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
Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
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.
89. 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
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!
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.
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
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)
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.
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
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
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
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
Wednesday Nov 05, 2025
Wednesday Nov 05, 2025
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
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
Wednesday Oct 29, 2025
Wednesday Oct 29, 2025
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
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
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
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
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
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
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.
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.
by Becky Reardon
The Turtle remembers
a dream in December,
alone with God.
Alone with songs of the whales,
returning, returning.
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
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!
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
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
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
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
Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Wednesday Sep 24, 2025
Wednesday Sep 24, 2025
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
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
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
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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Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
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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Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
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.
by Maggie Wheeler
1. The crow calls,
the sun falls;
they know the rhythm,
the rhythm of it all.
(2x)
2. 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.
3. 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)
22. When the Water Is Glass Calm
by Paul Barton
1. When the water is glass calm,
the stillness cradles life.
2. The sun rises slowly,
pealing through the trees,
bringing colour to the sky.
3. Listen, listen,
to the small sounds
of this new day.
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.
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
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.
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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Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
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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Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
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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Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
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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Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
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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Wednesday Jul 16, 2025
Wednesday Jul 16, 2025
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.
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
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.
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.
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)
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)
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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Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
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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Wednesday Jul 02, 2025
Wednesday Jul 02, 2025
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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Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
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
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Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
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.
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!
153. 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
138. 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?
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)
By Te Martin
I let go
I lay down
I release
Return again
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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