are easy to learn and fun to sing. Often Hark! feels like a singing dance party.
Sharing Info: Free to share!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:53
Start time of reprise: 00:13:08
Links:
Yuri's website: https://www.weringlikebells.com/
Yuri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weringlikebells/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layer, one layer harmonized
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The Sunday after this episode is released, May 4th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Breathe
Words & Music by Batya Levine
Breathe, breathe, breathe in
Breathe, breathe out
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go
Trust in what's coming
Trust in your knowing
It's deeper and wider and holy
- Pearl in the Dark
Words & Music by Sarina Partridge
Part 1:
I'm gonna dive deep, a little deeper
Into the grit and the mud and the muck
that I don't wanna see
'Cause I think there's a seed,
there's a teacher
There's a pearl in the dark shining!
Part 2:
I will lean into this darkness, this darkness
A seed is shining,
there's a pearl in the dark shining!
Part 3:
Ooooh, shining like a pearl
Ooooh, new leaves unfurl
Ooooh, a new way is possible -
there's a pearl in the dark shining!
- Ocean Wide
Words & Music by Eli Marienthal
Open the ocean wide in us,
open the ocean wide.
Take all the pain inside of us,
take all the pain inside.
Open the ocean wide in us, oh,
open the ocean wide.
Take all the pain inside of us,
take all the pain inside.
- Meditation
Words & Music by Neal Jolly
The beat of the heart in the chest,
The pulsing of blood in the hands,
The in and the out of the breath,
The here, the now, the you.
- Song Deep in Your Bones
Words & Music by Elise Witt
When you're feeling dry, there's water in the well. (4x)
No rain from the sky, just a tear in your eye,
all alone, far from home, you roam.
Feeling tired, uninspired, like you're drifting away
from your heart and the part you play.
- Breathe Deep
Words & Music by Sara Stutz
All you need is a quiet moment.
All you need is a quiet moment.
All you need is a quiet moment,
go inside. Go inside.
Breathe deep, breathe deep.
Breathe deep, everything's alright.
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Song: Where Am I Going To?
Music by: Patricia Norton
Notes: I heard adrienne maree brown describe humans as "bags of water" -- humans on average are around 60% water.... like a delta, or the land around a pond or river with its banks, or a bathtub and its water pipes -- we are a way of shaping water -- we are, literally, a flow. This song was born in motion, the kind of walking where the rhythm of your steps and breath becomes the soundscape, and you can release everything else, dropping into the flow.
Songwriter Info: Patricia loves to walk fast from one spring wildflower to the next -- averages out to a stroll!
Sharing Info: Please share freely, and let people know about A Breath of Song when you do.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:19
Start time of reprise: 00:11:40
Links:
Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html
All of what I'm up to: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/
Kindred Voices Retreat: https://kindredvoicesretreat.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round or 3 layers
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Song: The Riddle Song
Music by: traditional
Notes: I find myself feeling like we live in a bit of a riddle right now -- how can this impossible thing be so, and what will resolve it? I literally learned this song at my mother's knee... it's one of the earliest I remember singing, and I was so delighted by the riddle form! As a young teen, it was one of the first songs I learned on guitar. I sang it to kids I babysat in college, where I learned about the Child Ballads and Cecil Sharp's collecting in southern Appalachia. I sang it with my children, with our granddaughter -- and now I get to sing it with you! There's a through-line for a song.... what songs have travelled with you your whole life?
Songwriter Info: Patricia was born in Boulder, CO, and is grateful to the burgeoning folk music scene that encouraged family music, which is how she learned this song.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:20
Start time of reprise: 00:12:08
Links:
An intriguing discussion board about trad music: https://mudcat.org/
An introduction to Child Ballads: https://folkways.si.edu/playlist/child-ballads
Text of Child Ballad #46 (which The Riddle Song is believed to have come from): https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch046.htm
The Cecil Sharp collection of The Riddle Song: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/9/2688
Doc Watson's recording: https://youtu.be/fRO6egtKipg?feature=shared
Carly Simon's recording: https://youtu.be/4O_Lu_khQDM?feature=shared
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, strophic (3 verses)
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Song: vocal improvisation
Improvised by: David Ruffin and Patricia Norton
Notes: It's a first for A Breath of Song! An episode of improvisation -- David Ruffin is our guest, talking about the multiple benefits of the practice of improvisation, his teachers, leading menfolk in song circles, the particular challenges of having a big, beautiful voice, how singing together might build soil in these times... and more! We hope you join us in exploring the voice, and that our questions raise questions for you, too...
Songwriter Info: David is a performing artist, community song leader and teacher with a passion for authentic expression. He loves creating space for voices to emerge fully and freely. He calls Central Vermont home, where he’s grateful to be able to share his holistic approach to voice in community through lessons, workshops, community singing and performance collaborations. David’s work is inspired by a diverse background including studies with Roy Hart Center voice teachers, deep dives in vocal improvisation, explorations in Voice Movement Therapy and over 20 plus years of performing arts, teaching and counseling/ministry experience. David believes singing helps us remember who we really are, what we're here to voice and, how we’re, thankfully, so very bound up together in this.
Time Stamps:
Start time of first improvisation: 00:04:40
Start time of second improvisation: 01:11:26
Links:
David's website: www.davidruffinvoice.com
David's Venmo: @David-Ruffin-Voice
Rhiannon: https://www.rhiannonmusic.com/
Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/
Wendy Tuck: And When I Rise: https://web.plumvillage.app/item/and-when-i-rise-2
Wendell Berry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry
“Shaker Tune” For All That Has Been is actually Let Go and Move by Velma Frye - https://youtu.be/-q9T3iiDOXA?si=EYMoNAdnR2XcK-uG
Heidi Wilson: The Feast: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/140-the-feast-with-guest-heidi-wilson
Evan Premo: http://www.evanpremo.com/
Boston Big Sing with Milly Roberts: https://www.bostonareasingingcircles.com/origins
“Beyond the Us and Them”: https://www.patreon.com/posts/build-soil-117107668
Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/
Singing Revolution in Estonia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_Revolution
Circlesinging in Burlington: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/special-events.html
Judi Vinar: https://www.judivinar.com/
Ethelyn Friend in the Roy Hart tradition: https://www.ethelynfriend.com/
Fauré’s Requiem – recording: John Rutter with the Cambridge Singers – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXpQCRhZw2laREcCUl4Hb4IWOX9MNEQf3
Moira Smiley: https://moirasmiley.com/
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Song: Where the Moss Grows
Music by: David Ruffin
Notes: We get to sing David Ruffin's beautiful moss song in three different keys, so you can experiment with the range and how it feels in your voice in different ways -- and really feel like you know the song well by the end! So this episode is a little longer than sometimes -- but it's a great way to get a slightly longer song and harmony into your body, and still under 30 minutes. Next episode is a conversation with David, and we'll get to know this song carrier...
Songwriter Info: David is a performing artist, community song leader and teacher with a passion for authentic expression. He loves creating space for voices to emerge fully and freely. He calls Central Vermont home, where he’s grateful to be able to share his holistic approach to voice in community through lessons, workshops, community singing and performance collaborations. David’s work is inspired by a diverse background including studies with Roy Hart Center voice teachers, deep dives in vocal improvisation, explorations in Voice Movement Therapy and over 20 plus years of performing arts, teaching and counseling/ministry experience. David believes singing helps us remember who we really are, what we're here to voice and, how we’re, thankfully, so very bound up together in this.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but David welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Please contact him for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:33
Start time of song in B-flat: 00:13:16
Start time of song in D-flat: 00:17:36
Start time of song in B: 00:23:38
Links:
David's website: www.davidruffinvoice.com
David's Venmo: @David-Ruffin-Voice
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized
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Song: The Strength Within
Music by: Jody Vyner
Notes: Jody Vyner gives us a song for feeling strength, space, and breath within... and we spend 10 minutes in meditation with it, as I add parts in and out and you find what's right for you today -- stay on one part while the sound changes around you? Shift to new parts as they come? What helps you tap into your own inner strength? I'm a highly distractable meditator, but I can let myself sit inside this song and its harmonies, and when I come out the other side, it feels like the waters have cleared (most days, anyway!)
Songwriter Info: Jody Vyner works as a psychotherapist and runs Singing Roots - therapeutic singing circles in and around Sussex, UK. Combining her love of singing and song writing with her deep knowledge and experience of psychotherapy, there is always a therapeutic element to her gatherings which can be leant into for a deeply nurturing experience. Her circles are about turning up just as you are and giving yourself the chance to really check in and connect with yourself and be held by the words and the harmonies shared.
Jody has done many other things in this lifetime; taught French, worked with asylum seekers and refugees, trained as a doula, in antenatal teaching and support, story-telling and face painting! It is her belief that the more experiences and skills she can gather along the way, the more richness and range she can bring to her work.
Sharing Info: Jody says: "It is wonderful to know how these songs travel. If you would like to share it in your own choirs/singing groups please contact me at jody@singingroots.uk for information on how to purchase the song and parts."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
Start time of reprise: 00:14:26
Links:
Singing Roots website: www.singingroots.uk
Singing Roots Bandcamp: www.singingroots.bandcamp.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 4 parts with first part in 3 harmonies
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The Sunday after this episode is released, March 16th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Voices Rising
Words & Music by Lisa Doscher
All our voices are rising up... oh, my soul
Voices sing, voices ring
Sounding out, echoing!
Quiet voices are rising up
Wild voices are rising up
Sacred voices are rising up
Awakened voices are rising up
Inspired voices are rising up
United voices are rising up
Hear our voices rising up!
- More Waters Rising
Words & Music by Saro Lynch-Thomason
- There are more waters rising, this I know, this I know.
There are more waters rising, this I know.
There are more waters rising, they will find their way to me;
there are more waters rising, this I know, this I know,
there are more waters rising, this I know.
-
...fires burning...
-
...mountains falling...
-
I will wade through the waters... when they find their way to me;
-
I will walk through the fires...
-
I will re-build the mountains...
7. I will wade through the water...
- Seed Song
Words & Music by Barbara McAfee
Oh the darkness has swallowed me whole,
and I cannot remember the light.
Oh, I feel I am losing my soul to the night, to the night.
You are a seed.
This is the waiting time.
You hold a dream of green that will call you to the sky.
- Right Place, Right Time
Words & Music by Samara Jade
- I believe that I’m in the right place at the right time
This wave is crashing down and it’s the one for me to ride
- Crazy world, crazy times
Gonna let go of what oughtta be
And hang on for the ride
- Ebb and flow
Rising, falling
- The Feast
Words & Music by Heidi Wilson
Holy Fire in the sun
Water in the river, and Wind within my lungs
Oh holy Earth beneath my feet
All of us are offerings and also at the feast
- Radiate
Words & Music by Lisa Piccirillo
When I see me,
I am standing in my light.
I will be me
when I’m standing in my light.
And if it’s blinding,
I’ll keep climbing
oh so high
and just keep going
toward my knowing
till I find:
I radiate.
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Song: Extraordinary Magic
Music by: Judy Tse
Notes: Judy describes the act of witnessing beautifully -- and this song is one that feels so good to have echoing in my head as I practice holding space for other people... really being present and seeing them fully. That seems to get harder and harder as people get older and make choices we disagree with or are harmful. But wishing them well, looking for the extraordinary magic that is in them, even while being clear-sighted about behaviors -- while not always easy, it feels like a way of being I personally aspire to!
Songwriter Info: Judy Tse participated in the A Breath of Song retreat in 2024! About this song, Judy says: "Being a witness to someone; really being present for a person by listening actively + not trying to fix or 'make better', is one of the greatest gifts one person can give another."
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Judy for recording and/or performing permission. (You can write Patricia at patricia@abreathofsong.com to be connected with Judy.)
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:35
Start time of reprise: 00:15:14
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison or harmonized
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Song: Pearl in the Dark
Music by: Sarina Partridge
Notes: Here's something to boost your "joy-ometer", as Sarina refers to it! We dive into infiltrating the health system with singing, stories we tell to make sense of the world, geysers of weird choices, singing to support community goals, cosmic bowling alley bumpers and more... and all that after learning a fresh song of Sarina's that helps us dive into the grit and the mud and the muck (when we choose to!)
Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, song-leader and educator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs, and enjoys singing with a wide variety of music projects - Eastern European and Yiddish song, old-time music, community song-leading... and everything in between. Sarina has traveled around the world to study with master folk singers, and has toured with the traveling ensemble Northern Harmony abroad and in the USA. She has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing to help folks develop a sense of wonder for this wild world around us. Let’s sing!
Sarina performs and teaches with several music projects/ensembles (Heartwood, Nanilo) and as a solo artist and educator; teaches at music camps (Village Harmony, Songroots, Folklore Village); and leads regular community sings and workshops in and around Minneapolis.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Sarina for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:34
Start time of reprise: 01:30:39
Links:
Sarina's website: SarinaPartridge.com
Sarina's Patreon: patreon.com/sarinapartridge
Sarina's Bandcamp: sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com
Heartwood's UK tour in March: https://www.heartwoodtrio.com/upcoming
SongWeavers retreat: https://www.singwaldorf.org/songweavers
Village Harmony: https://www.villageharmony.org/
ABS episode with Kate Valentine: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/130-ride-the-storm-with-guest-kate-valentine
Mariah Carey: https://mariahcarey.com/
Bad Posture Club: https://badpostureclub.net/
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 3 layer
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Song: Let Your Voice Be Heard
Music by: Sarina Partridge
Notes: Getting access to Sarina Partridge's catalog of songs was a beautiful moment for me -- SO many good things -- wise, accepting, generous, warm -- the songs reflect the songwriter, for sure! Join me today singing "Let your voice be heard..." -- I love the laid-back feel combined with the invitation to speak up -- and listen to next week's episode to hear Sarina's own voice, getting an inside perspective of how an educator might approach song leading with full heart.
Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, song-leader and educator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs, and enjoys singing with a wide variety of music projects - Eastern European and Yiddish song, old-time music, community song-leading... and everything in between. Sarina has traveled around the world to study with master folk singers, and has toured with the traveling ensemble Northern Harmony abroad and in the USA. She has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing to help folks develop a sense of wonder for this wild world around us. Let’s sing!
Sarina performs and teaches with several music projects/ensembles (Heartwood, Nanilo) and as a solo artist and educator; teaches at music camps (Village Harmony, Songroots, Folklore Village); and leads regular community sings and workshops in and around Minneapolis.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Sarina for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:05
Start time of reprise: 00:20:00
Links:
Sarina's website: SarinaPartridge.com
Sarina's Patreon: patreon.com/sarinapartridge
Sarina's Bandcamp: sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized melody with harmonized response
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Song: My Body
Music by: Alexandra Sarton
Notes: Singing this week brought me into my body in a joyful, appreciative way... our bodies, our existence are such miracles, and this song fully celebrates and owns this. For anyone who has ever felt ashamed of their body for any reason, this is a medicine song, a reclaiming, remembering song. Alexandra Sarton Love, who wrote it, has lived with alopecia since age 10, causing baldness. Maybe you're going through a medical treatment that makes it difficult to feel ownership of your own body? Maybe there's a relationship which leads to doubt about your body's beauty or validity? Maybe media or social gatherings has harmed your connection to your own body? Maybe you're a nursing mom? I don't know what you bring to this song... but I'm sooo glad you're bringing it! Join me and you bring you, I'll bring me -- let's sing these words together!
Songwriter Info: In 2011, Alexandra Love was inspired to assemble a 12-woman chorus to sing the harmonies she had written for her solo project, In Curses. She created a festival, The Festival of Light and Sound (April 2012), to debut this project and to bring Beautiful Chorus together for a one-time performance. The ladies practiced each week leading up to the album release. The festival was a huge success and after that night, Love decided to keep the project going. She booked tours for Beautiful Chorus around the country, hosted crystal singing bowl meditations w/ the ladies, lead vocal workshops and more. It was then that BC wrote + recorded songs, and have since become the most successful independent group of their kind. Fusing elements of electronic, choral, deep bass, hip hop and jazz, Beautiful Chorus is unlike any other. They have albums that span from wordless symphonies to full rhythmic songs, w/ sound healing frequencies and love-centered messages. They even have a wordless holiday album, a lullaby album, and a multitude of singable hymns and mantras. Beautiful Chorus is currently residing in Orlando, FL where they are developing a new live experience, hosting spiritual conversations, and preparing for their upcoming full album release, High Frequency Love Music, due out 7/26. Beautiful Chorus is currently made of Alexandra Love and four other members (Patty, Anisha, Yuki and Veronica).
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Beautiful Chorus for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:31
Start time of reprise: 00:14:09
Links:
Beautiful Chorus website: https://www.beautifulchorus.com/
Alexandra Love website: https://www.alexandra.love/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, unison with optional harmony
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The Sunday after this episode is released, February 2nd, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- What Would It Take
Words & Music by Meg O’Dell Chittenden
What would it take to let yourself
Fall, fall in love with life completely
What is the place that softly calls you
Home, home, back to yourself so ease-fully
All of these days are made of what we sow
Gather in and then let go
Beneath these waves of joy and grief and woe
The sea moves deep and slow
- Whoever You Are
Words by Ana Levy-Lyons
Music by Adam Podd, February 2022
Whoever you are,
Whomever you love,
Wherever you are on your life journey –
You are welcome here.
- There's A Light In You
Words & Music by Mazal Etedgi
There’s a vision in you,
there’s a vision in me,
there’s a vision in everybody.
[2x]
Rise up.
Come down.
Rise up.
Come down, come down,
feet on the ground.
- Willing to Receive, Willing to Release
Words & Music by Lynn O’Brien
I am willing to receive
whatever you’ve got for me.
I’ll take the big.
I’ll take the small.
I’ll take the unknown.
I’ll take it all.
I am o-opening.
I am willing to release
Whatever does not serve me.
I’ll drop the big.
I’ll drop the small.
I’ll drop the unknown.
I’ll drop it all,
and I’ll let go…
of everything
- Reciprocity
by Pam Blevins Hinkle
I breathe for the trees and they breathe for me.
You and me and the tree, living in reciprocity.
Rooted in the moment and reaching for each other.
Rooted in the moment and reaching for the dream.
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Song: An Open Heart/Gonna Let Life Move Me
Music by: Scott Grace
Notes: Learning songs in an oral tradition can be a little like playing telephone, as they take on a life of their own, responding to the people singing them, growing, evolving... I learned "Gonna Let Life Move Me" in a song circle, and loved it. Eventually, I wanted to share it with my Pocket Song singers. So I tried to find out who had written it, so I could ask their permission/blessing and send some financial exchange their way.... and it took a quite a bit of searching before I turned up Scott Grace (Kalechstein)'s original song. This one had shifted quite a bit, so I got in touch with Scott directly to ask how he felt about the changes... I quote his generous answer directly in the episode. Enjoy two songs this week, and see which one lands for you!
Songwriter Info:
WARNING: Scott Grace, who has been described as a cross between John Denver, Robin Williams and Dr. Seuss, is wanted by the authorities for creating the peace, as well as defying the law of gravity with levity.
Contact with Scott is likely to be hazardous to your misery, as he has provoked outbreaks of joy in four out of five laboratory humans.
It is alleged that Scott’s work has so threatened to cut into the sales of anti-depressants that pharmaceutical companies have offered him millions to retire.
Scott gives keynotes using a stolen identity, a.k.a. the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. His feel-good viruses on YouTube have infected over 2.5 million people with just four of his Seussian videos.
Scott has been known to practice life coaching without a license, eluding the police by working over the phone, Zoom, or FaceTime. He fancies himself an intuitive, and smuggles wisdom and guidance over the border from beings he calls spirit guides, who are also not licensed, and who have allegedly not filed a tax return in several lifetimes.
As a front, Scott does do various legal, above the board activities. He has written four books, his latest being Mindful Masculinity.
Scott also has recorded nine CD’s (remember CD’s?) of his original music. He presents as an inspirational guest speaker and singer at churches, non-profits, schools, and corporate events. As an occasional stand-up comedian in the Bay Area, he has shared the stage with Dana Carvey and Robin Williams.
But don’t be fooled. His rampage of Song Portraits, custom-made personalized song-gifts that honor people for their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all, have been killing people softly with their song since 1987.
Authorities would very much like your help in apprehending Scott. Try catching him on the web at https://www.scottsongs.com, or on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Scott for recording and/or performing permission. Scott says, "This song is my deepest prayer from my heart of hearts."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching, song 1: 00:04:26
Start time of teaching, song 2: 00:08:51
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16
Links:
Scott's website: https://www.scottsongs.com
Scott's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3 layer or unison
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Song: One Foot/Lead with Love
Music by: Melanie DeMore
Notes: Melanie DeMore both entrances and intimidates people -- she is direct, funny, a fabulous story-teller, and fierce and broad in her love. I have to apologize to listeners for the sound quality of this interview -- we had some microphone glitches on both sides that means despite the best sound studio wizardry I could come up with, there's some distortion, and it's not the usual quality of sound. But the quality of content -- where it counts -- is top-notch. Melanie shares One Foot/Lead with Love, including the story of what sparked its creation. She talks about her family, and how the wisdom and experiences of her parents shaped the way she approaches people who hold different world views. We talk about coyotes, kids, accolades, how she takes care of herself on tour as a "4-star, card-carrying introvert". She sends us out with a charge: “Here’s what you need to do, people out there: keep your head up. Keep your heart wide open. Remember to breathe, and keep doing the work. Sing on.”
Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3 time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: "A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you."
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Melanie for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:56
Start time of reprise: 01:12:05
Links:
Lady of Peace – written by Melanie for her mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Clq6DHpNA
Threshold Choir: https://thresholdchoir.org/
Children’s Music Network: https://childrensmusic.org/
Bessie Jones: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BUnRZrkCS0NoTiXefkW6U
Ella Jenkins: https://ellajenkins.com/
Oakland Youth Chorus: https://www.oigc.org/oyc
Obeah Opera (South African/Toronto) – about Tituba: https://obeahopera.com/
All One Tribe collective album: https://open.spotify.com/album/1EEVSonqRIjEB0DapNIRs8
Melanie's GoFundMe for a home in Taos, NM: https://gofund.me/6be198cb
Taos pueblo – Tewa people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewa
Bebe & Cece Winans – gospel singers: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WNUkxJcJeliFx9KXWXMgs
John Lewis: https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/rep-john-lewis/
Margaret Nes - visual artist: https://www.ventanafineart.com/margaret-nes
Something Moving by Mary Watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RTzI4-j64
Whirimako Black: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dzCFvKwiJQ4w9ViwLzs49
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.demore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butchyg3/
Melanie's email: melaniedemore(at)earthlink.net
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, call & echo, chorus & verse, 3-part harmony on chorus
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Song: Standing Stone
Music by: Melanie DeMore
Notes: Melanie DeMore is a powerful community shaper and healer who brings warmth and creative delight to her work with people of all stripes. Standing Stone was my introduction to her songs, and like many people, I have a personal history with it. In 2019, I became a long-term sub in a middle school & high school for a beloved choral teacher who had left to tend to her dying sister. The kids were grieving and suspicious. I brought this song to them so we could make a video to send their teacher to support her. The recognition of their capacity to be a source of strength was a game changer; this song unified us. In next week's episode, Melanie talks about what supports her, what she learned from her family, and more. I hope you can join us.
Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3-time Grammy-nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you.”
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Melanie for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:49
Start time of reprise: 00:12:30
Links:
Help Melanie find a place to call her own in Taos, New Mexico: https://gofund.me/6be198cb
A great interview with Melanie about being a vocal activist: https://chorusamerica.org/article/%25E2%2580%259Ci-use-my-voice-weapon-mass-connection%25E2%2580%259D-interview-melanie-demore
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-part
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The Sunday after this episode is released, December 29th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Woyaya
Words & Music by Sol Amarifio (title in the Ga language of Ghana)
Composed in 1971
We are going,
heaven knows where we are going,
but we know within.
And we will get there,
heaven knows how
we will get there,
but we know we will.
It will be hard, we know,
and the road will be muddy and rough,
But we'll get there,
heaven knows how
we will get there,
but we know we will.
Wɔyaya, Wɔyaya,
Wɔyaya, Wɔyaya.
- Go Dark
Words from Wendell Berry
Music by Kate Thomas
To go in the dark with a light
is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark;
go without sight,
and find that the dark, too,
blooms and sings,
And is traveled by dark feet,
and dark wings.
- Unknown (Finding Home)
Words & Music by Anni Zylstra
Finding home
in all that is unknown.
Release
what is gone.
- Love Stays
Words & Music by Laszlo Slomovits
Change comes and goes, love stays.
Change comes and goes, love stays.
Life is filled with such mysterious ways.
Change comes and goes, love stays.
- Hope Lingers On
Words & Music by Lissa Schneckenburger
- My mother, when love is gone (2x),
in our darkest hour, hope lingers on.
My father, when peace is gone (2x),
in our darkest hour, hope lingers on.
Chorus:
I will not hate, and I will not fear;
in our darkest hour, hope lingers here.
- My sister, when equality’s gone…
My brother, with tolerance gone…
- My love, when honor is gone…
My country, when justice is gone…
- When We Are Gone
Words & Music by Starhawk and Anne Hill
When we are gone, they will remain:
wind and rock, fire and rain.
They will remain, when we return;
the wind will blow and the fire will burn.
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Song: Don't Go Putting the World on Your Shoulders
Music by: Will Lawrence and Erin Bridges
Notes: December in the north is such a great time for me to dig a little deeper -- finding mini-rests, sometimes even by taking an extra breath before I go do the next thing. I love that this song reminds me to lean on other people, too... to widen my base, to remember my connections. The irony of recording this (alone, in my basement!) was not lost on me!!! So I hope you sing extra vigorously along with me, and share this song widely -- I have been loving singing it with my Flow Singers this month, and we are really feeling that "take a nap" verse, I tell you!
Songwriter Info: William Lawrence is an organizer and social movement strategist from Lansing, Michigan. He was a co-founder of Sunrise Movement. He is currently the Coordinator of the MI Rent Is Too Damn High coalition, fighting for rent control, tenants rights and social housing in the Great Lakes State. Erin Bridges was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where she now lives with her dog and queer family in a big turquoise house. Like many southerners, she grew up with a love for shared meals, music sung in fellowship, pies made from the garden, and a close relationship to earth. Erin's work is rooted in building a world where everyone can access these simple pleasures. In 2017, she co-founded Sunrise, a youth movement that launched the Green New Deal, and more recently launched Hollerin' Up, aiming to fund people-powered teams for the long haul.
Sharing Info: Erin and Will are happy for this song to be shared far and wide, attributed to the two of them!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:42
Start time of reprise: 00:13:29
Links:
Sunrise Movement: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/about/
Sunrise Movement songbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/120wccqh6jdV-Cb1gCZgxtuE7ELnYPUXL/view?usp=sharing which includes a beautiful acknowledgment of the complexity of oral songsharing without appropriation
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, verse & chorus
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Song: Gratitude
Music by: Kate Munger
Notes: Recording Kate Munger's song for you was SUCH a treat for me!!! 15 members of our extended family gathered in a living room, and sang together about sinking into gratitude.... mmmm-hmmmm!!! You'll hear 5-year-old Claire proclaiming she is right here, and then the beautiful gathered sound of Beth, Peter, Will, Elyse, Edward, Carolyn, Patrick, Ruth, Tom, Rebecca, Forrest, Kathi, Claire, Seth and me. One of the most beautiful things about the whole experience was that the song itself kept reminding me to be present -- to soak into the moment.
Songwriter Info: Kate Munger has been passionate about community singing since she was 8 years old at Girl Scout Camp and has led community singing now for over 45 years. In 2000 she founded the first of now 200 Threshold Choirs around the world. Today at 74 she is retired from running the Threshold Choir and has returned to her passions of writing songs for medicinal use and singing at the bedsides of people who are dying, in coma and with folks who are incarcerated. She is a popular speaker among palliative care, choral singing and prison reform professionals and is a gracious, skillful musical host and choral director whose joy is reminding us that we are singing beings, bringing community singing back to "the community.” Kate knows that this work is deep and serious and she offers a fresh, lively, sometimes irreverent, always relevant perspective.
Sharing Info: Kate encourages the sharing of this song and its message; any donation that is generous, affordable and personally significant would be most welcome.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
Start time of reprise: 00:12:57
Links:
Kate welcomes emails to kateamunger@gmail.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, mixolydian, 3-part harmony
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Song: Over/Under
Music by: Lyndsey Scott
Notes: Lyndsey Scott talks about her radical trust in life, how she perceives energy, the playfulness and generosity of cyclical wisdom. She shares the origin story of this song, Over/Under, and wisdom from her co-creator, Anthony R. Rhodd about gratitude. We were recording the Thursday after the US elections -- as I listen to the focus on how to find resources and energy, I realize how depleted I felt in the moment of recording. And yet talking with Lyndsey buoyed me -- the deep attunement that she practices shines through our conversation -- I feel like I can really feel the truth of "I am the love that doesn't leave..."
Songwriter Info: Lyndsey Scott is a multimedia artist, songleader, songwriter, and ritualist committed to exploring community singing as a technology of belonging and a strategy for mutual liberation. She currently co-facilitates the yearlong cohort of emergent earth-based ceremonial study with Earthkeeper Wisdom School (Hartsburg, MO), leads song for politicized somatics practitioners in Embodying Racial Justice’s yearlong program, Opening to Freedom (Millerton, NY), and teaches "Community Singing as Collective Power" at the University of Iowa School of Music's Grant Wood Fellow.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Lyndsey always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:15
Start time of reprise: 01:06:15
Links:
Lyndsey's website: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lila.gaia/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lyndseyscott
We Do This 'Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1664-we-do-this-til-we-free-us
What It Takes to Heal by Prentice Hemphill: https://prentishemphill.com/book
The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/250673/the-wild-edge-of-sorrow-by-francis-weller/
Song Carrier Toolkit by Liz Rog: https://www.centerforbelonging.earth/store/p/song-carrier-toolkit
Earthkeeper Wisdom School: https://www.earthkeeperwisdomschool.org/
Rebeccah Bennett, Root Teacher, The InPower Institute: https://inpowerinstitute.com/
The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom: https://joannanewsom.bandcamp.com/album/the-milk-eyed-mender
Meredith Monk: https://www.meredithmonk.org/
Emma Koeppel: https://soundcloud.com/emma-koeppel
Anthony R. Rhodd: https://substack.com/@anthonyrrhodd
Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe): https://www.patmccabe.net/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, unison or harmonized, call & response section
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Song: We Are the Door
Music by: Lyndsey Scott
Notes: Best possible things happening on this recording of Lyndsey Scott's song, We Are the Door.... I get to sing with my daughter, Rebecca Csuy and we figured out how to make a marimba sound on my keyboard!!! Honestly, life is just better with a marimba sound AND a loved one to sing with.
This song is a beautiful entry into change and shift and the unknown -- I get a sense of almost prairie-like expansiveness, accompanied by magic and wisdom of a seer inviting me to move in the big shadows. And like most songs, the magic really starts to happen when you sing it yourself, in your own voice, vibrating with possibility. Let Rebecca and me stand by your side and sing with you -- turn it up loud in headphones or speakers so you can really expand into it -- and then go find Lyndsey's recording and sing with her and her co-creator on this album, Michael Linder!
Don't miss next week's episode, when Lyndsey and I snug up as close as you can through Zoom and talk about resources during change...
Songwriter Info: Lyndsey Scott is a multimedia artist, songleader, songwriter, and ritualist committed to exploring community singing as a technology of belonging and a strategy for mutual liberation. She currently co-facilitates the yearlong cohort of emergent earth-based ceremonial study with Earthkeeper Wisdom School (Hartsburg, MO), leads song for politicized somatics practitioners in Embodying Racial Justice’s yearlong program, Opening to Freedom (Millerton, NY), and teaches "Community Singing as Collective Power" at the University of Iowa School of Music's Grant Wood Fellow.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Lyndsey always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:11
Start time of reprise: 00:17:02
Links:
Lyndsey's website: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lila.gaia/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lyndseyscott
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, harmonic minor, 2-layer (plus marimba part!)
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Song: The Net
Music by: Patricia Norton
Notes: The Hindu teacher, Sri Nisargadatta, said, "The real world is beyond our thoughts and ideas; we see it through the net of our desires... To see the universe as it is, you must step beyond the net. It is not hard to do so, for the net is full of holes." I began singing this song to myself in the summer of '24, reminding me that what I thought was an immutable barrier might actually be a net of holes, and if I found fluidity, I could slip right by it. As events unfolded, the song grew and took on layers of meaning for me. What if the net were my safety net, and I felt myself slipping through? Can I be at peace with recognizing that there is no safety, no guarantee -- but there is a truth grounded beyond all of my desires, and like water, I can fall down through to that. Patty gave us a beautiful visual of the freedom in that fall... this song has been a great resource to me.
Songwriter Info: Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community program called Flow Singing in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a resource for vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... the whole messy catastrophe. She lives with her long-time beloved husband, Tom, in a small townhouse close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their granddaugher!) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in the oral tradition; please contribute to A Breath of Song as a fair exchange if you are earning money at an event using this song.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:08
Start time of reprise: 00:20:00
Links:
Patricia's website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com
Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, major, 3-part with harmonies
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The Sunday after this episode is released, November 10th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Mourning Dove
by Wendy Luella Perkins
I awoke to the coos
of a mourning dove
a mourning dove,
a mourning dove;
and her sad, sweet song
drifted down from above
drifted down from above,
drifted down from above.
- Don’t Numb to This
by Abigail Bengson
Don’t numb to this,
don’t numb it out.
Let it all flow in and out.
You’re strong enough
to feel it all,
and keep your heart alive.
Stay soft to this,
don’t numb it out.
Let yourself breathe in and out.
You’re strong enough
to feel it all,
and keep your heart alive. I said,
Don’t numb to this,
don’t numb it out,
Let yourself breathe in and out,
You’re strong enough
to feel it all
and it’ll keep your heart alive. I said,
Don’t numb to this,
don’t block it out,
Let it all flow in and out,
You’re strong enough
to feel it all,
and it’ll keep your heart alive.
- Hold On
with guest Aaron Johnson
By Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr., 1980
Hold on (sing on, love on, march on)
just a little while longer
Everything will be all right
- I Trust My Roots
with guest Samara Jade
I trust my roots
to know where to go (3x)
I trust my roots
to know where to go
down, down into the earth.
Chorus:
Down, down into the earth,
intertwining with all beings,
I'm seeing in every direction;
going down, down into the earth,
I'll send a message on the
world-wide-web of interconnection.
to anchor me deep
to reach what I need
to share what I got
to lead me to love
to connect us as one ("our" roots)
- Breathe Along with Life
by Chloe Vispap-Rich
Mark out your golden lines
Create your golden times
Breathe along with life
Away you go.
Away you go,
Away you go,
Breathe along with life
Away you go.
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Song: Breathe
Music by: Batya Levine
Notes: This was the song I needed to sing to help myself through the pre-election moment... building trust in myself to navigate whatever comes next, tap into the energy to work up to the last moment to effect the change I hope for. Batya Levine is an incredibly heart-sourced song composer, and they'll be releasing a new album in December... check out their website and get on the list to know when it appears -- it's sure to be wonderful, and "Breathe" will be on it -- and you'll know it!
Songwriter Info: Batya Levine (they/them) uses song as a tool for cultivating healing and resilience in their work as a communal song leader, shaliach tzibur (Jewish prayer leader) and cultural organizer. Batya is a co-founder and Director of Programs at Let My People Sing!, and they compose original music made of Ashkenazi yearning, queer heart-medicine, and emunah (faith). Batya is releasing their second album, Yivarechecha, in December 2024 through Rising Song Records.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Batya always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:34
Start time of reprise: 00:20:13
Links:
Batya's website: https://www.batyalevine.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layer
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Song: Heaven Above, Earth Below
Music by: Becky Graber
Notes: Becky Graber let her unconscious speak during our conversation, and when I asked what she knows about herself right now, she said, "I am a breath of air on the earth" -- and then laughed a little in surprise and delight. The song she teaches also came from delighted awareness of the place of the body between heaven and earth -- plus a little tai-chi. Becky and I share a wonderfully rambly conversation about shedding old identities and making space, wanting to allow things to bloom rather than push them, and threshold times. We also take a lot of time with this three verse song, including playing with harmonies. You'll hear me making mistakes as I learn and play with harmonies -- but hopefully you won't notice it too much, because you'll be singing right along, too! The goal of this podcast is to encourage you to keep stepping into the power and beauty of your own voice, something Becky Graber has many years of experience at helping people do...
Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:58
Start time of reprise: 01:15:20
Links:
Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com
Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org
Psychospiritual paths like psychosynthesis – Roberto Assagioli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosynthesis
The Diamond Approach – H.M. Almaas: https://www.diamondapproach.org/
Helen Yeomans: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/156-we-got-all-the-love
Natural Voices Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Lisa Littlebird’s library: https://thebirdsings.com/song-library/
Velma Frye: https://www.velmafryemusic.com/
Song “Take Heart, Take Part, with lyrics “Participation is gonna save the human race” – Pete Seeger quote set by Becky Reardon: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/product/take-heart-take-part/
“Spes” by Mia Makaroff – Latin & Sami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKeikhsVynM
Gaia Music Collective in NYC: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gaia-music-collective-44369305153
Choir! Choir! Choir!: https://choirchoirchoir.com/
Gareth Malone with “The Choir” on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008y125
Ry Cooder “Jazz” album with red cover and black letters: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Z6RuwMcmDMgBJsZ01Ouhf
Buena Vista Social Club: https://www.buenavistasocialclub.com/
Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 3 verses
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Song: Fly Away
Music by: Becky Graber
Notes: Becky Graber really captured that feeling I get sometimes when I'm so uncomfortable, I want to simply fly away... when you are seeking something that feels trustworthy, and it feels elusive. I taught this in an unusual way for A Breath of Song, using solfege to identify the very different ranges of each of the four parts... you may find that useful, or not -- let go of anything doesn't serve you! Next week, Becky and I get to dig into a conversation with both of us here in my basement workspace... newsletter subscribers will see the pairsie (what do you really call a selfie with two?) As a songleader who started a chorus that has felt like mutual nourishment for almost 30 years, Becky has a perspective on group singing that is unique, and I really enjoyed exploring this experience with her.
Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:00
Start time of reprise: 00:16:44
Links:
Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com
Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 4 part layer
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Song: Radiate
Music by: Lisa Piccirillo
Notes: Going epic this week -- we learn the chorus to Lisa Piccirillo's song, Radiate, with just me and the piano...and then when we're feeling solid, blow our socks off by singing along with her huge soundtrack! If you love the song, then there are links to find it in Bandcamp, etc, just below! I particularly love the way the word "radiate" is the most intimate in the entire chorus -- it feels like a world of confidence and self-connection right there... Enjoy -- I certainly did!!
Songwriter Info: Lisa Piccirillo almost gave up on songwriting, but the muse wouldn’t let her. The inspiration for her latest record came to her as a vision: the silhouette of a woman, backlit by the sun, alongside the word RADIATE. Fueled by this idea and the desire to reclaim her creative identity, Lisa devoted herself to daily songwriting sessions at sunrise and the new record was born. An unapologetically loud follow-up to her mellow and folky 2008 debut (momentum), RADIATE chronicles Lisa’s vast emotional landscape with her signature blend of vulnerable songwriting and powerhouse vocals.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Lisa always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:03
Start time of reprise: 00:13:57
Links:
Website: www.lisapmusic.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lisapiccirillo
Tickets for Radiate Release Event Oct 19th 2024: https://tinyurl.com/48t8dna7
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GJmGSN3Era6CJspcpMMY4?si=PFoGHPmUTQOVLYSJv0UlNg
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-piccirillo/289758509
Bandcamp: https://lisapiccirillo.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lisapiccirillo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/lisapmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lisapmusic
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison
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The Sunday after this episode is released, September 29th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
Note: Angela Gabriel has made a melody change (which she can, right? Her song!) to We Were Made for These Times -- I made a new recording for this ribbon of songs, reflecting this update. If you click here, it will go to a teaching youtube video she created (which wonderfully includes the full lyrics...) https://youtu.be/kZfD7YbZJew?feature=shared
- Put Your Roots Down
by Molly Hartwell
Put your roots down,
put your feet on the ground,
can you hear what she says
when you listen?
(2x)
‘Cause the
sound of the river,
as it moves across the stone
is the
same sound as the
blood in your body
as it moves across your bones.
Are you listening?
The title link goes to Molly Hartwell singing her original… but as she has given her blessing to the “telephone” versions that have travelled around, I am still singing (more or less) the version I learned from Lisa Littlebird in 2019…
- Turning Wheel
by Lisa Littlebird
There’s a wheel that is turning,
calling me into my power.
There’s a wheel that is turning,
calling me into my voice.
It’s turning, we’re learning
to stand inside our hearts.
It’s turning, we’re learning
to stand in love.
I will not be silent.
- Make Good Trouble
by Elizabeth Melvin
words inspired by John Lewis
Stand up and make good trouble
Speak up and make good trouble
Get up and make good trouble
Rise up and make good trouble
Never, ever be afraid
to make some noise, make some noise
This is the struggle,
the struggle of a lifetime
(Make good trouble)
- We Were Made For These Times
text by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
music by Angela Gabriel
Don’t lose heart,
We were made for these times.
(3x)
Show your soul,
it shines like gold in these dark times.
Don’t lose hope….
Don’t give up….
The link goes to Angela’s own recording… Here it is as a podcast episode.
- We Are The Way
by Christine Kick
Celebrate the difference, celebrate the distance,
celebrate the love, celebrate this brand new
way. We are the way.
We are the way… we are the way!!!
All night and every day
we bring the love, we bring the love.
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Song: Good Friend
Music by: Jan Harmon
Notes: Both harbor and freedom, connection and release, seasons and timelessness. Jan Harmon's song, written in 1985, has generous space for harmonies, and impels us singers forward, as though we were the sail catching the wind. I love the feeling of holding and letting go as I sing this song -- it helps me grieve, helps rejoice, helps me open, helps me curl up... I wonder what you will experience as you sing it with me?
Songwriter Info: Jan Harmon (1940-1993) was a published poet, a writer of short stories and biographical non-fiction, as well as a prolific composer of choral music, topical songs, ballads, rounds, musicals, and instrumental pieces. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan and lived in many places from southern California to Maine.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Scott at Harmon Publishing for permission and rates: https://harmonpublishing.com/contact.php
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:47
Start time of reprise: 00:16:25
Links:
Song info on the Harmon Publishing website (including a sheet music PDF): https://www.harmonpublishing.com/jan/music/library/good-friend
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, minor, round
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Song: (O Spirit) Guide Me to Those I Need
Music by: Aimée Ringle
Notes: If you've run across Aimée Ringle's work, you know her wicked musical skills, her exuberant, high-energy presence, her huge heart and desire to be of service... and you may not yet know how she grew into her voice, the questions she asks herself around how best to contribute to songcircles, her deep desire for village community, and questions about how to make that real in the here and now. We dig a little into one of the hard conversations in songcircles or any group situation where people bring varying skill levels -- how can people of varying skill levels feel welcome and find space and satisfaction as they are? We talk about what Aimée finds she needs to be able to let songs come through and more! Aimée shares the story of how O Spirit came through and we sing it both with guitar and in an up-close and personal way. It's a big episode because we let our conversation spread out, enjoying the end of summer and a sense of expansiveness. I hope you, too, find that pleasure of connection when you join us.
Songwriter Info: Aimée Ringle is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, song-leader, and storyteller. She has an invigorating teaching style that is enriched by her capable percussion and guitar skills. Aimée’s work as a song-leader and storyteller have woven her into an ever widening community of cultural shifters around the country in the realms of sustainable agriculture, alternative education, community living, healing, creativity, and spiritual exploration ~ all of which are reflected in the songs she carries. As a song-leader, Aimée’s work and example have become a valued part of several Ancestral skills gatherings including Winter Count, Spirit Weavers and Sharpening Stone.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Aimée for recording and/or performing permission. She says: "For now, the song is just the chorus, but I am paying attention to its evolution and leaving space for the possibility of verses, etc. But this will not be a group process and I'm not inviting unsolicited creative ideas in this process."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
Start time of reprise: 01:34:28
Links:
Aimée's website: www.aimeeringlemusic.com
Aimée's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AiméeRingle
Aimée's O Spirit video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8wzISTpTsh
Aimée's Bandcamp: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com
Earth Practice: https://www.instagram.com/earthpracticemusic/
Tone Home by Elijah Ray: https://soundcloud.com/entheo/tone-home?in=l29rjc61w9os/sets/the-upload-1
I'm My Own Walkman by Bobby McFerrin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8DUi9RCTiQ
Samara Jade: https://www.instagram.com/samara_jade_music/
Three Wheels Turning: https://threewheelsturning.com/
"We are what we repeatedly do." Aristotle interpreted by Will Durant: https://blogs.umb.edu/quoteunquote/2012/05/08/its-a-much-more-effective-quotation-to-attribute-it-to-aristotle-rather-than-to-will-durant/
The Sharpening Stone: https://www.instagram.com/thesharpeningstone/
Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
Liz Rog: https://www.facebook.com/liz.rog1/
Shireen Amini: https://shireenamini.com/music
Song Village: https://www.songvillage.net/
Emergent Strategy and Holding Change by Adrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/emergent-strategy/, https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/holding-change-2/
Billie Eilish: https://www.instagram.com/billieeilish/
Ganavya: https://www.instagram.com/ganavya
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison chant
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Song: The Ambulance Song
Music by: Aimée Ringle
"Ooo Love" part by: Laurence Cole
Notes: We live on a busy road, not far from a fire station -- an ambulance is not an unusual sight -- and thanks to Aimée Ringle, I have the perfect song to wish the people involved well... and now you do, too! Next week, Aimée and I talk about the tender place music is able to open up, how someone with considerable musical skills and experience finds how they, too, can be included in community singing... how we are what we repeatedly do, and what that means for Aimée. She is generous, vulnerable, clear-sighted, and willing to name her own challenges. I hope you can join us... but before that, please enjoy adding this song to your personal repertoire!
Songwriter Info: Aimée Ringle is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, song-leader, and storyteller. She has an invigorating teaching style that is enriched by her capable percussion and guitar skills. Aimée’s work as a song-leader and storyteller have woven her into an ever widening community of cultural shifters around the country in the realms of sustainable agriculture, alternative education, community living, healing, creativity, and spiritual exploration ~ all of which are reflected in the songs she carries. As a song-leader, Aimée’s work and example have become a valued part of several Ancestral skills gatherings including Winter Count, Spirit Weavers and Sharpening Stone.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Aimée for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:12
Start time of reprise: 00:17:38
Links:
Aimée's website: www.aimeeringlemusic.com Aimée's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AiméeRingleThe Ambulance Song video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b6WxqtlIbo Aimée's Bandcamp: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.comLaurence Cole's website: https://www.laurencecole.comNuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian, 4-part
Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Song: Quiet At First
Music by: Eileen Webb
Lyrics by: Kai Skye
Notes: How often do you get to sing with a thrush? Eileen Webb has made that possible for us... and so we get full enjoyment out of it, singing the entire song twice after learning it. The song itself, with words from Kai Skye, is a succinct reminder to drop in to that sensation of connection to all living things and how good it feels. What could be better? Recording this was unusual for me, because instead of loops on Loopy (where I just have to get it sounding right once!), it's layered tracks because of singing with the thrush... so I got to practice staying centered for the entire length of the song... not once, not twice, but three times plus a bit! It was really good for me -- so thank you for singing with me and perusing the A Breath of Song library -- I love the way my sense of responsibility to you keeps me in practice.
Songwriter Info: Eileen is a consultant and facilitator who helps tech companies build stronger relationships within and across their teams. She loves how music-making helps create deep connections in diverse groups of people, and leads the circlesinging community in Portland, Maine.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share, but please remember to share the lyrics credit to Kai Skye as well!
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:33
Start time of reprise: 00:18:11
Links:
Eileen's Portland circlesinging group: https://www.meetup.com/circlesinging-portland/.
Kai's art website: https://flyingedna.com/
Note: For credit purposes, his NAME is Kai Skye, his PEN NAME (also his previous name) is Brian Andreas, and the site where people can buy his arts is Flying Edna.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-3 part harmony plus some extras
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
The Sunday after this episode is released, August 18th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- May I Be Open
by Heather Pierson
May I be open to things as they are right now,
because this is how things are right now.
Remember the breath, remember the body,
remember the goodness that you carry.
- Everything Is Changing
by Kaitie Ty Warren
Everything is changing.
Life keeps rearranging; and
sometimes it feels awkward,
but we cannot go backward.
We cannot go backward.
- Possibility
by Lisa Forkish
An end is not the end, it can be the beginning.
Like a river, I flow.
I am open to all the possibility.
- Oh the Rain
by Patricia Norton
1. Oh the rain,
the rain it comes down,
and it carries a world
in its sound.
Oh the rain,
oh the rain,
it comes down.
2. Some
times I feel blue;
I’m
gonna take a breath or two
and soften,
let my heart
be tender.
3. Softly,
gently,
let it fall as it will.
Softly, gently
tender, tender.
- Bend & Rebound
by Heidi Wilson
Bend and rebound, bend and rebound
Gentle strength of the willow is found
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: We Got All The Love
Music by: Helen Yeoman
Notes: So many different things going on in this episode! First, in some ways this is a "greatest hit" of the community song world, so maybe you already know it? Helen Yeoman's confident, sweetly harmonized zipper song speaks to what can build and sustain hopefulness -- this knowledge that, in some way, we are exactly where we need to be. I am delighted to welcome onto the podcast my beloved husband of almost 35 years, Tom. He gives us the benefit of his long vocal chords to reach some low notes that are out of my range! Instead of looping this episode, I went back and edited in the alto and tenor parts -- and, oof, the pressure to perfect it, to sing exactly in tune -- I'm not sure I could ever let it go. But here you have the best I could do this week, with the alto panned left and the tenor panned right, soprano and bass in the middle. If it's a song you already know, I hope this gives you great practice; if it's new to you, welcome (and check out the shownotes for other learning options)! Fill in our sound with your voice!!!
Songwriter Info: Helen is a well-loved choir leader & composer from the UK. her songs are sung all around the world - literally. She is self-taught and calls on every day events as well as global issues for her inspiration. In 2015 she won the esteemed international UK Songwriters Contest in the gospel category. She has four children and lives in Devon, England. Helen runs workshops and holidays in the UK and Europe and is coming to the USA in September 2024.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Helen for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
Start time of reprise: 00:17:09
Links:
All of Helen's music can be found at www.helenyeomans.co.uk
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major with raised 4 & 5, 4-pt harmony
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Joanna and I explore the idea of inviting fear to come closer and be held, through song and word. We talk about how gifts of attention can come from wounds, and therefore be mixed blessings. Joanna describes the "field" she tends in a song circle, and what craves special notice when you live and work with the same person. This was recorded shortly before the political change in the USA when Biden chose not to run for office, so you won't hear us talking about the buoyancy that can come from feeling hopeful... but we do touch on navigating grief and fear! We also talk about one of the huge gifts a group singing can give a songcarrier....
Songwriter Info: Joanna Laws Landis (she/her) is a song-carrier and grief-tender with a deep trust in the transformational healing power of welcome and compassion. Joanna was steeped in song and harmony from her early years: in church, at school and in community choirs. In her late 20s, she discovered the community singing movement and felt a deep alignment with this simple and direct pathway to connection and healing. After collecting a wide library of songs from the midwest to the pacific coast, she has been leading community song circles regularly since 2020. Joanna has recently relocated to the land of her maternal grandmother’s people outside of Asheville, NC where in addition to leading singing & grief-tending, she is deepening her understanding of the body’s innate wisdom for healing with Somatic Experiencing International, and is studying collective trauma integration & facilitation with Thomas Hübl.
Sharing Info: You are welcome to share/teach the song in community settings, and Joanna always welcome financial support when it is available. Please contact her for recording and/or performing permission.
Links:
Listen on Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/joannalawslandis
Email Joanna at joannalawslandis@gmail.com
Follow Joanna's Grief Tending offerings on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/o/joanna-laws-landis-amp-will-rogers-30189070512
Donations gratefully received on PayPal or Venmo @joannalawslandis
Thomas Huebl trauma integration: Academy of Inner Science https://thomashuebl.com/courses/training-programs/
Robert Frost - 'Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down.' https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/05/24/poem-tennis/
Bliss Is Ordinary podcast – the 4th & 5th episodes are with Laurence Cole: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1939735
Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
Laurence Cole and Ahlay Blakely are also hosting online grief circles:: https://www.healingattheroots.com/onlinemonthlygriefcircles
The Cranberries Everyone Else is Doing it So Why Can’t We?
Soup: Jook… A Chinese rice porridge with ginger and garlic & maybe chicken. Here’s a Mark Bittman recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1839-jook
Lianne La Havas artist – Paper Thin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3Q9RmFywc
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, harmonic minor, 2-part
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: As we gather, by whom are we held? The trees, the earth, the air, the bugs, the people? And what do we bring? Hunger, courage, fear, hope, laughter? Our voices... our dreams. Joanna Laws Landis has written a song to hold the fullness of all this, and the ways in which we are not alone. Next week, join us for a songwriter conversation that explores how we show up... I'll give you a hint: Joanna says in it, "I am a new person in every moment," and talks about how she has observed “how much singing together can really knit a group together.” I hope you experience the fullness of being held... I am looking to be more aware of that myself!
Songwriter Info: Joanna Laws Landis (she/her) is a song-carrier and grief-tender with a deep trust in the transformational healing power of welcome and compassion. Joanna was steeped in song and harmony from her early years: in church, at school and in community choirs. In her late 20s, she discovered the community singing movement and felt a deep alignment with this simple and direct pathway to connection and healing. After collecting a wide library of songs from the midwest to the pacific coast, she has been leading community song circles regularly since 2020. Joanna has recently relocated to the land of her maternal grandmother’s people outside of Asheville, NC where in addition to leading singing & grief-tending, she is deepening her understanding of the body’s innate wisdom for healing with Somatic Experiencing International, and is studying collective trauma integration & facilitation with Thomas Hübl.
Sharing Info: You are welcome to share/teach the song in community settings, and Joanna always welcomes financial support when it is available. Please contact her for recording and/or performing permission.
Links:
Listen on Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/joannalawslandis
Would love to hear from you via email: joannalawslandis@gmail.com
Follow my Grief Tending offerings on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/o/joanna-laws-landis-amp-will-rogers-30189070512
Donations gratefully received on PayPal or Venmo @joannalawslandis
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor with an occasional major 7, 2 part song; 2nd part harmonized
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Blessings Whenever You Breathe
Music by: Melanie DeMore
Notes: Melanie DeMore has probably influenced your singing, whether or not you've had the chance to sing with her in person yet! This week is a chance to spend some time with one of her songs that is a breath blessing -- as we sing, you can notice the breath pouring in, and just to be sure we don't miss it, there's a tapping rhythm on the chest to help center attention. Melanie is one of my heroes in the songleading community -- and I was too intimidated to ask to share one of her songs -- but it turns out, (no surprise to those of you who know her already), she's absolutely lovely (although she did give me a talking-to about not viewing myself as a "real singer".) What finally got me over the hoop of reaching out to her? The fact that she has made an ask of the songleading community, and there's a special chance to give back to someone who has given so generously...
Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3 time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: "A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you."
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Melanie for recording and/or performing permission
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:56
Start time of reprise: 00:15:43
Links:
Help Melanie find a place to call her own in Taos, New Mexico: https://gofund.me/6be198cb
A great interview with Melanie about being a vocal activist: https://chorusamerica.org/article/%25E2%2580%259Ci-use-my-voice-weapon-mass-connection%25E2%2580%259D-interview-melanie-demore
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Mixolydian
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
The Sunday after this episode is released, July 7th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!
Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
- Love Flows In
by Roberta Kirn
Take a moment to quiet the mind,
to settle down deep in the body.
Love flows in, love flows in, love flows in.
Like the waves, like the tide, like the everlasting spring,
love flows in.
- Lead With Your Heart, Friends
by Ian Carrick
Lead with your heart, friends, the day is unfolding;
the way is clear.
You already know.
- This Is A Wave
by Emily Roblyn
This is a wave, I am the ocean.
This is a wave, I am the sea.
- All Motion Is Love
by Pam Blevins Hinkle All motion is love, we follow the love we are given.
All motion is love, we follow, we follow the love.
- Heart Wide Open
by Lea Morris
*Keep your heart wide open, though the waves want to push you around.
You've got to keep your heart wide open, 'til your faith brings you back to solid ground.
I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep my heart wide open --
although the waves want to push; although the waves want to push me around.
I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep my heart wide open --
until my faith brings me back; until my faith brings me back to solid ground.*
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Deeper
Music by: Meg O'Dell Chittenden
Notes: I was stymied when I came to the point in the podcast where I explain why I chose this song... because to me it simply is exactly the way I'm trying to live. It's like Meg O'Dell Chittenden went in my brain and named what was happening! Do you find songs like that -- ones that simply speak your truth so clearly that singing them feels like naming your very own core? It reassures me that I am not alone...
Songwriter Info: Meg loves helping people access their innate capacity for healing, connection, and joy. She is a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing. Because she's always found the voice, and especially singing in harmony with others, to be a particularly powerful pathway for connection with ourselves and the world around us, she delights in serving as a music teacher, song leader, and vocal mentor. She hosts an annual adult and family singing retreat on the coast of Maine called SongWeavers. In addition, Meg is an Adjunct Professor for Antioch University's Graduate Program for Waldorf Teachers and for the Center for Anthroposophy's Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. Her sources of inspiration include the small, misty mountain that overlooks her home and singing with her children, Clancy and Celia.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Meg always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:03
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16
Links:
Meg's Website: www.singwaldorf.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor with a major V7 chord, 4-layers
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: The Change
Music by: Mary L. Cohen
Notes: “My dad played the copper fish mold.” — aren’t you curious now? Listen in as Mary Cohen and I explore family music, personal structures for improvisation, creating connections between incarcerated and not-incarcerated people, and more… We wander a bit through grief and disconnection and finding what is, in a conversation that’s real and messy and touches on fear and joy, building a caring community for ourselves, our neighbors, the global world… living with regret and streaming grace to the person we were when we made a mistake; restoring connection. It’s a glimpse of the rich variety of resources Mary draws on as she shapes her life… I hope to add some into mine.
Songwriter Info: Mary L. Cohen, Professor of Music Education at the University of Iowa, is lead author of Music-Making in U.S. Prisons: Listening to Incarcerated Voices (2022). She co-founded the International Music and Justice Network: IMAJIN Caring Communities, a group of researchers from 18 countries who study music-making in prisons, and you are welcome to join by contacting Mary to get on the group email list (mary-cohen@uiowa.edu). From 2009 to 2020 she led the Oakdale Community Choir with incarcerated and non-incarcerated participants where participants have written over 150 songs, and the Oakdale Choir performed over 75 of these songs, available with the Creative Commons License. To continue working toward the choir’s goals of building communities of caring through singing and songwriting, she founded the Inside Outside Songwriting Collaboration Project where partnerships between incarcerated and non-incarcerated songwriters create original songs, build relationships, and learn about transformative and generative justice. She has been a keynote for conferences in Germany, Canada, and Portugal, interviewed by the BBC3 Music Matters, and has over 40 publications in journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. She leads weekly music groups inside the Juvenile Detention Center of Linn County.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share, and Mary welcomes networking support and invites you to further your education and activism regarding environmental justice, restorative/transformative/generative justice, and simply acting with kindness to all you encounter.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:45
Start time of reprise: 01:07:58
Links:
- Oakdale Community Choir website: https://oakdalechoir.lib.uiowa.edu/
- Dave Camlin's new book is Music-Making and Civic Imagination: A Holistic Philosophy. His website:https://www.davecamlin.com/civic
- There is a new 30 minute documentary film by Daniel Kolen about the Oakdale Community Choir called "The Inside Singers." The 3 minute preview of the film is available at https://vimeo.com/169192145.
- Iowa PBS did a short 8'30" video story on the Oakdale Community Choir. Find it here: https://www.pbs.org/video/the-oakdale-community-choir-coralville-iowa-bfe7bd/
- Andy Douglas, local Iowa City nonfiction & spiritual author wrote Redemption Songs: A Year in the Life of a Community Prison Choir about his experiences singing in the Oakdale Community Choir
- Forthcoming (fall 2024) book by mother of filmmaker Daniel Kolen who created "The Inside Singers", Amy Kolen wrote Inside Voices: A Prison Choir, My Mother, and Me
- For people interested in abolition of the prison industrial complex, here are some good resources:
- Mariam Kaba's We Do This Til We Free Us
- University of Santa Cruz's Visualizing Abolition resources (including the Music for Abolition collection)
- Critical Resistance online at https://criticalresistance.org/
- The book Mary wrote with Stuart Paul Duncan Music-Making in US Prisons: Listening to Incarcerated Voices
- To hear two versions of the Oakdale Community Choir performing "The Change" visit https://oakdalechoir.lib.uiowa.edu/original-works/
- Most recent one was December 14, 2016 concert themed "Look on the Bright Side" track 13
- The first version was Fall 2014 and is available under "Original works" link (scroll down a bit) along with the Fall 2016 version. The simple score of the song is available on that link too.
- Voice Science Works with lots of tools for voice habitation: https://www.voicescienceworks.org/
- "The Real Work" (song) by Gretchen Sleicher, words by Wendell Berry https://songsforthegreatturning.net/originals/therealwork/
- InterPlay: An active creative way to unlock the wisdom of the body founded by Phil Porter & Cynthia Winton-Henry
- Music for People: A free improvisation program founded by David Darling (whose niece Emily Darling was Mary Cohen's first yoga teacher & owns Darling Yoga in Overland Park, Kansas)
- Sandy Kemp: Sending Healing streams of Grace. Sandy is an educator, healer, intuitive, mentor, and nurturer.
- Plantiful Pantry
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, minor, round
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters! https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: May My Tears Water a Sapling
Music by: Mary L. Cohen
Notes: Mary Cohen's huge heart and willingness to do big work in the world shines through in this song, with lyrics sparked by the 2020 midwestern derecho with devastated so many trees. When we talk in next week's songwriter conversation, the depth of Mary's passion for how singing can support and feed change is evident. I hope you can join us as we explore the US prison-industrial complex and music, the role of mentorship, and how self-care can adapt. In this episode, I invite you to experiment a bit, finding musical touchstones as a way into harmonizing. In the links, you'll find several different arrangement/performances you can listen to for other harmonizing ideas, if that's up your alley.
Songwriter Info: Mary L. Cohen, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Iowa, is lead author of Music-Making in U.S. Prisons: Listening to Incarcerated Voices (2022). She co-founded the International Music and Justice Network: IMAJIN Caring Communities, a group of researchers from 18 countries who study music-making in prisons, and you are welcome to join by contacting Mary to get on the group email list (mary-cohen@uiowa.edu). From 2009 to 2020 she led the Oakdale Community Choir with incarcerated and non-incarcerated participants where participants have written over 150 songs, and the Oakdale Choir performed over 75 of these songs, available with the Creative Commons License. To continue working toward the choir’s goals of building communities of caring through singing and songwriting, she founded the Inside Outside Songwriting Collaboration Project where partnerships between incarcerated and non-incarcerated songwriters create original songs, build relationships, and learn about transformative and generative justice. She has been a keynote for conferences in Germany, Canada, and Portugal, interviewed by the BBC3 Music Matters, and has over 40 publications in journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. She leads weekly music groups inside the Juvenile Detention Center of Linn County.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share, and Mary welcomes networking support and invites you to further your education and activism regarding environmental justice, restorative/transformative/generative justice, and simply acting with kindness to all you encounter.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:48
Start time of reprise: 00:18:20
Links:
Oakdale Community Choir website: https://oakdalechoir.lib.uiowa.edu/
"Not Our Trees" by Laura Weber: https://prairiewoods.org/not-our-trees/
Outside singers (non-incarcerated choir members) from the Oakdale Community Choir (now disbanded because the current warden will not allow it to restart) performed "May My Tears Water a Sapling" at the Anne Frank Tree Planting Ceremony from April 29, 2022, on the University of Iowa Pentacrest. You can see this performance that begins with a powerful spoken word piece by Jhe Russell at 1:14 on this YouTube video.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, unison with optional harmonies
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Oh the Rain
Music by: Patricia Norton
Notes: Seems like being able to let things fall is my skill-du-jour. Rain, my feelings, other people's experiences... letting it come down and softening around it. I wrote this song during a week of incessant winter rain... and sang it here during a week of hard things to feel. Both times, it helped me be where I am. Songs that help navigate life. Yup. This is how we do it....
Songwriter Info: This whole singing thing is just bringing me so much joy and growth and comfort... so grateful to all the people along the way who have helped me find my voice.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact me for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:12
Start time of reprise: 00:14:37
Links:
Juneberry Music website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Mixolydian, 3-layer
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Walk On Through
Music by: Samara Jade
Notes: Samara's song sings powerfully inside me about how we accompany each other... and are accompanied by the natural world. It gives me words to say and feel when someone I care for is going through pain and there is nothing I can "do" to help... and that I am not the only source of companionship. This episode is a little unusual -- instead of just voice, I decided to play piano, including time for you to sing while I accompany you. Patty's artwork was in my mind's eye as I was singing -- I am so grateful for her accompanying vision as we create this library of songs.
Songwriter Info: Samara Jade is a multi-instrumentalist folk troubadour - a writer, crafter, performer and producer of memorable soul-centered songs. Coming from a diverse musical background, Samara stitches together a unique tapestry of sounds with a sophisticated quality of musicianship distinctly her own. Born in the Hudson Valley of New York state, and shaped by the mountains and rivers of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, Samara has been a grass-roots style touring folk musician for over a decade, spreading her songs all across this country and weaving and widening the webs of community. To Samara, music is a primarily a healing and spiritual practice - with many of her songs born out of and made for her own journeys of grief, underworld spelunking, connection with the natural world & transformation - and she derives great joy and fulfillment when her songs turn out to provide good medicine for others as well.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Samara always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:30
Start time of reprise: 00:13:57
Links:
Samara's Patreon: www.patreon.com/samarajade
Nuts & Bolts: Mixed meter; major, verse & chorus
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Begin Again
Music by: Jean Farmer
Notes: Jean Farmer's song was just right for me this week, as some old wounds were reopened. I was frustrated with myself -- I didn't want to have to heal again. This song helped me find the kindness and willingness to start over, connecting with this breath and the earth. Jean said I could harmonize at will -- so I give you four different ways -- a simple echo, a descant, and then a 3-part harmony with part above and below and some different sounds, and of course, the unadorned song so you can play or enjoy joining your voice with mine. I'm so glad we're singing together!
Songwriter Info: Jean Farmer has experienced the joy of singing in community from her earliest days, often singing with her sisters as a child and later leading songs around the campfire. She was a registered nurse for 35 years. Since retiring from Nursing, songs have been coming through her, often in the middle of the night. This opening to welcome the songs is a spiritual practice: a path to centering, a form of self-expression, and a way to create and build community. She often sings at labyrinth walks and other contemplative gatherings in Northern California with her singing partner Robin O'Brien in a group called Notan.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups. Please credit Jean Farmer as the author. Please contact Jean for recording and or performing permission. (jeanwfarmer@gmail.com)
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
Start time of reprise: 00:18:57
Links:
Notan Bandcamp: https://notan.bandcamp.com/album/mother-tree
Notan website: https://notan.org/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison with optional harmonies
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Hold On
Music by: Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr.
Composed in: 1980
Notes: Aaron shares his close personal connection with this song: after the horrible accidental death of his father, "“It was the first inkling, the first kind of hint that this kind of grief might be bearable.” We dove into how to bring anti-oppression work right into songcircles, or any other kind of work you might do. Aaron helped me consider how I, as a white person with financial stability, could practice persistence in anti-racism work... looking for ways to move beyond the crash-and-boom cycle of support that's triggered by a disaster. How do you hold grief and joy at the same time? Aaron invites us into an exploratory "jamming out" section into the song, and talks about touch and connection as self-care. Lots to celebrate, lots to grieve... and while I was sick at the time of recording, (I don't have Aaron's robust immune system!), I'm so grateful to have had the chance to listen.
Songwriter Info: Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch specialist working to identify and interrupt barriers between people. As co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Because oppression is a part of historical and present American culture, the long-term impact of those trauma stories should be acknowledged and held as a map for our collective healing. Aaron Johnson practices and invites various methods of moving through these stories, such as the communal listening ear, sound healing, meditation, and closeness to the earth.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Aaron for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:42
Start time of reprise: 01:13:45
Links:
Bliss is Ordinary podcast episode with Yam and Jessi: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aaron-johnson-invites-you-to-risk-something/id1614727245?i=1000641691263
Holistic Resistance podcast with Lisa Littlebird: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holistic-resistance/id1368705035
Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr.’s recording of Hold On : https://youtu.be/awyHHZ44YDU?feature=shared
Aaron's link tree: https://linktr.ee/HolisticResistance
Holistic Resistance website: https://www.holisticresistance.com/
Holistic Resistance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistic_resistance
Grief to Action fund: https://www.grieftoaction.com/
Chronically Under Touched (CUT) project: https://www.cutproject.org/
CUT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cut.project/
Rescue (album by Acappella Company): https://store.acappella.org/acappella/rescue/
Alillia Johnson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alillia.sound/
and Bandcamp: https://alillia.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-2
Fivacious, Aaron’s family group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvh0HKHo5jE
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Minor, unison with opportunities to harmonize, zipper
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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: I Hear
Music by: Aaron Johnson
Notes: What I love about Aaron's song is how it is quick to learn, and then can be taken in many directions -- it can stay simple, giving a chance to listen deeply to one's own voice or the voices of surrounding people. It can be explored in many ways -- growing, soft, harmonies, rhythmic intense or free -- and for this recording, I had the privilege of listening to five friends learn it for the first time, and then let themselves take risks and explore. When making a studio recording, anything that didn't ring perfectly would be taken out -- but I've left the exploration in, to encourage you to do some of your own. Your voice from your heart to your soul. Listening to what it's saying. What a beautiful practice.
Songwriter Info: Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch specialist working to identify and interrupt barriers between people. As co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Because oppression is a part of historical and present American culture, the long-term impact of those trauma stories should be acknowledged and held as a map for our collective healing. Aaron Johnson practices and invites various methods of moving through these stories, such as the communal listening ear, sound healing, meditation, and closeness to the earth.
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Aaron for permission and rates.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:09
Start time of reprise: 00:13:20
Links:
Link tree: https://linktr.ee/HolisticResistance
Grief to Action: https://www.grieftoaction.com/
The Chronically UnderTouched Project:
https://www.cutproject.org/
https://bio.site/cut.project
TEDx on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zi_hm0-zrgk
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison with option of adding harmonies
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(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Love Stays
Music by: Laszlo Slomovits
Notes: When Lois Zimmerman, at age 96, moved to a care home, her friends threw her a life transition party (brilliant idea, no?!). They asked Gemini, Lois's favorite group, to come and share a transition song -- so Laszlo Slomovits wrote this song of the constancy of love through change. I'm singing through the end of a cold (I did edit out the coughing fit!) -- which reminds me that one of the unique things about this podcast is that it's not at all about me delivering album quality polish to you -- it's about you learning these songs, and taking them into your life -- YOU are the one who lets them into your life, singing them in ways that help navigate whatever you face, sharing them with others as you are moved. And all through the changes, chosen and imposed, welcome and difficult, love stays.
Songwriter Info: Laszlo Slomovits is one of the twin brothers in the folk music duo Gemini. Besides his work with music for children, Laszlo has also set to music the poetry of the ancient Sufi mystics, Rumi and Hafiz (five recordings are available on the website) as well as classic and contemporary American poetry. He is also a published writer of both haiku and lyric poetry.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Laszlo for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:44
Start time of reprise: 00:12:20
Links:
Gemini Children's Music: http://geminichildrensmusic.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters! (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!)
Song: Roadblock
Music by: Debbie Nargi-Brown
Notes: Debbie Nargi-Brown has written a powerhouse of a song, beloved by anyone who has gotten to sing it with her... it builds the energy to get up again, and again, no matter what the fall. Sometimes I need to temper this with the reminder to myself to be attentive to what I need as I'm getting up -- it can be done slowly, and that's still a getting up worth celebrating. At the same time, the sheer tenacity of this song, combined with the acceptance that life is unpredictable, unknowable, and our job is to stay in the arena -- I love this for all of that! This song has a potent backstory, as Debbie caught it shortly after her life partner had received a very frightening diagnosis, and they began the unpredictable, unknowable path of treatment.
Songwriter Info: Debbie Nargi-Brown is a gifted community song leader, an award-winning dance teacher, and a talented songwriter, who resides in the Santa Cruz Mountains in CA. She offers her songs with love, compassion, and the hope of bringing joy and healing to others. Debbie’s lyrics and melodies are sung all over the world. She writes songs for the heart, healing, transformation, love, grief, and all that connects us as human beings. Bringing people together in dance and song is one of her greatest joys in life!
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Debbie for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:33
Start time of reprise: 00:15:05
Links:
To listen or purchase her music: https://www.debbienargi-brown.com/albums/
You can also sign up for her newsletter through her website to find out about upcoming retreats or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.nargibrown
There is a great live version of Roadblock on her soundcloud page: https://on.soundcloud.com/gSDc2
Debbie's music is also available on all streaming platforms now.
Debbie also offers a great opportunity: Private lessons online!
She says: Schedule a session with me if you would like help with: writing a song (this could be your very first song), finishing a song you are working on, adding harmonies or parts to one of your songs, strengthening your song leading abilities, teaching harmonies or multiple parts, connecting to your voice and feeling good about your singing, using garageband as a songwriting tool and/or to record your song. You can schedule a single session or we can work together multiple times. Each session will be tailored to what you want to accomplish.
Email me if you have any questions or to book a session: dnargibrown@gmail.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, aeolian, 3-layer
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Suis ton rêve
Music by: Rafaele Carlier
Notes: Rafaele and I struck up a friendship when we were both fortunate enough to spend a week exploring vocal improvisation together at Le Cercle Enchantée in the summer of '23. Now, Rafaele thinks of herself as a visual artist -- but listen to what came through her as she was freely exploring song a few months later. Wow! And then she shared it with me over WhatsApp -- and so I could sing this song first heard by a friend of mine, in the language that was speaking to her. I love singing the heart songs of friends -- I wish sharing them with each other could be as ordinary as texting a heart emoji! You'll hear me "duetting" playfully with her song -- making up lines -- I hope you'll try, too!
Songwriter Info: Rafaele says, "I am a handycrafter and an artist, without distinction between the two. I hope to have more lives to learn and practice all I would like to: tango, ceramic, botany, muralism, circlesinging... yet I feel lucky to have followed a lot of my dreams... and to keep on it!"
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Rafaele for recording and/or performing permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:19
Start time of reprise: 00:12:39
Links:
Rafaele's website: www.rafaelia.com
Rafaele's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RafaeliaHandmadeDesign
Rafaele's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafaelia_handmadedesign/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison with made up harmonies
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: The Feast
Music by: Heidi Wilson
Notes: A lively songwriter conversation about gratitude, helping, useful questions, tending a group, getting traction with things we're passionate about, collaboration, caves & crankies and so much more! Heidi shares The Feast -- a gratitude song that intermingles the elements and us, and we get a special glimpse of 7-year-old Heidi songwriting and going big.
Songwriter Info: Heidi Wilson has a passion for sharing songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for healing. She is drawn to the potent and surprising journey of deep-listening and collaborative emergent music making. Heidi has been leading community singing groups in Vermont for the last 15 years and currently sings with the vocal trio Heartwood.
Sharing Info: Heidi says: "I’m on an ongoing journey figuring out how to share songs (that feel like generous gifts from the world) while also making a living as a songweaver. I am happy for the songs coming through me to be shared! If people are singing them in informal, community, or ritual settings that’s awesome, sing away! If people are sharing them in a setting where they are making a bunch of money or there is a budget for educational/repertoire materials and they are able to pass some of those resources my way I appreciate that. I would feel good about that reciprocity coming in the form of a one time donation, or by joining me on Patreon and supporting my songweaving work at any monthly level. And if you are interested in recording any of these songs let’s talk!
Looking for recordings of more songs? I mostly share music through Patreon, an online platform to support artists. On my Patreon site I’ve posted 80+ songs. Each post has downloadable practice recordings of the harmony parts. And through Patreon I also link to a spreadsheet where the songs are organized into categories, so you can listen through and find just the right song for Spring, or Gratitude, or Trees."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:00
Start time of reprise: 01:01:08
Links:
Heidi's Website: www.heidiannwilson.com
Heidi's Patreon: www.patreon.com/HeidiWilson
Heartwood Trio's Website: www.Heartwoodtrio.com
Sarina Partridge's Website: www.sarinapartridge.com
Heinavankar: Songs of Olden Times -Estonian Folk Hymns and Runic Songs: https://www.discogs.com/release/17138368-Heinavanker-Songs-Of-Olden-Times-Estonian-Folk-Hymns-And-Runic-Songs
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian, (harmonic minor in the harmonies), unison harmonized optionally
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: Bend and Rebound
Music by: Heidi Wilson
Notes: Heidi is an incredible resource for songs connected with the natural world -- and this one turns to willows, with their ability to give and spring, bend and rebound. Next week, Heidi and I get to talk about how she accesses her own rebound during winter and other times. We ponder the urge to help, the balance of local and travel, and Heidi describes what she is "on a rampage" about... including a request for listeners regarding a cave! I hope you can join us...
Songwriter Info: Heidi Wilson has a passion for sharing songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for healing. She is drawn to the potent and surprising journey of deep-listening and collaborative emergent music making. Heidi has been leading community singing groups in Vermont for the last 15 years and currently sings with the vocal trio Heartwood.
Sharing Info: Heidi says: "I’m on an ongoing journey figuring out how to share songs (that feel like generous gifts from the world) while also making a living as a songweaver. I am happy for the songs coming through me to be shared! If people are singing them in informal, community, or ritual settings that’s awesome, sing away! If people are sharing them in a setting where they are making a bunch of money or there is a budget for educational/repertoire materials and they are able to pass some of those resources my way I appreciate that. I would feel good about that reciprocity coming in the form of a one time donation, or by joining me on Patreon and supporting my songweaving work at any monthly level. And if you are interested in recording any of these songs let’s talk!
Looking for recordings of more songs? I mostly share music through Patreon, an online platform to support artists. On my Patreon site I’ve posted 80+ songs. Each post has downloadable practice recordings of the harmony parts. And through Patreon I also link to a spreadsheet where the songs are organized into categories, so you can listen through and find just the right song for Spring, or Gratitude, or Trees."
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:38
Start time of reprise: 00:11:42
Links:
Heidi's Website: www.heidiannwilson.com
Heidi's Patreon: www.patreon.com/HeidiWilson
Heartwood Trio's Website: www.Heartwoodtrio.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major), 2-part round with harmony
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Song: My Thoughts Make A Difference
Music by: Chandler Yorkhall
Notes: The energy and determination that this song funnels into me can be formidable. It steps from naming that our individual thoughts, feelings, words, and healing matters; next stop is a determination to pay attention to the struggle, because time is short; and then the question -- what can I do for this broken world? It's a vital progression and gathering of force. I sing it at two very different tempos (well, the second, faster one I don't QUITE manage, but, you know, I'll get better at it!) One of the things that stopped me from singing for a long time was feeling like I wasn't good enough, even to sing to myself, because I didn't sound like the albums I had. That's why I leave mistakes in this podcast -- I'm reclaiming my right to not be perfect, and the playfulness and energy that comes from that... and I hope hearing me mess up frees space for you, too.
Songwriter Info: Chandler grew up singing with his family and can’t remember a time when singing wasn’t part of his daily life. He has been writing, leading, and getting inspired by songs since he was a teen, and songs have saved his sanity more times than he can remember. He is so pleased to be able to share his joy through sharing his songs. Chandler lives in Minneapolis with his wife and 4 children, who also love to sing! He's never really settled on a parenting “philosophy” per se, until his two teen daughters returned from their first Village Harmony camp, singing lustily in praise of everything good. At that point he said to himself, “Well, if my children leave my home knowing how to sing, I guess I’ll have done them, and the world, a great service.”
Sharing Info: Yes - The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Chandler for recording, performing, or publication permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:07
Start time of reprise: 00:12:50
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3 layer
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: You know how sometimes happiness just bubbles up inside you and it feels like the world is unbelievably sweet? And then maybe, you get a little voice that says, "If you notice it, it's gonna disappear!" Or, "Don't be too happy, it attracts bad luck!" Or any other little fear message that says it's not okay to be purely happy for a moment? This song was my way of letting that go, dancing crazy around my living room and kitchen, lifting my hands high, high and releasing into the glow! On February 24th, 2024, A Breath of Song reached 51.5k downloads and we opened registration for our first-ever retreat... and we sang this song in a crowded Zoom room to celebrate big.
Songwriter Info: In addition to hosting this podcast and an online singing program, Pocket Songs, Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community singing program in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a part of vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... trusting the whole messy catastrophe! She lives with her long-time beloved, Tom, in a single bedroom apartment close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their grand.) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.
Sharing Info: You are welcome to share this song; please contact Patricia directly for sheet music or permission to record or perform. She always appreciates hearing about how the song travels.
Links:
Patricia's Website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com
A Breath of Song on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/juneberrymusic
A Breath of Song on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abreathofsongpodcast
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:37
Start time of reprise: 00:12:34
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, aeolian with some chromaticism, round
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I had an early morning voice as I was recording this, full of creaks and gaps -- and it shifts as it goes! I didn't rerecord, partly because, you know, time, and partly because I'm challenging myself to let recordings be human and real, and partly because A Breath of Song is all about turning up with the voices we have... so you're welcome! 😊 Sara Stutz's beautiful song starts in one calm place, and then ever so gracefully settles into an even calmer presence. I can feel my whole system regulate every time I sing it.
Songwriter Info: Sara grew up in a musical family and has always loved to sing. Over the years, Sara sang in choirs, performed in musical theater, led songs as a camp counselor, studied music in college, performed classically and thankfully, landed in the world of community singing about seven years ago when she met Kaitie Ty Warren and started singing with a few folks in Kaitie's living room. The heart connection, and joy that the Community Singing world has brought to Sara has been life changing. Sara is currently co-leading Living Room Choir ANEW with Kaitie Ty Warren and recently had the great good fortune to travel to Victoria Canada to complete her Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) and become part of the Ubuntu Network. Sara also works as a pediatric physical therapist and loves to use singing, rhythm and movement to support connection and emotional regulation for little and big people.
Sharing Info: Sara would be delighted if you sing and share her song. She'd love to hear how this song might land with you or your group.
Links:
Sara is co-leader of Living Room Choir ANEW: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/
Sara's email addresses:
smstutzpt@gmail.com
sara@saramstutzmspt.com
Kaitie Ty Warren: https://kaitietywarren.com/
Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT): https://www.communitychoirleadership.com
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:41
Start time of reprise: 00:17:42
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer, harmonized (5 parts total)
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)
to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Meg tells us where she goes "to integrate, to reorient around what matters most to me, and connect with the world around me and that sense of source within myself." We talk about "the good, the beautiful, and the true," and she doesn't shy away from the awkward questions I have about those words in today's world. Meg and her two children, Clancy and Celia, teach us "What Would It Take?" with its intertwining harmonies, and then later we talk about the experience of singing in harmonies and how it connects to boundarys and group awareness. Meg says, “My pathway with the voice…is about repeatedly coming back into connection with myself…and the possibility of joy.”
Songwriter Info: Meg loves helping people access their innate capacity for healing, connection, and joy. She is a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing. Because she's always found the voice, and especially singing in harmony with others, to be a particularly powerful pathway for connection with ourselves and the world around us, she delights in serving as a music teacher, song leader, and vocal mentor. She hosts an annual adult and family singing retreat on the coast of Maine called SongWeavers. In addition, Meg is an Adjunct Professor for Antioch University's Graduate Program for Waldorf Teachers and for the Center for Anthroposophy's Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. Her sources of inspiration include the small, misty mountain that overlooks her home and singing with her children, Clancy and Celia.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Meg always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links: People of the Dawnland, Wabanaki confederacy and Penobscot people: https://matlt.org/wabanaki-people-of-the-dawnland/
Spell Songs: The Lost Words: https://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/
The Spell Songs: Blessing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUBBF99UNkQ
Blue Hill Mountain: https://bluehillheritagetrust.org/blue-hill-mountain/
SongWeavers of Maine: https://www.singwaldorf.org
Antioch University, Masters for Waldorf Teachers: https://www.antioch.edu/academics/education/waldorf-education-med/
Heidi Wilson: https://heidiannwilson.com/
Sarina Partridge: https://sarinapartridge.com/
Nicholas Williams: https://www.kehlerwilliams.com/about
Bennett Konesni: https://www.duckbackfarm.com/
Bagaduce Music lending Library: https://www.bagaducemusic.org/
Waldorf Education: https://www.waldorfeducation.org/waldorf-education
Meg’s Somatic Coaching: https://www.singwaldorf.org/work-with-meg
Tinder Hearth pizza restaurant: https://www.tinderhearth.com/
Joni Mitchell - Blue: https://jonimitchell.com/music/album.cfm?id=5
Kongero- Swedish Folk'appella group: https://kongero.se/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
Start time of song after teaching: 00:34:56
Start time of reprise: 01:16:40
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, minor, 3-part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Even though I had a runny nose while recording, I practiced showing up with my voice where it is, feeling into the body, noticing the breath... it felt beautiful to be "calling us in," following Meg O'Dell's guidance "home to ourselves." I love the way this melody rocks and rolls through so many comforting words -- I come away with the sense of "true-ing" myself, "whole-ing." I wonder what you will notice as you sing? Make ample use of the rewind button to give yourself a chance to learn some things that I breeze through pretty quickly -- and you can easily find the words at abreathofsong.com if they aren't in front of you here! Enjoy...
Songwriter Info: Meg loves helping people access their innate capacity for healing, connection, and joy. She is a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing. Because she's always found the voice, and especially singing in harmony with others, to be a particularly powerful pathway for connection with ourselves and the world around us, she delights in serving as a music teacher, song leader, and vocal mentor. She hosts an annual adult and family singing retreat on the coast of Maine called SongWeavers. In addition, Meg is an Adjunct Professor for Antioch University's Graduate Program for Waldorf Teachers and for the Center for Anthroposophy's Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. Her sources of inspiration include the small, misty mountain that overlooks her home and singing with her children, Clancy and Celia.
Links: Meg's Website: www.singwaldorf.com
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
Start time of reprise: 00:19:30
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, 3-part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song Mailing list
(https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
(https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I love the way Steph Drouin's song reminds me to be right here, right now... which was useful during recording, as my voice is still recovering from a bad cold, and as I sing with it, right here, right now, it feels unpredictable! So I decided to play with range a little -- I teach the four parts of the song in the original key that Steph shares it in. It's a longer teach than some, because there are so many different unique parts -- and you can see in the song stamps when the song as a whole starts running, if you'd like to come back for just the song. Then for the reprise, I shifted the song several steps lower, which might be more comfortable for some people, and too low for others... one of the openings of singing practice is noticing where your voice feels comfortable, and where it feels stretched; this song gives you a chance to explore that if you'd like... right here, right now!
Songwriter Info: Steph Drouin is a community song leader based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has been facilitating song circles in Toronto for over 7 years with groups such as Sing for Joy and Fiercely OK, which she founded in January 2019. Steph is a community builder and mental health advocate with a strong belief in the “Fierce OKness” in all of us. Informed by a life-long relationship with anxiety, she writes and teaches songs to help participants embrace their messiness and stay connected to their sense of being OK. Playful and strong, she has a knack for bringing light into dark places. She graduated from the Community Choir Leadership Training program and Lisa Littlebird’s Flight School in 2018, and is now in the process of completing a three-year training program in Expressive Art Therapy with the CREATE Institute. Steph sends a big thank you to all who have helped her share her gifts with the world!
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Steph always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Please contact her if you hope to perform or record the song. Steph offers her songs in the spirit of the gift, meaning you choose if and how you give a gift in return. While monetary gifts make her work possible, they are not a requirement to enjoy, sing or share her songs. You are welcome to receive the gift of song! Reciprocity in the form of monetary contributions, networking, or permission to sing and share the songs of others is always received with gratitude.
Links:
Fiercely OK Website: www.fiercelyok.ca
Fiercely OK and Steph on Instagram: @therestlessinchoirer and @fiercelyok
Fiercely OK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiercelyOK/
Fiercely OK Mailing List: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/home-join-the-mailing-list
Giving Options:
1) Send an e-transfer to Fiercely OK: gifts@fiercelyok.ca (no password required) PREFERRED
2) Make a contribution via PayPal to steph.drouin@gmail.com
3) Become a monthly donor via PayPal HERE:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=8FGN3GPS69BNU¤cy_code=CAD&item_name=Thank%20you%20for%20helping%20us%20nourish%20wellness%20and%20resilience%20through%20song%20and%20belonging%20in%20our%20communities%21&no_recurring=0
4) Make a cash contribution at one of our in-person events
Steph's own recording of There Is Only Now: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/song-recordings-there-is-only-now
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:10
1st song run through: 00:11:55
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor (a little Dorian, a little Aeolian), 4-part layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: We play a little with the harmonies over and under this very singable melody Paulette wrote to set part of a letter written in 1675 by George Fox (it's been a minute!) He was writing during troubled times to a persecuted people. As I was recording, I kept wondering how it could feel to be both "sure and steadfast" and "float above"... the invitation is open to you to explore!
Songwriter Info: Paulette Meier is a Quaker singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio, where her strong voice has led crowds in song at many a gathering for peace, justice and an earth restored. As a peace educator in schools, she produced an award-winning album, Come Join the Circle: LessonSongs for Peacemaking, now used in classrooms across the country to help children learn the skills of peacemaking. As Artist in Residence for 9 months at Pendle Hill, a Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation, her appreciation for Quaker history and spirituality deepened, leading to a practice of setting inspiring quotations of 17th century Quaker founding leaders to chant-like song. She leads chanting at the Wisdom retreats of Cynthia Bourgeault, author, mystic, and teacher of the contemplative Christian Wisdom tradition. This on-going collaboration led to a second album of Quaker chants composed by Paulette, Wellsprings of Life: Quaker Wisdom in Chant, on which this song can be found.
Sharing Info: When sharing this song, please credit the source: w: George Fox, 1675; m: Paulette Meier, on the album Wellsprings of Life, Quaker Wisdom in Chant.
Links: Paulette's Website (order downloads or CD here) - www.paulettemeier.com
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:04
Start time of reprise: 00:13:31
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison with harmonies
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I've been lucky to have Resa singing with me for the past ten years in various Juneberry Music offerings, and her warm, colorful voice always brings me pleasure to hear. So as I sing this song, it's as though I hear Resa's voice inside mine. There's something wonderful about selecting the voices that are allowed inside your head and the messages you choose to hear. I find myself calmed by Resa's companionship in this song, reminding me to return to the present, make space for what is, return, return.
Songwriter Info: Resa is a Certified Music Practitioner (Therapeutic Musician) at Concord Hospital, Concord, NH, who sings at the bedside of patients, including those who are who are physically and mentally ill, dying, recovering from surgery, in a coma, or in the NICU. She firmly believes in the healing power of music, and, like St. Augustine, affirms that "He who sings, prays twice." Resa has been singing in choirs and choral groups in the United States and Europe since she was 5 years old and occasionally accompanies herself on piano or guitar. When not singing, she is a voracious reader, an adventurous cook, an avid cross-stitcher, and devoted pet-parent. This song was born fully formed after struggling with the process of being present in the gift of each moment as it arrives.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Resa for recording and/or performing permission.
Links: Resa's profile on Creative Ground: https://www.creativeground.org/profile/resa-cirrincione-cmp#section-about
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:15
Start time of reprise: 00:12:20
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, mantra, unison (optional harmonizing)
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Even though Kate wanted a resolution, the song insisted on being what it is -- a way to stay in the storm. She talks with me about how that felt, and what happened as she kept listening. We explore further -- how do you become a songleader when that's not how you view yourself? How do you write songs, when that feels scary-impossible? What is it about singing together that offers healing, and why is Kate herself drawn to doing things that help people in difficult moments? Where do songs live? I left this conversation with respect and excitement tumbling over each other... I hope you, too, enjoy hearing Kate's perspective.
Songwriter Info: Kate Valentine is a registered nurse and founder of Singing Mamas - a national non-profit for maternal well-being, bringing singing groups across the UK and the globe to women and mothers. Kate started with one group in 2011 and while struggling as a single mum to 3 sons and working nights shifts, she set about to get singing mamas free and referred to all new and expectant mums across the UK. There are now more than 200 leaders across 8 countries, with Singing Mamas programmes being delivered in over 50 local authorities, either as community groups or on-prescription through the national health service (NHS).
Kate is most passionate about bringing the 'untrained' musician into the work of song sharing, and is driven by a determination to re-normalise a singing culture, where it has been lost.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Kate always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Ashdown Forest - Winnie the Pooh: https://ashdownforest.org/explore/winnie-the-pooh/
Natural Voice Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Nick Prater: https://www.susiero.com/nick-prater.html
Singing Mamas: www.singingmamas.org
You Are My Sunshine: https://www.wideopencountry.com/you-are-my-sunshine/
DYCP Award Arts Council: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp
Monkey Mind: https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/understanding-monkey-mind-live-harmony-mental-companion/
Episode 129: "Inner Peace" by Kate Valentine: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/129-inner-peace
National Health Service UK: https://www.nhs.uk/
Empowering women and addressing poverty: https://givingcompass.org/article/how-women-empowerment-can-help-address-poverty
German Melodic Minimal Techno: https://www.chosic.com/genre-chart/minimal-melodic-techno/
Royal college of Music, Dave Camlin: https://www.rcm.ac.uk/research/people/details/?id=94812
Sound waves made visible…
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2814-sound-visualising-sound-waves
Cymatics: https://journeyofcuriosity.net/pages/what-is-cymatics-how-to-explained
Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQP0D4p8Xo
Sand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJAgrUBF4w
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette: https://genius.com/albums/Alanis-morissette/Jagged-little-pill
Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons): https://www.anohni.com/
Victor Ruiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVT_81WihTA
Sama’ Abdulhadi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lH-KzsQi0
Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org
Singing Mamas on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singingmamas
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:52
Start time of reprise: 01:23:00
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 4-layer
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I love the way this song by Kate Valentine has both motion and deep stillness. It carries acceptance and conviction, and I simply love having it in my head. How did she do this??? Next week, in conversation with Kate, she tells how she wrote this specific song, as well as how she managed to convince herself to write music in the first place, which felt like a near-impossible stretch.
Songwriter Info: Kate Valentine is a registered nurse and founder of Singing Mamas - a national non-profit for maternal well-being, bringing singing groups across the UK and the globe to women and mothers. Kate started with one group in 2011 and while struggling as a single mum to 3 sons and working nights shifts, she set about to get singing mamas free and referred to all new and expectant mums across the UK. There are now more than 200 leaders across 8 countries, with Singing Mamas programmes being delivered in over 50 local authorities, either as community groups or on-prescription through the national health service (NHS).
Kate is most passionate about bringing the 'untrained' musician into the work of song sharing, and is driven by a determination to re-normalise a singing culture, where it has been lost.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Kate always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Singing Mamas Website: www.singingmamas.org
Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:34
Start time of reprise: 00:14:47
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized 2 layers
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Gitanjali Jain pours heartbreak, tension, anger, confusion all into this prayer for peace, which has some of the scrunchiest harmonies we've ever done on A Breath of Song. And although you could call these stacked harmonies, I decided to call them melodies -- because it's not clear to me that there's a single melodic voice -- to me it is the voice of many combined. Feel the frustration of the sounds hitting against each other; all those wishes we carry for peace, love and ease. Then notice how you feel after you've sung it... is there connection to Gitu, to me, to others feeling all the complexity of our beloved world?
Songwriter Info: Gitanjali Jain is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in music and theater. Born in Mexico City to her Mexican mother and East Indian father, she has focused a significant part of her work on the study of her ancestry and lineage. Other formative experiences include seven years in Hawai’i, where she worked as an aerialist, actor, and dancer in the award-winning production 'Ulalena.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Gitanjali always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Gitanjali on Bandcamp: https://alicuanta.bandcamp.com/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
Start time of reprise: 00:17:08
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, mostly harmonic minor, harmonized call & response
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: A generous song to let us both receive and release -- I deeply respect Lynn O'Brien's way of moving through the world. I love singing this song of hers so these words, this wisdom of taking and dropping, yes and no, can sift into my being and start to feel natural, like something I believe in my very core. Patty says, "I connected this song with the micro rhizomes and roots of trees -- what they have within them to give and what is given to them from others." Yes, yes, yes!!!
Songwriter Info: Described as a "musical force of nature," Lynn O'Brien is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, performer and recording artist with a soulful, dynamic voice. She has captivated thousands of audiences with her healing original songs, well-loved covers and compelling vocal improvisation - seamlessly blending genres like folk, jazz, soul, blues and R&B. Lynn has collaborated with artists across all mediums (from book authors to belly dancers to Bobby McFerrin himself) and also soars as a solo artist; she accompanies her vocals on guitar, ukulele, piano and occasional loop station to create an a cappella "one woman choir" effect. Drawing on her background as a board-certified music therapist, women's empowerment coach and speaker, Lynn brings a deep sense of presence, authenticity and inventiveness to every performance.
In a moment of deep presence, Lynn spontaneously composed this tune as a self-prayer and intention-setting of radical openness. Influenced by Tosha Silver's writings and many other spiritual teachers, she finds that her core work is often about opening - opening to receive and release - opening to being an easy, open conduit for Life to come through. Singing and improvisation is where this openness is most accessible for her, but she tries to practice in all areas of life. Thanks for listening, and please use this freely.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Lynn always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. To request the original recording from Lynn O'Brien, please contact her through her website, www.LynnOBrien.love
Links:
Website: https://www.lynnobrien.love/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnobrienlove/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnobrienlove
Listen/buy on Bandcamp: https://lynnobrienmusic.bandcamp.com/album/rising
Listen/stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4yMCG3V8FNV7JbkGR6FPTc
Listen/follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LynnOBrienLove
Support via Virtual Tip Jar (you know, "willingness to receive" and all that!)
Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/lynn-Obrien
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lynnobrienmusic
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:51
Start time of reprise: 00:15:40
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 minor; call and response, harmonized
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: A vivid reminder of what it's like to drop into hyper-awareness of breath and body... combined with a song that makes me extra aware of breath flow (like, it runs out! 😊) Very satisfying combination. The harmonies also move in intriguing ways -- now close, now far, now drawing back together and intertwining. As often happens, I struggled a bit to release this episode -- it's not perfectly, exquisitely in-tune... and it's not a perfect, exquisite voice that's singing! But I remind myself again and again that the point here is not perfection -- it's good that you'll be able to understand the song and sing it, too... and carry it off into your world. It's good that I spent an evening singing a song that helps me be more aware of my breath and body. It's good that I got to gaze at Patty Piotrowski's artwork for this piece as I sang. This is just a darn good way to be spending my life... so thanks for your company in this practice of singing beyond perfection!
Songwriter Info: Neal has been leading singing sessions in Cornwall for seven years. His style is influenced by membership of the Natural Voice Network and the sessions are non-performance, inclusive, mindful and with an ear to the spiritual/sacred in the widest sense of those words. Neal's songwriting is inspired by outdoor spaces where he does regular singing events, and being in the present: the only place where we can experience the world and each other.
Sharing Info: Please share this song and make a donation to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jollygoodsinging the amount reflecting your own income and assessment of the song's worth to you.
Links:
Jolly Good Singing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jollygoodsinging/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:00
Start time of reprise: 00:14:41
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8 minor with harmonic minor moment, 3 part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Gérone explores ways we can give ourselves our full hearts… with words and without words. How songs express and touch emotions, how questions can be a form of self care. Her partner is cooking in the background, so the recording is riddled with the crashes and bangs of everyday life, and our conversation is grounded in here and now. Recorded just two days after we moved, I wasn't feeling at my sparkliest(!), yet singing Dahil Mahal Kita was a settling, centering way to start in to a conversation about song in daily life.
Songwriter Info: Gérone is a thirty something movement and meditation teacher from the Philippines, now living in France. Her work is mostly about helping people get to know and love their bodies so much that they'd want to take care of them through yoga postures, mindful consumption, regulated breathing, and rest. When she's not in the yoga studio or the health center, she's happy singing Filipino folksongs while hiking, belting out karaoke hits in the kitchen while cooking or baking delicious vegan fare, or meditating while sewing or knitting clothes for her friends and family.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Gérone for recording and/or performing permission.
Links:
Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France: https://www.thetravel.com/what-makes-lyon-the-gastronomical-capital-of-france/
Tagalog- one of the main languages spoken in Manila: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tagalog-language
https://www.omniglot.com/writing/tagalog.htm
History of music in the Philippines: https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/historical-notes-on-why-filipinos-love-music
Understanding Mantras:
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/sanskrit/mantras-101-the-science-behind-finding-your-mantra-and-how-to-practice-it/
Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/
Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/circlesing
Tonal languages - https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/tonal-languages
Le Cercle Enchanté (The Enchanted Circle) retreat - https://lecercleenchante.com/en/
Gérone’s friend's album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0xPu4z5Z0lj7cmfGg8YjNG
Kendrick Lamar: https://www.biography.com/musicians/kendrick-lamar
Cynthia Alexander on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pu1wIlONwzjRxXFMg3u0U
Comfort in your Strangeness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltebib8teeM
Gérone's Website: https://gerone.yoga/fr
Gérone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerone.gentlewarrior
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:15
Start time of reprise: 01:04:02
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: It's magic to sing a song of presence in a language unfamiliar to me -- this one from the Phillipines -- it magnifies the focus, the awareness. Also I experience great comfort singing this particular set of sounds. Songwriter Gérone Pascal talks next week about what is special about Tagalog, why song creating feels natural to her, and her #1 self care tactic... all things which play out in this song. I added a few harmonies, but you might choose to play the melody section on repeat and add your own!
Songwriter Info: Gérone is a thirty something movement and meditation teacher from the Philippines, now living in France. Her work is mostly about helping people get to know and love their bodies so much that they'd want to take care of it through yoga postures, mindful consumption, regulated breathing, and rest. When she's not in the yoga studio or the health center, she's happy singing Filipino folksongs while hiking, belting out karaoke hits in the kitchen while cooking or baking delicious vegan fare, or meditating while sewing or knitting clothes for her friends and family.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Gérone for recording and/or performing permission.
Links:
Gérone's Website: https://gerone.yoga/fr
Gérone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerone.gentlewarrior
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching (text): 00:04:00
Start time of teaching (singing): 00:06:10
Start time of reprise: 00:14:30
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, harmonized melody
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Every time I sing one of Alexa Sunshine Rose's songs with a group, people immediately want to sing it again -- they simply feel that good. I give a little extra help picking out the harmonies that are on the recording of this that Alexa Sunshine Rose released (buying it on Bandcamp is a great way to support her artistry)... and then I play around with making up harmonies of my own, as I hope you will if it appeals. There's also something very beautiful about centering in the melody of this song, and letting the harmonies develop around you.
Songwriter Info: Alexa Sunshine Rose is a singer-songwriter, mother and artist who has dedicated herself and her life's work to being a clear channel for peace on earth. Alexa plays in the tuning frequency of A 432 Hz to promote inner peace and deep sound absorption. Listeners worldwide utilize her music during pregnancy and birth, hospice, yoga and massage, community song circles, and inner-transformational journeys.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Alexa for recording and/or performing permission.
Links:
Website: www.alexasunshinerose.com
Instagram: @Alexasunshinerose
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexasunshinerose
Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/alexasunshinerose
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:25
Start time of reprise: 00:13:35
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4 minor, 4-part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Chandler Yorkhall has written one of my favorite full moon songs, as I rarely sleep well during a full moon! I am delighted to have gotten to record this with my daughter, Rebecca -- laughter ensues, and we ended up including an "outtakes", where we experiment with rounding the song much more closely than usual... just to see what happens (and okay, yes, maybe it's a train wreck, but then we tried again!) I love the dancing rhythms of this, and appreciated Chandler's willingness to listen to how I'd learned to sing it. He pointed out a few spots which differed from his original so we could bring you a fairly accurate rendition of his original. As good songs travel, they sometimes morph...
Songwriter Info: Chandler grew up singing with his family and can’t remember a time when singing wasn’t part of his daily life. He has been writing, leading, and getting inspired by songs since he was a teen, and songs have saved his sanity more times than he can remember. He is so pleased to be able to share his joy through sharing his songs. Chandler lives in Minneapolis with his wife and 4 children, who also love to sing! He's never really settled on a parenting “philosophy” per se, until his two teen daughters returned from their first Village Harmony camp, singing lustily in praise of everything good. At that point he said to himself, “Well, if my children leave my home knowing how to sing, I guess I’ll have done them, and the world, a great service.”
Sharing Info: Yes -The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Chandler for recording, performing, or publication permission.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:50
Start time of reprise: 00:17:37
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian minor, round
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: John Lewis says bluntly, "Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part." Elizabeth gives us an equally blunt, strong song inspired by the life and words of John Lewis, reminding us to be unafraid to make the noise that needs to be made -- to stand up, and make good trouble -- to not give up because change doesn't come quickly, but rather see it as a lifetime struggle. I share all the parts together eventually, but you could pick and choose to sing only one or two of the parts, depending on which you needed. You'll hear some chromatic notes (close together in pitch) in one of the parts, which create some lively harmonies. I teach it at a slightly slower tempo, then put all the parts together a little faster -- you can see which speed feels best in you!
Songwriter Info: Elizabeth Melvin holds a deep belief in the power of music to provide transformative, joyous experiences on the individual and community level. She brings a lifetime of study and performance in world music to her work as a choir director and song leader. A multi-instrumentalist, she has performed on marimba, keyboards and percussion in a wide variety of genres. She is the founding director of The Freedom Choir, a 60-voice world music community choir in Annapolis, MD. During the height of the pandemic she led the weekly Rise and Sing online community sing featuring guest song leaders from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Africa. Elizabeth is a graduate of the Community Choir Leadership Training in Victoria, B.C., Canada. She has led vocal music workshops around the East Coast and Canada and is passionate about helping everyone find their voice and claim their birthright to sing.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups. Please contact Elizabeth Melvin if you plan to perform, record or film it with a choral ensemble and she requests that you/your group make a donation to any social justice or voting rights non-profit of your choice in honor of John Lewis. When using this song and the YouTube video (produced by Lea Morris) in a worship or educational setting, please purchase a license at https://www.hopesingseternal.me/songs/makegoodtrouble The license includes the YouTube video, mp3 & mp4 learning tracks and a score.
Links:
Elizabeth's choir Website: https://www.thefreedomchoir.com
The Freedom Choir on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomChoir
Elizabeth's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@rhythmsis
Elizabeth's Instagram: @liberateyourvoice
YouTube Video of Make Good Trouble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nGomUt8gLQ
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:58
Start time of reprise: 00:14:52
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian (ish), 3 layer, harmonized
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: “I feel inside of myself something expanding when I sing," says Te. They've used song to metabolize experience for as long as they can remember... and as Te shares this song, we get to feel into their experience of trust. Alchemy could be a way of building gold out of fear; something beautiful is uncovered as Te sings and shares about learning to carry the complexity of song sharing loosely, relationship to each other and the earth, liberation... and the magic of a sigh.
Songwriter Info: Te Martin is a song-keeper and ritual artist. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. They facilitate oral tradition singing classes and workshops that focus on song as a tool for collective liberation, somatic regulation, and ancestral connection. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years, is a student of Gaelic song, and released their first professional music video and EP of original songs, "Water & Bones," in 2021.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Te for recording and/or performing permission
Links from the conversation:
The Lama Foundation: https://www.lamafoundation.org/
Pueblo Tiwa People Northern New Mexico: https://accessgenealogy.com/new-mexico/tiwa-pueblo-indians.htm
Southern Pomo Coast Miwok:
https://alamedanativeart.com/post/alameda-native-history-project/coast-miwok-and-southern-pomo-map/
Songs of Mother Europe: https://weavingremembrance.org/songs-of-mother-europe-fall/
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemist
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/
Alchemy process: https://aras.org/concordance/content/alchemical-process-and-its-stages
Village Fire Singing Iowa: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/
Liz Rog: https://realsmalltowns.com/liz-rog-singing-as-breath-and-food/
Singing Alive Oregon: https://singingalive.org/
Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/bio/
Lisa G. Littlebird: https://thebirdsings.com/
Finding Our Voice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingourvoiceproject -- while Josh and Te's "Finding Our Voice" project didn't end up with lots of accessible recorded interviews, it built more community among songleaders and nurtured both Josh and Te.
Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
Thrive Street Choir in San Francisco bay area: http://www.thriveeastbay.org/thrivestreetchoir
Lyndsey Scott: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth
Joanna Laws Landis: https://soundcloud.com/nextgenna/healing-through-grief-joanna-laws-landis
Ysaye Barnwell:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-serendipitous-life-ysaye-barnwell-and-the-healing-power-of-music/2015/05/01/718db920-e52e-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html
"I’m Yours" by Tracy Chapman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LdCazk77D4
"The Long Way Around" by The Chicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5HKLteH9Mc
Molly Hartwell & Laura Boswell - Wellspring album: https://wellspring.bandcamp.com/album/wellspring
Put Your Roots Down: https://riseupandsing.org/songs/put-your-roots-down
Put Your Roots Down on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/2-put-your-roots-down
Te's Links:
EP, "Water & Bones": https://temartin.bandcamp.com/album/water-bones
"May This Body Be a Bridge" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Mn_2BSNAg
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/temartin
Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/1debadd3ebb3/sos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te.martin/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:52
Start time of reprise: 01:00:19
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3 layer
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Te Martin describes this song as an exhale... I experience it like that, too... a relaxation, a release. It's so very welcome to me as I'm coming into a busy time of life, with lots of commitments lined up -- I need ways to let go quickly, in the middle of all the flurry. Having this song in my mind lets me do that... and if I happen to be with someone else who's willing to sing, it's so easy to echo it back to each other. Next week is a songwriter conversation with Te... bicycles, miso, and the natural world all come into play!
Songwriter Info: Te Martin is a song-keeper and ritual artist. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. They facilitate oral tradition singing classes and workshops that focus on song as a tool for collective liberation, somatic regulation, and ancestral connection. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years, is a student of Gaelic song, and released their first professional music video and EP of original songs, "Water & Bones," in 2021.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Te for recording and/or performing permission
Links:
EP, "Water & Bones": https://temartin.bandcamp.com/album/water-bones
"May This Body Be a Bridge" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Mn_2BSNAg
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/temartin
Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/1debadd3ebb3/sos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te.martin/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
Start time of reprise: 00:12:10
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, call & response
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Trying something different here -- lots of space for you to experiment. Jennie Pearl's song was a technique to help her be more open to listening after she had hurt someone -- a way to change her own patterned response to what to do after realizing you've caused harm. I love this song for that chance to change a pattern by intensely listening -- both to myself and the person I've hurt. So I've recorded it with lots of time and space for you discover how it sits in you. If you find you want to rush through it, try singing a harmony, or creating a melody you need to hear to help you stay with it. Eventually, I harmonize it my way and mash everything together -- may feel good to you, or you might like an earlier, more spacious moment? Enjoy listening in...
Songwriter Info: Jennie Pearl (she/her) is a facilitator, singer, and bodyworker who leads from emotion and embodiment in liberation work. She is committed to bridging the gap between racial justice/gender justice and healing work. Alongside her team at Holistic Resistance and Transintimate, she offers a myriad of programming to cultivate ongoing relationships that dream up a more anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and liberatory future.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Jennie always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links: Jennie's Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/Jennie-Pearl-1 -- if you are sharing the song on in a situation where you receive financial compensation, or if you have resources to support Jennie's work in the world, please consider sending support.
Holistic Resistance: https://www.holisticresistance.com/about -- get inspired by what Jennie and others are dreaming!
Reach for Life! Song Playlist: https://thebirdsings.com/reach/ -- with Listen In arranged by Lisa Littlebird
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:15
Start time of reprise: 00:18:47
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Catherine Young, a poet deeply rooted in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, USA, gives us a wistful melody in the ancient Dorian mode -- a minor scale that has a beautiful, lifted sixth degree that gives it a particular flavor you'll come to know well by singing this with me. In the northern hemisphere, fall is upon us -- the equinox approaching -- and this song carries with it the beauty of this time, and the grief of letting go of summer. I teach the melody first, just letting my mouth form shapes to really get to know this beautiful tune -- you can create your own shapes, and then round it with me, or on your own -- or stay with the original melody. So many options!
Songwriter Info: Catherine Young is a writer and performing artist whose work is infused with a keen sense of place. She is author of the ecopoetry collection Geosmin and the environmental memoir Black Diamonds. Her weekly podcast Landward:Readings of Place and Season is available online from WDRT. Rooted in farm life, Catherine lives with her family in Wisconsin's Driftless Area where she is totally in love with meandering streams. She holds concern for water and deeply believes in the use of story and art as tools for transforming the world.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Catherine always welcome financial and/or networking support. Please contact her to purchase sheet music.
Links: SEPTEMBER ROUND is from the song almanac Rounding the Year which can be purchased in print or as pdf from Catherine: catherineyoungwriter@gmail.com You can also request to be put on her mailing list. For writings and recordings, visit Catherine's website: http://www.catherineyoungwriter.com/ Podcasts: https://wdrt.org/landward/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineyoungwriter
Live online international book launch conversation for her book Black Diamonds: a Childhood Colored by Coal. Thursday, September 28, 2023 6 PM Central Time (7pm eastern). LINK FOR EVENT: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/black-diamonds
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:53 Start time of reprise: 00:17:53 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, round
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: This song by Deborah Leeds both challenges and relaxes me-- it has a little "go big or go home" energy -- "Be peace, bring light!" Doesn't feel to me like a small task in today's world! But then it has a sweet, relaxed lilt, and as I sing "this I am," there's a measure of acceptance -- I can only bring me, after all. Then there's an opening of trust -- "Life is a mystery; she carries me" -- ah, now I can "let go, let go, and do (my) part to bring light, bring light and love." Layering all those parts together means I can choose the one I want to sing -- or touch on all four.
Songwriter Info: Deborah Leeds has loved singing and harmonizing with others since she was two! Most recently and in a way that has been life-changing, she encountered Community Choir. A brief visit to Maggie Wheeler's Goldenbridge Choir in Los Angeles re-awakened her deep connection and need for songs and singing with others, and a simple and spontaneous prayer ( in the form of a question posed to Maggie: "Please tell me there is someone doing this near me in Berkeley, CA") led to the discovery that Kaitie Ty Warren was forming her Living Room Choir five blocks from Deborah's home. It has been a love fest for the past seven years. Deborah has forayed into songleading, and most recently into songwriting. She is currently the Musical Assistant to the Living Room Choir. She is exuberant about the joy of singing, the absolute truth of medicine in songs, and is happily awestruck at the impact and healing that comes from singing with others. "This is one of the things that you would wish on everybody!" And so she does. And with that, shares this song. Enjoy!
Sharing Info: Please share and enjoy this song, and please do contact Deborah to let her know that Be Peace has taken wing and found a perch in your choir or singing group!
Links: Deborah's current website is her professional website as a Psychotherapist, and you may contact her that route, deborahleeds.com, or via her email at onedeborah@icloud.com
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:00 Start time of reprise: 00:12:48 Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 4 part layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Hands down favorite moment of this conversation? When I asked Pam a question that made her tense, and she started to sing to help herself through the challenging moment. Pam says she often has to say difficult things to people in power, and this was an example of how she uses improvised song to root and empower herself. We caught Pam at a transitional point, and I deeply appreciate her reflections about how song has stayed consistent across her life and how it has changed, the evolving role of relationships, what singing in community actually does or can do, what self care might look like. Oh, but then there was another favorite moment, when she tells a story about her relationship with her father.... hmmm. Lots to love here, not least of which is the song, Reciprocity -- after singing this song, you'll be ever more keenly aware of trees and our breath exchange with them.
Songwriter Info: Pam Blevins Hinkle–song leader, composer, arts administrator, tree-lover, and kazoo fanatic–has devoted her life to projects that blend creativity, community-building, and spirituality. With over 30 years experience leading community, college, and congregational choirs, she currently facilitates spontaneous group singing for conferences and events, co-leads SongSquad Indianapolis with her brother Adam, co-produces the annual Indy Winter Solstice Celebration, and more. Pam has received numerous awards including the Inspirational Woman Award from IUPUI and the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Indy Arts Council. Since 2006, she has served as director of Spirit & Place, which sparks civic change through a one-of-kind, 11-day festival and through year-round initiatives that leverage the power of the arts, humanities, and religion to catalyze creativity and conversation.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Pam for recording and/or performing permission
Links: Indianapolis, Indiana Indigenous Peoples: Miami, Kickapu, Shawnee, Delaware: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/diversity/land-acknowledgement/indgenous-tribes-indiana Trees as communal creatures: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too Laurence Cole, singing as “the oldest technology of belonging” https://www.laurencecole.com/ Indianapolis Women’s Chorus: https://www.indianapoliswomenschorus.org/ Winter Solstice Singing Ritual by Julie Forest Middleton, Stasa Morgan-Appel- published by Emerald Earth: https://www.allbookstores.com/Winter-Solstice-Singing-Ritual-Julie/9780966371550 Indiana Forest Alliance: https://indianaforestalliance.org/ Forests for Indy: Reciprocity (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdj65H67Ww Lyndsey Scott: https://linktr.ee/lila.gaia Rhiannon: https://www.rhiannonmusic.com/ Emergent Strategy- Adrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/emergent-strategy/ Peter, Paul, and Mary “In The Wind” https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-wind-mw0000315197 Hush-a-bye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2VN2Hn-Z0 Puff the Magic Dragon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y0ABZ0AJXY Very Last Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmk6cf32HH4 Episode 69: Sing Upon Joy (Livian's Song) Lyndsey Scott & Livian & helpers https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/69-sing-upon-joy-livians-song Episode 70: “As I Relax” Lyndsey Scott https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/70-as-i-relax-with-guest-lyndsey-scott Song Squad Indianapolis Website: songsquadindy.com Indy Winter Solstice Celebration Website: indysolstice.com Pam's Website: pamblevinshinkle.com
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:51 Start time of reprise: 00:55:44 Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Dorian, 3-layers with a harmonized ending
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: After singing this song, I keep questioning myself, "What if this is true???" If all motion is love, Patricia, what does that look like, right now? If I follow love, what does that even mean? Do I know what love looks like? I'm so often in unthinking motion — what happens when that motion becomes love? Pam Blevins Hinkle is not messing around here! In the next episode, we get to talk, and hear about how she got backed into community singing through a health crisis. The changes it has precipitated. What swung into motion, and how that's leading her now. Following love. Is this any part of your life? Mm-hmmm.
Songwriter Info: Pam Blevins Hinkle–song leader, composer, arts administrator, tree-lover, and kazoo fanatic–has devoted her life to projects that blend creativity, community-building, and spirituality. With over 30 years experience leading community, college, and congregational choirs, she currently facilitates spontaneous group singing for conferences and events, co-leads SongSquad Indianapolis with her brother Adam, co-produces the annual Indy Winter Solstice Celebration, and more. Pam has received numerous awards including the Inspirational Woman Award from IUPUI and the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Indy Arts Council. Since 2006, she has served as director of Spirit & Place, which sparks civic change through a one-of-kind, 11-day festival and through year-round initiatives that leverage the power of the arts, humanities, and religion to catalyze creativity and conversation.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Pam for recording and/or performing permission
Links: Song Squad Indianapolis Website: songsquadindy.com Indy Winter Solstice Celebration Website: indysolstice.com Pam's Website: pamblevinshinkle.com
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:09 Start time of reprise: 00:12:45 Nuts & Bolts: 3:4 Mixolydian; unison chant with optional harmonies
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the thought of death, I think I'm going to precipitate it by forgetting to breathe! And then somehow, something will help me back into the present, alive moment... and this song appeared just after one of those moments. I was absolutely delighted to record it with my son, Seth, who was visiting from Boston (you'll hear a little fangirl excitement in my voice)... and also surprised by how different it was for me to sing it with someone else rather than just my own voice on the looper! This voice music thing... it's always surprising me, delighting me, stretching me. And this particular song keeps coming back, insisting I sing it again.
Songwriter Info: In addition to hosting this podcast and an online singing program, Pocket Songs, Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community singing program in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a part of vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... trusting the whole messy catastrophe! She lives with her long-time beloved, Tom, in a single bedroom apartment close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their grand.) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.
Sharing Info: You are welcome to share this song; please contact Patricia directly for sheet music or permission to record or perform. She always appreciates hearing about how the song travels.
Links: Patricia's Website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:25 Start time of reprise: 00:15:15 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 Minor & Major, unison or 2-part layer
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Abundance, gratitude -- words that can be so annoying when you're feeling scarcity and lack -- I think part of the reason for traditional festivals was to smush us together with other people who were celebrating so that we can't help but feel a bit of a lift, a bit of a reminder that oh, yes, there is plenitude in the world, and food tastes good, and even better with loved ones around us. I'm grateful to Flora Ware for her entire collection of chants for the year... grateful to you for singing with me -- to my mind, that makes us kith, and I'm so glad to celebrate abundance with kith and kin through this song.
Songwriter Info: Flora Ware is a Sacred Sound Priestess and founder of EarthSong Temple where she serves a global community through ceremony, singing circles, and earth magic. As a Vocal Coach, she helps spiritual entrepreneurs become confident speakers and get booked on podcasts and stages, so they can attract more clients and share their message with the world. In 1993, her mother brought 14-year-old Flora to a full moon women’s circle. She remembered she was a Celtic witch and has been on a spiritual path of devotion to the Divine Feminine ever since. She lives in Vernon, BC, Canada with her wife and young wizard-in-training.
Sharing Info: Please sing and share! Flora has a free lyric booklet for all her Wheel of the Year chants available to download from her website (very helpful when teaching a group).
Links: Flora's Website: https://floraware.ca Flora's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flora_ware/
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:09 Start time of reprise: 00:12:47 Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian, unison with 3-part harmony chorus
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: It's been two years since Maggie Wheeler and I last talked on A Breath of Song. No one doubts these times are difficult. Maggie and I get into the grit here... how do you stave off despair? How do you show up in love? How can we, collectively, change the energy? How do we soothe hearts and souls so we are sustained to do the work? Can we give ourselves the same grace of forgiveness we give others? What happens after exhaustion? How can we stay longer in the space of not knowing? How can we stay longer in a song moment and let it develop? Can staying longer be its own practice?
This song Maggie shares, The Crow Calls, is an opening to the rhythm, the connection of the natural world, and how that can nurture and change us. This song is a reminder, a call, a resource, and incredibly satisfying to sing. As we talked, Maggie described her heart as "cracked open" from two intense back-to-back experiences that had just happened. I was feeling a lot of pressure, with looming deadlines and large to-do lists, preparing for a big trip. Editing the episode, I was struck by how we practiced showing up as we are, releasing expectations, and paying attention to what is present in the moment... and I came away from our conversation with a welcome sense of clarity and commitment about the next right thing -- and huge gratitude for Maggie's generous, genuine way of moving through the world. I wonder what you will hear that resonates or challenges or invites you?
Songwriter Info: Maggie Wheeler is best known in the U.S and internationally for her work as an actress in film, television and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching her vocal workshop "Singing In The Stream" for over 30 years at retreat centers, universities, communities and schools to provide the experience of creating interpersonal harmony and internal harmony through the powerful act of creating vocal harmony. Maggie directs the 100-voice Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood, an inter-generational, non-auditioned choir now in its 17th year. She is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs worldwide. Maggie’s original music for choirs and communities is available on Apple Music and other music platforms. To accompany her CD entitled 'Walk With Me’, Maggie created a songbook available by request through her website www.goldenbridgechoir.com Throughout this time of change Maggie continued the Golden Bridge Choir online producing virtual concerts and videos as well as hosting a weekly online community gathering called Together In Song, bringing together over 4000 people from around the world to join in the healing power of singing.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Maggie always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links: Find Your Way Home, ABoS Ep 5: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/5-find-our-way-home Rising Appalachia: https://www.risingappalachia.com/ Song Village: https://www.songvillage.net/ Emile Hassan Dyer: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/teachers/emile-hassan-dyer Song Village Collaborators: https://www.songvillage.net/collaborators/ Yam and Jessi: Bliss is Ordinary podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bliss-is-ordinary/id1614727245 Ebeneezer Finds a Reason children’s Book: https://ebeneezersneezer.com/ Meredith Scott Lynn & Write Brain Books: https://writebrainbooks.com/view_page.php?pageid=3/ M. Kyle Hollingsworth: https://www.kylecreativeart.com/ Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: https://wimpykid.com/ Karly Loveling: https://eugeneweekly.com/2019/01/17/karly-loveling/ Together in Song: https://www.goldenbridgechoir.com/together-in-song-video-archive Flow Singing with Juneberry Music: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/sing-to-connect.html Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/circlesing Omega Workshop: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/singing-stream?itm_source_h=search&itm_source_s=search&itm_medium_h=tile&itm_medium_s=tile&itm_campaign_h=searchcr&itm_campaign_s=searchcr Arnaé Batson: https://sivanandabahamas.org/presenter/arnae-batson/ Sivananda Ashram Retreat: https://sivanandabahamas.org/course/songs-of-sustenance-february-2023/ Aimée Ringle: http://www.aimeeringlemusic.com/ Heather Houston: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/ Sweet Honey in the Rock, Live at Carnegie Hall: https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-carnegie-hall-mw0000652837 Aimée Ringle Human and Tender: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com/album/human-and-tender Olivia Barton & Corook - “If I Were a Fish” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx_vMONe3tM Ahlay Blakely: https://www.healingattheroots.com/about Golden Bridge Choir: https://www.goldenbridgechoir.com/ Maggie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiewheeler_official/?hl=en Maggie’s latest album that she was about to record after our interview: https://maggiewheeler.bandcamp.com/album/the-crow-calls Golden Bridge Choir’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenbridgechoir/?hl=en Maggie's Website: maggiewheeler.net
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:15 Start time of reprise: 00:54:54 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, harmonic minor scale, call & echo and 3 or 4 layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: This is a prime example of how on this podcast, there's lots of space for YOUR voice! This Is It is a deeply grooved song by Maggie Wheeler, and I did a super simple bass line -- so you could make it more complex -- a light variety of percussion sounds -- so you can add more -- the melody in one voice, so you can make it richer and rounder and groovier -- and one harmony on top, so you can add more in the middle, or even higher up. AND there's space for you to add extra calls! A Breath of Song is unique in that it's not about MY singing -- this is not for you to listen to and admire -- this is for you to sing with, to make yours. Because, as Maggie advises, "This is it. This is it! This is the place you wanna be, the song you wanna sing, the love you wanna feel.... the world is calling out to you -- this is it!" Next week, Maggie does the first ever return songwriter episode, and we get to learn where "this" is for Maggie right now... another chance to get to know a miraculous person a little better.
Songwriter Info: Maggie Wheeler is best known in the U.S and internationally for her work as an actress in film, television and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching her vocal workshop "Singing In The Stream" for over 30 years at retreat centers, universities, communities and schools to provide the experience of creating interpersonal harmony and internal harmony through the powerful act of creating vocal harmony. Maggie directs the 100-voice Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood, an inter-generational, non-auditioned choir now in its 17th year. She is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs worldwide. Maggie’s original music for choirs and communities is available on Apple Music and other music platforms. To accompany her CD entitled 'Walk With Me’, Maggie created a songbook available by request through her website www.goldenbridgechoir.com Throughout this time of change Maggie continued the Golden Bridge Choir online producing virtual concerts and videos as well as hosting a weekly online community gathering called Together In Song, bringing together over 4000 people from around the world to join in the healing power of singing.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Maggie always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links: To learn more about Maggie’s work please visit: www.goldenbridgechoir.com and maggiewheeler.net
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:20 Start time of reprise: 00:13:50 Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, Minor, unison with optional harmonies
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Kate wrote "Can I Stand Here For You" after watching an Oprah show about two injured women Iraq veterans. Juanita Wilson (who had lost her hand) saw Tammy Duckworth come in (she had lost one hand and both feet). Juanita had committed herself to “standing for” any injured female veteran. She asked Tammy "Can I stand here for you?" Then she washed Tammy's hair which still contained dust from Iraq. She used her one hand and asked an orderly to help her with his two hands. Tammy was comatose, in terrible pain and Juanita stood beside her bed for 5 days. Now Tammy is a tri-athlete and was Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for President Barack Obama, the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district. And was then elected to the Senate from the State of Illinois.
Knowing the backstory behind some songs makes the songs even richer. As I'm thinking about how we can work toward easing loneliness, this example of two women connecting, then Kate allowing herself to be touched by the story, gives an example... and gives me a way to remember how to make the offering of standing by someone. Don't miss the chance to sing with Melanie DeMore once you've learned the song -- she sings lower, which may give you a chance to experiment with the high harmony if you found it too high in this podcast -- or maybe the melody will feel super comfortable in Melanie's range? Keep finding what feels good in your voice!
Songwriter Info: From Inverness CA, Kate Munger has devoted herself for over 40 years to creating non-hierarchical, collaborative models for spirited group singing, joyful community building, and deep fellowship through rounds and parts singing. Kate has written hundreds of singable, swinging, deep songs that remind us of our best inclinations and intentions, and are sung accompaniment to and medicine for our lives.
She has loved returning home to Inverness after 9 singing trips to Bali, 6 to Thailand (and the Elephant Sanctuary where singing to and with Elephants was the highlight), and one each to Russia and Spain in the past three decades. Just as the Pandemic arrived, Kate returned from a month in New Zealand with 13 singers where they offered their sung prayers to the community of Christchurch as they remembered the devastating earthquake of 2011 and healed from the horrific shooting at the Muslim Mosque in March 2019. She deeply believes that singers are the best ambassadors of peace on our planet; we show our neighbors our best selves when we travel in their land and appreciate their people, their culture, and their tragedies and show that appreciation through our singing.
In 2000 she founded the first of now 220 Threshold Choirs worldwide for choral singers who are called to sing at the bedsides of people who are dying, in a coma, newborns, children in hospital, and with folks who are grieving and who are incarcerated. In honoring its innovative mission, the Threshold Choir has re-imagined what true service can look like; healing the giver as it offers comfort, presence, and ease for the receiver. Now retired from running the business of the Threshold Choir, Kate lives, swims, works, and sings along the shores of Tomales Bay, for 16 years at the Lama Foundation in New Mexico and wherever she can. Sharing Info: Yes -- When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact me for permission and rates.
Links: A beautiful recording by Melanie DeMore, highly recommended by Kate: https://youtu.be/iDMFt9d5NaM (Kate would be delighted to send anyone who requests it a special version of the song sung by Melanie DeMore) Threshold Choir: https://thresholdchoir.org/
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:28 Start time of reprise: 00:15:52 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 major 3-part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Simply a single, very real human voice (no reverb, no special effects) helping find a cozy, safe space for when you wish to allow your body to rest and restore -- possibly even to sleep. I don't always find it easy to let go, release, float... and this whole episode is how I wish someone would talk to me, helping me transition. No ads, no loud sounds at the end. Depending on the player you're using, you may need to set it to only play this episode (Apple Podcasts, I'm looking at you for annoyingly automatically playing the next episode!) But otherwise, should be good... and the more often you hear it and let yourself use its cues to allow your body and mind and heart to soften, the more it will become a signal to let go.
At the end there are a series of thoughts that you can repeat to yourself, if you choose, or simply hear as I say, "You are loved.... You are safe...." and so on.
Let me know if it's useful; shall I do another one eventually?
Notes: Ali Burns gives us a beautiful two-part song that can also be a round... it feels like very exposed singing to me, and there's a way in which committing to what feels vulnerable in my voice, both high and low, also feels powerful and affirming. The ancient words resonate with longing for connection beyond death with those whom we love... and to me, are a reminder that can't force anyone into accepting love -- we can only offer.
Songwriter Info: Ali has built her reputation over the past 30 years as one of the UK’s prominent workshop leaders for community choirs. Many of her songs have found their way into the repertoire and hearts of singers across the UK, and increasingly, Canada, the USA and Australia. Her work is published by Faber, Sing Up! and Oxford University Press. Sharing Info: You can hear and buy a copy of the song for £5 from www.aliburns.co.uk Please visit her online shop for information about permissions: https://aliburns.co.uk/shop/licensing/song-licence/
Links: Ali's Website: www.aliburns.co.uk
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:08 Start time of reprise: 00:14:38 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 major 2-part, round optional
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Singing this song settles me so deeply, reassuringly, into my body to be able to tolerate the discomfort of big feelings. When I was browsing for links about the Bengsons to share, the video, "My Joy is Heavy", drew my eye. I started it to see what it was about -- and couldn't stop watching. This podcast episode is about a fabulous song... and if you can go see "My Joy is Heavy", it will give you so much more. Abigail and Shaun Bengson are powerful storytellers, creating stories rooted in truths of their lives... this one in pregnancy and loss. Abigail says, "Honor the poetry that exists in each of our moments of crisis... when something big cracks your life, there is a kind of poetry that spills out -- details become important or disappear; it's an amazing time outside of time."
Songwriter Info: Abigail and Shaun Bengson have this to say on their Patreon page: "We've been working to create music and community online and releasing it, joyously and of course for free for a bunch of years. Lots of folks found us initially through our songprayer The Keep Going Song, and then stayed so we could get to know each other. We've been so moved and humbled by the incredible support of the folk who come to our pages and participate through listening, commenting, singing along or writing to us with their own stories of grief, joy, loss, rage and transformation. We've always been focused on releasing everything for free, and keeping our concerts affordable for all!" Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but the Bengsons always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
My Joy is Heavy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMTBaFm5ibc https://www.bengsons.com/
Abigail singing "Don't Numb to This" https://www.facebook.com/thebengsons/videos/629432998893008 The Bengsons' Website: https://www.bengsons.com/ The Bengsons' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebengsons/?hl=en The Bengsons' Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebengsons The Bengsons' Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebengsons The Bengsons' Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/08VxLl1rmtFqsvoAmCVaNH?si=MxhG1JamRX6q_3C3a1ulbg&utm_medium=share&utm_source=linktree&nd=1
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:55 Start time of reprise: 00:13:30 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 Minor (Aeolian), unison
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Songs can be career counselors, harmonizing means you don't have to memorize words, if you don't like to sing alone, then singing with others can unlock your voice, how to leave space for people, how to become a found family (food is involved) -- what other ideas might VoiceExchange have to share with you? This quintet of singers improvised their way through the pandemic -- learn how they honed their ability to play even when geographically distant (and hear an example at the very end, created on the fly with Zoom faces and Jacktrip sound). Improvisation can be a weird and wonderful world -- a chance to hear the unexpected. The song they shared is a tree speaking... and what a beautiful sense of embrace it creates.
Songwriter Info: VoiceExchange initially formed as a practice group following a 2012 Bobby McFerrin Circlesongs workshop. As singers from disparate musical influences, they came together, connecting through a shared passion for vocal improvisation, and formed a unique a cappella group that blends diverse vocal styles into spontaneous harmonious arrangements. During the challenges of the pandemic VoiceExchange began a series of sequentially recorded collaborations for leading online circles. This resulted in a library of recordings, among them, Touch the Sky and Take My Hand. VoiceExchange members are Amado Ohland, Beth Lyons, Dina Torok, Joy Truskowski and Paris Kern. They can be found leading Circlesinging events in Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts & Vermont as well as offering online and in-person workshops and providing spontaneous music to churches, temples and other community gatherings.
Amado Ohland began his semi-professional career as a jazz and blues vocalist shortly after graduating University of Maryland at College Park with a bachelor's in music composition and theory. He attended his first Circlesongs workshop in 2011, and has been leading circlesinging events since 2013 in Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and western Virginia. He has recently received a master's degree in music from Radford University. For his doctoral dissertation he is working on a participatory ethnography of circlesinging worldwide and a song cycle of pieces based on circlesinging techniques.
Born into a musical family, Beth Lyons actually can’t remember a ‘before’ time when singing-in-community wasn’t a part of her life. She currently performs improvised musicals with iMusical, the house musical improv team for Washington Improv Theater, performs and leads Circles with VoiceExchange, and leads online immersive Song Dive workshops and a Monday morning online choir named Coffee Choir. You can learn more about her offerings and sign up for her “Heads Up” notification/invite list at www.RiverChoir.org.
Dina Torok has sung in and been musical director for various a cappella groups from college through adulthood. She was a professional film and television session singer, performed in various pop/rock bands in Los Angeles, and recorded an original solo album and a piano/vocal album of show tunes. Dina found VoiceExchange and circle singing in 2015 and has been a grateful member ever since.
Joy Truskowski is a singer-songwriter and community songleader. She has performed as a solo artist in the Roanoke, VA area for 13 years. You can find her original songs on Bandcamp under the name “Joy Tru”. She started Star City Circlesinging in 2019 and has been leading circles with other co-leaders in Roanoke ever since. During the beginning of the pandemic she started contributing to VoiceExchange’s online circles. She fell in love with all of them, and they all asked her to marry them. She said, “I can’t marry you, but I’ll join your group!” And that was a fair compromise. So she officially joined in the summer of 2021.
Paris Kern started performing traditional folk music at coffeehouses and concerts when she was 16 years old. She studied classical vocal performance in college, but her heart was always in the world of pure traditional folk traditions. In 2011, for reasons unknown to her, she was internally compelled to attend Bobby McFerrin’s CIrclesongs workshop. Feeling like a fish out of water, surrounded by mostly Jazz musicians, she nonetheless was hooked by the magic of Circlesongs and the sensation that her heart was being sung back to her. She has been leading circles in Washington DC, and Baltimore and is now starting circles in Southern Vermont.
Sharing Info: VoiceExchange would love to know if you plan to teach or perform Touch the Sky or another of their songs; drop them a line at info@VoiceExchange.org. And if teaching/performing their song is a profitable business for you, please share a bit of the profit with them via their donation link at https://voiceexchange.org.
Links: Paris mentions a Burl Ives recording, but we could only find a link for Patti Page’s version of "How Much is that Doggy in the Window?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rJo9yJxd5M Julie Andrews: https://www.biography.com/actors/julie-andrews Joan Baez: https://www.biography.com/musicians/joan-baez David Crosby: https://davidcrosby.com/ Martin Carthy: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/martin-carthy-mn0000367979 "It’s a Small World After All" by Richard and Robert Sherman https://www.songfacts.com/facts/disneyland-childrens-sing-along-chorus/its-a-small-world "Diddle, Diddle Dumpling, My Son John" : https://allnurseryrhymes.com/diddle-dumpling/ Freddie Mercury: https://www.biography.com/musicians/freddie-mercury Somatic Voicework: http://thevoiceworkshop.com/somatic-voicework/ Bobby McFerrin Circlesinging: https://circlesongs.com/circlesong-school-2023/ Tuvan throat singing: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210414-a-revival-of-indigenous-throat-singing All the Way In- Rhiannon: https://www.rhiannonmusic.com/all-the-way-in-home Motor, interlock definitions: http://songsofthemoment.com/category-rhiannon/ Take My Hand: Episode 104 on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/104-take-my-hand Vocal River by Rhiannon: https://www.rhiannonmusic.com/vocal-river Zuza: https://singers.com/vocal-coach/Zuza-Goncalves/ “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66354.Flow Tuck & Patti album 1988 Time After Time: https://www.discogs.com/release/10168223-Tuck-Patti-Time-After-Time Star City Circlesinging: https://www.meetup.com/Star-City-Circlesinging/ Musica do Circulo Brazil: https://www.playgroundforthearts.com/musica-do-circulo Amado on Bandcamp: https://naviarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/haiku-10 "She’s So Unusual" by Cindy Lauper: https://www.allmusic.com/album/shes-so-unusual-mw0000194590 "The Game" by Queen: https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-game-mw0000650663 "Medicine Music" by Bobby McFerrin: https://www.allmusic.com/album/medicine-music-mw0000309576 Prince: https://www.prince.com Eagles: https://eagles.com Sting: https://www.sting.com Billy Joel: https://www.billyjoel.com Alanis Morisette: https://alanis.com "Blue" by Joni Mitchell: https://jonimitchell.com/music/album.cfm?id=5 "Abbey Road" by The Beatles: https://www.thebeatles.com/abbey-road Patrick Watson: https://patrickwatson.net Great interview with Martin Carthy: https://www.innerviews.org/inner/martin-carthy.html And here’s a link to Martin singing “The Trees they Do Grow High”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaKGeTmFqbE "Vocabularies" by Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/albums/vocabularies/ VoiceExchange on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/circlesinging-dc/ Jacktrip Software: https://www.jacktrip.com
VoiceExchange's quiet Website: https://voiceexchange.org Email: info@voiceexchange.org VoiceExchange on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceExchangeMusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d VoiceExchange on Instagram: https://instagram.com/voiceexchange?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== VoiceExchange's Email: info@voiceexchange.org
Amado's Website: https://amadomusic.com/ Paris's Website: https://www.pariskern.com Joy's Website: http://www.joytru.com Beth's Choir Website: https://www.riverchoir.org/
Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:05:10 Start time of reprise: 01:14:25
Improvisation at 1:18:55 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 3-part harmony, 3-layer
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Notes: What does it mean to hold out a hand to someone, to offer to accompany them? How does it feel to find a way home, through the lost and brokenness? How do five people living in different places manage to write a song together in a pandemic? All important questions for this episode! This is maybe one of the most intricate songs, where you'll be challenged to tease out a part... and it's also a very sweet song, with a superbly satisfying bass line, a lovely, harmonized invitation, a haunting, harmonized question, and a beautiful reassuring affirmation. Next episode is a first for A Breath of Song -- a six-way conversation about collaboration and bringing one's individual voice to a group -- hope you can join us all!
Songwriter Info: VoiceExchange initially formed as a practice group following a 2012 Bobby McFerrin Circlesongs workshop. As singers from disparate musical influences, they came together, connecting through a shared passion for vocal improvisation, and formed a unique a cappella group that blends diverse vocal styles into spontaneous harmonious arrangements. During the challenges of the pandemic VoiceExchange began a series of sequentially recorded collaborations for leading online circles. This resulted in a library of recordings, among them, Touch the Sky and Take My Hand. VoiceExchange members are Amado Ohland, Beth Lyons, Dina Torok, Joy Truskowski and Paris Kern. They can be found leading Circlesinging events in Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts & Vermont as well as offering online and in-person workshops and providing spontaneous music to churches, temples and other community gatherings.
Amado Ohland began his semi-professional career as a jazz and blues vocalist shortly after graduating University of Maryland at College Park with a bachelor's in music composition and theory. He attended his first Circlesongs workshop in 2011, and has been leading circlesinging events since 2013 in Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and western Virginia. He has recently received a master's degree in music from Radford University. For his doctoral dissertation he is working on a participatory ethnography of circlesinging worldwide and a song cycle of pieces based on circlesinging techniques.
Born into a musical family, Beth Lyons actually can’t remember a ‘before’ time when singing-in-community wasn’t a part of her life. She currently performs improvised musicals with iMusical, the house musical improv team for Washington Improv Theater, performs and leads Circles with VoiceExchange, and leads online immersive Song Dive workshops and a Monday morning online choir named Coffee Choir. You can learn more about her offerings and sign up for her “Heads Up” notification/invite list at www.RiverChoir.org.
Dina Torok has sung in and been musical director for various a cappella groups from college through adulthood. She was a professional film and television session singer, performed in various pop/rock bands in Los Angeles, and recorded an original solo album and a piano/vocal album of show tunes. Dina found VoiceExchange and circle singing in 2015 and has been a grateful member ever since.
Joy Truskowski is a singer-songwriter and community songleader. She has performed as a solo artist in the Roanoke, VA area for 13 years. You can find her original songs on Bandcamp under the name “Joy Tru”. She started Star City Circlesinging in 2019 and has been leading circles with other co-leaders in Roanoke ever since. During the beginning of the pandemic she started contributing to VoiceExchange’s online circles. She fell in love with all of them, and they all asked her to marry them. She said, “I can’t marry you, but I’ll join your group!” And that was a fair compromise. So she officially joined in the summer of 2021.
Paris Kern started performing traditional folk music at coffeehouses and concerts when she was 16 years old. She studied classical vocal performance in college, but her heart was always in the world of pure traditional folk traditions. In 2011, for reasons unknown to her, she was internally compelled to attend Bobby McFerrin’s CIrclesongs workshop. Feeling like a fish out of water, surrounded by mostly Jazz musicians, she nonetheless was hooked by the magic of Circlesongs and the sensation that her heart was being sung back to her. She has been leading circles in Washington DC, and Baltimore and is now starting circles in Southern Vermont.
Sharing Info: VoiceExchange would love to know if you plan to teach or perform Touch the Sky or another of their songs; drop them a line at info@VoiceExchange.org. And if teaching/performing their song is a profitable business for you, please share a bit of the profit with them via their donation link at https://voiceexchange.org.
Links:
VoiceExchange's Email: info@voiceexchange.org
VoiceExchange's Website: https://voiceexchange.org
VoiceExchange on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/circlesinging-dc/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:08
Start time of reprise: 00:15:50
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 4-layers with 2 layers harmonized
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: A breakthrough in mindfulness practice for me was realizing that it's not about spending hours in blissed-out presence... it's about noticing that I'm not present and coming back, returning, again and again. I started to sing this when my mind was doing a particularly good imitation of a squirrel on amphetamines, and I needed to strengthen my ability to return! I particularly like that this song can be sung very simply, as a call & response, or have added layers of complexity -- I'm loving a bit of adaptability in my life right now.
Songwriter Info: In addition to hosting this podcast and an online singing program, Pocket Songs, Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community singing program in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a part of vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... trusting the whole messy catastrophe! She lives with her long-time beloved, Tom, in a single bedroom apartment close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their grand.) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.
Sharing Info: You are welcome to share this song; please contact Patricia directly for sheet music or permission to record or perform. She always appreciates hearing about how the song travels.
Links:
Full Program Website: juneberrymusic.com
Patricia's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juneberrymusic
Patricia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneberry.music/
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
Start time of reprise: 00:15:59
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major & Mixolydian, Call & Response or 4-layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Mo Washburn is a somatic healer, among other wonderful things, and this song brings me into intimate, joyful, aware-of-miracles kind of connection with my own body. I love the way singing the words "my mouth" pulls me into awareness of the physicality of singing; I love thinking about what it means to feed the holy... what is the holy, really? What does it mean to feed it, to grow what is holy? The close harmonies feel like I'm being held in the song... and the way it gathers urgency around the words, "the holy being fed" by pushing ahead rhythmically feels so good to me. Here's a song I can lean on!
Songwriter Info: Mo Washburn (they/them) is an integrative bodyworker, doula, song tender and community web weaver. they cherish working with folks in the field of building and remembering connection~with their bodies, with song, with each other, the unseen, and with the earth. they passionately value slowness, deep listening, singing together, and they love savoring delicious meals with kin.
Sharing Info: Please share this song far and wide, it wants to be sung.
Links:
Mo's Website: www.mowashburn.com
Mo's Bandcamp: https://mogather.bandcamp.com/album/gather
Mo's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1nCTliEzzWW59C8FiRwCSZ
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:02
Start time of reprise: 00:14:40
Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, Major, 3-part harmony
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: This song of Hannah's rings so deeply true to me -- and it is reassuring to me to have heartbreak normalized. I'm not the only one who hears the news, reads the stories, looks around me, and feels heartbreak. What's beautiful and healing in Hannah's song is the turn of all that breaking into sacred -- something deserving of veneration -- something that blesses us and opens us to life in the most beautiful possible way.
Longtime listeners (well, two years at least!) may notice I've shifted things up as we've moved into the second 100 episodes, in response to some ideas from you all. There's a clip of the song at the very beginning of the episode, and time markers for when I start teaching the song and the reprise in the shownotes. There's a little less talk at the beginning, but still the invitation to come into your body and breath and voice, which is part of this singing practice. Hope you find it ever more useful in navigating your own life, tending your own heart.... I continue to do it as my own tending, shifting work!
Songwriter Info: Hannah Jeffery (She/They) is a songstress, composer, song-leader and mama living in the Upper Valley of Vermont (Abenaki land). Her creative venture, Deep Well Song, is a gathering vessel for people to come together in song, prayer and playfulness, to turn toward and embrace all that it IS to be human on Earth. The songs Hannah carries, catches and teaches are songs of the heart and soul, that touch joy, grief, gratitude, heartbreak, righteous anger, beauty, love and praise and connect us to each other, ourselves and the Beloved Mystery. Hannah leads song at the UU church in Norwich, Vermont and in the newly forming Well Song Choir. To learn more and get involved please check out their website and Patreon and be in touch!
Sharing Info: When sharing, please name Hannah as the song catcher and acknowledge the place where the song was caught, Upper Valley of Vermont, Abenaki land. And if you can pass on the story that accompany the songs and how they were inspired, bonus. Thanks!
Links:
Hannah's Website: www.deepwellsong.org
Hannah's Patreon: www.patreon.com/deepwellsong
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:42
Start time of reprise: 00:18:50
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 4-layer
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I could think of no better way to honor the 100th episode of this podcast than to talk with Lisa G. Littlebird, my first mentor in the community songleading movement. We explore how she uses the power of songs for different purposes, including the one she shares during our conversation which helps bridge hearts during difficult situations. We talk about songs as sorcery to shift energy, and how exquisite it is to create a spell-song. How to find right-size in relationship with each other; how we woo each other into community and song, and "accompany each other in our walk toward liberation." The "inescapable confronting tenderness of inner listener" in relation to our own voices, "the power of the voice to unblock channels of energy." How responding to racial injustice grows out of relationship, not as a short-term response... "I'm not looking for your attention for a week, I'm looking for your love for a lifetime." What it means to have an open heart in both yes and no, when to harmonize with normative culture, and when to align with one's own truth even if it steps outside of the "normal." Grab something to drink or nosh on, take us on a walk or a drive, and let's talk about song and community! You'll hear me making up harmonies on the spot as Lisa and I are singing (she couldn't hear me, so it was all good! 😊)
Songwriter Info: Lisa G. Littlebird facilitates group singing as a transformational personal practice, healing art, and to foster healthy communities. She is the creator of Littlebird Flight School, a community song leader training program with more than 400 graduates worldwide. She also founded the 160-member Wholehearted Chorus in Big Sur & Monterey, CA and has been on the faculty at Esalen Institute for 15 years.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Lisa for recording and/or performing permission
Links:
Chumash people: https://www.sbnature.org/collections-research/anthropology/chumash-life/
Ram Dass quote: “if you feel like you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family”
https://www.gaia.com/article/who-is-ram-dass-the-wonderful-magical-be-here-now-guru
Songleader Flight School: https://thebirdsings.com/songleader-training/
Lisa's Website: https://thebirdsings.com/
Song-a-day project: https://thebirdsings.com/OLD/song-a-day.html
Oprah Magazine, Jan 2019 “Sing, Sing a Song” Article:
https://www.magzter.com/stories/Lifestyle/The-Oprah-Magazine/Sing-Sing-a-Song
Denver Women’s Chorus: https://denverchoruses.org/dwc/
Esalen Institute: https://www.esalen.org/
Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell: https://www.ymbarnwell.com/bio
Sweet Honey in the Rock: https://sweethoneyintherock.org/
Laurence Cole: http://www.laurencecole.com/
Peter Gabriel: “Passion” https://petergabriel.com/release/passion/
Nightsong album: https://thebirdsings.com/nightsong/
Lisa's song library: https://thebirdsings.com/song-library/
Lisa's Patreon: patreon.com/thebirdsings
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison with a little call and response
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: A helpful therapist once said to me that feelings can help me understand how I perceive the world – I feel sadness when I experience loss; fear lets me know that I'm seeing a threat, anger flags where I see unfairness or injustice. What I love about this song is the way it lets the feelings roll into a grounding of power -- one's own voice and ability to stand in love -- and not be silent. Lisa wrote it in the aftermath of the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017. I invite us to recognize where we see wrong, and let this song help find our powerful voices in response, aligned in heart and love.
Songwriter Info: Lisa G. Littlebird facilitates group singing as a transformational personal practice, healing art, and to foster healthy communities. She is the creator of Littlebird Flight School, a community song leader training program with more than 400 graduates worldwide. She also founded the 160-member Wholehearted Chorus in Big Sur & Monterey, CA and has been on the faculty at Esalen Institute for 15 years.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Lisa for recording and/or performing permission
Links:
Lisa's Website: https://thebirdsings.com/
Lisa's Patreon: patreon.com/thebirdsings
Lisa's song library: https://thebirdsings.com/song-library/
Turning Wheel in Lisa's library: https://thebirdsings.com/turning-wheel/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 4-layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Angela Gabriel has given us a brilliant setting based on words by Nisargadatta Maharaj, “Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, Love is knowing I am everything, and between the two my life moves.” The first line twists around on itself disappears into nothingness. The second line starts an octave away and drops into the security of "everything." Then, on a note in the middle of the two starting pitches, and in 6:8 instead of 3:4, the song begins to dance and flow, and ends on a slightly surprised major third. You don't have to know any of that for it to work its magic, though -- simply let it wind into your body as a beautiful melodic invitation to release. I'll be singing this one to myself long after this podcast is wrapped up, reminding me of both-and, flow, fluidity.
Songwriter Info: Angela is a professional percussionist & pianist and community music/community singing facilitator. She lived in Santa Fe NM for the last 20 years, where she played with the opera, symphony, chamber music festival, as well as in African, Haitian, and samba gatherings, funk and ragtime bands.
She just moved to Bloomington, Indiana in the end of 2022.
Angela's mission in life is to facilitate expressive creative, musical, and vocal experiences and to encourage folks to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique, creative flow.
Part of how Angela does this is by singing and drumming online weekly with people living with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders.
Sharing Info: This song is free to share but Angela always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Angela's website: www.AngelaGabriel.me
Support Angela's work: find songs, rhythmic activities, and more at patreon.com/AngelaGabriel
Check out Hidden Whale, Angela's old band (she's the drummer): https://youtube.com/channel/UCpxdVqwSxzEBhgUilN3qQLg
Nisargadatta Maharaj: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisargadatta_Maharaj
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian with major final third, round
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I sometimes find my body feels chaotic and overloaded with visual and audio stimulation. "Settle Like A Pebble" is a song that helps me drop in -- it feels almost like a psyche rinse! As I sing it, I feel a loosening and ease – the calm of the word "settle" – I am reminded of the feel of a pebble, round in my fingers, smooth in a riverbed – then the float and lightness of “drift like a feather” – and finally, the low release of “let go” and “close your eyes and be." Laura Walker's detailed stop-action videos & original songs on her Marnie Bee Mindful youtube channel create a unique visual & audio meditation -- here's one to explore -- Space: https://youtu.be/_E_DT6qiipM
Songwriter Info: Laura Walker started writing short songs about a year ago as a creative outlet and a way to help her remember kind self care messages to access when she needs them. She found focus in making short films to accompany the songs and to help illustrate the words and began posting on YouTube under the name Marnie Bee Mindful as a way to share the things that work for her with others who may enjoy them. “Settle Like A Pebble” is about slowing down and taking a calm moment to let go of the stresses of the day to close your eyes and allow thoughts to drift. Spending time in nature, especially near water helps Laura achieve this mindful state but the song reminds her that calm peacefulness can also be found by closing her eyes and imagining somewhere beautiful too. It’s her wish that by being extra kind and gentle to ourselves and connecting through music we can help find the strength to share and cultivate these things with those around us too. She hopes the song helps you settle into your day and soothes you a little.
Sharing Info: Yes the song is free to share for anyone who feels it may be help, please be kind enough to mention Laura as composer when doing so and the Marnie Bee Mindful YouTube Channel. It brings her such joy to know if a song has been of use to someone so if a song helped she'd love to hear from you!
Links:
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marniebeemindful/
Laura's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084878260963
Laura's Website: https://marniebeemindful.com/
Laura's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarnieBeeMindful
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major (Ionian), harmonized and a countermelody
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Rain is not always the easiest weather for me to delight in... seems to come with dark days and wet, slippery footing -- I often get a little cranky in response! I love the delight in the rain this song evokes -- reminds me of how crucial water is, what a gift to have it falling fresh from the sky. The original melody reminds me of the whoosh of rain, and as we sing "Rain falling down on the plains," the melody falls, too. Then in the response melody, I put the plink of the rain drops on the rooftops -- so the whole song is an onomatopoetic celebration of rain that enchants me out of crankiness into delight.
Songwriter Info: I got to record this one live with my daughter and dear friend, Rebecca, which affirmed for me the magic of singing with someone you love. Just as relationships of love grow and shift and change, some songs seem to grow organically, shifting shape and adapting to their circumstances. I always want to respect and hear the intent of the composer, and there are times when a song adapts in relationship to the singer. When sharing songs that have grown or changed, or songs of unknown provenance, I think it’s really important to name what we do know, what we guess, what we've changed (after requesting permission if there's a living composer), and welcome learning more. So: I learned the melody of this song from Micky Hickey, who offers a beautiful set of pocket songs on Instagram. (See the links below.) She learned it from Bennett Konesni, a songsharer in Maine. It has definite echoes, and maybe even quotes from the Joseph Shabalala song, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain, that Ladysmith Black Mambazo released in 1987, but it’s not exactly that song. I added the response melody… so what we’re singing today is a song of accretion and adaptation. Maybe you will add to it or adapt it as it enters your life? And if you have more information about the origin of the song, I would love to hear!
Sharing Info: Free to share, but please credit the full history as we know it.
Links:
Micky Hickey's Pocket Song project: https://www.instagram.com/pocketsongproject/
Bennett Konesni: http://www.duckbackfarm.com/
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke6RF3IH45g
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, melody & countermelody
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Lately, I've been reading closely the lengthy gratitude lists that follow any achievement, struck by the glories created in collaboration. Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson are both work and life partners... so I had many questions for them about collaboration. How do you nurture trust, how do you communicate through disagreement? They took over the reins of the large and thriving Getttin' Higher Choir from beloved coleaders Siobhan Robinsong and Denis Donnelly -- such changes are often fraught with disappointments and unhappiness -- yet they seemed to me to have negotiated the transition with grace and generosity. Cathy describes "A whole lot of good will and an understanding of what ultimately really matters here… that we each feel completely heard," and according to Dick, “A little bit of meditation practice can go a long way.” Hear, too, about their thoughts about imposter syndrome (hint: it's real!), "only the freshest" choral arrangements, the difference between "performer" and "facilitator of people singing in harmony," and more... including Cathy's exuberant, warm-hearted wish, partially inspired by large bus windshield wipers -- "I want to bring joy to your heart!"
Songwriter Info: Cathy was once the shy middle kid of 5 siblings where singing as a family was just part of everyday life. She always loved singing, especially around campfires, on road trips, wilderness trips or anywhere outside. Always seeking harmony, she got over much of her performance shyness by bringing groups of friends together to sing. She now directs the Gettin' Higher Choir with her life partner, Dick Jackson, and she is on the leadership team for both The Ubuntu Choirs Network and the Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) program in Victoria, BC. Cathy is active in her local Unitarian Universalist community where Dick is the Musical Director. Together, Cathy and Dick provide musical leadership for Canadian UU camps and Canadian national UU services. They both welcome the opportunity to bring members of the Gettin' Higher Choir to "Sing When Asked To" community events. Dick was fortunate to have singing in the home with his Mom from an early age, and kept involved with singing, school band and organ, later with percussion, piano and a few stints in opera chorus. A keen observer of his excellent music leaders over the years, he is grateful to be able to make this a shared joyful vocation with Cathy.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Cathy always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Do let Cathy know where this song has travelled. Have fun...may it bring JOY to your heart!
Links:
Gettin’ Higher Choir YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thegettinhigherchoir8002
Community Choir Leadership Training Program: http://www.communitychoirleadership.com/
Ubuntu Choir Network: http://www.ubuntuchoirs.net/index.php
Pat Wictor: https://patwictor.com/
Cee Cee’s Climb by Pat Wictor, performed by Brother Sun https://youtu.be/fkTVK2Yg-JI
Dick’s album that’s affected him strongly: Joe Jackson “A Big World”
Dick suggestion for an artist: Joe Jackson: http://joejackson.com/
Cathy’s album that’s affected her strongly: Peter Paul & Mary: Peter, Paul & Mommy
Cathy’s suggestion for an artist: Connie Kaldor: https://www.conniekaldor.com/
Gettin’ Higher Choir: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/index.php
Patti Page: Mocking Bird Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7zrMzVNYwo
God Sees the Little Sparrow Fall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnN1Cu7RZ-Q
A sound Cathy feels strongly about – Pacific Chorus Frogs: https://acousticatlas.org/item/2433
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, zipper song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: A confidence and energy builder in your pocket never goes amiss... it's like a chocolate chip energy bar on a hike! Cathy Baker's song snugs in with an "I've got your back and we're all good" kind of vibe that's perfect for big projects, long days, nerve-wracking performance situations, tedious meetings, phone calls with you-know-who... I loved learning from Cathy that this song was born out of a wee struggle with imposter syndrome as she took on co-leadership of a large, thriving community choir in Victoria, B.C. She and her partner, Dick Jackson, were taking on the Gettin' Higher Choir from much beloved founders Siobhan Robinsong and Denis Donnelly -- and Cathy admitted in next week's conversation to sometimes needing a bit of parking lot boost! Dick and Cathy and I enjoyed taking apart how Denis, Siobhan, Dick, and Cathy all worked together with generosity to create a transition that worked for the choir. But that's next week... for now, You've Got This!Songwriter Info: Cathy was once the shy middle kid of 5 siblings where singing as a family was just part of everyday life. She always loved singing, especially around campfires, on road trips, wilderness trips or anywhere outside. Always seeking harmony, she got over much of her performance shyness by bringing groups of friends together to sing. She now directs the Gettin' Higher Choir with her life partner, Dick Jackson, and she is on the leadership team for both The Ubuntu Choirs Network and the Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) program in Victoria, BC. Cathy is active in her local Unitarian Universalist community where Dick is the Musical Director. Together, Cathy and Dick provide musical leadership for Canadian UU camps and Canadian national UU services. They both welcome the opportunity to bring members of the Gettin' Higher Choir to "Sing When Asked To" community events. Dick was fortunate to have singing in the home with his Mom from an early age, and kept involved with singing, school band and organ, later with percussion, piano and a few stints in opera chorus. A keen observer of his excellent music leaders over the years, he is grateful to be able to make this a shared joyful vocation with Cathy.Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Cathy always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Gettin' Higher Choir: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, 3-part layer songJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Give back to A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Chloë Rose Vispap-Rich has uncovered such a glorious both/and song for me. The golden beauty of clear boundaries and choice-making -- how we can delineate our lives in response to our deepest inner voice and knowing of what we need and want -- and at the same time, life is full and rich and complex, and we can release into the flow of it swirling around and through us, let ourselves be swept into the dance. Whee!!! The sweetness and gentleness of both clarity and acceptance, in a song that has light and movement. I feel so completely spoiled by getting to spend my time making this podcast!Songwriter Info: Chloë is a music therapist from London, England. She is part of the Natural Voice Network and leads a community singing group. Chloë likes to write and share easily accessible but moving songs. In 2020 (during the national lockdown) she wrote and produced a song book called Songs In Harmony , a collection of 10 songs in 2 and 3 part harmony. They are short songs with themes such as connection, going with the flow, absence, love and dreams. Breathe Along With Life is about simultaneously taking control of the path of your life whilst also going with the flow.Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Chloë for recording and/or performing permission at thesingingheartchoir@gmail.comNuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part -- melody and harmonyJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I often gather richness from the way different art forms play off each other – and I love the combination of the Rilke poem I read at the beginning of this episode, and Marv’s song. Honestly, I end up spending a lot of time looking for that tower of strength inside myself – the ancient heart core that is rooted in the earth and stretches to the sky, that connects to my ancestors, both past and future. When I catch glimpses of it, I sense a way-finding clarity; when I circle around it I feel the enticement of belonging; when I inhabit it, I am at home, whether as falcon, storm, or song. I love the way Marv’s song quests, circles, and settles back at home.Songwriter Info: Marv loves community singing, songleading, and bringing people together. At a time when so many of us feel a need to return more resonance and community to our lives, Marv is passionate about the unique power of singing together to connect us more deeply within, to each other, and to something larger than ourselves. He is a graduate of Littlebird Songleader Flight School, a member of The Living Room Choir, a proud alum of the West Marin Choir/Common Voice, and the chief cook and bottle-washer of SingOnline.org and the online SingOnline.org Song Circle, where, unlike on Zoom, through the miracle of free software everyone can see and hear every word from everyone. Later this year he’ll complete the Community Choir Leadership Training, following past graduates (and heroes!) like Maggie Wheeler, Laurence Cole, and MaMuse. In his previous careers he was Founder & CEO of a hunger relief organization; a psychotherapist & executive coach; and a technology executive at such companies as Apple. He has also restarted his executive coaching practice; you can find details at WorkWithMarv.com.Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Marv for recording and/or performing permissionLinks:Marv's Website: http://singwithmarv.comMarv's Instagram: http://instagram.com/singwithmarvMarv's Facebook: http://facebook.com/singwithmarvRilke poem with translations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NYYMoFQ_78C5u4Ql6OyjpZEXD3TGJuuxAX1b8T1C07U/edit?usp=sharingNuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, Call & response or unison or harmonizedJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: It was amazingly fortuitous -- Louise Blackburn and I had agreed on releasing her song as episode #91, and then it turned out that recording episode #91 live would be just the right time to celebrate 25,000 downloads -- and we had the perfect song in place. In June of 2021, I had searched long and hard for a podcast I could listen to from which I could learn songs for well being and more about the people who shared these songs. I couldn't find it, so I started A Breath of Song together with Patty Piotrowski, constantly reminding myself that who I am, what I bring to the table, is enough. I love the way Louise's song embeds that idea in my brain with gentleness and persistence. The spacious, simple harmonies create an elegant call, while the response feel like it's tugged out of my heart. Recording live in front of a full gallery Zoom audience was a novel way to create an episode, and I believe you can feel the connection I felt with the group and we all felt with you who listens now across the space/time continuum.Songwriter Info: Louise feels incredibly lucky to run choirs, workshops, festivals, singing for wellbeing groups and yoga and voice sessions across Birmingham, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Sandwell in the United Kingdom. Her songs are an absolute joy of creation for her and have been sung all over the world including New Zealand and America. It makes her very emotional to think of them being sung and enjoyed by other people.Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Louise always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.Links:Louise's website: www.voicesentwined.co.ukLouise's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oTIDDsibmihC771Wvy1MhNuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3-part harmonized call with responseJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I loved the chance to hear Ahlay share both this song and its origin as a song that "slipped through," almost without effort, in response to hearing someone's deep shame over a Zoom call. Ahlay shares her excitement over her project, WAILS, in which community singing and grief ritual are merged. She talks about "Healing that ripples non-linearly, in a spiral," and says, "I'm channeling the exact medicine that I need for myself." We talk about elders, mentors, wisdom and the tools for remembering that which was meant to be forgotten -- the deep connections that are possible. How "I can't sing" comes from a commodification of voices, while "the inherent birthright of singing is about how it feels in our bodies." Whales, and their wisdom of rising and diving as the nature of things, and the transience of emotions. Brené Brown wrote, "True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are." Ahlay has a beautiful way of being who she is, and it was an honor to hold this conversation.Songwriter Info: Alexandra "Ahlay" Blakely (she/her) is a song carrier remembering that which was meant to be forgotten in her lineages: song technology as connective tissues of the communal body. She blends song, body percussion, dance, stillness, breath & silence with the deepest intention to support others in remembering their inherent birthright to singing and rhythm. Her ancient ancestors of Old Europe (Ashkenazi, Scandinavian, Finnish, English, Scottish, Irish) sang while building, creating, birthing, working & being in reciprocity and bring with the Land. She understands song to be fundamental in the expansion of ones internal capacity to participate in the collective shift towards life-affirming conditions. An underlying prayer in her song offerings is that they may contribute to the shared effort to transform white culture into being more connected with our bodies, emotions, Land & the animate world around us. These songs are swirls of spells for cracking open, falling humbly to our knees and cultivating more access to the conversations our souls are aching to have with us about their most intimate longings. They are dedicated to the more than human world, the Waters and our Kin in both the seen and unseen realms. We sing to shame, courage, for breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and for the preparation of being ready for these times we are living in, all while sending these song-beings in ripples through to the ancient and future ones. The songs sung have come directly through Ahlay. Some of her mentors: Whale, Mycelium, Rue, Lightning, Rain, Oak, Redwood & RosemarySharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share, but Ahlay always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.Links: Wails: Songs for Grief Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-singing-albumBandcamp digital album "SPELLS FROM THE UNKNOWN" https://ahlayblakely.bandcamp.com/album/spells-from-the-unknownAhlay's Website/Newsletter https://www.healingattheroots.comAhlay's Patreon - new music monthly, 1-3 songs per month https://www.patreon.com/alexandrablakelyInstagram @alexandra_blakelyAhlay's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJiuxVf4FhGSkYT4K0zpGyA/videos?view=0&sort=pJoanna Macy &The Work that Reconnects: https://workthatreconnects.org/spiral/about-joanna/Dory Midnight : https://dorimidnight.comKohenet Priestess Institute : https://kohenet.orgRabbi Jill Hammer: https://rabbijillhammer.comTia Ma: https://www.tia-ma.comNahko Bear : https://www.nahko.comSobonfu Some: http://www.sobonfu.comFrancis Weller 5 Gates of Grief: https://www.francisweller.net/entering-the-healing-ground.htmlLaurence Cole: http://www.laurencecole.comLeticia Nieto: http://www.cuetzpalin.com/Cuetzpalin/welcome.htmlDo whales hold their breath? https://www.whalefacts.org/how-do-whales-breathe/Earth Practice: https://earthpracticemusic.bandcamp.com/communityNuts & Bolts: 12:8, Major (Ionian), unisonJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Patty Piotrowski, who creates the art for each episode after learning the song, wrote about painting for this song of Ahlay Blakely: "The word that jumped out for me was “breaking”. I have a plate, a whole pottery plate on my kitchen table, that holds broken porcelain shards of dishware from the late 1800’s when there was a fire that burned the hotel on Star Island and so much was lost at sea. This past summer when I had the opportunity to go to Star Island for two weeks of art making, I walked the shoreline, and found these remnants of past plates and bowls and cups. These pieces of porcelain from England were worn smooth on the edges from being tossed and turned in the ocean for over 100 years. Each one was a precious discovery for me, telling a bit of the story. The beauty of the brokenness. Back home now and months later I have them arranged on a plate with a candle, reminding me to understand and honor the past, and to heal what I can inside myself in the present."As we navigate the rage and wounding and grief in ourselves and others, it can be so helpful to have a framework for understanding… the kind of understanding that leads to healing and compassion. When we break these cycles, it affects the future ones – and it also reaches back and in some way fills the aching dream of those in the past. I love this song for the conviction that my own ache for belonging ripples through time, breaks harmful cycles, and creates a fundamental healing. Don't miss Ahlay's upcoming project, Wails, and the chance to be part of the ripples of change it could create by supporting it.
Songwriter Info: Alexandra "Ahlay" Blakely (she/her) is a song carrier remembering that which was meant to be forgotten in her lineages: song technology as connective tissues of the communal body. She blends song, body percussion, dance, stillness, breath & silence with the deepest intention to support others in remembering their inherent birthright to singing and rhythm. Her ancient ancestors of Old Europe (Ashkenazi, Scandinavian, Finnish, English, Scottish, Irish) sang while building, creating, birthing, working & being in reciprocity and bring with the Land. She understands song to be fundamental in the expansion of ones internal capacity to participate in the collective shift towards life-affirming conditions. An underlying prayer in her song offerings is that they may contribute to the shared effort to transform white culture into being more connected with our bodies, emotions, Land & the animate world around us. These songs are swirls of spells for cracking open, falling humbly to our knees and cultivating more access to the conversations our souls are aching to have with us about their most intimate longings. They are dedicated to the more than human world, the Waters and our Kin in both the seen and unseen realms. We sing to shame, courage, for breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and for the preparation of being ready for these times we are living in, all while sending these song-beings in ripples through to the ancient and future ones. The songs sung have come directly through Ahlay. Some of her mentors: Whale, Mycelium, Rue, Lightning, Rain, Oak, Redwood & RosemarySharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Ahlay always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.Links: Wails: Songs for Grief Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-singing-albumBandcamp digital album "SPELLS FROM THE UNKNOWN" https://ahlayblakely.bandcamp.com/album/spells-from-the-unknownAhlay's Website/Newsletter https://www.healingattheroots.comAhlay's Patreon - new music monthly, 1-3 songs per month https://www.patreon.com/alexandrablakelyInstagram @alexandra_blakelyResmaa Menakem: My Grandmother's Hands - https://centralrecoverypress.com/product/my-grandmothers-hands-racialized-trauma-and-the-pathway-to-mending-our-hearts-and-bodies-paperbackNuts & Bolts: 12:8, flat-7, both major & minor; 3-layer songJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I love the way this song takes me into completely different scope of time -- geologic, massive, unimaginable -- and therefore inescapably present. "Ïn the Land of Oden" has a murky history, both for lyrics and melody… it was recorded in the 1960s by many different folk artists, including Peter and Gordon, Barry McGuire and the New Christy Minstrels, and the Townsmen… but is credited to different composers on each recording. And they are all slightly different than the version I learned from Adam Podd (check out episode #82!). This particular melody has stayed with me, though, and it resonated in me with a Buddhist story Jack Kornfield tells about something lasting for 1000 kalpas – and each kalpa is as long as it takes for a bird dragging a silk scarf across a mountain to wear it away. In a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, recorded in 1812, the Shepherd’s Boy responds to the king’s third question about eternity with a description very similar to this, although the mountain is made of diamond and is in the land of Pomerania! So for this moment, welcome to fairy-tale time.Sharing Info: As far as I know, this song is free to share.Links: Grimm's Fairy Tale: http://www.pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/story139.pdfNuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, roundJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: This song floats and pulses, carrying me as singer into a spaciousness and warmth that feels like it could be a somatic knowledge of love. That's quite a statement to make for a song, no? And yet, it makes sense -- when we sing, we engage so much of our brains -- breathing, thinking, sensing vibration and sound -- that if we allow images and responses to come into our awareness, too, those images are rich and connected with all we have ever known.. Unusually for songs I share on this podcast, this one doesn't have a strict meter -- it is more fluid and shifting -- yet it has a stable, vibrant heart center. I'll be curious to know what this experience is like for you!Songwriter Info: Gabrielle is passionate about music and its transformative and healing powers. She grew up singing and surrounded by music, and has sung and performed in many contexts; indie rock, choirs, musical theater, Cabaret, yoga studios, and singing circles. Gabrielle has hosted singing circles, sound ceremonies, and new moon circles. She currently lives in Seattle, and likes to catch songs while walking through the beautiful Pacific NorthWest forests.Sharing Info: The song is free to share, please contact Gabrielle if you're planning to use it simply because it would be such a delight to know about it. Links: Follow @sound__witch on Instagram to see what Gabrielle's up to,and/or check out her other songs at soundcloud.com/a_sound_witch. Nuts & Bolts: unmetered, major, echoJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Angela Gabriel's gospel-infused setting of Clarissa Pink Estés' fierce words is enough to lift me out of bed into the January cold! You'll hear me play with adding my voice in the looper with different tonal qualities so it sounds like we're singing with a crowd... and then at the end, I'll invite you to sing it simply with me, as a heartfelt duet. Patty said her art for this episode is inspired by the images of boats and wood from the Clarissa Estés letter... "and the idea of standing together, so here are the trees, rooted and strong in all weather."Songwriter Info: Angela is a professional percussionist & pianist and community music/community singing facilitator. She lived in Santa Fe NM for the last 20 years, where she played with the opera, symphony, chamber music festival, as well as in African, Haitian, and samba gatherings, funk and ragtime bands. She just moved to Bloomington, Indiana in the end of 2022.Angela's mission in life is to facilitate expressive creative, musical, and vocal experiences and to encourage folks to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique, creative flow. Part of how Angela does this is by singing and drumming online weekly with people living with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders.This song is free to share but Angela always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.Links: Letter to a Young Activist by Clarissa Pinkola Estés: https://www.mavenproductions.com/letter-to-a-young-activistAngela's website: www.AngelaGabriel.meSupport Angela's work: find songs, rhythmic activities, and more at patreon.com/AngelaGabrielCheck out Hidden Whale, Angela's old band (she's the drummer): https://youtube.com/channel/UCpxdVqwSxzEBhgUilN3qQLg Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, major, harmonized call & response Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: Singing this meditative mantra with Heather Pierson's butter-warm voice draws me right into the here and now, even when I'm dealing with tech glitches... it's powerful stuff, and I've been putting it to the test! Heather says, "Music is an invitation..." and in our conversation, she talks about the different ways that plays out during grieving, learning to sing solo, collaborating, choosing songs, giving permission. Have you ever thought about how the meditation concept of titration might apply to leading a circle? Well, we've got you covered!Songwriter Info: Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She has released 14 albums, two songbooks, and several singles of her original music ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants. Since 2018, she is the co-creator with fellow songleader Bernice Martin of Heart Songs & Circle Songs, a community singing project dedicated to the cultivation of harmony, wellness, connection, joy, and peace through music and song. When she isn’t making music, Heather enjoys her meditation practice, hiking, cooking, writing, reading, and watching the birds.Links: Heather's album 'Wishes of Lovingkindness', available for free or by donation at her Bandcamp: https://heatherpierson.bandcamp.com/album/wishes-of-lovingkindnessFor more information about Heather's community singing project with Bernice Martin, please visit https://www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com.For more information about all of Heather's musical offerings, please visit: https://www.heatherpierson.com.Heather's growing community on Patreon enjoys early and exclusive access to new songs, videos, and poetry every week. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/HeatherPierson
Kansas: “The Spider”Melanie DeMore... "These songs are like medicine." Here's Melanie leading two of her medicine songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3D1U_CmlxcLeah Boyd/Leah Wolfsong Leah Wolfsong on Apple MusicThe early albums:We All Have a Song by Heather Pierson on Apple MusicHonor The Light by Heather Pierson on Apple MusicLaurence Cole: “Attention is the healer of separation”Gray catbirdBaked Beans recording (Alan Bean) Recording Studio | Baked Beans Recording Studio | United StatesPeaceful Means (Leah Boyd & Heather Pierson) (3) Peaceful Means | FacebookALLMAN BROTHERS BAND - Live At Fillmore East (Deluxe Edition) - Amazon.com MusicThe Wood Brothers The Wood Brothers (thewoodbros.com)Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, with a lovely minor final note; unison zipper songJoin the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Tip Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Notes: I love the way this song pulls me into the very present moment of right now, really right now, with concrete reminders of the breath and body... and then also lightens my spirit with the rhythmic play as I sing about the goodness that I carry. Heather has found ways through steady, attentive practices to help herself heal from childhood trauma, and she carries this intentional tending with clarity and care into her music. Next week, we can settle into a songwriter conversation with Heather about all this, and more!Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Songwriter Info: Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She has released 14 albums, two songbooks, and several singles of her original music ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants. Since 2018, she is the co-creator with fellow songleader Bernice Martin of Heart Songs & Circle Songs, a community singing project dedicated to the cultivation of harmony, wellness, connection, joy, and peace through music and song. When she isn’t making music, Heather enjoys her meditation practice, hiking, cooking, writing, reading, and watching the birds.Links: 'May I Be Open' is from Heather's album 'Wishes of Lovingkindness', available for free or by donation at her Bandcamp: https://heatherpierson.bandcamp.com/album/wishes-of-lovingkindnessFor more information about Heather's community singing project with Bernice Martin, please visit https://www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com.For more information about all of Heather's musical offerings, please visit: https://www.heatherpierson.com.Heather's growing community on Patreon enjoys early and exclusive access to new songs, videos, and poetry every week. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/HeatherPiersonNuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part layer song
Notes: I so completely get the need for these questions, so appealingly set by Hannah Jeffery, to notice our body's basic needs. I love singing the reminder to attend to my creature self, what Mary Oliver calls, "the soft animal of your body" -- to tune into what it loves, what it complains about, how it responds to what's going on. This time of coming into a new year, perhaps with a plethora of complex people interactions, seems a particularly appropriate time to reset and reconnect with the awareness and presence of our own creature selves.Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Songwriter Info: Hannah Jeffery (She/They) is a songstress, composer, song-leader and mama living in the Upper Valley of Vermont (Abenaki land). Her creative venture, Deep Well Song, is a gathering vessel for people to come together in song, prayer and playfulness, to turn toward and embrace all that it IS to be human on Earth. The songs Hannah carries, catches and teaches are songs of the heart and soul, that touch joy, grief, gratitude, heartbreak, righteous anger, beauty, love and praise and connect us to each other, ourselves and the Beloved Mystery. Hannah leads song at the UU church in Norwich, Vermont and in the newly forming Well Song Choir. To learn more and get involved please check out their website and Patreon and be in touch!
This song is free to share but Hannah always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.Links: www.deepwellsong.orgdeepwellsong@gmail.comwww.patreon.com/deepwellsongHannah singing this song herself
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison
Notes: I learned this song from Adam Podd at the end of the summer at a group singing weekend workshop, and immediately decided to use it for my Pocket Songs welcome song during the fall, not only because of the generous, wide-open welcome of the words, but because of the way the music backs up the message. The lift and lightness of the rhythm, and the enjoyment of slightly surprising notes (I particularly love the first "are" of the tenor line, for example), the way we move from unison into connected harmonic diversity -- these musical things help me FEEL welcoming. Sometimes I shift the words to sing it to myself, as a reminder that whoever I am, whomever I love, wherever I am on this journey, I am welcome... and when I feel genuinely accepted as I am, it is so much easier to extend that welcome and acceptance to others.Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Songwriter Info: Adam Podd (he/him/his) is a Vermont-bred, Brooklyn-based music director, pianist, organist, bassist, composer, and arranger. He has worked with some of the top artists and organizations in his field. As a pianist, Adam specializes in blues, jazz, and gospel. He plays regularly around NYC with his twin brother Matt, and their jazz and blues band Mimi and the Podd Brothers. He also plays keys, bass and music directs for singer/songwriter Dan Mills. I met Adam as he co-led a workshop on Star Island, off the coast of New Hampshire. I was struck by his unassuming, gentle manner and musical generosity. He welcomes sharing of this song.Links: learn about Adam himself: ABOUT — Adam Poddcheck out the choral music Adam and his brother arrange: The Podd BrothersHome - Ana Levy-Lyons (analevylyons.com)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, harmonized
Notes: I love the way Emma's song ushers in the darkness and turning of the seasons with a lilt that includes a trust that the light will return. There's a softness and acceptance to the song that makes it easier to be present with the turning. Emma says the song "was born on a winter walk during Covid restrictions in the UK. I was finding some comfort in the unruffled flow of the seasons - 'time's soft unfolding'. 21st December is my late father's birthday as well as winter solstice, so this song is dedicated to him - I think he would have liked the words and the structure." Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Songwriter Info: Emma has been singing all her life and enjoys all styles of song and ensemble! When her daughter was born in 2018, she began an acapella singing group for local mums, and after joining the Singing Mamas network in 2020, was inspired to start writing her own songs, for herself, for her groups and songsharing colleagues. Links: Find Emma's album 'Light Returning' on Bandcamp https://emmamutter.bandcamp.com/album/light-returningYou can also find newer songs on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/emmamuttermusicContact Emma by email elrfmutter@gmail.com to buy the score (suggested contribution up to £5) and/or purchase the song on Bandcamp if you'd like to share this song as a songleader. Please contact Emma directly for recording or performing permissions.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian (minor), harmonized melody with option of a round.
Notes: You get to hear Kate Thomas and I in deep conversation -- complete with creaky chair, and me messing up as Kate teaches me her beautiful song, Go Dark. Do you ever have the experience of being solid on a part, as long as the leader is singing it, but then when they leave to teach another part, you lose it? You'll hear me doing just that! :) We talk about building a bank of nourishing words for hard times -- and Kate shares a story about something that shook her certainty and ease with life, and how that made her vow not to judge people. She observes how giving time and a safe place to make mistakes makes it possible for most people to learn to sing, like almost all people learn to drive eventually. And then there's the handpan, and learning Arabic, and... I guess you'll just need to listen in!Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.Songwriter Info: Kate Thomas is a singer, song leader, songwriter and instrumentalist (guitar, piano and handpan) and has been leading singing groups in Sheffield for over 20 years. She has produced two songbooks, 'Honey and Salt' (from which 'Be Yourself' is taken) and 'Scattered Seeds'. If you are interested in contacting her about these resources, her email is honeyandsalt65@gmail.com. Links: Wendell Berry – Farming (counterpointpress.com) (Kate mentioned "Soul Food", but I think this ends up being the book with the poem in it.)Barbara Brown Taylor – Learning to Walk in the DarkWanting Memories - Sweet Honey in the RockHandpan playing -- Kate suggests this handpan duo, MeaRaffiThe Singing KettleTapestry – Carole King -- I'm pretty sure you can find the album, so here's an article that quotes many artists talking about the influence of the album on them... Talking about 'Tapestry': Musicians discuss the influence of Carole King's masterpiece - NJArts.netKarine Polwart – Scottish Songbook, The Lost Words: Spell Songs -- and here's a bonus interview with Karine about the Spellsongs projectYoutube recordings of Kate’s songs -- here's her channel, where you can find all 10: Kate Thomas - YouTube And here are just a few links for specific songs: We Were Seeds: Kate's bold setting of the Dinos Christianopoulos quote, "They thought they could bury us; they did not know we were seeds. A Thousand Ways (with handpan! -- a beautiful meditation)Kate's profile and choirs: Member profile - Natural Voice NetworkInformation about Honey and Salt (and Scattered Seeds is searchable there, too): Honey and Salt - Natural Voice Network
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, major, 2-parts here, (SATB in the Honey & Salt book) or works beautifully unison, too
Notes: "Be Yourself" was written for 'Body of Sound', a women's group that Kate Thomas leads, for a residential at Laurieston Hall in Scotland which has a lovely open fire. Can you imagine joining with friends around a fire and singing this to each other? And sometimes, I swear, I find myself singing it to just myself (or my many selves???), welcoming all of them around the fire -- the part of me that's anxious, the part that's grouchy, the part that is confident, the part that's flamboyant -- shall I go on? I definitely have enough for a campfire gathering of my own -- but I'll grant you that it's even better if you're gathering with others!
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Kate Thomas is a singer, song leader, songwriter and instrumentalist (guitar, piano and handpan) and has been leading singing groups in Sheffield for over 20 years. She has produced two songbooks, 'Honey and Salt' (from which 'Be Yourself' is taken) and 'Scattered Seeds'. If you are interested in contacting her about these resources, her email is honeyandsalt65@gmail.com.
Links: email: honeyandsalt65@gmail.com Kate's profile and choirs: Member profile - Natural Voice Network Information about Honey and Salt: Honey and Salt - Natural Voice Network
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 4-parts
Notes: Barbara says about the song: "I wrote it while driving up to Lake Superior to share Thanksgiving with friends. Some of it was composed while standing in the Brule River in a light rain. Ecstasy...." Here we are, getting close to Thanksgiving in the United States -- a reminder of the great harm humans can do to each other through greed, ignorance, and fear -- and also a reminder of the ecstasy of gratitude. Talk about an example of "both-and". I'm fortunate in that this holiday brings my husband's family all together in one place for many days... and I love the way this song can rumble along underneath my day, whether or not I'm observing a holiday!
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Barbara lives on the wild and scenic St Croix River about an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul. She is a master voice coach, songwriter, song leader, hospice choir director, long distance swimmer, poet, and author of Full Voice. She feels so lucky to be alive on planet Earth.
Links: www.barbaramcafee.com - the song is available on iTunes and similar platforms, too
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, layer
Notes: I'd like to highlight the custom art created for each episode by Patty Piotrowski. If you're following this on a podcast app that shows only the A Breath of Song logo, and not the artwork, then please go here to feast your eyes! Patty sang in a chorus with me for several years before the pandemic and included me in the friends with whom she shared an Advent calendar of one painting a day via email -- and I loved the experience of opening my email to see something beautiful. During the pandemic, she sang Pocket Songs with me, and we both leaned into song as resource. When I decided to start sharing songs that were making it easier for me to navigate life through this podcast, I wondered if Patty would be willing to share this creative process with me. For each song, she listens ahead of time, sings with it, lets it soak in... and then waits for an image to appear. She emails me a photo of the custom art, which delights me, and makes the process of preparing the podcast for release exponentially more pleasurable. About this piece, she said: "Here is a tree for all of the seasons of this song I’ve been passing this tree along I91 and talking with it for two years It looks different depending on your orientation: when I approach it from the north on the highway, I see it whole and round with branches, but as I pass it, I see then actually there are no branches on the south side."
Dirk says about the song: "Winter Song was written for amateur groups to sing at the winter solstice. I chose the traditional English round form so the repetition can have a meditative effect and people can sing it for as long or short a time as they wish... It was my late wife Adrienne who suggested to me ten years ago that there was a need for new songs to celebrate the eight-fold year celebrations of solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarters that Druids traditionally observe. I did write some others but they were not as good as Winter Song and have passed deservedly into obscurity! 2012 was the last year of Adrienne’s life. She heard the song performed for her birthday in July that year. She was pleased with it. My awareness of her impending death is probably what gives the song its emotional charge."
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Dirk Campbell has put this song into the public domain, so we are welcome to share it. Dirk was born in 1950 in the British military hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, and lived in Kenya till 1962, so was exposed to indigenous Arab and African music before its acculturation by western influence. He went on to a successful career as a composer for films, radio, stage, etc, His website is a fascinating dive (and I mean HOURS worth!!!) into many instruments from a wide variety of cultures around the world on which he has gained skill. He teaches musicians about ways of incorporating ancient and non-western music into contemporary composition.
Links: Dirk Campbell
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, 2-part layer song with optional drone.
Notes: After being sick for several weeks, I was lying in bed and trying to come to terms with the fact that I still felt crummy. I was trying to listen to my body, and this is the song that came into my head. The melody is pretty closely related to a Happy Birthday song which I learned from Liz Rog, but I don't know the origin of the song, and neither did Liz at that point. If anybody happens to know it, I'd love to learn! The song can be sung just as the first part, in which case I think "needing to be known" is more satisfying to sing, but when I added the second part it suddenly made sense to me to use the word "dying." It feels to me like a song that spans caregiving from infancy to deathbed. I'm moved by what a powerful feeling it is to be heard and seen.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: That would be me, so both of the websites below have stuff...
Links: abreathofsong.com juneberrymusic.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), call and response with second harmonized part
Notes: Heather says, “I love so easily," and “What’s next? And I just open up…” and “Silence is a part of the singing.” Trust me, this is a person you'd like to get to know a little better -- how can we all access that kind of love and openness? In our conversation, Heather and I dig into how she actually works with singers privately and in groups, finding the heart voice, ways back in when you've dropped your chanting/meditation practice, why to love humming... and more, including, of course, her favorite soup! Heather shares this beautiful song which warms up the voice and invites us into physical awareness and connection with a released sound.... and her love of the act of singing is contagious.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Heather Houston is passionate about uplifting hearts, freeing voices, transforming lives, and building strong, loving communities through the power of singing. She spreads her magic through her 20+years of international song circle leading, private vocal coaching, and her online offerings - The Art of Mindful Singing, S.H.E. Sings, Singing as Sanctuary, and Sisters in Harmony Song and Chant Leader Training. You can now join her every Monday night on Zoom for a 2-hour Sisters in Harmony Global community song circle with guest artists!
Heather recently released her second solo album, Sisters of the Moon, which features the ethereal voices of her 40-voice women’s choir Yala Lati. Her first solo album, Prayers for the Water is a ZMR Top 10 album. You can find Heather’s music and her a cappella group SIRENZ on all of the streaming platforms and for download on her website.
Links: Website: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com Albums Download: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/recordings/ Streaming on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gw79r7NGOw6WF2bytPW5a?si=E0mvdKMpQ9ObjpRnhViDYQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherhoustonmusic IG: HeatherHoustonMusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPr_m3bi0-TqhBFvJlD4pFA Kitka (Balkan music) – women's vocal ensemble in Oakland Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble Heather’s songleader training starting in Jan Sisters in Harmony Song Leader Training – Heather Houston Music Paul Simon Rhythm of the Saints – here’s the title track: The Rhythm of the Saints - YouTube Sound of Great Horned Owls -- What does a Great Horned Owl sound like? Lyndsey Scott -- Well Held | Lyndsey Scott (bandcamp.com) (as well as A Breath of Song episodes #69 & 70) Samantha Keller and Tamar Fogel -- here with Heather as the trio Dis Moi: Dis Moi – Between Us – Heather Houston Music the first song Heather wrote -- Lumin Solare Fiat - Heather Houston (Sirenz) - YouTube Sirenz -- the four voice group of Heather, Samantha, Molly Hartwell and Sage Mendez: Sirenz – Heather Houston Music
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, chant
Notes: This is song is a taste of Heather Houston's creative, connecting powers -- Episode #75 will feature an intimate conversation with Heather. After she shares another of her songs, we'll delve into why song matters, why voices matter... and a really good soup! Meanwhile, I love this song for noticing the balance of shadow and light -- to me, it's a beautiful song to sing on cusps, like dawn or dusk. Recently, as I've been healing from tick-borne illness, I've hummed it to myself as I watch the shadows and light cross my bedroom wall, encouraging my body to find its way into balance.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Heather Houston is passionate about uplifting hearts, freeing voices, transforming lives, and building strong, loving communities through the power of singing. She spreads her magic through her 20+years of international song circle leading, private vocal coaching, and her online offerings - The Art of Mindful Singing, S.H.E. Sings, Singing as Sanctuary, and Sisters in Harmony Song and Chant Leader Training. You can now join her every Monday night on Zoom for a 2-hour Sisters in Harmony Global community song circle with guest artists!
Heather recently released her second solo album, Sisters of the Moon, which features the ethereal voices of her 40-voice women’s choir Yala Lati. Her first solo album, Prayers for the Water is a ZMR Top 10 album. You can find Heather’s music and her a cappella group SIRENZ on all of the streaming platforms and for download on her website.
Links: Website: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com Albums Download: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/recordings/ Streaming on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gw79r7NGOw6WF2bytPW5a?si=E0mvdKMpQ9ObjpRnhViDYQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherhoustonmusic IG: HeatherHoustonMusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPr_m3bi0-TqhBFvJlD4pFA
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, 5-layer song
Notes: I love that after I sing this a few times, I begin to feel more fluid inside -- as though everything under my skin is softening into a tidal pulse of flow. It's a beautiful song to sing over any drone... the words "the mind", or the "in" from "flows in" should land on the drone note -- a way of subverting any annoying repeated note into becoming accompaniment for your singing. This podcast isn't about me producing a polished recording -- it's about you singing, you playing, and you having a new song that you can invite into your life... so I'm recording with a mild case of covid, and it is wreaking havoc with my voice and pitch quality...
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Roberta Kirn is a song leader, percussionist, and dancer who has been living, working, and raising a family on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts since 1989. She is the founder of BeWellSing and The Song Exchange Project, through which she brings singing in community to as many people as she can. Inspired by the teaching of Dr Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Roberta has been leading community singing for over 25 years. She believes, and has experienced, that singing together brings us into deeper connection with ourselves and each other. Raising our voices, having a communal experience of rhythm, melody, and harmony is a deeply healing experience that can be shared across age, gender, race, class, and culture.
Links: Roberta's Website: https://www.bewellsing.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major, harmonized
Notes: This song, about settling into the unknown and experiencing that as home, is one that has been singing in my head throughout this last year of transition for me. The delight of letting my voice slide helps me physically experience the release, and the complex harmonies keep my sense of focus and unsettledness... as though I'm practicing finding that home in the middle of the unknown. I think this is a great song for becoming very aware of how your voice feels in your body as you sing, because you'll get used to the words fairly quickly -- and then you can shift the focus to the sensations as you sing. (A sneaky form of somatic meditation, but you don't need to notice that, unless you want to!)
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! Last week, I shared sheet music to both parts of Lullaby My Sweetness, and a picture of the Rebecca, Claire & me together, for example. No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: (Snitched directly from Anni's website) Anni Zylstra (she/they) is a folk singer, basketmaker, farmer, and weaver of community based in the traditional homelands of the Oceti Sakowin and Ho-chunk in SW so-called Wisconsin. She has been teaching, writing, and collecting new and old polyphonic songs in the aural tradition for a decade. In the spirit of folk, they believe that everyone can sing, and that using our voices to make beauty together is one of most pleasurable, accessible, and world building activities people can do together. Anni's facilitation is rooted in anticapitalist values, play, a queer nature-based lens, and more than a decade of classical musical training, ethnomusicology, and community leadership. They currently farm on the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, where they grow basket willow, perennial food crops, raise ducks, host events and classes folk education style, and lead Ember, a community choir that sings Balkan, Georgian, and polyphonic English music in La Farge, WI.
Links: Heartland Harmony | Singing for Joy and Connection Here is a 45-minute interview with Annie, hosted by Kate Valentine of Singing Mama's choirs, all about song writing and sharing. Meet Annie Zylstra - Choir composer extraordinaire! - YouTube
@zestinferna -- Anni on Instagram
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Dorian, harmonized paired melodies
Notes: I am thrilled to announce a 3-generations podcast!!! Our daughter, Rebecca Csuy (pronounced, "Soo-ee"), was kind enough to join me to record this lullaby I started singing to myself a few months ago.... and then Rebecca managed to catch Claire, their almost 3-year-old daughter, singing it to herself the next day! (If you want to skip ahead to that, it's at the very, very end of the podcast, as a bonus, and of course, I would completely understand!) Do you ever sing with someone who makes you feel better about your own voice just by the way they sing with you? That's how I feel about singing with Rebecca -- her voice is so true and released -- it helps me find the center in my own in some way. I wrote this song because I'm not always an easy sleeper... so one day after a rough night, I was trying to sing to myself to unwind and relax -- and this is what came. The white birds were seagulls, making a racket outside our apartment window... and just before I fall asleep, it feels like my thoughts turn white and begin to float -- and so the white thoughts.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll receive a heads-up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! This week, I shared sheet music to both parts of Lullaby My Sweetness, and a picture of the Rebecca, Claire & me together, for example. No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: That would be me, so both of the websites below have stuff...
Links: abreathofsong.com juneberrymusic.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Ionian, melody with harmony
Notes: I've shared this song with my pocket song singers online group, meaning I was live-looping it... and the layers are intricate! The different lines interweave closely, creating a dense, beautiful texture. Lyndsey and I enjoy our conversation -- hear her talk about dropping root to choose what to do in the morning and set an intention, about how grief can be a healer, and wealth of teachers and mentors she draws on. Learn which voices still niggle at her, even with all the wisdom she has steeped herself in, and how she includes and cares for those parts, too. When we recorded this, I was in a particularly fragile place, feeling a little unmoored -- I felt better after this time spent talking and singing... more connected, more hopeful. As usual, I left with more questions than I started with... but it feels like a big door has opened and is welcoming me through. Following the links will keep me busy for a good long time! Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here to sign up.
Songwriter Info: Lyndsey Scott is an artist-goofball-yintennae devoted to priestesSing the Heartland, (literal and figurative). She weaves community singing to empower earth-based spiritual consciousness, and gathers soul circles that, through Song and sacred listening, decompose oppressive scripts that get in the way of freely living the Love we are. With jams that get you skipping easily between the sacred, sexy, and sssssilly : your inner child, exiled banshee, and wise elder are all very invited to the circle.
Links: Are you ready??? Lyndsey had so many resources to share, so this is the longest set of links yet!
Let's start with links for Lyndsey and As I Relax: The song is free to share but Lyndsey always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Everything Lyndsey! https://linktr.ee/lila.gaia We Belong Community of Song: https://www.facebook.com/webelongcommunityofsong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lyndseyscott Lyndsey's album on Bandcamp: https://lyndseyscott.bandcamp.com/album/well-held
And now links to things that came up during the conversation -- starting with some of the quotations.
“He who sings, prays twice.” ― St. Augustine “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ― E. B. White “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman
Orland Bishop: Orland Bishop (presswarehouse.com) adrienne maree brown: adrienne maree brown – 'The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.' – camus…documenting my liberation San Francisco mural by Susan O’Malley: SusanOMalley_Mural_2009-2048x1536.jpg (2048×1536) (rootdivision.org) Starhawk, “The Fifth Sacred Thing” The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk « Starhawk's Website Marianne Williamson: Marianne Williamson – #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume: Foundation For Inner Peace: 8601421955508: Amazon.com: Books Shireen Amini: Shireen Amini Music Medicine and Shireen Amini Shelley Tochluk: Living in the Tension & Workshop Series (shellytochluk.com) Emerald Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/how-trance-states-shape-the-world/id1465445746?i=1000512752303 Chubby Cree: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbTonaZJL2d/ Laurence Cole: Can’t Do It Wrong / My Life Is So Cuckoo — Laurence Cole Love Poems from God, translated by Daniel Ladinsky: Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West (Compass) - Stillness Speaks Grace Lee Boggs: Grace Lee Boggs - Wikipedia Malidoma Somé and grief ritual: Dr. Malidoma Somé, Phd. | The Legacy of Elder Malidoma Somé Sibomfu Somé and grief ritual: http://www.sobonfu.com/ Embracing Grief | Sobonfu Somé Enneagrams – here’s one summary set: Integrative Enneagram Solutions (integrative9.com) Aretha movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkKOIQwTiKE Characteristics of White Supremacy by Tema Okun: Microsoft Word - Okun - white sup culture.doc (whitesupremacyculture.info) Francis Weller/ five gates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBfagOEkMi4 Home (francisweller.net) Liz Rog/Center for Belonging: https://www.centerforbelonging.earth/ Earthkeeper Wisdom School: https://www.earthkeeperwisdomschool.com/ Grief to Action: https://www.holisticresistance.com/grief Influential album: MC HAMMER - Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em - Amazon.com Music Lynn O'Brien: https://www.lynnobrien.love/ Artist Lyndsey wishes more people listened to: Briony Greenhill. Album: https://www.brionygreenhill.com/crossing-the-ocean
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Minor; 4 layers, one echoed/harmonized
Notes: I love this song for the both-and-ness... both joy and grief; both broken and mending; both hurt and healing, lost-found, hidden-revealed. The song appeared in an including way, too... Lyndsey was tasked with finding or creating moments of beauty and surprise at 2017 Village Fire, and as she sat at a table with the youth, creating art and words to decorate the port-a-potties, she saw what 10-year-old Livian had written -- "Sing upon joy". Lyndsey heard it as a song, and sang the first phrase... then the folk at the table created the interlocking part together. Both music and art, both words and song, both older and younger, both-and, both-and. Next week's episode is a songwriter conversation with Lyndsey -- not only does she share one of the amazing songs from her new album, but we get to talk and explore. My heart feels wider, my brain click-ier, my spirit lighter after every interaction with Lyndsey -- I hope you can join us! Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Lyndsey Scott is an artist-goofball-yintennae devoted to priestesSing the Heartland, (literal and figurative). She weaves community singing to empower earth-based spiritual consciousness, and gathers soul circles that, through Song and sacred listening, decompose oppressive scripts that get in the way of freely living the Love we are. With jams that get you skipping easily between the sacred, sexy, and sssssilly : your inner child, exiled banshee, and wise elder are all very invited to the circle.
Links: The song is free to share but Lyndsey always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Everything Lyndsey! https://linktr.ee/lila.gaia We Belong Community of Song: https://www.facebook.com/webelongcommunityofsong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lyndseyscott Lyndsey's album on Bandcamp: https://lyndseyscott.bandcamp.com/album/well-held
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 2 harmonized layers
Notes: For most of these episodes, I pick the song many months in advance, because what with artwork & permissions, not to mention my own anxiety levels(!), it helps to have things lined up before.... which sometimes means I haven't listened to the song much until I'm ready to record. Then I wonder -- will I still love it? Will I still want to learn and spend time with it, or was it a temporary infatuation? I can tell you unequivocally, I loved coming back to this song! Katie Sontag's "Share the Journey" felt like reconnecting with a wise, deeply beloved friend who loves me back.., you know that feeling of mutual warmth and trust that you can relax into, and at the same time feel empowered and energized by? Ahhhh. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Katie Sontag writes songs that are honest and vulnerable for her own healing and transformation and seeks to inspire the same in others. Based in Eugene, OR, but working on touring the world, Katie's songs will touch your heart and leave you feeling better then when you came. Listening to her music has been described as receiving "a big hug". She is also the lead vocalist and songwriter for her band, "Katie Sontag and the Love Notes" and half of the duo, "smalltime". She is a group song leader and aspiring choral director. Her songs have been adapted for choirs in Portland, Boulder, Austin, and Big Sur.
Links: Website: katiesontag.com email for contact: katharine.sontag@gmail.com Patreon: patreon.com/katiesontag Facebook: facebook.com/katiesontagmusickatiesontag.com Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/katiesontag Bandcamp: https://katiesontag.bandcamp.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KatieSontag Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/17B4xx4loeNl48GXD6oyBB?si=9p7YgO6FQQ6s-WjBS1VhOg&nd=1
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 3-part harmony
Notes: Ever feel stuck in a really bad place? The hobbits got stuck, and Gandalf blesses the eagles who rescue them. I chose to start this episode with a quote by Cynewulf (9?th century), one of the four Old English poets whose works survive today, because that was a time period J.R.R. Tolkien, (20th century) was deeply influenced by -- and here's Joshua Blaine setting this blessing in the 21st century. This makes for a great "setting-off" song -- and also a song of trust in that wind carrying. As I sing this, I love to feel a connection with something ancient in my own bones. I played with it as I shared it with you, making up extra parts at the end -- please, explore -- let the wind bear you! -- as you sing with me. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Joshua Blaine (he/him) is a community songleader, Jewish ritualist & storyteller, and resonant healing facilitator & coach. His work as a songleader began as an inquiry into the state of protest songs after the 2016 election, which sent him out on the road to interview dozens of musicians and song leaders for a project called “Finding Our Voice.” Since then, he’s been a humble servant of song, singing in capitol rotundas, at meetings & marches and around dinner tables across the country. Whether as a songleader, organizer, or resonant healing facilitator, he draws upon the rich tradition of both his recent and ancient Jewish ancestors of seeding resistance and resilience through song. After spending eight years in the heart of Texas, Joshua now resides in Providence on the oceanic lands of the Narragansett and Wampanoag, also known as Rhode Island.
Links: The song is free to share but Josh always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. http://linktr.ee/joshuahblaine Joshua's live recording with a group (and his own Gandalf voice!)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor (Dorian implied), 3 layers
Notes: This is the determined, comforting chorus of Shireen Amini's song, "We're Not Walking Alone". I love 'walking music' -- and this is one of my go-to's when I'm looking for an up-tempo walk. I'll sing the different parts consecutively, and if I can rope a co-walker into singing one of the parts, even better! Shireen says nature is the "enwrapping companion" that lets her own answers arise. The first verse of this song is, "When we stop trying to force all the answers -- 'cause they never will come from the mind -- they will come from a place that is peaceful; take a walk on the land, they will arise." I love the sense that the land itself is willing to care and tend us, and is, in the deepest sense, our home. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Shireen Amini (non-binary human using she in English / elle in Spanish) is a queer, Puerto Rican-Iranian, Earth-loving singer-songwriter, performer, percussionist and teaching artist. With a BA in Ethnomusicology from UCLA and a certificate in Sound, Voice, and Music Healing from CIIS in San Francisco, Shireen has also come to believe strongly in music as a tool for personal and collective transformation. As a songleader, Shireen loves to share medicine songs with healing and empowering messages, infectious grooves, and soulful melodies, often engaging her participants in rhythmic play and movement while singing. She also offers music classes, facilitation, and coaching for her local and virtual communities through her project Shireen Amini Music Medicine.
Links: Listen to Shireen's recording of the whole song from her album, "Break Myself Free": https://youtu.be/UWlLZ_36iVI Shireen's website Shireen's community singing website Shireen on facebook Shireen on Instagram (@shireenaminimusic)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, 3 layers
Notes: Wendy Luella Perkins sings to telemarketers, tells of her brother choosing her for his show-and-tell, and why she has a tik-tok channel. She talks about auditory memory, singing as refuge, and the reclamation of her voice. She describes the transition from singer/songwriter work into the Soulful Singing in 2002, and the challenges unique to this kind of therapeutic singing which is not professional therapy. We have the awkward conversation about money -- is it possible to make a living as a songwriter without commodifying song, which is a birthright? Yet again, Patty Piotrowski has created the most appropriate beautiful art in my mind because of the generosity and openness of the bloom.
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins has been singing and making up songs since she was a very young child. When she was three years old, her older brother, Tim, took her to school as his Show+Tell item saying, “this is my sister Wendy Lu, listen to her sing!” She's been going strong ever since. As a singer-songwriter, Unitarian Universalist community minister, and founder, in 2002 of Soulful Singing (singing meditation for all) Wendy Luella leverages the power of song to build authentic, healing and joyful communities.
A prolific writer of folk songs and meditative chants and supportive guide who helps others to create their own songs, Wendy Luella's greatest joy is to bring friends and strangers together in the transformational circle of song. Wendy Luella has produced three CDs of original music, which you can find on her website. As a response to pandemic restrictions and recognizing the need to keep on singing in community, especially in difficult times, Wendy Luella transitioned Soulful Singing to online sessions in March 2020. Soulful Singers from all over have been gathering online EVERY SINGLE DAY since then and once a week on THURSDAY evenings. Everyone is welcome to join Soulful Singing via Zoom. Singing daily over the last 875+ days with wonderful folks from Kingston and around the world has encouraged Wendy Luella to share her original songs more broadly in what she calls her “Song Liberation Project” (The SLiP). She has written hundreds of songs and with The SLiP is sharing them one by one on TikTok. Wendy Luella grew up in rural Nova Scotia, and has lived in Kingston Ontario for over 25 years with her sweetheart and fellow musician, Charlie Walker. She loves waking early, walking daily, eating communally, crafting publicly, sharing deeply, gardening bountifully, laughing abundantly and of course, singing soulfully!
Links: Wendy Luella's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com and tiktok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins To email Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com To join Soulful Singing every day from 9:00-9:45 a.m. Eastern Time, please click here for information: Wendy Luella Perkins | SoulfulSinging (notice you'll need to email ahead of time to receive a link for joining, so don't leave it to the very last minute!) Album that mattered: Joni Mitchell, Blue Songwriter Wendy Lu wishes more people would listen to: Coco Love Alcorn
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: Loving-Kindness: 3:4, major, zipper. When All Is Swirling: 2:2, minor, zipper. We're All Connected: 4:4, major, unison. Trust In the Power: 4:4, major, zipper. It's Good to Have a Song or Two: 4:4, major, unison. To Love I Do Return: 3:4, major, zipper.
Notes: This poignant song by Wendy Luella Perkins comes from early on in the pandemic -- a time of fear and grieving -- yet also, in the early mornings, the streets were so unusually quiet in the cities that birdsong was clearly audible. You'll be able to hear the echo of a dove call in the melody, which I teach with extra care so you can feel comfortable and relaxed singing it. This song helps me notice what I'm hearing around me -- and when I notice the sounds around me, I drop into the present micro-second, where all is well. In the next episode, there's a songwriter conversation with Wendy Luella, which includes not one, not two, but four songs that can be personal assistants as we heal, adapt, and grow. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins has been singing and making up songs since she was a very young child. When she was three years old, her older brother, Tim, took her to school as his Show+Tell item saying “this is my sister Wendy Lu, listen to her sing!” She's been going strong ever since. As a singer-songwriter, Unitarian Universalist community minister, and founder, in 2002 of Soulful Singing (singing meditation for all) Wendy Luella leverages the power of song to build authentic, healing and joyful communities. A prolific writer of folk songs and meditative chants and supportive guide who helps others to create their own songs, Wendy Luella's greatest joy is to bring friends and strangers together in the transformational circle of song. Wendy Luella has produced three CDs of original music, which you can find on her website. As a response to pandemic restrictions, and recognizing the need to keep on singing in community, especially in difficult times, Wendy Luella transitioned Soulful Singing to online sessions in March 2020. Soulful Singers from all over have been gathering online EVERY SINGLE DAY since then and once a week on THURSDAY evenings. Everyone is welcome to join Soulful Singing via Zoom. Singing daily over the last 875+ days with wonderful folks from Kingston and around the world has encouraged Wendy Luella to share her original songs more broadly in what she calls her “Song Liberation Project” (The SLiP). She has written hundreds of songs and with The SLiP is sharing them one by one on TikTok. Wendy Luella grew up in rural Nova Scotia, and has lived in Kingston Ontario for over 25 years with her sweetheart and fellow musician, Charlie Walker. She loves waking early, walking daily, eating communally, crafting publicly, sharing deeply, gardening bountifully, laughing abundantly and of course, singing soulfully!
Links: Wendy Luella's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com and tiktok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins To email Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), unison, harmonized
Notes: Abigail Spinner McBride has one of those stories -- a choir director told her, "Don't sing, honey, because no one wants to hear your voice." This year she was chosen as Best Female Vocalist of the Year 2022 at the International Pagan Music Awards. I love me a story that says though we may have had voices like that in the past -- voices that shut us down either with dismissal or by sky-high expectations -- those voices have no way of knowing us or our potential. Our excitement can be to wake to our own voices, come out of a dream state and notice what is actually real, around us, right now. I love this song for its high energy of opening and possibility. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Abigail Spinner McBride has been creating pagan chants in the Earth-Spirit community since the late 1980s and is deeply involved in transformation and transmutation work through drumming, chanting, fire circles, and magic. She is a High Priestess of the Family of Fire, a musician, dancer, and massage therapist, based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Links: Fire of Creation album (with Awaken Me) on Apple Music (2007) Abigail's facebook page (you don't have to be a Facebook member to look at this) The Vegas Vortex: a website of the transformational fire work that Abigail offers
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Mixolydian, 2 layer song with harmonies
Notes: Compassionate presence and meditation facilitator, John Rio Casey, said, “Doin' my best to be the love my deepest heart is dreamin of,” and Karly set this longing unforgettably. One of the ways I choose songs for these podcasts is that they let me soak in words that I want to believe, that I want to inhabit. What I love about this song is the transition from working hard to be this Love my deepest heart can dream of to understanding that I actually AM the Love already -- with every breath I take -- and all I need do is let it overflow. As it gets to the end and focusses on "Letting my cup overflow," you can either keep singing one of the earlier lines, if that resonates with you, or join me in one of my harmonies, or create your own harmony that feels yummy. I hereby give you full free permission to sing every "wrong" note possible! :) I know that it's through leaning into the notes that don't sound right at first that we get to the ones that feel best! Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Karly Loveling brings songs to life, singing what she needs and loves to hear; playing with, writing, and leading songs online and in-person in what we call Eugene, OR, the ancestral land of the Kalapuya peoples. Online she enjoys the brain-bending and bridge-building of learning how to use sign language as she sings, thanks to beloved singer, Dawn Song. In-person, she enjoys being surrounded by harmonies, lively rhythms, and humans who do their best to be the Love.
Links: Listen to and support Karly by buying her album and learning her songs at https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/music Sign up for Karly's newsletter to stay up to date on news and events: https://singingheartharmonies.com Join the Online Sing & Sign most Tuesday's from 10:30-11:45am Pacific time at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81680823837
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Aeolian (minor), layer song
Notes: This is a vacation episode! I'm on vacation with my dear friend, Joy Truskowski... and what do you think we're doing together? We've been having such a good time singing, and on this episode (I think the shortest yet) you get to hear us together, singing a song I wrote just as a particularly difficult time was beginning. It helps me to not jump ahead to the future or gnash over the past -- that I can be right here, right now, and usually that's a pretty good moment. I asked the A Breath of Song listeners via the email list where they've experienced sanctuary, and they wrote the lyrics we sing... here are some of the other options that came up: in my swing, in this garden, in this choir, with this book, as I'm cooking, with this patient, with my cats, with my ponies, in my loved one's arms, in a canoe, while I'm painting, meditating. Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here to sign up.
Songwriter Info: I'm bringing you this podcast, so you've already got a sense of me! You can find more about me at the juneberrymusic website, or pertaining specifically to this podcast here at abreathofsong.com.
Links:
Find Joy at joytru.com -- all kinds of awesome things! Juneberry Music -- everything I'm doing professionally, and some less-than-professionally A Breath of Song -- lots of extras about this podcast, including a Year One art tile page, a tip jar, and songwriter collaboration information
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), zipper song, unison
Notes: "Singing was never an option: it's like walking, breathing, eating... it's just one of the things that you do." It's a songwriter conversation with Lea Morris, who brings us not only her song, Just As You Are, but also gives us the very earliest possible sneak peek of what she might be writing for the NVN Black Lives Matter commission she has received. You can hear me stumble through learning a new-to-me song. We talk about how a song can transform a relationship or build self-forgiveness and self-acceptance. How singing with others is actually heaven. Lea shares her personal take on appropriateness versus appropriation and encourages us to follow our joy... "let yourself have that expression." This was my first in-the-same-room interview, and what a pleasure it was! Be one of the first to know as new episodes are released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me. Click here.
Songwriter Info: Lea describes her sound blend of gospel, jazz, country & R&B as SoulFolk. She performs solo & with her band. Lea is one of the Black composers commissioned by the Natural Voices Network for their Black Lives Matter commissioning project, and she also writes music used by Unitarian-Universalist congregations. On our songwriter conversation (episode #60), she talks about the compositional process and shares a little of what's currently in process. Check out her website under "More" for full biographical info, and don't miss Lea's own recording of Just As You Are on the Singing Mama's youtube channel!
Links: Lea's website: www.thisislea.com Lea on youtube: www.YouTube.com/thisislea Good Morning Melodies by Lea Morris -- this link lets you buy either the songbook or the recordings of Lea's collection of acapella songs Lea's recommendations: Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder... here's a 1976 album review by Rolling Stone, which I thought was interesting to read, since it was from before everyone knew how this album would go on to become one of the definitive pieces of art from the 1970s. Title link to the Amazon listing. Fleur de Lis by Richard Julian... and here's a youtube video of a single from the album, Die in New Orleans
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), harmonized with response
Notes: Haven't we all been going through waves of change? Whether it looks like loss or shift or fear or opportunity -- whether intended or thrust upon us -- whether sudden or slowly gathered -- it's not always easy or clear to navigate. I believe in song as a tool, an intentional change-maker, a physic for the body and soul -- as a way of choosing the thoughts we want to carry in our brain. And sometimes for me, it's several voices in my head at once! What I love about this song is the way it has two parts of me talking to each other -- my wise mind, reminding and encouraging me to "keep your heart wide open, no matter what sweetheart, have faith, you'll be able to..." -- and my tiny gerbil self, scurrying around, singing fast & trying to be reassuring, "Okay, okay, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep -- I'm gonna get this done, I can do it, I can do it!"
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Lea describes her sound blend of gospel, jazz, country & R&B as SoulFolk. She performs solo & with her band. Lea is one of the Black composers commissioned by the Natural Voices Network for their Black Lives Matter commissioning project, and she also writes music used by Unitarian-Universalist congregations. On our songwriter conversation (episode #60), she talks about the compositional process and shares a little of what's currently in process. Check out her website under "More" for full biographical info, and don't miss Lea's own recording of Heart Wide Open on her youtube channel!
Links: Lea's website: www.thisislea.com and On youtube: www.YouTube.com/thisislea
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, call and harmonized response
Notes: An elemental song that reminds us of how ephemeral human life is -- yet how we can rely on the solidity of the elements and return to them again and again. This is a song I need when I feel unrooted by grief and anger. I wonder how it will feel to you, what it might touch, how it might help you adapt and flex and grow? Listen for the surprise sound effect... I was recording with the windows open, and my looper caught a passing sound... I decided not to rerecord, both because I didn't really have the time, and because I thought it was actually kind of cool in the context of this song. Just a reminder that this podcast is not a polished recorded performance (as if you hadn't figured that out already! :) ) I use the looper to layer up my voice a bit, but it's how it would sound if we were sitting in the same room and you were singing with me live... two real humans doing real human-y stuff!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! This week, I shared sheet music for the piano part of Shadow Listening, for example. No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. Anne Hill has expertise in many areas, from dreams and spirituality to self-publishing and author platforms. She is a sought-after speaker and teacher, helping people improve their lives using both inner and outer resources. With Diane Baker, they co-created a book called Circle Round, which is a resource of nature spirituality practices. Unusually, I did not manage to get their permission to share this song, though I reached out through their websites... so if this episode disappears, you'll know why! I'm hoping that because this song is already widely shared, it might be okay. Please, if this song speaks to you, here's an extra plea to use the links and visit their websites to support their work!
Links: Regenerative Culture, Earth-based Spirituality, and Permaculture « Starhawk's Website http://starhawk.org About Anne | Serpentine Music & Media
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Ionian, Call & response with harmonies.
Notes: What are summer songs for you? I think of summer as a time of greeting and gathering and workshops and camps and goodbyes and endings... a time of physicality, sensuality, heat, languor... I notice my body responding to light and heat. When I tune inward, I listen for what hums, what hurts, what is healing. Especially in this time, I notice what memories are loosened and how tender connections feel -- which brings me to this song, which is a farewell wish that could be sung to anyone -- family, friends, people we don't yet know. It might even be sung to an inner self that we are extra aware of, or listen to, and then ask to wait while we tend to other demands. As we leave gatherings of family or friends or memories, we can hum this song, envisioning each, wishing them well. In the last line of lyrics, I use the pronoun "her" for love -- but please, sing whichever pronoun embodies love for you -- his, her, their, our, xer, sher -- craft a version that evokes warmth in you.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! This week, I shared sheet music for the piano part of Shadow Listening, for example. No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: That would be me, so both of the websites below have stuff...
Links: abreathofsong.com juneberrymusic.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, melody with counter-harmony
Notes: This is different than most episodes, in which I share a song with you that's already been captured, delineated, and made repeatable. Those songs are chosen because they help me navigate life -- heal, adapt, and grow. Today's episode is another kind of singing that helps me uncover wellness and light-heartedness... what I call for myself, "acceptance-singing" (which runs together into "acceptancing"...) It's an active practice of listening to one's own voice and finding it to be enough, right this moment, exactly as it is. Listening with curiosity for what appears. So when I created this episode, I made up something in the moment, imagining that you were joining me, and we were singing a duet -- and the purpose of that duet is to hear your voice play and explore and cavort around doing whatever feels good! If it sounds chaotic or uncertain or repetitive -- so be it -- love it wild and crazy!!! If it sounds constrained or pushed, love it all the more sweetly, all the more extravagantly. If it sounds absolutely fabulous and inventive and skillful -- love it peaceably without needing it to hold it. And when you've done it once, do it another time, with or without me -- because listening to your own voice and loving what shows up is a gift to yourself and the world.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Um... that would be you!
Links: to find more of what I'm up to... juneberrymusic.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast. Nuts & Bolts: improvisational, acceptance singing
Notes: I keep singing this to myself... so grateful that Kaitie caught this song-morsel that provides so much release. This idea that life keeps rearranging, sometimes feeling awkward -- but that's not the end -- I get to keep moving through that... for some reason I can hear this so much more easily when it's coming in a song. Kaitie isn't done with this song -- she is still listening for the harmonies -- which means you're getting it at this sweet moment of openness and exploration -- how will you harmonize it, or will you stay with the melody, singing the reassurance into your bones? The songwriter conversation that follows ranges across the Ubuntu philosophy origin and how/why it applies to choirs, caring for a group, straight talk about singing in groups when not everyone's on pitch, what we can learn from small children, musings on flexibility versus predictability ... and more!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (she) is a Bay Area-based songleader, teacher, writer, cartoonist and performer. Passionate about creating joyful experiences through music, Kaitie uses simple yet luscious harmonies to build bridges within communities and bring people together in song. In early 2020, Kaitie's Living Room Choir moved online, and that fall her first child was born. Living Room Choir continued online, and in 2021 Kaitie added Simple Harmonies: Songs for Babies & Their Grown-Ups. Nowadays, Kaitie is still leading online but also exploring pandemic-conscious opportunities to sing together in person. Her dream, pandemic-willing, is to host a vibrant, in-person, intergenerational choir for babies, children and adults of all ages to sing together.
Links: To contact Kaitie directly: kaitietywarren@gmail.com To learn more of Kaitie's songs: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/original-music/ To sing with Kaitie: thelivingroomchoir.com Kaitie's cartoons: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/ For cartoons & things for sale: https://society6.com/kaitietywarren Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrisette MORISSETTE,ALANIS - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic - Amazon.com Music Simon Webbe: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/simon-webbe/78729485 more about the Bird/Cat/Dog idea for community reengagement Ubuntu and Bishop Desmond Tutu... here's an article about ubuntu by Desmond Tutu’s granddaughter
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), melody with optional harmonies
Notes: When choosing the searchable categories for this song, "Surrender," I found myself surprised by the juxtapositions -- I picked "Empower" and "Grieve", "Pain" and "Trust", "Accept" and "Flex". I realized how I find the most strength and power and freedom in myself at the moments when I surrender to how I feel, how my body is in the moment, my limitations. Don't miss the back story to this song, told in Kaitie's own words at https://thelivingroomchoir.com/surrender/. Next week, Kaitie and I dive into a songwriter conversation, and Kaitie shares a delightful new song about the awkwardness of change and growth... and we talk about finding both continuity and fluidity in music and life, the Ubuntu philosophy, and much, much more.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (she) is a Bay Area-based songleader, teacher, writer, cartoonist and performer. Passionate about creating joyful experiences through music, Kaitie uses simple yet luscious harmonies to build bridges within communities and bring people together in song. In early 2020, Kaitie's Living Room Choir moved online, and that fall her first child was born. Living Room Choir continued online, and in 2021 Kaitie added Simple Harmonies: Songs for Babies & Their Grown-Ups. Nowadays, Kaitie is still leading online but also exploring pandemic-conscious opportunities to sing together in person. Her dream, pandemic-willing, is to host a vibrant, in-person, intergenerational choir for babies, children and adults of all ages to sing together.
Links: To contact Kaitie directly: kaitietywarren@gmail.com To learn more of Kaitie's songs: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/original-music/ To sing with Kaitie: thelivingroomchoir.com Kaitie's cartoons: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/ For cartoons & things for sale: https://society6.com/kaitietywarren For more about "Surrender": https://thelivingroomchoir.com/surrender/
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Minor. Layer song.
Notes: Judi is wishing for sunshine, then some rain; moonlight and starlight -- for herself, and for all of us... and when we get to sing this song of hers, we get to wish it for ourselves -- and each other. Every little wish for me and for we.... such a good feeling to remember our social connection, how natural it feels as humans to care for each other. I love the way each part you can sing in this song builds to a natural ending note... and those notes, stacked on each other, create a sweet, surprising chord. I also find the silence intriguing -- lots of space in these layers; chances to listen to the other voices. It's a little bit like remembering there are other people in the room with their own lives and stories and sorrows and delights, and there's space for them, too.... and maybe, combined, we're even more intriguing and colorful than alone? I particularly appreciate this song as I tentatively explore gathering more frequently with real, live people now... and I am surprised by the intensity of the experience. Disclosure: Judi has been my mentor and teacher and friend since 2015.... I asked her nicely (pleaded) to create a pocket song for the podcast. So I think this counts as a bespoke song?!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Judi (Donaghy) Vinar
“The incredible thing about Judi is that no matter what style she happens to be singing, it sounds as though she doesn’t do anything else”…Rick Carlson – Pianist
A member of the Twin Cities music scene since 1989, Judi has sung with the Wolverines, JazzMN, St. Croix Jazz Orchestra, The Girls, and numerous shows under the production of Lori Dokken. Judi tours worldwide with Vocal Master Bobby McFerrin as a member of his latest band “Gimme5”. By day Judi is a freelance Vocal instructor and Choral Director for Unity Minneapolis. She has been a faculty member of Bobby McFerrin’s “Circlesongs” workshops since 2005. Also an award winning songwriter (JAZZIZ), Judi’s songs have been recorded by Debbie Duncan, the Girls, Paula Lammers, and Three Hits & a Miss.
To find Judi’s recordings on ITunes or Youtube, search under Judi Donaghy. To learn more about upcoming events or join her mailing list, go to www.judivinar.com.
Links: Judi's website: www.judivinar.com Judi singing "I Can See Clearly Now" with Bobby McFerrin (just one of my favorite videos ever) judivinar@gmail.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mostly minor... except for that one crucial note. Layer song.
Notes: My interest in Eli Marienthal's song, "Ocean Wide" comes directly from how it expands my capacity to be present with deep grief and pain -- that of my own or that of others. My fear of feeling -- fear that somehow the world will crumble if I recognize how much pain I feel -- that fear is eased by the sense of having enough space inside me -- an ocean of space, in fact -- that is wide enough, deep enough, capacious enough for every drop of pain, every howl of grief. I love that this song has so much space for the singer inside it -- do you need to just sing a melody, over and over, to soothe and center yourself? Do you want to experiment, explore, let your voice speak to you? I hope I left space in this for you to fill in your own way -- and I hope you, too, find it healing to sense that oceanic space inside you.
Songwriter Info: Since 2014, Eli has co-led one of Northern California's wilderness immersion and rite of passage organization for youth. He has wide interests -- geography, comparative lit, poetry, songwriting, spoken-word performance, theater, peacemaking, nature awareness, cross cultural respect, qi gong, leadership development and more.
Links: Eli's website: www.backtoearth.org
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, unison
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Notes: This song by Alexa Sunshine Rose has been a huge resource for me as I’ve gone through big transitions and grief this spring. I think that’s in part because it is so direct and short -- it settles inside me without worry or fret. And then the potential complexities of possible harmonies keep me interested, as well as the way it feels inside as I sing. You might start by humming one of the drone notes… then maybe humming with the melody. Eventually, when the words start pushing inside you, wanting to come through, let them appear in your mouth. Feel how your tongue moves against your teeth, how the air moves against the roof of your mouth, the way f and v vibrate against your lips. So my invitation to you: let singing this song be a physical experience that draws you into your body -- how does it feel?
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Alexa Sunshine Rose describes herself as a singer-songwriter, mother, artist and mystic who has dedicated herself and her life's work to being a clear channel for peace on earth. Her songs are prayers, which bridge worlds; the inner and outer, the mind and heart, chaos and calm. She has been touring and teaching across the West Coast and Hawaii since 2009. I met her on Zoom through the amazing songcarrier Aimée Ringle during the pandemic, and knew immediately that more of her voice in my life would only be a good thing.
Links: Alexa Sunshine Rose's website One of Alexa's video recordings of I Release Control Alexa on Bandcamp (buying her music here means more of the money actually goes to her)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, Harmonized over drone
Notes: There's a freedom in not waiting for a cure. Traditional music is a way to connect to your spiritual ancestral community; it can affirm your experience and there's the "big expansion of empathy that is happening when we sing." Ornamentation and pronunciation of words in oral tradition. We don't create in isolation. How Saro's mom conveyed joy in singing, and what Saro would love "every human being on the planet to understand about disability." The broad umbrella of disability. Speaking with compassion to our bodies, and how that relates to justice work. Why singing is too important to be left to the professionals. Need I say more? This conversation with Saro has left me mulling over so much, and learning "Navigate the Current" has touched me deeply. Here's a chance to dig into what authentic expression feels like... Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Saro Lynch-Thomason is an award-winning ballad singer, song leader, folklorist, and documentarian from Asheville, North Carolina. Saro has been studying and teaching traditional song and balladry from the British Isles, Appalachia and the American South for over a decade. Saro believes that old songs help modern learners access history, folklore, and (most importantly) compassion for the experiences of others, and she uses in-person teaching, film documentary, podcasts and more to convey these lessons. She holds an M.A. in Appalachian Studies and a Certificate in Documentary Studies.
Links: www.sarosings.com www.patreon.com/sarolynch, Music at sarolyncht.bandcamp.com, TikTok and Instagram at @songspeaksaro Sign up for Saro's newsletter to be the first to hear when the class info is available... Tim Eriksen Soul of the January Hills -- the link goes to Bandcamp, because if you buy the album there, the artist receives a larger % than any other source. Learn more about Tim Eriksen here: Tim Eriksen (timeriksenmusic.com) Michael & Carrie Kline at Talking Across the Lines (folktalk.org)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian (minor), ballad form
Notes: This particular song of Saro's has gained international attention, becoming an anthem in the movement to end global warming and garnering praise in the Huffington Post. You may already be familiar with it... in which case I'd really encourage you to use this podcast to explore it and use my voice as an opportunity for you to experiment with harmonies, or being a grounded, single note, or be able to pay extra attention to how it feels inside your body as you sing. Or maybe you don't know it yet? That's cause for celebration, because you have a treat waiting for you today! For me, when I sing this, I feel huge things -- grief at what is happening to our planet and a powerful, grounded determination to respond as I can -- and, like I said -- feeling those things strong and large. It taps into something bigger than myself, even when I'm singing alone, as I often am these days. I'd be curious to hear how it feels to you to sing it with me?
Saro encourages people to sing this in groups -- "please share this song -- use it at protests, use it in church, use it in meetings, add new verses, spread it around!" Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Saro Lynch-Thomason is an award-winning ballad singer, song leader, folklorist, and documentarian from Asheville, North Carolina. Saro has been studying and teaching traditional song and balladry from the British Isles, Appalachia and the American South for over a decade. Saro believes that old songs help modern learners access history, folklore, and (most importantly) compassion for the experiences of others, and she uses in-person teaching, film documentary, podcasts and more to convey these lessons. She holds an M.A. in Appalachian Studies and a Certificate in Documentary Studies.
Links: www.sarosings.com, www.patreon.com/sarolynch, Music at sarolyncht.bandcamp.com,
TikTok and Instagram at @songspeaksaro
Saro herself singing More Waters Rising.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, harmonizable
Notes: This is the first song Liesel wrote, on an island, starting the process of freeing her voice. What amazes me about this song, and keeps me coming back to it, is how good it feels to sing. From the opening jump of realization up to the word "free" to the rhythmic interplay that sets me swaying on the "Free, I am free, I am free" line, the music and words back each other up. I added harmonies of my own, but you might choose different harmonies and end up with a very different kind of sound... or take it off the podcast into a different speed or different part of your voice, lower or higher and see how that feels. I love how this song doesn't need complexity to be satisfying, and my focus is very quickly freed up to notice how my voice feels, how my body responds. Spacious and gracious -- and in my brief time with Liesel at a songleader workshop in 2019, I thought those were qualities of hers as well.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Liesel describes herself as an intuitive relationship coach -- she is also an author, mother, spouse, and successful entrepreneur.... and a heart-centered, laughter-filled wise presence, with an amazing Parking Fairy song to find those elusive spaces! Liesel shares freely guided meditations on her soundcloud channel... check them out!
Links: About - LieselRigsby.com Stream Liesel Rigsby meditations
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, harmonized
Notes: I didn't actually write this as a community singing song; I wasn't expecting anyone else to want to sing it. I wrote it because I was finding a way to comfort and strengthen myself through the process of sorting old journals... being placed back in some difficult times, times when I wasn't really able to treat myself compassionately. Going over to the piano and creating this song helped me listen to and love my younger, struggling self -- I really felt like I was catching myself. I shared it with a dear friend, who responded so strongly and positively, I began to share it with others, including eventually my Pocket Song singers... and now here.... because it seems I'm not the only one who gets to go back and tender gentle care to a previous self... So, you know how I say, "coming to you straight from my home in Vermont," with my voice just the way it is today? Well, I've got to admit with this episode, I fudged that... I couldn't loop the piano part (long story), so rather than record it live with my looper in one take, I had to layer the recordings to get you the whole song... which meant I could re-record when I didn't hit a note squarely in the middle, or squeaked or cracked. And it's still not perfect! Sigh.... I'm learning a lot from doing this podcast! Thanks for hanging out with me -- I hope this song can be a good companion to you, too.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Um... I think you can find this on either website. (Different accounts, but basically the same person!) :)
Links: abreathofsong.com juneberrymusic.com
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3 layers, one harmonized
Notes: I came across We Are the Way in 2020 when I was joyfully listening through Annie Zylstra’s online collection in Heartland Harmony – if you love songs and haven’t found her library yet, you are in for a huge treat! Annie had this song, which lifted my heart and became a touchstone song for me in very short order. She explains that Christine Kick was living in her basement during a major home renovation that was taking longer than expected, and she found herself feeling a little shamefaced when friends would ask, “How’s it going?”, as it very much WASN’T… and then she reminded herself to celebrate the difference & distance she had come. We’ve just moved out of our home for 22 years to a new community, we’re unpacking boxes, searching for things in new places, slowly starting to meet new people… I am using this reminder on the regular!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Christine has been writing songs ever since she was a kid, growing up singing in choirs, and playing flute, guitar, piano, hand drums, etc. She wrote We Are the Way in 2016. She teaches yoga as a way to harness more energy for life by overcoming our limitations and fears - energy that can then be applied to any passion or pursuit that fills us up! Christine believes that music is medicine, especially singing since it opens the throat chakra which allows energy to flow. Her mission is to inspire others to live their best life possible and show up for their heart's true calling.... and music is part of and parcel of who she is and what she does. When we connected for permission for me to use this song, she was in Costa Rica travelling, and sharing songs. Christine enjoys leading and hosting song circles, kirtans, and music jams.
Links: Find Christine's website here: Christine Kick on facebook as ChristineKick or Instagram as @acrounicorn
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, round and layer
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Notes: Penny includes us all into her circle of friends by sharing "First Light" -- a song she wrote for 5 close friends, including her partner. Then we have a rollicking conversation, covering big voices, purposeful singing, what a requiem might do, and a few little questions like, "What has singing taught you about life?" Also, how and why you might say "FTS"...
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Penny Stone is a musician and activist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She believes that everyone can sing and that every voice is valuable and beautiful. Penny facilitates singing groups and writes accessible music for community groups. She is currently working on a feminist requiem.
Links: Penny's website (with a donation box)...: www.singlouderthanguns.com Learn and Sing along song videos: www.singlouderthanguns.com/singalong-songs/ Sing this song with with Penny: First Light (learn and sing along) - YouTube Twitter: @singovertheguns
The lullaby Penny describes that she wrote for the "wee girl": https://youtu.be/aG3OgCWd8c4 How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy: An Excerpt from How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy | Penguin Random House Two choices for Jaqueline du Pre Elgar cello concerto: Jacqueline du Pre & Daniel Barenboim - Elgar Cello Concerto - YouTube or with Sir John Barbirolli: Elgar Cello Concerto / Jacqueline Du Pré / Sir John Barbirolli, LSO (ASD 655) 1965 - YouTube
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, Harmonized, tune in the middle
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Notes: Personally, I dread being trite or dull. And this hard-earned wisdom from the recovery community is so prevalent, it's tempting for me to dismiss it as "too common". Whenever I get obstreperous like that, it doesn't help me at all... just saying. I love the way this song voices my own experience with this wisdom in a way.... does that sound weird? Let me explain. The song seems almost annoyingly simple -- a call and response section with repetition and not many notes, and then two layers that use the same words and repeat the same phrase the same way three times in a row -- and part of me wonders is this going to hold my interest as a song, or am I going to get bored? Yet when you put it all together, it is seductively rich and complex and beautiful -- and I just want to sing it more. For me, it's kind of a hit-me-on-the-head-with-a-hammer similarity to when I hear the guidance itself. "Really, one day at a time??? Really, just keep it simple??? Sounds like a poster." But then if I actually do it, it works. Every time. Hmmm..... For me, right now is a time of big shifting -- I recorded this two days after my father died, and five days before we leave our home of 22 years to move closer to our granddaughter and family. The excuse to sing this song and even explore a little at the end, off book, eased my day. Thanks for singing with me!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Penny Stone is a musician and activist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She believes that everyone can sing and that every voice is valuable and beautiful. Penny facilitates singing groups and writes accessible music for community groups. She is currently working on a feminist requiem. Listen to episode #45 for more about this!
Links: Penny's website (with a donation box)...: www.singlouderthanguns.com Learn and Sing along song videos: www.singlouderthanguns.com/singalong-songs/ Sing this song with with Penny: One Day At A Time (learn and sing along) - YouTube Twitter: @singovertheguns The Serenity Singers of Edinborough
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, Call & response with 2 more layers
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Notes: This song has an Appalachian feel, and a wonderful way of rising and falling, gradually filling you up with the music that it's singing about as you sing it. Matthew says, “Great songs have great ideas in them, too. They are simple but they are not simplistic.” On the podcast, you'll hear me poking around with different rhythms and experimenting with harmonies and interspersing... and I encourage you to explore, too, as soon as you feel comfortable with the song. Let the music do its thing by filling us up, and let's enjoy the feeling of our voices today.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Matthew Myer Boulton is an author, teacher, filmmaker, and proud papa of Jonah and Margaret. A graduate of Northwestern University, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of Chicago Divinity School, he has served on the faculty of Harvard Divinity School and seminaries in New England and the Midwest. He's also the Creative Director and Producer of the Salt project -- which is where I uncovered his bio!
Links: The original Butterflyfish recording can be found here: Christian Music for Children by Butterflyfish (saltproject.org) You can buy sheet music there, too, or use the contact button to ask permission to use the song further. A shout out to Matt Myer (no relation), whose youtube video introduced me to the song.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major, harmonized
Notes: Creativity is so often the process of connecting disparate things in a new way. Juliana Murphy crafted this sweet, reassuring wish for safety, wellness, and fearlessness by combining a text from a modern-day fable of awakening with a folk song that came with disturbing, murderous lyrics. She adjusted both and ended up with a song that to me, at least, sits easily in the voice, and lightly on the spirit. I can send this wish to myself, family members, friends, or strangers. I don't take "awakened" to be a politically-angsty, aggressive kind of "wokeness", but rather an eyes-opened kind of awareness and presence that lets me register the world immediately around me. As always, you get to take this song and make it your own now -- what is it that you wish for yourself and those around you that is actually already true? How much fear can we release as we sing?
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Juliana Murphy (she/her) comes to the circle with a lifelong love of singing and a library of original and collected songs that connect us to ourselves, nature, and the cycles and rhythms of being a human on this planet. She brings a deep desire to sing a more beautiful, inclusive, loving, sustainable, and delightful world into being. Juliana co-leads the Tucson Community Song Circle and is a graduate of the Littlebird Songleader Flight School for community songleading.
Links: Juliana's blogpost about this song, with her recording: Be Safe, My Love — juliana murphy Juliana's website: https://www.julianamurphy.com/waking-lullabies Instagram: @wakinglullabies
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, harmonized
Notes: As we prepare to leave our home of 22 years and shift to a new kind of community for us, let me tell you, this song is proving useful! As I sort belongings, as inspections get scheduled... and spring begins to rise, and world news swirls, and how to responsibly bring people together is still confusing and uncertain... something sweet, short and simple that I can repeat to myself, exchanging the words "It's all falling apart! I can't do this!" with "I am the calm in the eye of the storm..." is a huge gift I give myself with tenderness and with strength. Carole Marie wrote it in the early days of the pandemic, when even yoga practice felt overwhelming -- she could sing this to herself on her mat and take a breath. I think it is aging well, holding that kind of unpanicked settling effect that lets us function through it all. And while I sincerely hope you don't need this song right now, if you learn it this week, it will be snugged into your heart for any moment in the future when it becomes useful!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Carole Marie Downing is a songleader, music guide, and facilitator committed to sparking joy and creating connection in times of transition and change. She leads 'Simply Singing', a monthly community song circle and facilitates workshops and retreats integrating music with writing. As a music guide, she teaches introductory ukulele and guitar with a passion for supporting beginners to trust and nurture their innate musicality. Carole Marie lives in Portland, Oregon and finds inspiration for music and life in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Links: Find Carole Marie in any of these places! Website: https://www.tunetojoy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TunetoJoy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tunetojoymusic/
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major, 2-layers, one harmonized
Notes: Conversations with songwriters can be illuminating. Moira and I talk about wanting our voices to make a difference, and how to evaluate that, how Moira's voice has protected and shaped her, rest as part of the job of being a creator, and so much more. She shares a song that is in the process of becoming, and we get a very special glimpse of this creative process, which includes a calling sound that fascinates Moira right now. As you sing along, you'll be able to really tune in to what feels good to you this day -- is it the commitment and determination of "each day we make a little light"? The seeking melodic curve of "mmm...render...mmm...a remedy?" The wild, aching cry of the calling sounds? Or something else that you feel called to bring to the song? As you're singing in your own space, I wonder if there will be movement -- stepping or dancing or swaying?
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: As a composer, Moira Smiley is known worldwide for choral arrangements like Bring Me Little Water, Silvy and originals, Stand in That River and How Can I Cry. Her music is sung by millions of singers worldwide. She’s credited with helping to bring body percussion into the choral mainstream and is in demand as a commissioned composer, writing multi-movement pieces including Time In Our Voices and In The Desert With You for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, evening-length secular liturgy, The Song Among Us and Tis A Fearful Thing for Craig Hella Johnson’s Conspirare and CVAE, Vonnegut Requiem: Light Perpetual for Voces Novae, Loud My Soul for Ad Astra Festival and I Have A Voice for ACDA Women's Choral Consortium. The European premiere of Time In Our Voices was performed by the voices and mobile phones of Ars Nova Copenhagen under the direction of Paul Hillier. In 2018-2019 Moira released the album and choral songbook, Unzip The Horizon as companion to her ‘The Voice Is A Traveler’ solo show. In 2021 she released the all-vocal social-justice centered album, In Our Voices with four powerful singers of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She continues composing and improvising in collaboration with artists in film, video game production, theater and dance, and her work can be heard on feature film soundtracks, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 70 commercial albums. “Moira Smiley is a marvel—an omnivorous singing and composing chameleon with a voice that can wail or caress at will!” -- Grant Gershon - artistic director, Los Angeles Master Chorale “Moira Smiley is a brilliant musician – an innovative composer and arranger, and a heartbreakingly beautiful singer. Her music transcends (and expands) boundaries.” -- Billy Childs - multi-grammy-winning composer/pianist “I’m so thankful I’ve had the privilege of performing and recording with Moira. She embodies the endless creative potential of the voice, and… (has made) a deeply moving body of work.” -- Merrill Garbus - Tune-Yards
Links: www.moirasmiley.com for all info including sheet music, practice tracks! https://moirasmileysubscription.com/ to support Moira monthly for as little as $4/mo. https://www.instagram.com/moirasmiley/ for up-to-date personal and music pics https://www.youtube.com/c/MoiraSmileyMusic for official music videos, song and body percussion tutorials and live performances
Lissa Schneckenburger -- the link goes to her interview on A Breath of Song, which includes her own site links and more Night Song - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook. The link goes to the title song of the album. Here is the album on Apple Music. Shara Nova - "My Brightest Diamond" -- This link goes to a live performance and interview (go to about 2'40" to get close to the start).
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, Dorian & Aeolian, harmonized layers
Notes: Okay, I procrastinated on recording this episode for the longest of any song yet... I respect Moira so much, and I desperately wanted to share her song in a beautiful way that convinced you to love it, too. I felt like I wasn't good enough, and I got a good run of the whole imposter syndrome going, yada, yada, yada. But you know what shifted? I remembered why this podcast exists -- to share songs that help me heal, adapt, and grow, so you can sing them, too. And this song is one that I've sung to myself over and over in the middle of troubling times to help me release and let go. When I sing this into myself, I can see more clearly which actions might be mine to make next. And when the world is in turmoil, this is what helps me navigate a way forward. None of us (myself included) need to have a stunning voice for a song to be a companion... and I'm grateful to Moira for this gift. Please notice, I haven't shared the entire song here, only an excerpt... check out the links below to hear the whole song, and buy the music on her website for yourself or to share with others. Next episode: a conversation with Moira Smiley herself, who turns out to be absolutely lovely and generous -- we talk creativity, how rest is part of the job, how her voice has protected her, and more...
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! This week, for example, I shared a video collected by the Polyphony Project of Ukrainian women singing a traditional song about a son who has gone to be a soldier, and I included a list of possible organizations to support the people harmed by war. No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: As a composer, Moira Smiley is known worldwide for choral arrangements like Bring Me Little Water, Silvy and originals, Stand in That River and How Can I Cry. Her music is sung by millions of singers worldwide. She’s credited with helping to bring body percussion into the choral mainstream and is in demand as a commissioned composer, writing multi-movement pieces including Time In Our Voices and In The Desert With You for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, evening-length secular liturgy, The Song Among Us and Tis A Fearful Thing for Craig Hella Johnson’s Conspirare and CVAE, Vonnegut Requiem: Light Perpetual for Voces Novae, Loud My Soul for Ad Astra Festival and I Have A Voice for ACDA Women's Choral Consortium. The European premiere of Time In Our Voices was performed by the voices and mobile phones of Ars Nova Copenhagen under the direction of Paul Hillier. In 2018-2019 Moira released the album and choral songbook, Unzip The Horizon as companion to her ‘The Voice Is A Traveler’ solo show. In 2021 she released the all-vocal social-justice centered album, In Our Voices with four powerful singers of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She continues composing and improvising in collaboration with artists in film, video game production, theater and dance, and her work can be heard on feature film soundtracks, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 70 commercial albums. “Moira Smiley is marvel—an omnivorous singing and composing chameleon with a voice that can wail or caress at will!” -- Grant Gershon - artistic director, Los Angeles Master Chorale “Moira Smiley is a brilliant musician – an innovative composer and arranger, and a heartbreakingly beautiful singer. Her music transcends (and expands) boundaries.” -- Billy Childs - multi-grammy-winning composer/pianist “I’m so thankful I’ve had the privilege of performing and recording with Moira. She embodies the endless creative potential of the voice, and… (has made) a deeply moving body of work.” -- Merrill Garbus - Tune-Yards
Links: www.moirasmiley.com for all info including sheet music, practice tracks! https://moirasmileysubscription.com/ to support Moira monthly for as little as $4/mo. https://www.instagram.com/moirasmiley/ for up-to-date personal and music pics https://www.youtube.com/c/MoiraSmileyMusic for official music videos, song and body percussion tutorials and live performances A beautiful recording of a quartet singing the full Stand In That River, part of "The Mt. Tom Sessions". Moira's own recording of Stand In That River with VOCO.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Ionian, harmonized melody
Notes: I find I keep returning to Emily Roblyn's song after learning it many months ago... I find myself singing it when times are really sweet -- and when they're really hard. It helps me remember I don't need to try to clench the almost painfully beautiful, wonderful times, because they won't last forever no matter how hard I hold -- and it helps me trust that the difficult, heart-aching times will pass. And as I sing, I can feel my voice vibrate in my body, and it brings me into awareness of my own body. Now, I'm no sage or wise woman -- but I know that this kind of embodiment is good for my whole being, and I'm grateful for any song that gets me there! Lots of juicy harmony options, or a lovely melody that rises and falls like the waves.... you sing what feels good in you today.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Emily Roblyn is a Canadian born singer, choir leader and composer, who has made her home in Devon, UK where she has been leading choirs, workshops and singing retreats for over 18 years. She is a member of the Natural Voice Network and believes deeply in singing being a powerful tool for healing, change and connection. Her warmth and enthusiasm for sharing the blessings of singing together shines through in all her teaching, and her beautiful original songs are favorites in choirs across the UK.
Links: Visit Emily’s website and join her mailing list to be kept up to date with her new musical offerings. www.emilysinging.com Or contact her directly to buy the license to teach any of her songs by emailing emroblyn@gmail.com
Hear Emily herself sing this, including the next verse here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVmM52zcCPk
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, 2-layers -- one harmonized 3-ways.
Notes: I love the bloom of trust I can feel inside myself after singing Ian Carrick's "Lead With Your Heart, Friends" for long enough to let it settle inside me. I find myself relaxing, trusting that my heart knows the way already, that the day can unfold and I can follow it without worry or fret. It's a generous gift of a song, and I'm happy to share it forward... including all my mess-ups and squidgely tuning (highly technical term right there!) I figure the point of this podcast is for YOU to do the singing and take this song away with you, make it your own, let yourself sing it when YOU need to hear its message; let the breath and the vibration take you where you want to go!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Ian Carrick is a songleader, musician and songwriter based in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. He aspires to be a sort of modern-day bard, telling stories of the land, tending the heart of his people, singing for life with rhythmic refrains and refreshing harmonies. Ian has been honored to lead singing for students of all ages, educators, homeless shelter residents, recovering addicts, corporate groups and grief ceremonies. He is thrilled to have released his first album as a songwriter and is excited to carry the ethos of community singing into the conventional realm of performance music.
Links: Original songs by Ian for singing together can be found both at https://soundcloud.com/iancarrick and https://www.openhubsinging.com/song-library Enjoy and/or buy Ian's first-ever professional album, released October 2021, at https://iancarrick.bandcamp.com/
Listen to Ian himself sing this at Lead with Your Heart
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, round
Notes: Whether or not you have snowdrops blooming right now, who doesn't recognize the promise we sometimes can sense in a bloom? The cycle of blooming, falling, disintegrating, resting, reforming, growing, blooming... this song has a beautiful criss-cross of lines, so the first line burrows into the second line, while the second line starts low and grounded, then rises hopefully above the first. The third line lets you sing out a sort of commentary and affirmation of the first two. I take time teaching the first part, especially, so you can feel really confident as the song develops...
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Jenny is a community singing leader and songwriter with a passion for using song to bring joy and build communities and friendships. She runs a-cappella harmony singing groups in Knaresborough and has two young children aged 7 and 4. She also writes beautiful, soulful and easy to teach songs often inspired by and celebrating her love of nature.
Links: A license to teach the song along with the score and learning/ part tracks are available for £5 by sending an email to Jenny at Jenny.j.cook21@gmail.com You can also find more of Jenny's songs at her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jennycookmusic/ (you don't need to belong to facebook to look & listen)
Jenny singing Brighter Days herself in a beautiful video with Patty's art, among other lovely snowdrops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1HBLiURzqI
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Ionian, 2 layer, one harmonized
Notes: Lisa Forkish shares her song, Hymn to Loving, and talks about song titling, songwriting away from keyboards, deconstructing binaries, singing as a pure, liberating expression of the self, learning to love and be tender with our voice... and the surprise of connections through Zoom. Now, maybe that's all immediately appealing to you, or maybe it sounds complicated and brain-challenging! Let me tell you, Lisa has a gentle, welcoming presence and wide-open curiosity and questioning that makes this conversation a pleasure to eavesdrop on -- and whether her views raise questions for you, or drop easily into your pocket, I hope you will find useful connections through Lisa's explanations and in the links to help you follow up on whatever sparks your interest. She talks a lot about what she experiences as healing in voice work... and a tiny bit about her experience with the movie, Pitch Perfect, and her role in popularizing and opening up the collegiate acapella world.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Lisa Forkish (she/they) is a queer singer-songwriter, community-builder, artivist, song-healer, and self-described "Love Warrior," infusing all she creates with fierce authenticity and heart. For the past 20 years, Lisa has been using song as both an expressive art and a tool for building connection. For Lisa, facilitating music spaces is much more than a job; it is a sacred calling. Lisa breathes humanity into their music and teaching with infectious joy and compassion, aiming to heal the wounds of music elitism and not-enoughness through an embodied, trauma-informed and heart-centered approach. For Lisa, Love is paramount and closeness is the antidote to cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacist delusion and cultural disconnection. Lisaʻs mission is to utilize music for personal and collective healing and liberation.
Links: Lisa's website: lisaforkish.com Lisa's singing offerings: wesingthebody.com adrienne maree brown (principles of emergent strategy): https://adriennemareebrown.net/ Holistic Resistance (Black-led movement facilitating racial justice and other work to heal oppression): https://www.holisticresistance.com/ white supremacy culture (what exactly does that mean?): https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/ Rev angel Kyodo williams (radical dharma): https://angelkyodowilliams.com/ On Being podcast (Krista Tippett interviews with various people): https://onbeing.org/ Brene Brown (wholehearted, daring living): https://brenebrown.com/ Rhiannon (vocal art as vehicle for change; improvisation): https://rhiannonmusic.com/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, verse followed by layer
Notes: I love a layer song which gives me options -- what do I feel like singing? Is singing low and warm feeling yummy? Or floating high? Or getting snuggled in the middle of a set of harmonies? Lisa Forkish's "Possibility" song offers all those choices, starting with a low, potentially gritty, determined line that says "An end is not THE end -- it can be the beginning." Then a fluid river line that requires some release to sing, as it flows among notes. Finally, when singing about being open, there is an amazing note on the word "open" that moves the whole song into a slightly unexpected place, giving a visceral experience of opening up to a different possibility. Love it. Song that helps me embody the knowledge of possibility that change brings.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Lisa Forkish (she/they) is a queer singer-songwriter, community-builder, artivist, song-healer, and self-described "Love Warrior," infusing all she creates with fierce authenticity and heart. For the past 20 years, Lisa has been using song as both an expressive art and a tool for building connection. For Lisa, facilitating music spaces is much more than a job; it is a sacred calling. Lisa breathes humanity into their music and teaching with infectious joy and compassion, aiming to heal the wounds of music elitism and not-enoughness through an embodied, trauma-informed and heart-centered approach. For Lisa, Love is paramount and closeness is the antidote to cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacist delusion and cultural disconnection. Lisaʻs mission is to utilize music for personal and collective healing and liberation.
Links: lisaforkish.com wesingthebody.com www.patreon.com/lisaforkish Insta and Youtube / lisaforkish
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, 3 layer song with 2 layers harmonized, so 5 parts
Notes: What does it take to allow you to fall to rest, deeply & completely? Rest is such a necessary component of healing, and sometimes can be tricky to come by -- unless I'm the only one awake at 2 in the morning sometimes, with my head spinning fruitless circles? Feeling completely safe -- completely loved -- is one of the things that lets me rest, slows the adrenalin responses, and lets my body and mind heal. This song does that for me... whew!!! The composer, Elizabeth Norton, points out: "Please note that there is no "you" verse. This is because Rev. Dr. Parker was very clear that this is a widening circle of Love and compassion that embraces all." We are each at the center of this song.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: A life-long church musician, Elizabeth (Beth) Norton has served First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts as Director of Music Ministry since 1994, leading a dynamic adult choir and guiding a vital and varied music ministry for singers and instrumentalists of all ages and stages. She has led UU singers on concert pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, building musical bridges with Unitarian churches in Transylvania (Romania), Hungary and the Czech Republic. Beth received her bachelor’s degree with a major in music from Smith College and a master’s degree in choral conducting from Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. As a composer, she has written several songs, chants and choral anthems that are currently available by contacting EHNComposer@gmail.com. Beth says she had the great wisdom to marry into the Norton family in 1986. Her husband, Peter, is Tom Norton’s brother. Thus, she has the great good fortune (again, her own words!) to claim Patricia Norton as her sister-in-law and friend! Beth and Peter have two adult sons, who live in southern Vermont and near Boston Massachusetts. Beth and her family share a love of music, hiking, skiing, and birding. She usually has a knitting project on hand.
Links: The score can be accessed through the UUA "Worship Web" here: https://www.uua.org/worship/words/music/there-love Hear a roomful of people singing There Is A Love (and catch a glimpse of Beth!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlY7Yf-l8rU
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, round
Notes: A song with two voices, in a way -- the cry of the heart which feels swallowed by darkness and lost, and the response or presence of a wisdom -- an angel, or ancestor, or Yoda?! -- who sees the seed inside the darkness that holds the dream of green during the waiting time. I love the way this song lets me give voice to different experiences. Barbara has given us an extremely satisfying lift on the "call to the sky" line... and a lovely low rumble for "cannot remember", and "to the night." In western classical baroque times, that was called word painting... a wonderful way of yoking different parts of our brains into a whole, connected intent.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Barbara McAfee is a master voice coach, singer/songwriter, song leader, and river walker who lives an hour outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul in St Croix Falls, Wisconsin.
Links: Barbara's website is at www.barbaramcafee.com Barbara's Tedx talk on the Full Voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze763kgrWGg
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3 layers, 2 with the same words.
Notes: Lisa wrote this song in a beautifully flexible way, so we can each adapt it to what we need to be singing in the moment... in the podcast, I only sing "All our voices are rising up...", but you can insert your own word for the kind of voices rising up inside you. In the community singing world, songs like this are called "zipper songs", and they can be a beautiful practice of awareness -- as you sing, over and over, other words might appear in your head -- and some of them may surprise you, or make you laugh, or touch you tenderly.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Oxford, U.K.-based singer-songwriter Lisa Doscher believes in the power of the voice to reconnect us, to ourselves and to each other. Her songs open up a portal for listeners to go within, while at the same time resensitizing to the world through beautiful harmonies and life-affirming lyrics. Her new album, ‘Tuning In: Songs to Reconnect and Recharge’ is a retreat from the stresses of daily life, designed to activate our creative energy and help us realign with our unique purpose. There are songs to soothe, uplift and restore balance. For those interested in going deeper, Lisa is offering a ‘Tuning In’ Women’s Group starting February 1st, 2022, with monthly live sessions, weekly meditations and support for going within to activate your voice and creative process. Lisa also offers individual voice and healing sessions.
Links: All the info, places to buy/listen: https://lisadoscher.com
Or go directly to buy/stream on Bandcamp: https://lisadoscher.bandcamp.com/ It includes a beautifully designed booklet with the intentions behind the songs and ways to use them in your daily life.
Find Lisa on Facebook or Instagram as @lisadoschermusic
You can also hear Lisa singing Voices Rising on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjDQDDf_MU4
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (Major), melody with harmonized interlocking part; zipper potential
Notes: Lissa Schneckenburger's song has a personal back story that we get into during the conversation part of the episode -- along with discussion of change-making as integral to music-making, the similarities and differences of violin and voice as instruments, why Lissa chose songs with words for her recent solo album... Lissa spills over with ideas, generosity, connections, and a deeply caring heart -- our time together was a treat for me. This song feels particularly appropriate at this turn of the year, when we are tired of COVID and injustice and it is easy to be fearful... "we are rising, we are shining, we have the power"... "we will not let this be the end". Something a little different on this episode -- after she invited us to join, I included myself singing with Lissa and experimenting (sometimes more successfully than others) with harmonies... my hope is that that encourages you, too, to explore. Brendan Taaffe says you're only ever one note away from a great harmony! If you want to hear the song already beautifully harmonized and sing along with a polished version after you've learned it on the podcast, check out the links below for Low Lily's video.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Lissa Schneckenburger is a fiddle player and singer whose roots are in folk music in Maine. She lives in Brattleboro, Vermont, now, and says, “To me, music creates community. Music is what people sing along to, dance to, fall in love to… music brings people together." Giving concerts on her own or as part of the trio, Low Lily, as well as supporting other musicians with practice challenges (and jokes) through her website, Lissa consistently does her part to build community. Her solo album, Thunder In My Arms, is a tender, powerful collection of songs about attachment, parenting, and trauma. We talk about its origin and development in this episode's conversation.
Links: Lissa's website: lissafiddle.com Low Lily's music video of Labor On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2XtOspP1Jc Peter Mulvey (bike tours and music!) https://www.petermulvey.com/ The Road North by Alasdair Fraser and Paul MacHlis -- one of Lissa's influential albums Moosewood borscht recipe by Mollie Katzen -- the link goes to a blogpost with the recipe, or buy the whole cookbook at your local bookstore -- a 40th anniversary edition was released and is still in print. Kafari on kafarimusic.bandcamp.com/ -- a Black, Portland, Maine-based artist Lissa wishes more people knew about... piano and percussion music. Duet with Lissa on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@lissafiddle?
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Aeolian, verses & chorus
Notes: "Hope lingers on"... I love singing this to myself as a reminder that a pandemic is not the only thing lingering around. There are so many beautiful recordings of this piece online, I encourage you, like always, to use this podcast as a way to learn the song, and then if it speaks to you, follow the links and sing along with gorgeous professional recordings! Sometimes, honestly, it makes me uncomfortable to put my voice with loops out there when there are such polished renditions available (that sound better!) -- but then I remind myself that I'm not here performing for you... I'm here sharing a song that makes a difference to me when I sing it to myself -- and maybe it will do that for you, too? Planting songs for wellness... Next week I'm hugely excited to share a songwriter conversation with the composer of this song, Lissa Schneckenburger. We talk about some of the differences between voice and violin as instruments, music as a way of distilling learning and helping heal from trauma, how not to lose heart as a change-maker, touring on a bicycle and more.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form is on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Lissa Schneckenburger is a fiddle player and singer whose roots are in folk music in Maine. She lives in Brattleboro, Vermont, now, and says, “To me, music creates community. Music is what people sing along to, dance to, fall in love to… music brings people together." Giving concerts on her own or as part of the trio, Low Lily, as well as supporting other musicians with practice challenges (and jokes) through her website, Lissa consistently does her part to build community. Her solo album, Thunder In My Arms, is a tender, powerful collection of songs about attachment, parenting, and trauma. We talk about its origin and development in the next episode's conversation.
Links: Lissa's website: lissafiddle.com Low Lily's recording of Hope Lingers On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv9R60CSQ54 The totebag with the chorus lyrics: https://lissafiddle.com/store/hope-lingers-on-tote-bag/ Learn more about Thunder in My Arms : https://lissafiddle.com/store/thunder-in-my-arms/ Vancouver Youth Choir singing Hope Lingers On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0bmhcvPwTI A combination of a college and middle school choir made one of the infamous virtual choir videos of Hope Lingers On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506zikTDSMs
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, 3 verses & harmonized chorus
Notes: This song began to appear Sunday morning, December 4th, as I was making breakfast, thinking about snowy drives through our town, looking at Christmas lights. It was one of those warmish, wet days with snow on the ground, so there was a mist lifting up from the snow, and the sky was the same color as the fields. December is a complicated month for me, with rich memories of so much happiness as a child, and difficult loss as an adult... the longing to connect with and create happiness for all whom I love -- the rueful recognition that I can't "make" anyone happy. Thinking of all the stories in December about light in dark, fraught journeys, seeds, births, miracles -- all the hope and determination we try to share with each other in lights and decorations and candles. For me, the song is a good companion to the bittersweet, reflective mood I often find myself in in December.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Patricia is the fourth of five siblings, with eight years from oldest to youngest. Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, and western New York State, a snowy Christmas was virtually guaranteed, and the house was filled with beautiful traditions, from a fat Christmas tree we would go cut at a local farm decorated with white paper doves, tinsel, red balls, and lights, to much gift planning, making & secret, careful wrapping. Christmas cookies left out for Santa, waking up to go to midnight mass, the Westminster Choir College singing Britten's Ceremony of Carols on the turntable, holiday songs on the radio and the whole family watched whatever holiday specials were on tv. A special meal with tablecloth and candles on the table, sledding and snow forts and tunnels, plastic bread bags in the boots and over the mittens to try to keep us warm and dry... my childhood memories are of magical, generous, happy Christmases with music everywhere. Of course, the world appeared more complex and nuanced as I grew, and the loss of loved ones I wanted to celebrate with, ugly commercialism, knowledge of economic disparity and the dark history and abuses of religious belief also became part of December.... and, as a church musician, holiday performance pressure -- the collision of expectations and what actually happens. This song is one of the ways I can be present with the whole catastrophe, as Jon Kabat-Zinn might say.
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Aeolian, unison with harmonized accompanying line
Notes: I stumbled upon Wendy Luella Perkins a few weeks before recording this episode, when I was browsing in facebook groups of songleaders, looking for new music I loved and wanted to share. I heard "What Am I Rushing To?", and went hunting online to learn more. Several Soulful Singing sessions later, I can say that this intuitive songleader and gracious, gentle song and space creator has become a great gift in my life. Not only do the most beautiful, varied songs seem to pour through her with ease and fluidity, but she understands how to tend herself and those around her with laughter, loving-kindness, and acceptance. Wendy Luella tells the painful origin of this song in a time of grief and conflict... and also how she and small groups of singers have sung it in bus depots, shopping malls, and other public spaces in the month of December, and the delighted reaction from passers-by. Wendy Luella has always dreamed of having this song pop-up in other communities, led by other folks, so if there are podcast listeners who are inspired to offer What Am I Rushing To? in your communities, please do and let her know about it! It can be sung beautifully as a unison song -- and today, I add harmonies to it that were created by members of my family. Rebecca Csuy, Elyse Wadsworth, and Elizabeth Norton joined me in singing it over the American Thanksgiving holiday, and as we played with different harmonies, this combination struck me as particularly suited to the song. It was magical, and gave me a way to imagine you all in the room, too... if I'd been really on top of it, I'd have brought a microphone and recorded us all together!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins has been singing and making up songs since she was a very young child. When she was three years old, her older brother, Tim, took her to school as his Show+Tell item saying “this is my sister Wendy Lu, listen to her sing!” She's been going strong ever since. As a singer-songwriter, Unitarian Universalist community minister, and founder, in 2002 of Soulful Singing (singing meditation for all) Wendy Luella leverages the power of song to build authentic, healing and joyful communities. A prolific writer of folk songs and meditative chants and supportive guide who helps others to create their own songs, Wendy Luella's greatest joy is to bring friends and strangers together in the transformational circle of song. Wendy Luella has produced three CDs of original music, which you can find on her website. As a response to pandemic restrictions, and recognizing the need to keep on singing in community, especially in difficult times, Wendy Luella transitioned Soulful Singing to online sessions in March 2020. Soulful Singers from all over have been gathering online EVERY SINGLE DAY since then and once a week on THURSDAY evenings. Everyone is welcome to join Soulful Singing via Zoom. Singing daily over the last 600+ days with wonderful folks from Kingston and around the world has encouraged Wendy Luella to share her original songs more broadly in what she calls her “Song Liberation Project” (The SLiP). She has written hundreds of songs and with The SLiP is sharing them one by one on TikTok. Wendy Luella grew up in rural Nova Scotia, and has lived in Kingston Ontario for over 25 years with her sweetheart and fellow musician, Charlie Walker. She loves waking early, walking daily, eating communally, crafting publicly, sharing deeply, gardening bountifully, laughing abundantly and of course, singing soulfully!
Links: Contact Wendy directly to join Soulful Singing, or to let her know how this song moved you at info@wendyluellaperkins.com Find Wendy on TikTok and sing a duet with her! https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins Explore Wendy's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison, harmonies optional
Notes: I asked the people who have signed up for the A Breath of Song mailing list to share words they'd like to hear in this song... and I got SO many responses!!! Narrowed down to 21 words... so we sing this song in three different ways, each time with seven different words. As you sing to uncover your own wellness, you may find a song feels better slower or faster on different days, or sung with high energy or very calmly. I explore three different options with this song -- you may find more. You'll hear my voice crack and squeak -- and you'll hear many of me at one point, because this is a great song for a crowd (and hey, sometimes it IS crowded in my mind with my own voices!) It is not simple to create a song that is easy to learn, and also is a strong container for many different emotions and recognitions. I love the way this song invites us to notice what we see in ourselves and each other, and then stretches us both up and down -- an alignment in song.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Mazal Etedgi (they/them/theirs) is a trans and Mizrahi ritualist, Drama Therapist, and herbal medicine maker living on Ohlone Land (so-called Berkeley, California).
Links: Website: bsamimapothecary.com Instagram: @bsamim.apothecary Tiktok: @bsamimapothecary
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor (Aeolian with harmonies in 2nd go-round), zipper song
Notes: I told Heidi that when I learned this song from her recording, I had misheard it, and sang, "My inner child sings wild." She laughed with delight, and said, "Maybe you tapped in to what it is actually supposed to be!" Heidi is at home with change and improvisation and trusting her inner voice -- and the inner voice of others. Heidi shares the sound of her singing bowls, talks about being both shy with her voice and in love with music and singing, and where that led her. An overview of the physical benefits of singing, an exploration of how to connect singing with other arts, and more in this conversation which follows learning The Song Inside.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Find lyrics, suggest a song or songwriter, leave something in the tip jar and more at abreathofsong.com.
Songwriter Info: Heidi McCurdy is a singer, songwriter and sound healer with a passion for teaching, sharing and creative collaboration. Having cultivated her own intimate relationship with the Muse, Heidi is a believer in the profound medicine and magic of Music – its power to heal, transform, elevate and connect us all.
She draws from a diverse tapestry of soul, jazz, folk and new age influences for her unique blend of Global Soul original music. Her songs have received awards and have been featured on TV and Canadian radio, and she has performed at jazz, wine and music festivals throughout Canada and Europe as well as local venues. She is known for her warm, soulful voice, and her love of tuning into the music of the moment through improvisation. Her lyrics resonate with the beauty of dreams, a vital connection with nature, and our collective power to create positive change. Recently she has been exploring songwriting styles designed specifically for song circles, singing meditation and encouraging vocal expression.
As well as creating and performing, Heidi also leads transformational voice programs and community song circles. Guided by the Muse, she specializes in helping others to free their authentic voice and wild, creative spirit.
Links: Heidi's website: www.heidimccurdy.com Heidi's facebook: www.facebook.com/heidimccurdymusic Songroots -- https://songroots.ca/songroots-summer-camp2021/ Avalon: Web of Magic by Rachel Roberts Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life -- the link goes to the Wikipedia article about the album; you can buy or listen wherever you choose Amber Lily: Wild Dominique Fils-Aimé: The Red
Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, Mixolydian with flat 6 (and sometimes a flat 3!), and a round.
Notes Heidi McCurdy used an ancient interval, the fifth, to create a song that invites awareness of resonation and connection across time and space. On the next episode, Heidi comes on A Breath of Song herself to share another song, and talk about her beginnings as a shy singer, experimenting in the car, what expressive arts therapy is, and how you might take a song and extend it further. I love the way this song invites me to turn inside and outside, to feel the inner resonation reaching out, for the song to be a drop and a bubble... and at the same time makes me smile with a little bit of a 50s-sounding riff!
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Songwriter Info: Heidi McCurdy is a singer, songwriter and sound healer with a passion for teaching, sharing and creative collaboration. Having cultivated her own intimate relationship with the Muse, Heidi is a believer in the profound medicine and magic of Music – its power to heal, transform, elevate and connect us all. She draws from a diverse tapestry of soul, jazz, folk and new age influences for her unique blend of Global Soul original music. Her songs have received awards and have been featured on TV and Canadian radio, and she has performed at jazz, wine and music festivals throughout Canada and Europe as well as local venues. She is known for her warm, soulful voice, and her love of tuning into the music of the moment through improvisation. Her lyrics resonate with the beauty of dreams, a vital connection with nature, and our collective power to create positive change. Recently she has been exploring songwriting styles designed specifically for song circles, singing meditation and encouraging vocal expression. As well as creating and performing, Heidi also leads transformational voice programs and community song circles. Guided by the Muse, she specializes in helping others to free their authentic voice and wild, creative spirit.
Links Heidi's website: www.heidimccurdy.com Heidi on facebook: www.facebook.com/heidimccurdymusic
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Minor (Dorian in the 2nd part harmony), both layer options and harmonies.
Notes: It's a generous mast year here around the Connecticut River -- another gift of the trees, our breathing partners. Joy brought this song to my Pocket Songs group in the fall of 2020, and it is much loved by the Pocket Song Singers. A thing to know about Joy is that she has an extraordinary ability to be present with the feelings of those around her -- and an incredible capacity for delight and kindness… as well as an openness to learning that is hard to have unless you feel confident about your own innate worth. There's something about this song that transmits that sense of one's own standing: present, and also willing to change. It is a TOUGH one for me to sing!!! (Thanks, Joy!)... and I love it so much, it's worth it to me. There are back-up parts that remind me of my once-upon-a-time deep desire to be one of the Shirelles, and a sweeping melodic line for the first part, followed by a breathing, in-and-out line for the second part. I hope you find it as satisfying and affirming as I do.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list on the homepage to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address.
I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Find lyrics, suggest a song or songwriter, leave something in the tip jar and more at abreathofsong.com.
Songwriter Info: Joy Tru combines heartfelt harmonies with vocal percussion, electronic layers, guitar and flute to create unique, honest folk and pop songs evoking love and hope. She also leads circlesinging and creates live improvised prayer songs and soundscapes using a loop station.
Links: Joy's website: joytru.com Joy singing Falling Acorns herself
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Ionian (major), 2-layers with 4-layer background
Notes: I met Paul Barton in 2019 at a Circlesinging workshop with Bobby McFerrin -- a quiet, gentle redhead with a warm smile, he was easy to like… and then gradually since then, I’ve been discovering his music, which unfolds itself the more you sing it. I live not far from a pond, lake, and river, all which I have seen at moments of glass calmness (although, truth be told, not at sunrise!) I love the way I feel calm and clear after I sing this song, which he says Stephanie Drouin helped write as they were visiting a friend's cottage, and had gone for an early morning paddle.
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list on the homepage to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address.
I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me!
Find lyrics, suggest a song or songwriter, leave something in the tip jar and more at abreathofsong.com.
Songwriter Info: Paul is a skilled jazz guitarist in Toronto, Canada, who creates music for community singing, in his words, "because I want to use my creativity to help people experience the joys (and sometimes sorrows) of singing together. There is a growing number of people around the world who are remembering that singing together can be inclusive to everyone regardless of singing ability or musical knowledge. And, the focus can be on the healing and connecting power of music, rather than on 'getting it right'." You can find Paul leading songs at Fiercely OK and Sing for Joy song circles.
Links: Paul's website, http://www.paulbartonmusic.com/ Paul's teaching tracks and sheet music for When the Water Is Glass Calm. Fiercely OK song circles Sing For Joy Community Choir
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major), 3 layer song
Notes: I met creator Elise Witt online during the pandemic, when we were both in a course led by the extraordinary improviser Rhiannon… and I was so honored, because I already knew of Elise as a composer of unusual choral work that I had explored doing with my community chorus. In fact this piece was conceived as a choral piece, and Elise very generously let me excerpt a bit of it to be a pocket song. I love the way the rhythm wakes me up from an uninspired, tired place -- whenever I sing this, I almost always end up moving somehow! And now that I know Elise a little, I can see why -- her brain is the definition of fertile, and she exudes energy and joyfulness you can almost touch through her little Zoom rectangle. Elise says, "I believe that if we listen deeply, we can hear music in the wind, the water, the earth, and deep in our bones. And no matter how disconnected we get, that music is always there, when we are ready to return and listen."
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Find lyrics, suggest a song or songwriter, leave something in the tip jar and more at abreathofsong.com.
Songwriter Info: Elise’s concerts of Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ and her Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ workshops create and connect singing communities around the world. Born in Switzerland, raised in NC, and living in Atlanta since 1977, Elise speaks 5 languages fluently and sings in at least a dozen more. The Elise Witt Choral Series features choral arrangements of her original compositions and she recently published All Singing, a songbook with 58 original songs including music notation, lyrics and chords, stories and photos. In addition to her global touring, Elise serves as Artist-in-Residence & Director of Music Programs at the Global Village Project, a non-profit, special purpose middle school for teenage refugee girls in Decatur Georgia.
Links: www.EliseWitt.com -- Learn more about Elise on her website "Song Deep in Your Bones" as recorded by Malcolm Dalglish’s Ooolation Singers in rehearsal at Yosemite National Park
Recorded on "We're All BORN SINGING" EMWorld Records 1012 Available for SATB, SSAA, TTBB in the Elise Witt Choral Series Included in ALL SINGING: THE ELISE WITT SONGBOOK
Nuts & Bolts: Mixed Meter (5:8, 3:8, 3:4 or 6:8), Mixolydian mode (major scale with flatted 7th), and in this teaching, unison.
Notes: Ishka talks about music making while hiking and cuddling, the influence of her singing mother, the difference between singing alone and in large groups, kitchen singing, good food, how songmaking could be available to anyone, and why she sometimes says she doesn't like music (!) And in with all that, she shares this song which originated as a walking song, but can be used in many moods... and I get to sing along so you can hear how it rounds... we can imagine ourselves in the kitchen making a yummy fall soup, singing together.... feeling grateful.
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Songwriter Info: Ishka is someone who sings from their heart. She has been making up songs since she was a child and has been sharing songs at community song circles since 2007. Ishka integrates song into most aspects of their life which include, hiking, gardening, cooking, biking, and cuddling clients. Professionally Ishka is a therapeutic cuddler in Asheville NC. Ishka is especially drawn to songs that have simple yet powerful lyrics and believes that songs can help us heal.
Links: How Could Anyone Ever Tell You? by Libby Roderick (this is a live recording of Libby's with a story at the beginning; the song starts at about 3'20") Aimée Ringle site: http://www.aimeeringlemusic.com/ Lyndsey Scott: to find more about her, I'm going to direct you to Episode #16, which features a song of Lyndsey's and all her multitudinous contact info! Ishka's Soundcloud site- https://soundcloud.com/user-943187430 -- Ishka directly shares many mantra-like songs Ishka's Therapeutic Cuddling website- holdmeavl.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major scale), 2-part layer or round.
Notes: Ishka Shir says, "I created You've Got To Move Slow when I was hiking an area called Shining Rock wilderness in North Carolina. It was part of a healing from an abusive narcissistic relationship that I had been in." I learned it from Aimée Ringle at a Zoom circle, then shared it first with my Pocket Songs singing group in the summer of 2020. Personally, this song gives me a sense that I, myself, can create the space I need to heal. I love the practical, grounded approach Ishka has to singing and song making.... and for the next episode, #20, I get to have a conversation with them!!! Our conversation covers a lot of ground, and she shares a song of theirs that I've loved since I first heard it in the spring of 2020 when she and two of their good friends recorded a few "Fermentation Station" videos of songs to share.
Songwriter Info: Ishka is someone who sings from their heart. She has been making up songs since she was a child and has been sharing songs at community song circles since 2007. Ishka integrates song into most aspects of their life which include, hiking, gardening, cooking, biking, and cuddling clients. Professionally Ishka is a therapeutic cuddler in Asheville NC. Ishka is especially drawn to songs that have simple yet powerful lyrics and believes that songs can help us heal.
Links: Ishka's Soundcloud site- https://soundcloud.com/user-943187430 Ishka's Therapeutic Cuddling website- holdmeavl.com
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, mostly Aeolian minor (the harmony is mostly Dorian), either unison, harmonized, or round.
Notes: I was so surprised when I first learned this Velma Frye song from Roy Willey by how difficult it was for me to actually sing these words to myself. One of the beautiful things about mantra singing -- short phrases, repeated over and over -- is that you have time to notice how it feels to sing these particular words. You have time to get distracted and come back. And if you hear yourself singing the words often enough, maybe they become less surprising? Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., wrote a book called Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day. Velma chose texts and moments from this book to create a collection of 28 songs to sing during these pauses, which is available in CD and book form on her website, www.velmafryemusic.com. I love the way this particular song invites me to look at myself anew.
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Songwriter info: Velma's mother gave her the choice of washing the dishes or practicing the piano, so Velma became a musician! With six years of college music training, she was confident to diversify into singing, teaching piano and leading choral groups, performing (including 9 times on "A Prairie Home Companion"), and recording six solo CDs. As she was ripening into middle age, she wrote this song, "The Truth," using words by Macrina Wiekerkehr, for singing circles. For the past year, Velma taught piano and Song Salons weekly on zoom, and was a guest two times on Heather Houston's online singing classes. Particularly fun was a Happy Hour that Velma and Becky Reardon offered to a national audience on zoom. More to come!
Links: Velma's website https://www.velmafryemusic.com/ Velma on facebook https://www.facebook.com/velmafryemusic Seven Sacred Pauses https://www.facebook.com/SevenSacredPauses Velma on youtube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=velma+frye
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, unison or round, mixolydian flat-6 scale (sometimes called major-minor scale because the first half is major, and the second half is minor.)
Song: Ancient Green Words & Music: by Kathleen Hannan
Notes: Kathleen says she caught this comforting song while lying on a huge rock next to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, crying her heart out over a relationship that was transforming. A beautiful oak tree was growing out of the rock, and as the song was born her sorrowful feelings washed through with the sound of the river, and she was left feeling whole, and at peace with the way things were. She also shared this story with me, "One time I sang the song in a show with a group of women drummers. Their teacher, a lovely African man, also played with us in the concert and rehearsal. After I taught them in the rehearsal and we had played it for a while, the African drummer told me that the song felt like an African song to him. That was one of my happiest moments, since I have for so long felt inspired by African diaspora music. And I did not really feel like I wrote that song... it just came through as a whole as I cried by the river."
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Songwriter info: Kathleen has been writing, collecting and sharing songs for over 50 years. Her songs were awarded a North Carolina Arts Council Songwriter Fellowship. She currently leads the Bodies, Voices & Spirit Choruses in North Carolina and Maine, and is also a Dances of Universal Peace leader. She's a student of the Heart, and she facilitates The Work of Byron Katie.
Links: Kathleen's blogpost & recording of Ancient Green with guitar, bass, piano, and drum. (So much fun to sing with!) https://www.kathleenhannan.com/song-blog/songs-for-our-journey-26 Kathleen's online presence: www.kathleenhannan.com Kathleen's chorus: https://bodiesvoicesandspirit.weebly.com/ Kathleen's song blog, which is searchable by title, subject or excerpts from lyrics: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/song-blog
Kathleen's most recent CD is Seen & Unseen: Songs from the Light of Midlife Purchase CD here: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/seen--unseen-cd1.html Lyrics are here: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/lyrics--credits.html Photos from the recording process: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/photos.html
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major), round with possible harmonies, or optionally could be taught as a layer song
Notes In 2018, Lyndsey made a quick facebook recording of Well Held, and she said, “This little ditty tapped me on the shoulder, came through intact, and has basically been hanging out in my lap…” That's very much how this song is for me -- it just gently rumbles around in my head, letting me know that even while there is part of me that is anxious or jittery or grieving, there is another part of me singing this song -- it has my back, can remind me to breathe, and reassure me to pay attention to this very moment, in which all is well. Such a relief! Here's Lyndsey singing the original song, shortly after its appearance in the world...
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Songwriter info Born and raised in Rantoul, IL, Lyndsey is no stranger to the strange, plain beauty of small town spaciousness. After studying painting at the University of Illinois, she fled to St. Louis, MO for a decade of community art & rambunctious collaboration, letting kids nurse back the creative soul that art school stole and letting the south side streets be the hard knocks school of social justice. One healing crisis, two superhero bike tours, a yoga teacher training, and a permaculture design course later, she followed insistent gut-tugs to move back and rekindle the Home fire, with these new treasures in tow. Led by the embodied inquiry: "What does earthspeed, restorative culture feel like from the inside?" ~ for 7 years, she practiced weaving a hyperlocal web with Song, gardens, circles, and art, as well as creating a small yoga studio and doing healing work with her blood family. During the pandemic, she closed the yoga studio, moved, taught art at the local juvenile detention center, and began gathering online groups to dismantle internalized scripts of patriarchy and white supremacy through community singing, study, & story-sharing. Now she’s asking in (covid-safe) travel motion:: if “grief and Love are sisters”, what rituals and pathways are needed now to tend this unique cultural threshold wisely and grow our bandwidth for building Beloved Community?
Songwriter contact You can find Lyndsey lots of different ways online: At her Patreon Account On Facebook: We Belong Community of Song On Youtube - "Song as Prayer" channel On Instagram @lila.gaia And a website!
Nuts & Bolts 4:4, melody with optional lower harmonized layer, Aeolian (natural minor)
Song Brave This World Music & Words by Tembre de Carteret Composed in 2020
For lyrics, artwork, to suggest a song, or search past episodes, visit abreathofsong.com
Notes Tembre shares her song that was created in a bathtub during lockdown, "Brave This World". I learn it as she teaches it. We talk about free-ranging children in the natural world, cold water, slowing down, expanding, spicy sweet potato soup, how Tembre can SEE someone find their voice, Ireland, and more. Tembre has been leading group singing since May of 2001, and developed a beautiful online presence hosting "May We Sing" during the lockdown. She says, "Having an English accent and a French name growing up in a rural community here in Ireland was challenging at times," yet the strong connection she has to both the natural world and music means that Ireland has been a beautiful, nurturing home.
Resources mentioned Tembre's website www.tembresong.com Tembre's daughter, Amelia on instagram, going by the name of DECARTERET Also find Amelia on Spotify Joni Mitchell's Blue album
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian (natural minor), 3 part layer song
Song: Rolling River by Tembre de Carteret
Take 2 has arrived! After listening, Tembre realized I was sharing an early, unfinished version of this song, which later evolved into a version she loves and shares. Tembre said, "As I remember when Rolling River was complete for me when the extra parts/delayed harmony was created , it was a special moment, as I felt this song was complete in that moment and it is loved. I love the simpleness of the melody, as the other parts are added, it slowly becomes something that is resonant, full and fluid. " So here we have the version of Rolling River Tembre loves and would like shared... I'm wondering if, for the initial 66 downloads who caught the first, mistake episode, if that's like owning one of those special stamps that was printed backward?
Notes: Rounding, smoothing, softening... I love the way this song invites us to relish the tumbling flow of life and let it comfort and carry us, let it reassure us that we are enough, we are home. There's a rocking, rolling melody, which can be harmonized, and then a lovely descant, or upper line, that responds to the melody. I love the way this song lets me, (not an eager swimmer!), sense the release and acceptance of allowing the water to carry me.
Songwriter info: Tembre de Carteret lives in County Clare, Ireland, and has led a beautiful online singing circle called "We May Sing" during the pandemic. You can learn more about her and the way in which she facilitates, mentors, and builds song communities at her website, www.tembresong.com
Find lyrics, Patty Piotrowski's beautiful artwork, the chance to leave a tip or suggest a songwriter and more at abreathofsong.com. Join our community of singers for wellness by signing up to be notified when a new episode is released.
Nuts & Bolts: The song is in 4:4, in 2 layers, one of which is harmonized. It is Aeolian (natural minor).
Song Replenish Music & Words by Elisa S. Keeler Composed in 2020
For lyrics, artwork, to suggest a song, or search past episodes, visit abreathofsong.com
Notes I love the way songsharers around the country during the pandemic dug into music as a way of healing, comforting, hoping. So much new music came out of this time that helps us uncover the wellness that's already there, inside us. Now you might think those songs would all at tempo=comfort, or heartbeat pulse, or something else that soon feels trite. But this song, for instance, has a driving urgency as well as the sense of smiling just a bit, which feels fresh to me... and when it is unexpected, I can hear the message in a new way.
Songwriter info Elisa S. Keeler is a composer, song leader and retreat facilitator who has taught voice workshops since 2003. She holds degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Ithaca College and a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology from Sofia University with a focus on the therapeutic benefits of singing in groups. Elisa is the founder of Freeing Your Voice program for adults and the Music for Unity and Social Change program for public schools. As a songleader she has worked with Threshold Choirs, the American Association of Choral Directors, religious organizations, community choruses, colleges, universities, and staff community-building retreats. Since 2011, Elisa has facilitated personal and spiritual growth retreats for adults as a co-teacher of the Hidden Treasure Program at Light on the Hill Retreat Center. She lives with her family in Ithaca, NY.
Songwriter contact www.elisamusic.com for music, scores and information about workshops and retreats www.patreon.com/elisaskeeler for Patreon account
Nuts & Bolts 4:4, harmonized song with a bass line, Aeolian (natural minor)
Song Finding My Way Back To Now Music & Words by Heather Pierson
For lyrics, artwork, to suggest a song, or search past episodes, visit abreathofsong.com
Notes Heather unified the message and the music in a beautiful way in this song, which helps the singer wind their way back into the present moment. As you sing the melody, you start on the home note, and then the different "ways" land in various places that are NOT the home note... until you get to the word "now", when all the voices together come together the home note. So you come back to where you begin, which is now. If the practice of presence intrigues you, this is a way to embody it, to make it a reality. I find this song both centering and gentle in the way it invites my mind to come back to now... and does it with such lilt and movement that it feels like a joyful process.
Songwriter Info Heather Pierson is a singer, songwriter, pianist, song leader, and performer who frequently tours throughout the United States both as a solo artist and with her acoustic trio. She has released twelve CDs and several singles of her original music, ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants. Heather’s original community singing repertoire is inspired by the power of song to nurture harmony, community, connection, joy, and peace. She lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Find Heather in any of these places on the web: www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com www.heatherpierson.com www.patreon.com/HeatherPierson
Nuts & Bolts 4:4, 3-Layer song with a harmonized 1st layer, Ionian (Major)
Notes: Written at a time when my soul felt dry and fragile in response to wildfires, drought, racial injustice, pandemic, climate and political crises... I needed a song that recognized how I felt, but could also call on hope, water, justice, breath, vision -- and a song I could bring to groups which could be quickly taught and singers could name what they wanted to call for themselves. I love the determination and sharpness I feel at the beginning, followed by a peaceful settling when the rain "falls down" on us all.
Find lyrics, artwork by Patty Piotrowski, and join the "in-group" that gets a colorful, thoughtful weekly email at abreathofsong.com
If you'd like to bring this song to your own groups, please let me know at abreathofsong@gmail.com.
Nuts and Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian (natural minor) zipper song with body percussion.
Notes
Samara Jade and I talk embodied intuition, the musical Rent, vocal health, names, mycelium, Moonshadow and trust... and Samara shares "I Trust My Roots". I sing along, periodically smudging the words, as I often do when I first learn a song. A squidge of laughter, a dollop of wonder... it was a fabulous hour!
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Music referenced in the show:
Cat Stevens, Moonshadow
the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon
singer/songwriter Johanna Warren
Songwriter Info
A modern folk troubadour, Samara is dedicated to the art of listening deeply and crafting soul-centered songs that are medicine for the moment. Inspired greatly by the wild wisdom of nature and the landscape of the human psyche, her songs ride the crest of the unknown and balance between shadows and light. Coming from a musical background as diverse as classical, jazz, folk, Broadway musical and progressive rock, Samara stitches together a unique tapestry of sounds with a quality of musicianship distinctly her own. As heart-opening as they are intellect-stimulating, A fan once coined the term "Philosopholk” to describe Samara’s tunes, and no one has ever described it better in a one-word nutshell. Samara lived in her van, Vincent VanGo, until very recently, and is committed to sharing her song-beings around like thousands of spiraling maple helicopter seeds - which is, not coincidentally, what a samara is.
You can find her in all these places:
On Patreon: www.patreon.com/samarajade On Bandcamp: https://samarajade.bandcamp.com/ On her website: www.samarajademusic.com On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samarajademusic On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WildPamplemousse/videos
Nuts and Bolts Zipper song in 4:4, Aeolian (natural minor).
Notes Lisa Littlebird shared that Samara wrote this in the Big Sur, after her first surfing lesson, and said it was a personal cure for FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). During the pandemic, I heard it differently, and it became my go-to song for letting go of what I wanted to be happening, and just riding the crazy times.
Click here to listen to (and sing along with?) Samara Jade and Acorn Kin singing "Right Place, Right Time".
Songwriter Info A modern folk troubadour, Samara is dedicated to the art of listening deeply and crafting soul-centered songs that are medicine for the moment. Inspired greatly by the wild wisdom of nature and the landscape of the human psyche, her songs ride the crest of the unknown and balance between shadows and light. Coming from a musical background as diverse as classical, jazz, folk, Broadway musical and progressive rock, Samara stitches together a unique tapestry of sounds with a quality of musicianship distinctly her own. As heart-opening as they are intellect-stimulating, A fan once coined the term "Philosopholk” to describe Samara’s tunes, and no one has ever described it better in a one-word nutshell. Samara lived in her van, Vincent VanGo, until very recently, and is committed to sharing her song-beings around like thousands of spiraling maple helicopter seeds - which is, not coincidentally, what a samara is.
Find lyrics, sign up to know when new episodes are released, and leave something in the tip jar at abreathofsong.com
Next week, Episode #10 will feature an extended conversation with Samara in which she shares her song, "I Trust My Roots", with us.
You can also find her in all these places:
On Patreon: www.patreon.com/samarajade On Bandcamp: https://samarajade.bandcamp.com/ On her website: www.samarajademusic.com On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samarajademusic On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WildPamplemousse/videos
Nuts and Bolts 3-Layer song in 2:2, Ionian (major).
Notes: Today’s song is by Gabriel Paul, of the Crow and Eel Clan of the Penobscot, whose homelands are located along various waterways in Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. The song is a song to thank and honor water. I encourage you to learn and take it to water near you to sing -- and then maybe create your own water song and connect to the water that is near you!
Gabe describes the song's origins on this webpage, and he and his niece, Leigh, have given permission for this song to be sung and shared freely. It is a privilege to be invited to sing in the language of the Penawahpskek nation, and I’ll help you learn it with care – but know that we are guests, and I'm sure I have an accent – it’s okay to be uncomfortable, and honored at the same time. Then visit the Penobscot nation site to respectfully learn more about these people who claim one of the oldest continuous governments in the world.
A people who have lived in one place for 11,000 years have a very different perspective than mine, as a child of immigrants. In this episode, I quote Weh'na Ha'mu' Kwasset (She Who Brings the Light), an Indigenous writer and visionary who was raised on Penobscot land, and is also known as Sherri Mitchell. Her book is Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.
Youtube recording of Leigh Neptune singing this song.
Find lyrics, Patty Piotrowski's art, and sign up to be notified when new episodes appear at abreathofsong.com
Nuts and Bolts: This song is unison, unmetered, Ionian (major).
Notes I wrote this song a few months into the pandemic, when I was disappointed with how I seem to know all this wisdom in my head, but I was having so much trouble translating it into body knowledge... I was tearful & fearful – and so frustrated with myself. Then I realized – oh, right -- this what it feels like to grow! Moving from comfortable to uncomfortable in a spiral of growth. Which started me thinking about prairie grass – the beauty of acres of grasses swaying and moving in the wind. Roots in the dirt and touching the sky... both growing up and coming down. Natural patterns that occur and recur -- including the spiral.
You can learn more about me and what influences my choices and work here.
Find lyrics, Patty Piotrowski's art, and more at abreathofsong.com
Nuts and Bolts 4:4, Layer song, Aeolian (minor)
Notes "Be Open" was a favorite Pocket Song in the summer of 2020 -- none of us knew what was coming, and being open to the possibility of something wonderful happening seemed both counter-intuitive in the middle of the pandemic, and surprisingly comforting and hopeful. And indeed, wonderful things happened in addition to hard and perplexing things. Debbie said she wrote this song to help a couple people in her life that were going through difficult times. She says it is a great song to help manifest a dream into being -- you can think of something you want to come into your life and sing that into being, to embody it as you sing and to really see it happening, to call it in for yourself.
Songwriter info Debbie Nargi-Brown started singing and dancing on the day she was born! A gifted community song leader, an award-winning dance teacher, and a talented songwriter, she offers her songs with love, compassion, and the hope of bringing joy and healing to others. Debbie’s lyrics and melodies are sung all over the world. She writes songs for the heart, healing, transformation, love, grief, and all that connects us as human beings. Bringing people together in dance and song is one of her greatest joys in life!
You can connect with Debbie and her work at debbienargi-brown.com
Find lyrics, Patty Piotrowski's art, and more at abreathofsong.com
Nuts and Bolts 2 harmonized sections which can be sung as a round or layered, in 2:2, Ionian (major) mode.
Maggie Wheeler talks about the bravery of this last year, how campfires affected her songleading, and how singing becomes a forgiveness practice. But first and last, she shares a song of hers, Find Our Way Home, which rose out of the pandemic, and will be included on a new project she has just started working on. (I go maybe a LITTLE fan-girl-squeaky, but, hey, my first interview, and someone I deeply admire -- I think I can be forgiven!)
Learn more about Maggie's extensive work, and sign up for her emails (I'm definitely on the list!) so you can keep up with what's coming up at goldenbridgechoir.com
I mention a Peter Occhiogrosso interview with Maggie, in which she eloquently describes the many benefits of singing, among other things...
Maggie mentions a few artists -- if you have a local music store, of course get them there -- but here are some links, as well:
Sweet Honey in the Rock Live at Carnegie Hall
Singer-songwriter Aimée Ringle -- Human and Tender
The South African acapella group The Soil
For lyrics and more episodes, check out abreathofsong.com.
Extra special thanks to Patty Piotrowski, who provides beautiful art for each episode; I particularly love the sea otters in this one!
Nuts and Bolts This layered and harmonized song is in 3:4, Ionian mode (major)
Let's highlight a song by next episode's guest artist Maggie Wheeler. Maggie said she wrote this on her birthday on a gray day by the beach in 2019. She told her husband and daughters to just hang on, because a song was coming through… I thought, ah, she treats her creative urges with honor. Both my cat and dog contribute to this particular recording, but although the purring and dream yips seemed really loud as I was recording, they're quite faint in the final product.... I decided to just let them blow through.
For lyrics, links, and more info, check out episodes at abreathofsong.com.
Maggie Wheeler is best known in the U.S and internationally for her work as an actress in film, television and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching her vocal workshop "Singing In The Stream" for over 30 years at retreat centers, universities, communities and schools to provide the experience of creating interpersonal harmony and internal harmony through the powerful act of creating vocal harmony.
Maggie directs the 100-voice Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood, an inter-generational, non-auditioned choir now going in its 16th year. She is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs worldwide. Maggie’s original music for choirs and communities is available on iTunes and other music platforms. To accompany her most recent CD entitled 'Walk With Me’, Maggie has created a songbook available by request through her website www.goldenbridgechoir.com Throughout this year of change Maggie hosted a weekly online community gathering called Together In Song, bringing together people from around the world to join in the healing power of singing.
To learn more about Maggie’s work please visit: www.goldenbridgechoir.com and maggiewheeler.net
Nuts & Bolts This layer song is a slow 4:4, Aeolian mode (natural minor)
Notes You'll hear me playing with different patterns and rhythms under this song... some of which work well right off, and some of which are more... umm... experimental! But we're all about exploring and growing and changing here -- and one of the downfalls of the highly polished recordings we are immersed in is that we forget that in real life, as we sing by ourselves or with each other, some of our experiments sound great, and some turn out to not be ones we want to continue -- heaven knows where we are going! But we'll get there... Sol Amarifio, composer, was the Ghanian drummer of the band Osibisa.
For lyrics, links, and more episodes, go to abreathofsong.com.
Nuts and Bolts It’s harmonized, in 6:8, Ionian mode (major).
This is a grounding song that's popular in the community singing movement, and after this episode was released, I learned it is by Molly Hartwell. As a white, European American cis female in my 50s, raised to value formal education, let me tell you, my brain is littered with words like, evaluate, compare, weigh, measure, process, careful…. For me, it can be a real challenge to get out of my head and into my body! But, oh the difference when I do… the connection, the power, the sense of being enough. I love the way this song reminds me of the soles of my feet and to sense the blood rushing through my body. Trillions of cells working together so I move and breathe… and I can just watch and feel all that with amazement.
And here's an update in September 2021: Molly Hartwell shared her own original version in Heather Houston's song library (which is a magical internet spot to learn fabulous songs!). Molly also generously gave permission for songleaders to continue sharing the song however it came to them, since the song took on a life of its own after she created it!
For lyrics, links, and more episodes, check out abreathofsong.com.
Nuts and Bolts It’s harmonized, in 4:4, Dorian mode, optional body percussion.
Here's a song I wrote that was inspired by the ujjayi breath practice for calming and strengthening that creates an ocean-like sound. For lyrics, links, and more episodes, check out abreathofsong.com.
Nuts and Bolts It’s a round in 3:4, Aeolian mode.
What does it mean to sing for wellness? How can this podcast support you as you heal, adapt, and grow? The answers to these questions, and more, in this introductory episode with Patricia Norton, who will be sharing songs with you.