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!
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
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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Wednesday Nov 06, 2024
Wednesday Nov 06, 2024
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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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Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
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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Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
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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Wednesday Oct 16, 2024
Wednesday Oct 16, 2024
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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Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
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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Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
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
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…
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.
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)
86. 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.
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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Wednesday Sep 18, 2024
Wednesday Sep 18, 2024
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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Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
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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Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
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/AiméeRingle
The Ambulance Song video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b6WxqtlIbo
Aimée's Bandcamp: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com
Laurence Cole's website: https://www.laurencecole.com
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian, 4-part
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Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
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: 00:17:52
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!
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
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.
84. 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.
55. 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.
34. 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.
148. 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.
139. 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!
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
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!
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
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!
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
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!
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
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!
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
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.
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.
37. Lead With Your Heart, Friends
by Ian Carrick
Lead with your heart, friends, the day is unfolding;
the way is clear.
You already know.
by Emily Roblyn
This is a wave, I am the ocean.
This is a wave, I am the sea.
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.
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!
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
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
(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!
Wednesday Jun 19, 2024
Wednesday Jun 19, 2024
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
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
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
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!