59. Heart Wide Open

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Song: Heart Wide Open
Words & Music​ by Lea Morris
​

Lyrics
Keep your heart wide open, though the waves want to push you around.
You've got to keep your heart wide open, 'til your faith brings you back to solid ground.

I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep my heart wide open --
although the waves want to push; although the waves want to push me around.
I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep my heart wide open --
until my faith brings me back; until my faith brings me back to solid ground.

Notes: Haven't we all been going through waves of change? Whether it looks like loss or shift or fear or opportunity -- whether intended or thrust upon us -- whether sudden or slowly gathered -- it's not always easy or clear to navigate. I believe in song as a tool, an intentional change-maker, a physic for the body and soul -- as a way of choosing the thoughts we want to carry in our brain. And sometimes for me, it's several voices in my head at once! What I love about this song is the way it has two parts of me talking to each other -- my wise mind, reminding and encouraging me to "keep your heart wide open, no matter what sweetheart, have faith, you'll be able to..." -- and my tiny gerbil self, scurrying around, singing fast & trying to be reassuring, "Okay, okay, I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep -- I'm gonna get this done, I can do it, I can do it!" 

Songwriter Info: Lea describes her sound blend of gospel, jazz, country & R&B as SoulFolk. She performs solo & with her band. Lea is one of the Black composers commissioned by the Natural Voices Network for their Black Lives Matter commissioning project, and she also writes music used by Unitarian-Universalist congregations. On our songwriter conversation (episode #60), she talks about the compositional process and shares a little of what's currently in process. Check out her website under "More" for full biographical info, and don't miss Lea's own recording of Heart Wide Open on her youtube channel!

Links: 
Lea's website: www.thisislea.com
​and on youtube: www.YouTube.com/thisislea

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:01
Start time of reprise: 00:14:06

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, call and harmonized response

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