Song: Where the Moss Grows
Music by: David Ruffin

Notes: We get to sing David Ruffin's beautiful moss song in three different keys, so you can experiment with the range and how it feels in your voice in different ways -- and really feel like you know the song well by the end! So this episode is a little longer than sometimes -- but it's a great way to get a slightly longer song and harmony into your body, and still under 30 minutes. Next episode is a conversation with David, and we'll get to know this song carrier...

Songwriter Info: David is a performing artist, community song leader and teacher with a passion for authentic expression. He loves creating space for voices to emerge fully and freely. He calls Central Vermont home, where he’s grateful to be able to share his holistic approach to voice in community through lessons, workshops, community singing and performance collaborations. David’s work is inspired by a diverse background including studies with Roy Hart Center voice teachers, deep dives in vocal improvisation, explorations in Voice Movement Therapy and over 20 plus years of performing arts, teaching and counseling/ministry experience. David believes singing helps us remember who we really are, what we're here to voice and, how we’re, thankfully, so very bound up together in this. 

Sharing Info: The song is free to share but David welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Please contact him for recording and/or performing permission.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:33
Start time of song in B-flat: 00:13:16
Start time of song in D-flat: 00:17:36
Start time of song in B: 00:23:38

Links:
David's website: www.davidruffinvoice.com
David's Venmo: @David-Ruffin-Voice 

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
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Song: The Strength Within
Music by: Jody Vyner

Notes: Jody Vyner gives us a song for feeling strength, space, and breath within... and we spend 10 minutes in meditation with it, as I add parts in and out and you find what's right for you today -- stay on one part while the sound changes around you? Shift to new parts as they come? What helps you tap into your own inner strength? I'm a highly distractable meditator, but I can let myself sit inside this song and its harmonies, and when I come out the other side, it feels like the waters have cleared (most days, anyway!)

Songwriter Info: Jody Vyner works as a psychotherapist and runs Singing Roots - therapeutic singing circles in and around Sussex, UK. Combining her love of singing and song writing with her deep knowledge and experience of psychotherapy, there is always a therapeutic element to her gatherings which can be leant into for a deeply nurturing experience. Her circles are about turning up just as you are and giving yourself the chance to really check in and connect with yourself and be held by the words and the harmonies shared.
Jody has done many other things in this lifetime; taught French, worked with asylum seekers and refugees, trained as a doula, in antenatal teaching and support, story-telling and face painting! It is her belief that the more experiences and skills she can gather along the way, the more richness and range she can bring to her work. 

Sharing Info: Jody says: "It is wonderful to know how these songs travel. If you would like to share it in your own choirs/singing groups please contact me at [email protected] for information on how to purchase the song and parts."

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
Start time of reprise: 00:14:26

Links:
Singing Roots website: www.singingroots.uk 
Singing Roots Bandcamp: www.singingroots.bandcamp.com 

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 4 parts with first part in 3 harmonies

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
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Song: Standing Stone
Music by: Melanie DeMore

Notes: Melanie DeMore is a powerful community shaper and healer who brings warmth and creative delight to her work with people of all stripes. Standing Stone was my introduction to her songs, and like many people, I have a personal history with it. In 2019, I became a long-term sub in a middle school & high school for a beloved choral teacher who had left to tend to her dying sister. The kids were grieving and suspicious. I brought this song to them so we could make a video to send their teacher to support her. The recognition of their capacity to be a source of strength was a game changer; this song unified us. In next week's episode, Melanie talks about what supports her, what she learned from her family, and more. I hope you can join us.

Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3-time Grammy-nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you.”

Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Melanie for recording and/or performing permission.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:49
Start time of reprise: 00:12:30

Links:
Help Melanie find a place to call her own in Taos, New Mexico: https://gofund.me/6be198cb
A great interview with Melanie about being a vocal activist: https://chorusamerica.org/article/%25E2%2580%259Ci-use-my-voice-weapon-mass-connection%25E2%2580%259D-interview-melanie-demore

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-part

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Song: Breathe
Music by: Batya Levine

Notes: This was the song I needed to sing to help myself through the pre-election moment... building trust in myself to navigate whatever comes next, tap into the energy to work up to the last moment to effect the change I hope for. Batya Levine is an incredibly heart-sourced song composer, and they'll be releasing a new album in December... check out their website and get on the list to know when it appears -- it's sure to be wonderful, and "Breathe" will be on it -- and you'll know it!

Songwriter Info: Batya Levine (they/them) uses song as a tool for cultivating healing and resilience in their work as a communal song leader, shaliach tzibur (Jewish prayer leader) and cultural organizer. Batya is a co-founder and Director of Programs at Let My People Sing!, and they compose original music made of Ashkenazi yearning, queer heart-medicine, and emunah (faith). Batya is releasing their second album, Yivarechecha, in December 2024 through Rising Song Records.

Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Batya always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:34
Start time of reprise: 00:20:13

Links:
Batya's website: https://www.batyalevine.com

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layer

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
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Song: Oh the Rain
Music by: Patricia Norton

​Notes: Seems like being able to let things fall is my skill-du-jour. Rain, my feelings, other people's experiences... letting it come down and softening around it. I wrote this song during a week of incessant winter rain... and sang it here during a week of hard things to feel. Both times, it helped me be where I am. Songs that help navigate life. Yup. This is how we do it....

Songwriter Info: This whole singing thing is just bringing me so much joy and growth and comfort... so grateful to all the people along the way who have helped me find my voice.
​
Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact me for recording and/or performing permission.
​
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:12
Start time of reprise: 00:14:37

Links: 
Juneberry Music website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com

Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Mixolydian, 3-layer

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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
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Song: Hold On
Music by: Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr.
Composed in: 1980
​
​Notes: Aaron shares his close personal connection with this song: after the horrible accidental death of his father, "“It was the first inkling, the first kind of hint that this kind of grief might be bearable.” We dove into how to bring anti-oppression work right into songcircles, or any other kind of work you might do. Aaron helped me consider how I, as a white person with financial stability, could practice persistence in anti-racism work... looking for ways to move beyond the crash-and-boom cycle of support that's triggered by a disaster. How do you hold grief and joy at the same time? Aaron invites us into an exploratory "jamming out" section into the song, and talks about touch and connection as self-care. Lots to celebrate, lots to grieve... and while I was sick at the time of recording, (I don't have Aaron's robust immune system!), I'm so grateful to have had the chance to listen.

Songwriter Info: Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch specialist working to identify and interrupt barriers between people. As co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Because oppression is a part of historical and present American culture, the long-term impact of those trauma stories should be acknowledged and held as a map for our collective healing. Aaron Johnson practices and invites various methods of moving through these stories, such as the communal listening ear, sound healing, meditation, and closeness to the earth.
​
Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Aaron for permission and rates.
​
Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:42
Start time of reprise: 01:13:45

Links: 
Bliss is Ordinary podcast episode with Yam and Jessi: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aaron-johnson-invites-you-to-risk-something/id1614727245?i=1000641691263
Holistic Resistance podcast with Lisa Littlebird: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holistic-resistance/id1368705035
Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr.’s recording of Hold On : https://youtu.be/awyHHZ44YDU?feature=shared
Aaron's link tree: https://linktr.ee/HolisticResistance
Holistic Resistance website: https://www.holisticresistance.com/
Holistic Resistance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistic_resistance
Grief to Action fund: https://www.grieftoaction.com/
Chronically Under Touched (CUT) project: https://www.cutproject.org/
CUT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cut.project/
Rescue (album by Acappella Company): https://store.acappella.org/acappella/rescue/
Alillia Johnson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alillia.sound/
and Bandcamp: https://alillia.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-2
Fivacious, Aaron’s family group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvh0HKHo5jE

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Minor, unison with opportunities to harmonize, zipper

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Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar
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Song: Breathe Deep
Music by:​ Sara Stutz

​Notes: I had an early morning voice as I was recording this, full of creaks and gaps -- and it shifts as it goes! I didn't rerecord, partly because, you know, time, and partly because I'm challenging myself to let recordings be human and real, and partly because A Breath of Song is all about turning up with the voices we have... so you're welcome! 😊 Sara Stutz's beautiful song starts in one calm place, and then ever so gracefully settles into an even calmer presence. I can feel my whole system regulate every time I sing it.

Songwriter Info: Sara grew up in a musical family and has always loved to sing. Over the years, Sara sang in choirs, performed in musical theater, led songs as a camp counselor, studied music in college, performed classically and thankfully, landed in the world of community singing about seven years ago when she met Kaitie Ty Warren and started singing with a few folks in Kaitie's living room. The heart connection, and joy that the Community Singing world has brought to Sara has been life changing. Sara is currently co-leading Living Room Choir ANEW with Kaitie Ty Warren and recently had the great good fortune to travel to Victoria Canada to complete her Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) and become part of the Ubuntu Network. Sara also works as a pediatric physical therapist and loves to use singing, rhythm and movement to support connection and emotional regulation for little and big people.

Sharing Info: Sara would be delighted if you sing and share her song. She'd love to hear how this song might land with you or your group.

Links:
Sara is co-leader of Living Room Choir ANEW: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/
Sara's email addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Kaitie Ty Warren: https://kaitietywarren.com/
Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT): https://www.communitychoirleadership.com

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:41
Start time of reprise: 00:17:42

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer, harmonized (5 parts total)

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) 
to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html) 
(whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: I love the way Steph Drouin's song reminds me to be right here, right now... which was useful during recording, as my voice is still recovering from a bad cold, and as I sing with it, right here, right now, it feels unpredictable! So I decided to play with range a little -- I teach the four parts of the song in the original key that Steph shares it in. It's a longer teach than some, because there are so many different unique parts -- and you can see in the song stamps when the song as a whole starts running, if you'd like to come back for just the song. Then for the reprise, I shifted the song several steps lower, which might be more comfortable for some people, and too low for others... one of the openings of singing practice is noticing where your voice feels comfortable, and where it feels stretched; this song gives you a chance to explore that if you'd like... right here, right now!

Songwriter Info: Steph Drouin is a community song leader based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has been facilitating song circles in Toronto for over 7 years with groups such as Sing for Joy and Fiercely OK, which she founded in January 2019. Steph is a community builder and mental health advocate with a strong belief in the “Fierce OKness” in all of us. Informed by a life-long relationship with anxiety, she writes and teaches songs to help participants embrace their messiness and stay connected to their sense of being OK. Playful and strong, she has a knack for bringing light into dark places. She graduated from the Community Choir Leadership Training program and Lisa Littlebird’s Flight School in 2018, and is now in the process of completing a three-year training program in Expressive Art Therapy with the CREATE Institute. Steph sends a big thank you to all who have helped her share her gifts with the world!

Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Steph always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Please contact her if you hope to perform or record the song. Steph offers her songs in the spirit of the gift, meaning you choose if and how you give a gift in return. While monetary gifts make her work possible, they are not a requirement to enjoy, sing or share her songs. You are welcome to receive the gift of song! Reciprocity in the form of monetary contributions, networking, or permission to sing and share the songs of others is always received with gratitude.

Links: 
Fiercely OK Website: www.fiercelyok.ca
Fiercely OK and Steph on Instagram: @therestlessinchoirer and @fiercelyok
Fiercely OK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiercelyOK/
Fiercely OK Mailing List: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/home-join-the-mailing-list

Giving Options:
1) Send an e-transfer to Fiercely OK: [email protected] (no password required) *PREFERRED*
2) Make a contribution via PayPal to [email protected]
3) Become a monthly donor via PayPal HERE:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=8FGN3GPS69BNU&currency_code=CAD&item_name=Thank%20you%20for%20helping%20us%20nourish%20wellness%20and%20resilience%20through%20song%20and%20belonging%20in%20our%20communities%21&no_recurring=0
4) Make a cash contribution at one of our in-person events

Steph's own recording of There Is Only Now: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/song-recordings-there-is-only-now

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:10
1st song run through: 00:11:55

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor (a little Dorian, a little Aeolian), 4-part layer song

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)  to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
 (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: We play a little with the harmonies over and under this very singable melody Paulette wrote to set part of a letter written in 1675 by George Fox (it's been a minute!) He was writing during troubled times to a persecuted people. As I was recording, I kept wondering how it could feel to be both "sure and steadfast" and "float above"... the invitation is open to you to explore!

Songwriter Info: Paulette Meier is a Quaker singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio, where her strong voice has led crowds in song at many a gathering for peace, justice and an earth restored. As a peace educator in schools, she produced an award-winning album, Come Join the Circle: LessonSongs for Peacemaking, now used in classrooms across the country to help children learn the skills of peacemaking. As Artist in Residence for 9 months at Pendle Hill, a Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation, her appreciation for Quaker history and spirituality deepened, leading to a practice of setting inspiring quotations of 17th century Quaker founding leaders to chant-like song. She leads chanting at the Wisdom retreats of Cynthia Bourgeault, author, mystic, and teacher of the contemplative Christian Wisdom tradition. This on-going collaboration led to a second album of Quaker chants composed by Paulette, Wellsprings of Life: Quaker Wisdom in Chant, on which this song can be found.

Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Paulette for recording and/or performing permission. When sharing this song, please credit the source: w: George Fox, 1675; m: Paulette Meier, on the album Wellsprings of Life, Quaker Wisdom in Chant.

Links: Paulette's Website (order downloads or CD here) - www.paulettemeier.com

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:04
Start time of reprise: 00:13:31

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison with harmonies

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)  to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
 (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: I've been lucky to have Resa singing with me for the past ten years in various Juneberry Music offerings, and her warm, colorful voice always brings me pleasure to hear. So as I sing this song, it's as though I hear Resa's voice inside mine. There's something wonderful about selecting the voices that are allowed inside your head and the messages you choose to hear. I find myself calmed by Resa's companionship in this song, reminding me to return to the present, make space for what is, return, return.
​
Songwriter Info: Resa is a Certified Music Practitioner (Therapeutic Musician) at Concord Hospital, Concord, NH, who sings at the bedside of patients, including those who are who are physically and mentally ill, dying, recovering from surgery, in a coma, or in the NICU. She firmly believes in the healing power of music, and, like St. Augustine, affirms that "He who sings, prays twice." Resa has been singing in choirs and choral groups in the United States and Europe since she was 5 years old and occasionally accompanies herself on piano or guitar. When not singing, she is a voracious reader, an adventurous cook, an avid cross-stitcher, and devoted pet-parent. This song was born fully formed after struggling with the process of being present in the gift of each moment as it arrives.

Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Resa for recording and/or performing permission.

Links: Resa's profile on Creative Ground: https://www.creativeground.org/profile/resa-cirrincione-cmp#section-about

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:15
Start time of reprise: 00:12:20

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, mantra, unison (optional harmonizing)

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share)  to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html)
 (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

​Notes: Even though Kate wanted a resolution, the song insisted on being what it is -- a way to stay in the storm. She talks with me about how that felt, and what happened as she kept listening. We explore further -- how do you become a songleader when that's not how you view yourself? How do you write songs, when that feels scary-impossible? What is it about singing together that offers healing, and why is Kate herself drawn to doing things that help people in difficult moments? Where do songs live? I left this conversation with respect and excitement tumbling over each other... I hope you, too, enjoy hearing Kate's perspective.

Songwriter Info: Kate Valentine is a registered nurse and founder of Singing Mamas - a national non-profit for maternal well-being, bringing singing groups across the UK and the globe to women and mothers. Kate started with one group in 2011 and while struggling as a single mum to 3 sons and working nights shifts, she set about to get singing mamas free and referred to all new and expectant mums across the UK. There are now more than 200 leaders across 8 countries, with Singing Mamas programmes being delivered in over 50 local authorities, either as community groups or on-prescription through the national health service (NHS).

Kate is most passionate about bringing the 'untrained' musician into the work of song sharing, and is driven by a determination to re-normalise a singing culture, where it has been lost.

Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Kate always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

Links:
Ashdown Forest - Winnie the Pooh: https://ashdownforest.org/explore/winnie-the-pooh/
Natural Voice Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Nick Prater: https://www.susiero.com/nick-prater.html
Singing Mamas: www.singingmamas.org
You Are My Sunshine: https://www.wideopencountry.com/you-are-my-sunshine/
DYCP Award Arts Council: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp
Monkey Mind: https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/understanding-monkey-mind-live-harmony-mental-companion/
Episode 129: "Inner Peace" by Kate Valentine: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/129-inner-peace
National Health Service UK: https://www.nhs.uk/
Empowering women and addressing poverty: https://givingcompass.org/article/how-women-empowerment-can-help-address-poverty
​German Melodic Minimal Techno: https://www.chosic.com/genre-chart/minimal-melodic-techno/
Royal college of Music, Dave Camlin: https://www.rcm.ac.uk/research/people/details/?id=94812
Sound waves made visible…
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2814-sound-visualising-sound-waves
Cymatics: https://journeyofcuriosity.net/pages/what-is-cymatics-how-to-explained
Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQP0D4p8Xo
Sand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJAgrUBF4w
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette: https://genius.com/albums/Alanis-morissette/Jagged-little-pill
Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons): https://www.anohni.com/
Victor Ruiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVT_81WihTA
Sama’ Abdulhadi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lH-KzsQi0
Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org
Singing Mamas on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singingmamas

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:52
Start time of reprise: 01:23:00

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 4-layer

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

​Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: I love the way this song by Kate Valentine has both motion and deep stillness. It carries acceptance and conviction, and I simply love having it in my head. How did she do this??? Next week, in conversation with Kate, she tells how she wrote this specific song, as well as how she managed to convince herself to write music in the first place, which felt like a near-impossible stretch.

Songwriter Info: Kate Valentine is a registered nurse and founder of Singing Mamas - a national non-profit for maternal well-being, bringing singing groups across the UK and the globe to women and mothers. Kate started with one group in 2011 and while struggling as a single mum to 3 sons and working nights shifts, she set about to get singing mamas free and referred to all new and expectant mums across the UK. There are now more than 200 leaders across 8 countries, with Singing Mamas programmes being delivered in over 50 local authorities, either as community groups or on-prescription through the national health service (NHS).

Kate is most passionate about bringing the 'untrained' musician into the work of song sharing, and is driven by a determination to re-normalise a singing culture, where it has been lost.

Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Kate always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

Links:
Singing Mamas Website: www.singingmamas.org
Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:34
Start time of reprise: 00:14:47

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized 2 layers

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

​Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: A generous song to let us both receive and release -- I deeply respect Lynn O'Brien's way of moving through the world. I love singing this song of hers so these words, this wisdom of taking and dropping, yes and no, can sift into my being and start to feel natural, like something I believe in my very core. Patty says, "I connected this song with the micro rhizomes and roots of trees -- what they have within them to give and what is given to them from others." Yes, yes, yes!!!

Songwriter Info: Described as a "musical force of nature," Lynn O'Brien is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, performer and recording artist with a soulful, dynamic voice. She has captivated thousands of audiences with her healing original songs, well-loved covers and compelling vocal improvisation - seamlessly blending genres like folk, jazz, soul, blues and R&B. ​Lynn has collaborated with artists across all mediums (from book authors to belly dancers to Bobby McFerrin himself) and also soars as a solo artist; she accompanies her vocals on guitar, ukulele, piano and occasional loop station to create an a cappella "one woman choir" effect. Drawing on her background as a board-certified music therapist, women's empowerment coach and speaker, Lynn brings a deep sense of presence, authenticity and inventiveness to every performance.
​
In a moment of deep presence, Lynn spontaneously composed this tune as a self-prayer and intention-setting of radical openness. Influenced by Tosha Silver's writings and many other spiritual teachers, she finds that her core work is often about opening - opening to receive and release - opening to being an easy, open conduit for Life to come through. Singing and improvisation is where this openness is most accessible for her, but she tries to practice in all areas of life. Thanks for listening, and please use this freely.

Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Lynn always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. To request the original recording from Lynn O'Brien, please contact her through her website, www.LynnOBrien.love

Links:
Website: https://www.lynnobrien.love/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnobrienlove/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnobrienlove
Listen/buy on Bandcamp: https://lynnobrienmusic.bandcamp.com/album/rising
Listen/stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4yMCG3V8FNV7JbkGR6FPTc
Listen/follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LynnOBrienLove
​
Support via Virtual Tip Jar (you know, "willingness to receive" and all that!)
Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/lynn-Obrien 
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lynnobrienmusic

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:51
Start time of reprise: 00:15:40

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 minor; call and response, harmonized

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

​Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: A vivid reminder of what it's like to drop into hyper-awareness of breath and body... combined with a song that makes me extra aware of breath flow (like, it runs out! ) Very satisfying combination. The harmonies also move in intriguing ways -- now close, now far, now drawing back together and intertwining. As often happens, I struggled a bit to release this episode -- it's not perfectly, exquisitely in-tune... and it's not a perfect, exquisite voice that's singing! But I remind myself again and again that the point here is not perfection -- it's good that you'll be able to understand the song and sing it, too... and carry it off into your world. It's good that I spent an evening singing a song that helps me be more aware of my breath and body. It's good that I got to gaze at Patty Piotrowski's artwork for this piece as I sang. This is just a darn good way to be spending my life... so thanks for your company in this practice of singing beyond perfection!

Songwriter Info: Neal has been leading singing sessions in Cornwall for seven years. His style is influenced by membership of the Natural Voice Network and the sessions are non-performance, inclusive, mindful and with an ear to the spiritual/sacred in the widest sense of those words. Neal's songwriting is inspired by outdoor spaces where he does regular singing events, and being in the present: the only place where we can experience the world and each other.

Sharing Info: Please share this song and make a donation to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jollygoodsinging, the amount reflecting your own income and assessment of the song's worth to you.

Links:
Jolly Good Singing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jollygoodsinging/

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:00
Start time of reprise: 00:14:41

Nuts & Bolts: 6:8 minor with harmonic minor moment, 3 part harmony

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

​Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

​Notes: It's magic to sing a song of presence in a language unfamiliar to me -- this one from the Phillipines -- it magnifies the focus, the awareness. Also I experience great comfort singing this particular set of sounds. Songwriter Gérone Pascal talks next week about what is special about Tagalog, why song creating feels natural to her, and her #1 self care tactic... all things which play out in this song. I added a few harmonies, but you might choose to play the melody section on repeat and add your own!

Songwriter Info: Gérone is a thirty something movement and meditation teacher from the Philippines, now living in France. Her work is mostly about helping people get to know and love their bodies so much that they'd want to take care of them through yoga postures, mindful consumption, regulated breathing, and rest. When she's not in the yoga studio or the health center, she's happy singing Filipino folksongs while hiking, belting out karaoke hits in the kitchen while cooking or baking delicious vegan fare, or meditating while sewing or knitting clothes for her friends and family.

​Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Gérone for recording and/or performing permission.

Links:
Gérone's Website: https://gerone.yoga/fr
Gérone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerone.gentlewarrior

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching (text): 00:04:00
Start time of teaching (singing): 00:06:10
Start time of reprise: 00:14:30
​​​
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, harmonized melody

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list (https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share) to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​

Notes: Every time I sing one of Alexa Sunshine Rose's songs with a group, people immediately want to sing it again -- they simply feel that good. I give a little extra help picking out the harmonies that are on the recording of this that Alexa Sunshine Rose released (buying it on Bandcamp is a great way to support her artistry)... and then I play around with making up harmonies of my own, as I hope you will if it appeals. There's also something very beautiful about centering in the melody of this song, and letting the harmonies develop around you.

Songwriter Info: Alexa Sunshine Rose is a singer-songwriter, mother and artist who has dedicated herself and her life's work to being a clear channel for peace on earth. Alexa plays in the tuning frequency of A=432 Hz to promote inner peace and deep sound absorption. Listeners worldwide utilize her music during pregnancy and birth, hospice, yoga and massage, community song circles, and inner-transformational journeys.

​Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Alexa for recording and/or performing permission.

Links:
Website: www.alexasunshinerose.com
Instagram: @Alexasunshinerose
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexasunshinerose
Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/alexasunshinerose

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:25
Start time of reprise: 00:13:35
​​​
Nuts & Bolts: 3:4 minor, 4-part harmony

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​

​Notes: Te Martin describes this song as an exhale... I experience it like that, too... a relaxation, a release. It's so very welcome to me as I'm coming into a busy time of life, with lots of commitments lined up -- I need ways to let go quickly, in the middle of all the flurry. Having this song in my mind lets me do that... and if I happen to be with someone else who's willing to sing, it's so easy to echo it back to each other. Next week is a songwriter conversation with Te... bicycles, miso, and the natural world all come into play!

Songwriter Info: Te Martin is a song-keeper and ritual artist. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. They facilitate oral tradition singing classes and workshops that focus on song as a tool for collective liberation, somatic regulation, and ancestral connection. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years, is a student of Gaelic song, and released their first professional music video and EP of original songs, "Water & Bones," in 2021.

​Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Te for recording and/or performing permission

Links: 
EP, "Water & Bones": https://temartin.bandcamp.com/album/water-bones
"May This Body Be a Bridge" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Mn_2BSNAg
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/temartin
Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/1debadd3ebb3/sos 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te.martin/

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
Start time of reprise: 00:12:10
​​
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, call & response

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​

Notes: Singing this song settles me so deeply, reassuringly, into my body to be able to tolerate the discomfort of big feelings. When I was browsing for links about the Bengsons to share, the video, "My Joy is Heavy", drew my eye. I started it to see what it was about -- and couldn't stop watching. This podcast episode is about a fabulous song... and if you can go see "My Joy is Heavy", it will give you so much more. Abigail and Shaun Bengson are powerful storytellers, creating stories rooted in truths of their lives... this one in pregnancy and loss. Abigail says, "Honor the poetry that exists in each of our moments of crisis... when something big cracks your life, there is a kind of poetry that spills out -- details become important or disappear; it's an amazing time outside of time."

Songwriter Info: Abigail and Shaun Bengson have this to say on their Patreon page: "We've been working to create music and community online and releasing it, joyously and of course for free for a bunch of years. Lots of folks found us initially through our songprayer The Keep Going Song, and then stayed so we could get to know each other. We've been so moved and humbled by the incredible support of the folk who come to our pages and participate through listening, commenting, singing along or writing to us with their own stories of grief, joy, loss, rage and transformation. We've always been focused on releasing everything for free, and keeping our concerts affordable for all!"
​
Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but the Bengsons always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

Links: 
My Joy is Heavy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMTBaFm5ibc https://www.bengsons.com/
Abigail singing "Don't Numb to This" https://www.facebook.com/thebengsons/videos/629432998893008
The Bengsons' Website: https://www.bengsons.com/
The Bengsons' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebengsons/?hl=en
​The Bengsons' Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebengsons
The Bengsons' Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebengsons
The Bengsons' Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/08VxLl1rmtFqsvoAmCVaNH?si=MxhG1JamRX6q_3C3a1ulbg&utm_medium=share&utm_source=linktree&nd=1

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:55
Start time of reprise: 00:13:30
​
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 Minor (Aeolian), unison

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: A breakthrough in mindfulness practice for me was realizing that it's not about spending hours in blissed-out presence... it's about noticing that I'm not present and coming back, returning, again and again. I started to sing this when my mind was doing a particularly good imitation of a squirrel on amphetamines, and I needed to strengthen my ability to return! I particularly like that this song can be sung very simply, as a call & response, or have added layers of complexity -- I'm loving a bit of adaptability in my life right now.

​Songwriter Info: In addition to hosting this podcast and an online singing program, Pocket Songs, Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community singing program in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a part of vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... trusting the whole messy catastrophe! She lives with her long-time beloved, Tom, in a single bedroom apartment close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their grand.) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.

Sharing Info: You are welcome to share this song; please contact Patricia directly for sheet music or permission to record or perform. She always appreciates hearing about how the song travels.

Links: 
Full Program Website: juneberrymusic.com
Patricia'sFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/juneberrymusic 
Patricia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneberry.music/

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
Start time of reprise: 00:15:59
​
Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major & Mixolydian, Call & Response or 4-layer song

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: I sometimes find my body feels chaotic and overloaded with visual and audio stimulation. "Settle Like A Pebble" is a song that helps me drop in -- it feels almost like a psyche rinse! As I sing it, I feel a loosening and ease – the calm of the word "settle" – I am reminded of the feel of a pebble, round in my fingers, smooth in a riverbed – then the float and lightness of “drift like a feather” – and finally, the low release of “let go” and “close your eyes and be." Laura Walker's detailed stop-action videos & original songs on her Marnie Bee Mindful youtube channel create a unique visual & audio meditation -- here's one to explore -- Space: https://youtu.be/_E_DT6qiipM

​Songwriter Info: Laura Walker started writing short songs about a year ago as a creative outlet and a way to help her remember kind self care messages to access when she needs them. She found focus in making short films to accompany the songs and to help illustrate the words and began posting on YouTube under the name Marnie Bee Mindful as a way to share the things that work for her with others who may enjoy them. “Settle Like A Pebble” is about slowing down and taking a calm moment to let go of the stresses of the day to close your eyes and allow thoughts to drift. Spending time in nature, especially near water helps Laura achieve this mindful state but the song reminds her that calm peacefulness can also be found by closing her eyes and imagining somewhere beautiful too. It’s her wish that by being extra kind and gentle to ourselves and connecting through music we can help find the strength to share and cultivate these things with those around us too. She hopes the song helps you settle into your day and soothes you a little. ​

Sharing Info: Yes the song is free to share for anyone who feels it may be help, please be kind enough to mention Laura as composer when doing so and the Marnie Bee Mindful YouTube Channel. It brings her such joy to know if a song has been of use to someone so if a song helped she'd love to hear from you! 

Links:
Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marniebeemindful/
Laura's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084878260963
Laura's Website: https://marniebeemindful.com/
​Laura's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarnieBeeMindful 

Nuts & Bolts: ​4:4, major (Ionian), harmonized and a countermelody

​Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: Rain is not always the easiest weather for me to delight in... seems to come with dark days and wet, slippery footing -- I often get a little cranky in response! I love the delight in the rain this song evokes -- reminds me of how crucial water is, what a gift to have it falling fresh from the sky. The original melody reminds me of the whoosh of rain, and as we sing "Rain falling down on the plains," the melody falls, too. Then in the response melody, I put the plink of the rain drops on the rooftops -- so the whole song is an onomatopoetic celebration of rain that enchants me out of crankiness into delight.

​Songwriter Info: I got to record this one live with my daughter and dear friend, Rebecca, which affirmed for me the magic of singing with someone you love. Just as relationships of love grow and shift and change, some songs seem to grow organically, shifting shape and adapting to their circumstances. I always want to respect and hear the intent of the composer, and there are times when a song adapts in relationship to the singer. When sharing songs that have grown or changed, or songs of unknown provenance, I think it’s really important to name what we do know, what we guess, what we've changed (after requesting permission if there's a living composer), and welcome learning more. So: I learned the melody of this song from Micky Hickey, who offers a beautiful set of pocket songs on Instagram. (See the links below.) She learned it from Bennett Konesni, a songsharer in Maine. It has definite echoes, and maybe even quotes from the Joseph Shabalala song, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain, that Ladysmith Black Mambazo released in 1987, but it’s not exactly that song. I added the response melody… so what we’re singing today is a song of accretion and adaptation. Maybe you will add to it or adapt it as it enters your life? And if you have more information about the origin of the song, I would love to hear!​

Sharing Info: Free to share, but please credit the full history as we know it.

Links: 
Micky Hickey's Pocket Song project: https://www.instagram.com/pocketsongproject/
Bennett Konesni: http://www.duckbackfarm.com/
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke6RF3IH45g

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!

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 [email protected]

​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!

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

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: Heather says, “I love so easily," and “What’s next? And I just open up…” and “Silence is a part of the singing.” Trust me, this is a person you'd like to get to know a little better -- how can we all access that kind of love and openness? In our conversation, Heather and I dig into how she actually works with singers privately and in groups, finding the heart voice, ways back in when you've dropped your chanting/meditation practice, why to love humming... and more, including, of course, her favorite soup! Heather shares this beautiful song which warms up the voice and invites us into physical awareness and connection with a released sound.... and her love of the act of singing is contagious.

Songwriter Info: Heather Houston is passionate about uplifting hearts, freeing voices, transforming lives, and building strong, loving communities through the power of singing. She spreads her magic through her 20+years of international song circle leading, private vocal coaching, and her online offerings - The Art of Mindful Singing, S.H.E. Sings, Singing as Sanctuary, and Sisters in Harmony Song and Chant Leader Training. You can now join her every Monday night on Zoom for a 2-hour Sisters in Harmony Global community song circle with guest artists!

Heather recently released her second solo album, Sisters of the Moon, which features the ethereal voices of her 40-voice women’s choir Yala Lati. Her first solo album, Prayers for the Water is a ZMR Top 10 album. You can find Heather’s music and her a cappella group SIRENZ on all of the streaming platforms and for download on her website.

Links: 
Website: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com
Albums
    Download: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/recordings/
    Streaming on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gw79r7NGOw6WF2bytPW5a?si=E0mvdKMpQ9ObjpRnhViDYQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherhoustonmusic
IG: HeatherHoustonMusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPr_m3bi0-TqhBFvJlD4pFA
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Kitka (Balkan music) – women's vocal ensemble in Oakland Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble
Heather’s songleader training starting in Jan Sisters in Harmony Song Leader Training – Heather Houston Music
Paul Simon Rhythm of the Saints – here’s the title track: The Rhythm of the Saints - YouTube
Sound of Great Horned Owls -- What does a Great Horned Owl sound like? 
Lyndsey Scott -- Well Held | Lyndsey Scott (bandcamp.com) (as well as A Breath of Song episodes #69 & 70)
Samantha Keller and Tamar Fogel -- here with Heather as the trio Dis Moi: Dis Moi – Between Us – Heather Houston Music
the first song Heather wrote -- Lumin Solare Fiat - Heather Houston (Sirenz) - YouTube
Sirenz -- the four voice group of Heather, Samantha, Molly Hartwell and Sage Mendez: Sirenz – Heather Houston Music

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, chant
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Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!

Notes: I love that after I sing this a few times, I begin to feel more fluid inside -- as though everything under my skin is softening into a tidal pulse of flow. It's a beautiful song to sing with a drone... the words "the mind", or the "in" from "flows in" join the drone note -- a way of subverting any annoying repeated note into becoming accompaniment for your singing. This podcast isn't about me producing a polished recording -- it's about you singing, you playing, and you having a new song that you can invite into your life... and knowing that hundreds of other people are singing this song, too. Maybe they're on the melody, or the harmony, or maybe they're experimenting like I did today? And when they finish singing, everyone may feel different than when they started to sing... a little more settled, a little more flow, a little more love?

Songwriter Info: Roberta Kirn is a song leader, percussionist, and dancer who has been living, working, and raising a family on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts since 1989. She is the founder of BeWellSing and The Song Exchange Project, through which she brings singing in community to as many people as she can. Inspired by the teaching of Dr Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Roberta has been leading community singing for over 25 years. She believes, and has experienced, that singing together brings us into deeper connection with ourselves and each other. Raising our voices, having a communal experience of rhythm, melody, and harmony is a deeply healing experience that can be shared across age, gender, race, class, and culture.

Links: 
Roberta's Website: https://www.bewellsing.com

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
Start time of reprise: 00:15:13

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major, harmonized
​
Join the A Breath of Song mailing list to receive a heads up as a new episode is released, plus a large version of the artwork, brief thoughts from my slightly peculiar brain... and occasional extras when they seem vitally important! No junk -- I will never sell your address. I read out all your names into my living room when I send new mailings... I appreciate the connection to you who are listening and singing these songs with me.

Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!