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 Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Notes: I sometimes find my body feels chaotic and overloaded with visual and audio stimulation. "Settle Like A Pebble" is a song that helps me drop in -- it feels almost like a psyche rinse! As I sing it, I feel a loosening and ease – the calm of the word "settle" – I am reminded of the feel of a pebble, round in my fingers, smooth in a riverbed – then the float and lightness of “drift like a feather” – and finally, the low release of “let go” and “close your eyes and be." Laura Walker's detailed stop-action videos & original songs on her Marnie Bee Mindful youtube channel create a unique visual & audio meditation -- here's one to explore -- Space: https://youtu.be/_E_DT6qiipM
Songwriter Info: Laura Walker started writing short songs about a year ago as a creative outlet and a way to help her remember kind self care messages to access when she needs them. She found focus in making short films to accompany the songs and to help illustrate the words and began posting on YouTube under the name Marnie Bee Mindful as a way to share the things that work for her with others who may enjoy them. “Settle Like A Pebble” is about slowing down and taking a calm moment to let go of the stresses of the day to close your eyes and allow thoughts to drift. Spending time in nature, especially near water helps Laura achieve this mindful state but the song reminds her that calm peacefulness can also be found by closing her eyes and imagining somewhere beautiful too. It’s her wish that by being extra kind and gentle to ourselves and connecting through music we can help find the strength to share and cultivate these things with those around us too. She hopes the song helps you settle into your day and soothes you a little.
Sharing Info: Yes the song is free to share for anyone who feels it may be help, please be kind enough to mention Laura as composer when doing so and the Marnie Bee Mindful YouTube Channel. It brings her such joy to know if a song has been of use to someone so if a song helped she'd love to hear from you!
Links:
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marniebeemindful/
Laura's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084878260963
Laura's Website: https://marniebeemindful.com/
Laura's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarnieBeeMindful
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major (Ionian), harmonized and a countermelody
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Notes: Rain is not always the easiest weather for me to delight in... seems to come with dark days and wet, slippery footing -- I often get a little cranky in response! I love the delight in the rain this song evokes -- reminds me of how crucial water is, what a gift to have it falling fresh from the sky. The original melody reminds me of the whoosh of rain, and as we sing "Rain falling down on the plains," the melody falls, too. Then in the response melody, I put the plink of the rain drops on the rooftops -- so the whole song is an onomatopoetic celebration of rain that enchants me out of crankiness into delight.
Songwriter Info: I got to record this one live with my daughter and dear friend, Rebecca, which affirmed for me the magic of singing with someone you love. Just as relationships of love grow and shift and change, some songs seem to grow organically, shifting shape and adapting to their circumstances. I always want to respect and hear the intent of the composer, and there are times when a song adapts in relationship to the singer. When sharing songs that have grown or changed, or songs of unknown provenance, I think it’s really important to name what we do know, what we guess, what we've changed (after requesting permission if there's a living composer), and welcome learning more. So: I learned the melody of this song from Micky Hickey, who offers a beautiful set of pocket songs on Instagram. (See the links below.) She learned it from Bennett Konesni, a songsharer in Maine. It has definite echoes, and maybe even quotes from the Joseph Shabalala song, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain, that Ladysmith Black Mambazo released in 1987, but it’s not exactly that song. I added the response melody… so what we’re singing today is a song of accretion and adaptation. Maybe you will add to it or adapt it as it enters your life? And if you have more information about the origin of the song, I would love to hear!
Sharing Info: Free to share, but please credit the full history as we know it.
Links:
Micky Hickey's Pocket Song project: https://www.instagram.com/pocketsongproject/
Bennett Konesni: http://www.duckbackfarm.com/
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke6RF3IH45g
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:24
Start time of reprise: 00:14:12
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, melody & countermelody
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Notes: Lately, I've been reading closely the lengthy gratitude lists that follow any achievement, struck by the glories created in collaboration. Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson are both work and life partners... so I had many questions for them about collaboration. How do you nurture trust, how do you communicate through disagreement? They took over the reins of the large and thriving Getttin' Higher Choir from beloved coleaders Siobhan Robinsong and Denis Donnelly -- such changes are often fraught with disappointments and unhappiness -- yet they seemed to me to have negotiated the transition with grace and generosity. Cathy describes "A whole lot of good will and an understanding of what ultimately really matters here… that we each feel completely heard," and according to Dick, “A little bit of meditation practice can go a long way.” Hear, too, about their thoughts about imposter syndrome (hint: it's real!), "only the freshest" choral arrangements, the difference between "performer" and "facilitator of people singing in harmony," and more... including Cathy's exuberant, warm-hearted wish, partially inspired by large bus windshield wipers -- "I want to bring joy to your heart!"
Songwriter Info: Cathy was once the shy middle kid of 5 siblings where singing as a family was just part of everyday life. She always loved singing, especially around campfires, on road trips, wilderness trips or anywhere outside. Always seeking harmony, she got over much of her performance shyness by bringing groups of friends together to sing. She now directs the Gettin' Higher Choir with her life partner, Dick Jackson, and she is on the leadership team for both The Ubuntu Choirs Network and the Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) program in Victoria, BC. Cathy is active in her local Unitarian Universalist community where Dick is the Musical Director. Together, Cathy and Dick provide musical leadership for Canadian UU camps and Canadian national UU services. They both welcome the opportunity to bring members of the Gettin' Higher Choir to "Sing When Asked To" community events. Dick was fortunate to have singing in the home with his Mom from an early age, and kept involved with singing, school band and organ, later with percussion, piano and a few stints in opera chorus. A keen observer of his excellent music leaders over the years, he is grateful to be able to make this a shared joyful vocation with Cathy.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Cathy always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Do let Cathy know where this song has travelled. Have fun...may it bring JOY to your heart!
Links:
Gettin’ Higher Choir YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thegettinhigherchoir8002
Community Choir Leadership Training Program: http://www.communitychoirleadership.com/
Ubuntu Choir Network: http://www.ubuntuchoirs.net/index.php
Pat Wictor: https://patwictor.com/
Cee Cee’s Climb by Pat Wictor, performed by Brother Sun https://youtu.be/fkTVK2Yg-JI
Dick’s album that’s affected him strongly: Joe Jackson “A Big World”
Dick suggestion for an artist: Joe Jackson: http://joejackson.com/
Cathy’s album that’s affected her strongly: Peter Paul & Mary: Peter, Paul & Mommy
Cathy’s suggestion for an artist: Connie Kaldor: https://www.conniekaldor.com/
Gettin’ Higher Choir: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/index.php
Patti Page: Mocking Bird Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7zrMzVNYwo
God Sees the Little Sparrow Fall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnN1Cu7RZ-Q
A sound Cathy feels strongly about – Pacific Chorus Frogs: https://acousticatlas.org/item/2433
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, zipper song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Notes: A confidence and energy builder in your pocket never goes amiss... it's like a chocolate chip energy bar on a hike! Cathy Baker's song snugs in with an "I've got your back and we're all good" kind of vibe that's perfect for big projects, long days, nerve-wracking performance situations, tedious meetings, phone calls with you-know-who... I loved learning from Cathy that this song was born out of a wee struggle with imposter syndrome as she took on co-leadership of a large, thriving community choir in Victoria, B.C. She and her partner, Dick Jackson, were taking on the Gettin' Higher Choir from much beloved founders Siobhan Robinsong and Denis Donnelly -- and Cathy admitted in next week's conversation to sometimes needing a bit of parking lot boost! Dick and Cathy and I enjoyed taking apart how Denis, Siobhan, Dick, and Cathy all worked together with generosity to create a transition that worked for the choir. But that's next week... for now, You've Got This!
Songwriter Info: Cathy was once the shy middle kid of 5 siblings where singing as a family was just part of everyday life. She always loved singing, especially around campfires, on road trips, wilderness trips or anywhere outside. Always seeking harmony, she got over much of her performance shyness by bringing groups of friends together to sing. She now directs the Gettin' Higher Choir with her life partner, Dick Jackson, and she is on the leadership team for both The Ubuntu Choirs Network and the Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) program in Victoria, BC. Cathy is active in her local Unitarian Universalist community where Dick is the Musical Director. Together, Cathy and Dick provide musical leadership for Canadian UU camps and Canadian national UU services. They both welcome the opportunity to bring members of the Gettin' Higher Choir to "Sing When Asked To" community events. Dick was fortunate to have singing in the home with his Mom from an early age, and kept involved with singing, school band and organ, later with percussion, piano and a few stints in opera chorus. A keen observer of his excellent music leaders over the years, he is grateful to be able to make this a shared joyful vocation with Cathy.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Cathy always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Gettin' Higher Choir: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, 3-part layer song
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Give back to A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Notes: Chloë Rose Vispap-Rich has uncovered such a glorious both/and song for me. The golden beauty of clear boundaries and choice-making -- how we can delineate our lives in response to our deepest inner voice and knowing of what we need and want -- and at the same time, life is full and rich and complex, and we can release into the flow of it swirling around and through us, let ourselves be swept into the dance. Whee!!! The sweetness and gentleness of both clarity and acceptance, in a song that has light and movement. I feel so completely spoiled by getting to spend my time making this podcast!
Songwriter Info: Chloë is a music therapist from London, England. She is part of the Natural Voice Network and leads a community singing group. Chloë likes to write and share easily accessible but moving songs. In 2020 (during the national lockdown) she wrote and produced a song book called Songs In Harmony , a collection of 10 songs in 2 and 3 part harmony. They are short songs with themes such as connection, going with the flow, absence, love and dreams. Breathe Along With Life is about simultaneously taking control of the path of your life whilst also going with the flow.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Chloë for recording and/or performing permission at thesingingheartchoir@gmail.com
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part -- melody and harmony
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.
Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Notes: I often gather richness from the way different art forms play off each other – and I love the combination of the Rilke poem I read at the beginning of this episode, and Marv’s song. Honestly, I end up spending a lot of time looking for that tower of strength inside myself – the ancient heart core that is rooted in the earth and stretches to the sky, that connects to my ancestors, both past and future. When I catch glimpses of it, I sense a way-finding clarity; when I circle around it I feel the enticement of belonging; when I inhabit it, I am at home, whether as falcon, storm, or song. I love the way Marv’s song quests, circles, and settles back at home.
Songwriter Info: Marv loves community singing, songleading, and bringing people together. At a time when so many of us feel a need to return more resonance and community to our lives, Marv is passionate about the unique power of singing together to connect us more deeply within, to each other, and to something larger than ourselves. He is a graduate of Littlebird Songleader Flight School, a member of The Living Room Choir, a proud alum of the West Marin Choir/Common Voice, and the chief cook and bottle-washer of SingOnline.org and the online SingOnline.org Song Circle, where, unlike on Zoom, through the miracle of free software everyone can see and hear every word from everyone. Later this year he’ll complete the Community Choir Leadership Training, following past graduates (and heroes!) like Maggie Wheeler, Laurence Cole, and MaMuse. In his previous careers he was Founder & CEO of a hunger relief organization; a psychotherapist & executive coach; and a technology executive at such companies as Apple. He has also restarted his psychotherapy and executive coaching practices; you can find details at TherapyWithMarv.com and CoachingWithMarv.com.
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Marv for recording and/or performing permission
Links:
Marv's Website: http://singwithmarv.com
Marv's Instagram: http://instagram.com/singwithmarv
Marv's Facebook: http://facebook.com/singwithmarv
Rilke poem with translations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NYYMoFQ_78C5u4Ql6OyjpZEXD3TGJuuxAX1b8T1C07U/edit?usp=sharing
Hear Marv singing the song himself with Heather Stevenson on piano & harmony:
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:19
Start time of reprise: 00:12:01
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, Call & response or unison or harmonized
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Notes: It was amazingly fortuitous -- Louise Blackburn and I had agreed on releasing her song as episode #91, and then it turned out that recording episode #91 live would be just the right time to celebrate 25,000 downloads -- and we had the perfect song in place. In June of 2021, I had searched long and hard for a podcast I could listen to from which I could learn songs for well being and more about the people who shared these songs. I couldn't find it, so I started A Breath of Song together with Patty Piotrowski, constantly reminding myself that who I am, what I bring to the table, is enough. I love the way Louise's song embeds that idea in my brain with gentleness and persistence. The spacious, simple harmonies create an elegant call, while the response feel like it's tugged out of my heart. Recording live in front of a full gallery Zoom audience was a novel way to create an episode, and I believe you can feel the connection I felt with the group and we all felt with you who listens now across the space/time continuum.
Songwriter Info: Louise feels incredibly lucky to run choirs, workshops, festivals, singing for wellbeing groups and yoga and voice sessions across Birmingham, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Sandwell in the United Kingdom. Her songs are an absolute joy of creation for her and have been sung all over the world including New Zealand and America. It makes her very emotional to think of them being sung and enjoyed by other people.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Louise always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Louise's website: www.voicesentwined.co.uk
Louise's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oTIDDsibmihC771Wvy1Mh
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3-part harmonized call with response
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Notes: I loved the chance to hear Ahlay share both this song and its origin as a song that "slipped through," almost without effort, in response to hearing someone's deep shame over a Zoom call. Ahlay shares her excitement over her project, WAILS, in which community singing and grief ritual are merged. She talks about "Healing that ripples non-linearly, in a spiral," and says, "I'm channeling the exact medicine that I need for myself." We talk about elders, mentors, wisdom and the tools for remembering that which was meant to be forgotten -- the deep connections that are possible. How "I can't sing" comes from a commodification of voices, while "the inherent birthright of singing is about how it feels in our bodies." Whales, and their wisdom of rising and diving as the nature of things, and the transience of emotions. Brené Brown wrote, "True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are." Ahlay has a beautiful way of being who she is, and it was an honor to hold this conversation.
Songwriter Info: Alexandra "Ahlay" Blakely (she/her) is a song carrier remembering that which was meant to be forgotten in her lineages: song technology as connective tissues of the communal body. She blends song, body percussion, dance, stillness, breath & silence with the deepest intention to support others in remembering their inherent birthright to singing and rhythm. Her ancient ancestors of Old Europe (Ashkenazi, Scandinavian, Finnish, English, Scottish, Irish) sang while building, creating, birthing, working & being in reciprocity and bring with the Land. She understands song to be fundamental in the expansion of ones internal capacity to participate in the collective shift towards life-affirming conditions. An underlying prayer in her song offerings is that they may contribute to the shared effort to transform white culture into being more connected with our bodies, emotions, Land & the animate world around us. These songs are swirls of spells for cracking open, falling humbly to our knees and cultivating more access to the conversations our souls are aching to have with us about their most intimate longings. They are dedicated to the more than human world, the Waters and our Kin in both the seen and unseen realms. We sing to shame, courage, for breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and for the preparation of being ready for these times we are living in, all while sending these song-beings in ripples through to the ancient and future ones. The songs sung have come directly through Ahlay. Some of her mentors: Whale, Mycelium, Rue, Lightning, Rain, Oak, Redwood & Rosemary
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share, but Ahlay always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Wails: Songs for Grief Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-singing-album
Bandcamp digital album "SPELLS FROM THE UNKNOWN" https://ahlayblakely.bandcamp.com/album/spells-from-the-unknown
Ahlay's Website/Newsletter https://www.healingattheroots.com
Ahlay's Patreon - new music monthly, 1-3 songs per month: https://www.patreon.com/alexandrablakely
Instagram @alexandra_blakely
Ahlay's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJiuxVf4FhGSkYT4K0zpGyA/videos?view=0&sort=p
Joanna Macy &The Work that Reconnects: https://workthatreconnects.org/spiral/about-joanna/
Dory Midnight : https://dorimidnight.com
Kohenet Priestess Institute : https://kohenet.org
Rabbi Jill Hammer: https://rabbijillhammer.com
Taya Ma: http://taya.ma
Rebekah Erev: https://rebekaherevstudio.com
Nahko Bear: https://www.nahkobear.com
Sobonfu Some: http://www.sobonfu.com
Francis Weller 5 Gates of Grief: https://www.francisweller.net/entering-the-healing-ground.html
Laurence Cole: http://www.laurencecole.com
Leticia Nieto: http://www.cuetzpalin.com/Cuetzpalin/welcome.html
Do whales hold their breath? https://www.whalefacts.org/how-do-whales-breathe/
Earth Practice: https://earthpracticemusic.bandcamp.com/communitySong Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:16
Start time of reprise: 01:25:44Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, Major (Ionian), unison
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Notes: Patty Piotrowski, who creates the art for each episode after learning the song, wrote about painting for this song of Ahlay Blakely: "The word that jumped out for me was “breaking”. I have a plate, a whole pottery plate on my kitchen table, that holds broken porcelain shards of dishware from the late 1800’s when there was a fire that burned the hotel on Star Island and so much was lost at sea. This past summer when I had the opportunity to go to Star Island for two weeks of art making, I walked the shoreline, and found these remnants of past plates and bowls and cups. These pieces of porcelain from England were worn smooth on the edges from being tossed and turned in the ocean for over 100 years. Each one was a precious discovery for me, telling a bit of the story. The beauty of the brokenness. Back home now and months later I have them arranged on a plate with a candle, reminding me to understand and honor the past, and to heal what I can inside myself in the present."
As we navigate the rage and wounding and grief in ourselves and others, it can be so helpful to have a framework for understanding… the kind of understanding that leads to healing and compassion. When we break these cycles, it affects the future ones – and it also reaches back and in some way fills the aching dream of those in the past. I love this song for the conviction that my own ache for belonging ripples through time, breaks harmful cycles, and creates a fundamental healing. Don't miss Ahlay's upcoming project, Wails, and the chance to be part of the ripples of change it could create by supporting it.
Songwriter Info: Alexandra "Ahlay" Blakely (she/her) is a song carrier remembering that which was meant to be forgotten in her lineages: song technology as connective tissues of the communal body. She blends song, body percussion, dance, stillness, breath & silence with the deepest intention to support others in remembering their inherent birthright to singing and rhythm. Her ancient ancestors of Old Europe (Ashkenazi, Scandinavian, Finnish, English, Scottish, Irish) sang while building, creating, birthing, working & being in reciprocity and bring with the Land. She understands song to be fundamental in the expansion of ones internal capacity to participate in the collective shift towards life-affirming conditions. An underlying prayer in her song offerings is that they may contribute to the shared effort to transform white culture into being more connected with our bodies, emotions, Land & the animate world around us. These songs are swirls of spells for cracking open, falling humbly to our knees and cultivating more access to the conversations our souls are aching to have with us about their most intimate longings. They are dedicated to the more than human world, the Waters and our Kin in both the seen and unseen realms. We sing to shame, courage, for breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and for the preparation of being ready for these times we are living in, all while sending these song-beings in ripples through to the ancient and future ones. The songs sung have come directly through Ahlay. Some of her mentors: Whale, Mycelium, Rue, Lightning, Rain, Oak, Redwood & Rosemary
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Ahlay always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Wails: Songs for Grief Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-singing-album
Bandcamp digital album "SPELLS FROM THE UNKNOWN" https://ahlayblakely.bandcamp.com/album/spells-from-the-unknown
Ahlay's Website/Newsletter https://www.healingattheroots.com
Ahlay's Patreon - new music monthly, 1-3 songs per month https://www.patreon.com/alexandrablakely
Instagram @alexandra_blakely
Resmaa Menakem: My Grandmother's Hands - https://centralrecoverypress.com/product/my-grandmothers-hands-racialized-trauma-and-the-pathway-to-mending-our-hearts-and-bodies-paperback
Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, flat-7, both major & minor; 3-layer song
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Notes: I love the way this song takes me into completely different scope of time -- geologic, massive, unimaginable -- and therefore inescapably present. "Ïn the Land of Oden" has a murky history, both for lyrics and melody… it was recorded in the 1960s by many different folk artists, including Peter and Gordon, Barry McGuire and the New Christy Minstrels, and the Townsmen… but is credited to different composers on each recording. And they are all slightly different than the version I learned from Adam Podd (check out episode #82!). This particular melody has stayed with me, though, and it resonated in me with a Buddhist story Jack Kornfield tells about something lasting for 1000 kalpas – and each kalpa is as long as it takes for a bird dragging a silk scarf across a mountain to wear it away. In a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, recorded in 1812, the Shepherd’s Boy responds to the king’s third question about eternity with a description very similar to this, although the mountain is made of diamond and is in the land of Pomerania! So for this moment, welcome to fairy-tale time.
Sharing Info: As far as I know, this song is free to share.
Links:
Grimm's Fairy Tale: http://www.pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/story139.pdf
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, round
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Song: Born to Love
Songwriter: Gabrielle Mehlmann Gelfand
Notes: This song floats and pulses, carrying me as singer into a spaciousness and warmth that feels like it could be a somatic knowledge of love. That's quite a statement to make for a song, no? And yet, it makes sense -- when we sing, we engage so much of our brains -- breathing, thinking, sensing vibration and sound -- that if we allow images and responses to come into our awareness, too, those images are rich and connected with all we have ever known.. Unusually for songs I share on this podcast, this one doesn't have a strict meter -- it is more fluid and shifting -- yet it has a stable, vibrant heart center. I'll be curious to know what this experience is like for you!
Songwriter Info: Gabrielle is passionate about music and its transformative and healing powers. She grew up singing and surrounded by music, and has sung and performed in many contexts; indie rock, choirs, musical theater, Cabaret, yoga studios, and singing circles. Gabrielle has hosted singing circles, sound ceremonies, and new moon circles. She currently lives in Seattle, and likes to catch songs while walking through the beautiful Pacific NorthWest forests.
Sharing Info: The song is free to share, please contact Gabrielle if you're planning to use it simply because it would be such a delight to know about it.
Links:
Follow @sound__witch on Instagram to see what Gabrielle's up to,
and/or check out her other songs at soundcloud.com/a_sound_witch.
After this episode was released, Gabrielle released her (stunning) recording of Born to Love -- you can find it on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5lajK8FDZcyxszxC65x021?si=cfb68facf8eb4720
or on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErdGihQj-Bk
Nuts & Bolts: unmetered, major, echo
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Notes: Angela Gabriel's gospel-infused setting of Clarissa Pink Estés' fierce words is enough to lift me out of bed into the January cold! You'll hear me play with adding my voice in the looper with different tonal qualities so it sounds like we're singing with a crowd... and then at the end, I'll invite you to sing it simply with me, as a heartfelt duet. Patty said her art for this episode is inspired by the images of boats and wood from the Clarissa Estés letter... "and the idea of standing together, so here are the trees, rooted and strong in all weather."
* This song has had a significant evolution since I recorded it for this episode -- please catch the updates under the links with Angela's own recordings!
Songwriter Info: Angela is a professional percussionist & pianist and community music/community singing facilitator. She lived in Santa Fe NM for the last 20 years, where she played with the opera, symphony, chamber music festival, as well as in African, Haitian, and samba gatherings, funk and ragtime bands.
She just moved to Bloomington, Indiana in the end of 2022.
Angela's mission in life is to facilitate expressive creative, musical, and vocal experiences and to encourage folks to replace judgement with curiosity and open themselves to their unique, creative flow.
Part of how Angela does this is by singing and drumming online weekly with people living with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders.
This song is free to share but Angela always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
Learn the updated version with Angela herself: https://youtu.be/kZfD7YbZJew?feature=shared
Listen to the updated version: https://youtu.be/Rash_81HIhY?feature=shared
Letter to a Young Activist by Clarissa Pinkola Estés: https://www.mavenproductions.com/letter-to-a-young-activist
Angela's website: www.AngelaGabriel.me
Support Angela's work: find songs, rhythmic activities, and more at patreon.com/AngelaGabriel
Check out Hidden Whale, Angela's old band (she's the drummer): https://youtube.com/channel/UCpxdVqwSxzEBhgUilN3qQLg
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:55
Start time of reprise: 00:12:49
Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, major, harmonized call & response
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Notes: Singing this meditative mantra with Heather Pierson's butter-warm voice draws me right into the here and now, even when I'm dealing with tech glitches... it's powerful stuff, and I've been putting it to the test! Heather says, "Music is an invitation..." and in our conversation, she talks about the different ways that plays out during grieving, learning to sing solo, collaborating, choosing songs, giving permission. Have you ever thought about how the meditation concept of titration might apply to leading a circle? Well, we've got you covered!
Songwriter Info: Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She has released 14 albums, two songbooks, and several singles of her original music ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants. Since 2018, she is the co-creator with fellow songleader Bernice Martin of Heart Songs & Circle Songs, a community singing project dedicated to the cultivation of harmony, wellness, connection, joy, and peace through music and song. When she isn’t making music, Heather enjoys her meditation practice, hiking, cooking, writing, reading, and watching the birds.
Links:
Heather's album 'Wishes of Lovingkindness', available for free or by donation at her Bandcamp: https://heatherpierson.bandcamp.com/album/wishes-of-lovingkindness
For more information about Heather's community singing project with Bernice Martin, please visit https://www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com.
For more information about all of Heather's musical offerings, please visit: https://www.heatherpierson.com.
Heather's growing community on Patreon enjoys early and exclusive access to new songs, videos, and poetry every week. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/HeatherPierson
Kansas: “The Spider”
Melanie DeMore... "These songs are like medicine." Here's Melanie leading two of her medicine songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3D1U_Cmlxc
Leah Boyd/Leah Wolfsong Leah Wolfsong on Apple Music
The early albums:
We All Have a Song by Heather Pierson on Apple Music
Honor The Light by Heather Pierson on Apple Music
Laurence Cole: “Attention is the healer of separation”
Gray catbird
Baked Beans recording (Alan Bean) Recording Studio | Baked Beans Recording Studio | United States
Peaceful Means (Leah Boyd & Heather Pierson) (3) Peaceful Means | Facebook
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND - Live At Fillmore East (Deluxe Edition) - Amazon.com Music
The Wood Brothers The Wood Brothers (thewoodbros.com)
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:31
Start time of reprise: 01:03:53
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, with a lovely minor final note; unison zipper song
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Notes: I love the way this song pulls me into the very present moment of right now, really right now, with concrete reminders of the breath and body... and then also lightens my spirit with the rhythmic play as I sing about the goodness that I carry. Heather has found ways through steady, attentive practices to help herself heal from childhood trauma, and she carries this intentional tending with clarity and care into her music. Next week, we can settle into a songwriter conversation with Heather about all this, and more!
Songwriter Info: Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She has released 14 albums, two songbooks, and several singles of her original music ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants. Since 2018, she is the co-creator with fellow songleader Bernice Martin of Heart Songs & Circle Songs, a community singing project dedicated to the cultivation of harmony, wellness, connection, joy, and peace through music and song. When she isn’t making music, Heather enjoys her meditation practice, hiking, cooking, writing, reading, and watching the birds.
Links:
'May I Be Open' is from Heather's album 'Wishes of Lovingkindness', available for free or by donation at her Bandcamp: https://heatherpierson.bandcamp.com/album/wishes-of-lovingkindness
For more information about Heather's community singing project with Bernice Martin, please visit https://www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com.
For more information about all of Heather's musical offerings, please visit: https://www.heatherpierson.com.
Heather's growing community on Patreon enjoys early and exclusive access to new songs, videos, and poetry every week. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/HeatherPierson
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:00
Start time of reprise: 00:12:15
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part layer song
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Notes: I so completely get the need for these questions, so appealingly set by Hannah Jeffery, to notice our body's basic needs. I love singing the reminder to attend to my creature self, what Mary Oliver calls, "the soft animal of your body" -- to tune into what it loves, what it complains about, how it responds to what's going on. This time of coming into a new year, perhaps with a plethora of complex people interactions, seems a particularly appropriate time to reset and reconnect with the awareness and presence of our own creature selves.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list 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!
Songwriter Info: Hannah Jeffery (She/They) is a songstress, composer, song-leader and mama living in the Upper Valley of Vermont (Abenaki land). Her creative venture, Deep Well Song, is a gathering vessel for people to come together in song, prayer and playfulness, to turn toward and embrace all that it IS to be human on Earth. The songs Hannah carries, catches and teaches are songs of the heart and soul, that touch joy, grief, gratitude, heartbreak, righteous anger, beauty, love and praise and connect us to each other, ourselves and the Beloved Mystery. Hannah leads song at the UU church in Norwich, Vermont and in the newly forming Well Song Choir. To learn more and get involved please check out their website and Patreon and be in touch!
This song is free to share but Hannah always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Links:
www.deepwellsong.org
deepwellsong@gmail.com
www.patreon.com/deepwellsong
Hannah singing this song herself
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:09
Start time of reprise: 00:14:17
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Notes: I learned this song from Adam Podd at the end of the summer at a group singing weekend workshop, and immediately decided to use it for my Pocket Songs welcome song during the fall, not only because of the generous, wide-open welcome of the words, but because of the way the music backs up the message. The lift and lightness of the rhythm, and the enjoyment of slightly surprising notes (I particularly love the first "are" of the tenor line, for example), the way we move from unison into connected harmonic diversity -- these musical things help me FEEL welcoming. Sometimes I shift the words to sing it to myself, as a reminder that whoever I am, whomever I love, wherever I am on this journey, I am welcome... and when I feel genuinely accepted as I am, it is so much easier to extend that welcome and acceptance to others.
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list 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!
Songwriter Info: Adam Podd (he/him/his) is a Vermont-bred, Brooklyn-based music director, pianist, organist, bassist, composer, and arranger. He has worked with some of the top artists and organizations in his field. As a pianist, Adam specializes in blues, jazz, and gospel. He plays regularly around NYC with his twin brother Matt, and their jazz and blues band Mimi and the Podd Brothers. He also plays keys, bass and music directs for singer/songwriter Dan Mills. I met Adam as he co-led a workshop on Star Island, off the coast of New Hampshire. I was struck by his unassuming, gentle manner and musical generosity. He welcomes sharing of this song.
Links:
learn about Adam himself: ABOUT — Adam Podd
check out the choral music Adam and his brother arrange: The Podd Brothers
Home - Ana Levy-Lyons (analevylyons.com)
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, the tip jar, more of Patty's artwork, a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast, and an easy way to search past episodes.
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, harmonized
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Notes: I love the way Emma's song ushers in the darkness and turning of the seasons with a lilt that includes a trust that the light will return. There's a softness and acceptance to the song that makes it easier to be present with the turning. Emma says the song "was born on a winter walk during Covid restrictions in the UK. I was finding some comfort in the unruffled flow of the seasons - 'time's soft unfolding'. 21st December is my late father's birthday as well as winter solstice, so this song is dedicated to him - I think he would have liked the words and the structure."
Songwriter Info: Emma has been singing all her life and enjoys all styles of song and ensemble! When her daughter was born in 2018, she began an acapella singing group for local mums, and after joining the Singing Mamas network in 2020, was inspired to start writing her own songs, for herself, for her groups and songsharing colleagues.
Links:
Find Emma's album 'Light Returning' on Bandcamp https://emmamutter.bandcamp.com/album/light-returning
You can also find newer songs on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/emmamuttermusic
Contact Emma by email elrfmutter@gmail.com to buy the score (suggested contribution up to £5) and/or purchase the song on Bandcamp if you'd like to share this song as a songleader. Please contact Emma directly for recording or performing permissions.
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:00:47
Start time of reprise: 00:15:38
Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian (minor), harmonized melody with option of a round.
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Notes: You get to hear Kate Thomas and I in deep conversation -- complete with creaky chair, and me messing up as Kate teaches me her beautiful song, Go Dark. Do you ever have the experience of being solid on a part, as long as the leader is singing it, but then when they leave to teach another part, you lose it? You'll hear me doing just that! :) We talk about building a bank of nourishing words for hard times -- and Kate shares a story about something that shook her certainty and ease with life, and how that made her vow not to judge people. She observes how giving time and a safe place to make mistakes makes it possible for most people to learn to sing, like almost all people learn to drive eventually. And then there's the handpan, and learning Arabic, and... I guess you'll just need to listen in!
Songwriter Info: Kate Thomas is a singer, song leader, songwriter and instrumentalist (guitar, piano and handpan) and has been leading singing groups in Sheffield for over 20 years. She has produced two songbooks, 'Honey and Salt' (from which 'Be Yourself' is taken) and 'Scattered Seeds'. If you are interested in contacting her about these resources, her email is honeyandsalt65@gmail.com.
Links:
Wendell Berry – Farming (counterpointpress.com) (Kate mentioned "Soul Food", but I think this ends up being the book with the poem in it.)
Barbara Brown Taylor – Learning to Walk in the Dark
Wanting Memories - Sweet Honey in the Rock
Handpan playing -- Kate suggests this handpan duo, Mea
Raffi
The Singing Kettle
Tapestry – Carole King -- I'm pretty sure you can find the album, so here's an article that quotes many artists talking about the influence of the album on them... Talking about 'Tapestry': Musicians discuss the influence of Carole King's masterpiece - NJArts.net
Karine Polwart – Scottish Songbook, The Lost Words: Spell Songs -- and here's a bonus interview with Karine about the Spellsongs project
Youtube recordings of Kate’s songs -- here's her channel, where you can find all 10: Kate Thomas - YouTube
And here are just a few links for specific songs:
We Were Seeds: Kate's bold setting of the Dinos Christianopoulos quote, "They thought they could bury us; they did not know we were seeds.
A Thousand Ways (with handpan! -- a beautiful meditation)
Kate's profile and choirs: Member profile - Natural Voice Network
Information about Honey and Salt (and Scattered Seeds is searchable there, too): Honey and Salt - Natural Voice Network
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:44
Start time of reprise: 00:57:07
Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, major, 2-parts here, (SATB in the Honey & Salt book) or works beautifully unison, too
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Notes: "Be Yourself" was written for 'Body of Sound', a women's group that Kate Thomas leads, for a residential at Laurieston Hall in Scotland which has a lovely open fire. Can you imagine joining with friends around a fire and singing this to each other? And sometimes, I swear, I find myself singing it to just myself (or my many selves???), welcoming all of them around the fire -- the part of me that's anxious, the part that's grouchy, the part that is confident, the part that's flamboyant -- shall I go on? I definitely have enough for a campfire gathering of my own -- but I'll grant you that it's even better if you're gathering with others!
Songwriter Info: Kate Thomas is a singer, song leader, songwriter and instrumentalist (guitar, piano and handpan) and has been leading singing groups in Sheffield for over 20 years. She has produced two songbooks, 'Honey and Salt' (from which 'Be Yourself' is taken) and 'Scattered Seeds'. If you are interested in contacting her about these resources, her email is honeyandsalt65@gmail.com.
Links:
email: honeyandsalt65@gmail.com
Kate's profile and choirs: Member profile - Natural Voice Network
Information about Honey and Salt: Honey and Salt - Natural Voice Network
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 4-parts
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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 Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Notes: Barbara says about the song: "I wrote it while driving up to Lake Superior to share Thanksgiving with friends. Some of it was composed while standing in the Brule River in a light rain. Ecstasy...." Here we are, getting close to Thanksgiving in the United States -- a reminder of the great harm humans can do to each other through greed, ignorance, and fear -- and also a reminder of the ecstasy of gratitude. Talk about an example of "both-and". I'm fortunate in that this holiday brings my husband's family all together in one place for many days... and I love the way this song can rumble along underneath my day, whether or not I'm observing a holiday!
Songwriter Info: Barbara lives on the wild and scenic St Croix River about an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul. She is a master voice coach, songwriter, song leader, hospice choir director, long distance swimmer, poet, and author of Full Voice. She feels so lucky to be alive on planet Earth.
Links:
www.barbaramcafee.com -
the song is available on iTunes and similar platforms, too
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, layer
Visit abreathofsong.com for lyrics, more of Patty's artwork, and a way to nominate songs or songwriters for the podcast.
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!