A Breath of Song
  • Home
  • Episodes & Show Notes
  • Songwriters
  • About Patricia
  • Contact
  • Tip Jar
  • Juneberry Music
  • Home
  • Episodes & Show Notes
  • Songwriters
  • About Patricia
  • Contact
  • Tip Jar
  • Juneberry Music
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Finding Wellness, One Song at a Time

5/11/2022 0 Comments

49. More Waters Rising

Song: More Waters Rising
Words & Music by Saro Lynch-Thomason
Lyrics
1. ​There are more waters rising, this I know, this I know.
There are more waters rising, this I know.
There are more waters rising, they will find their way to me;
there are more waters rising, this I know, this I know,
there are more waters rising, this I know.

2. ....fires burning....
3. ...mountains falling...
4. I will wade through the waters... when they find their way to me;
5. I will walk through the fires...
6. I will re-build the mountains....
​7. I will wade through the water....


Notes: This particular song of Saro's has gained international attention, becoming an anthem in the movement to end global warming and garnering praise in the Huffington Post. You may already be familiar with it... in which case I'd really encourage you to use this podcast to explore it and use my voice as an opportunity for you to experiment with harmonies, or being a grounded, single note, or be able to pay extra attention to how it feels inside your body as you sing. Or maybe you don't know it yet? That's cause for celebration, because you have a treat waiting for you today! For me, when I sing this, I feel huge things -- grief at what is happening to our planet and a powerful, grounded determination to respond as I can -- and, like I said -- feeling those things strong and large. It taps into something bigger than myself, even when I'm singing alone, as I often am these days. And then Patty sent me her image for this, which she had developed independently, after listening to the song over and over -- and I was so moved by the force of this hippo! I'd be curious to hear how it feels to you to sing it with me?

Saro encourages people to sing this in groups -- "please share this song -- use it at protests, use it in church, use it in meetings, add new verses, spread it around!"
​
Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Saro Lynch-Thomason is an award-winning ballad singer, song leader, folklorist, and documentarian from Asheville, North Carolina. Saro has been studying and teaching traditional song and balladry from the British Isles, Appalachia and the American South for over a decade. Saro believes that old songs help modern learners access history, folklore, and (most importantly) compassion for the experiences of others, and she uses in-person teaching, film documentary, podcasts and more to convey these lessons. She holds an M.A. in Appalachian Studies and a Certificate in Documentary Studies.

Links: 
www.sarosings.com,
www.patreon.com/sarolynch,
Music at sarolyncht.bandcamp.com,
TikTok and Instagram at @songspeaksaro
Saro herself singing More Waters Rising. (SO worth singing with!!!)


Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, harmonizable
0 Comments

4/27/2022 6 Comments

47. Shadow Listening

Song: Shadow Listening
Words & Music by Patricia Norton
Lyrics
Shadow of murmuring, spinning around.
Sun-dusted listening; feel my heartbeat sound.

I'm going back. I will catch you.
No need to fear now. I'll be your ground.

I can do this listening. I can do this healing.

Notes: I didn't actually write this as a community singing song; I wasn't expecting anyone else to want to sing it. I wrote it because I was finding a way to comfort and strengthen myself through the process of sorting old journals... being placed back in some difficult times, times when I wasn't really able to treat myself compassionately. Going over to the piano and creating this song helped me listen to and love my younger, struggling self -- I really felt like I was catching myself. I shared it with a dear friend, who responded so strongly and positively, I began to share it with others, including eventually my Pocket Song singers... and now here.... because it seems I'm not the only one who gets to go back and tender gentle care to a previous self...
  So, you know how I say, "coming to you straight from my home in Vermont," with my voice just the way it is today? Well, I've got to admit with this episode, I fudged that... I couldn't loop the piano part (long story), so rather than record it live with my looper in one take, I had to layer the recordings to get you the whole song... which meant I could re-record when I didn't hit a note squarely in the middle, or squeaked or cracked. And it's still not perfect! Sigh.... I'm learning a lot from doing this podcast! Thanks for hanging out with me -- I hope this song can be a good companion to you, too.


Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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! This week, I shared sheet music for the piano part of Shadow Listening, for example. 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.

Songwriter Info: Um... I think you can find this on either website. (Different accounts, but basically the same person!) :)

Links: 
abreathofsong.com
juneberrymusic.com

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3 layers, one harmonized
6 Comments

4/6/2022 0 Comments

44. One Day At A Time

Song One Day At A Time
Music & Words by Penny Stone
with the Serenity Singers of Edinburgh
Lyrics
One day at a time.
​Keep it simple.

Notes: Personally, I dread being trite or dull. And this hard-earned wisdom from the recovery community is so prevalent, it's tempting for me to dismiss it as "too common". Whenever I get obstreperous like that, it doesn't help me at all... just saying. I love the way this song voices my own experience with this wisdom in a way.... does that sound weird? Let me explain. The song seems almost annoyingly simple -- a call and response section with repetition and not many notes, and then two layers that use the same words and repeat the same phrase the same way three times in a row -- and part of me wonders is this going to hold my interest as a song, or am I going to get bored? Yet when you put it all together, it is seductively rich and complex and beautiful -- and I just want to sing it more. For me, it's kind of a hit-me-on-the-head-with-a-hammer similarity to when I hear the guidance itself. "Really, one day at a time??? Really, just keep it simple??? Sounds like a poster." But then if I actually do it, it works. Every time. Hmmm.....  For me, right now is a time of big shifting -- I recorded this two days after my father died, and five days before we leave our home of 22 years to move closer to our granddaughter and family. The excuse to sing this song and even explore a little at the end, off book, eased my day. Thanks for singing with me!

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Penny Stone is a musician and activist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She believes that everyone can sing and that every voice is valuable and beautiful. Penny facilitates singing groups and writes accessible music for community groups. She is currently working on a feminist requiem. Listen to episode #45 for more about this!

Links: 
Penny's website (with a donation box)...: www.singlouderthanguns.com
Learn and Sing along song videos: www.singlouderthanguns.com/singalong-songs/

Sing this song with with Penny: One Day At A Time (learn and sing along) - YouTube
Twitter: @singovertheguns
​The Serenity Singers of Edinborough


Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, Call & response with 2 more layers
0 Comments

3/30/2022 0 Comments

43. Music

Song Music
Words & Music by Matthew Myer Boulton
Lyrics
We are going to a place where music
falls and fills up everything;
and though it might be a long time,
know it's gonna be alright --
​'cause we've already started to sing.

Notes: This song has an Appalachian feel, and a wonderful way of rising and falling, gradually filling you up with the music that it's singing about as you sing it. Matthew says, “Great songs have great ideas in them, too. They are simple but they are not simplistic.” On the podcast, you'll hear me poking around with different rhythms and experimenting with harmonies and interspersing... and I encourage you to explore, too, as soon as you feel comfortable with the song. Let the music do its thing by filling us up, and let's enjoy the feeling of our voices today.

Songwriter Info: Matthew Myer Boulton is an author, teacher, filmmaker, and proud papa of Jonah and Margaret. A graduate of Northwestern University, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of Chicago Divinity School, he has served on the faculty of Harvard Divinity School and seminaries in New England and the Midwest. He's also the Creative Director and Producer of the Salt project -- which is where I uncovered his bio!

Links: 
The original Butterflyfish recording can be found here: Christian Music for Children by Butterflyfish (saltproject.org) 
  You can buy sheet music here, too, or use the contact button to ask permission to use the song further.
A shout out to Matt Myer (no relation), whose youtube video introduced me to the song: Music (We are going ) - YouTube

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major,  harmonized

Sign up for 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.

Sign Up

* indicates required
0 Comments

3/9/2022 2 Comments

40. Render A Remedy with Moira Smiley

Song: Render A Remedy
Words & Music​ by Moira Smiley
Lyrics
mmm... Render
mmm... a remedy.

Each day you make a little light.
Notes: Conversations with songwriters can be illuminating. Moira and I talk about wanting our voices to make a difference, and how to evaluate that, how Moira's voice has protected and shaped her, rest as part of the job of being a creator, and so much more. She shares a song that is in the process of becoming, and we get a very special glimpse of this creative process, which includes a calling sound that fascinates Moira right now. As you sing along, you'll be able to really tune in to what feels good to you this day -- is it the commitment and determination of "each day we make a little light"? The seeking melodic curve of "mmm...render...mmm...a remedy?" The wild, aching cry of the calling sounds? Or something else that you feel called to bring to the song? As you're singing in your own space, I wonder if there will be movement -- stepping or dancing or swaying? 

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: As a composer, Moira Smiley is known worldwide for choral arrangements like Bring Me Little Water, Silvy and originals, Stand in That River and How Can I Cry. Her music is sung by millions of singers worldwide. She’s credited with helping to bring body percussion into the choral mainstream and is in demand as a commissioned composer, writing multi-movement pieces including Time In Our Voices and In The Desert With You for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, evening-length secular liturgy, The Song Among Us and Tis A Fearful Thing for Craig Hella Johnson’s Conspirare and CVAE, Vonnegut Requiem: Light Perpetual for Voces Novae, Loud My Soul for Ad Astra Festival and I Have A Voice for ACDA Women's Choral Consortium. The European premiere of Time In Our Voices was performed by the voices and mobile phones of Ars Nova Copenhagen under the direction of Paul Hillier.
  In 2018-2019 Moira released the album and choral songbook, Unzip The Horizon as companion to her ‘The Voice Is A Traveler’ solo show. In 2021 she released the all-vocal social-justice centered album, In Our Voices with four powerful singers of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
 She continues composing and improvising in collaboration with artists in film, video game production, theater and dance, and her work can be heard on feature film soundtracks, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 70 commercial albums.
  “Moira Smiley is marvel—an omnivorous singing and composing chameleon with a voice that can wail or caress at will!” -- Grant Gershon - artistic director, Los Angeles Master Chorale
  “Moira Smiley is a brilliant musician – an innovative composer and arranger, and a heartbreakingly beautiful singer. Her music transcends (and expands) boundaries.” -- Billy Childs - multi-grammy-winning composer/pianist
  “I’m so thankful I’ve had the privilege of performing and recording with Moira. She embodies the endless creative potential of the voice, and… (has made) a deeply moving body of work.” -- Merrill Garbus - Tune-Yards


Links:
www.moirasmiley.com for all info including sheet music, practice tracks!
https://moirasmileysubscription.com/ to support Moira monthly for as little as $4/mo.
https://www.instagram.com/moirasmiley/ for up-to-date personal and music pics
https://www.youtube.com/c/MoiraSmileyMusic for official music videos, song and body percussion tutorials and live performances

Lissa Schneckenburger -- the link goes to her interview on A Breath of Song, which includes her own site links and more

Night Song - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook. The link goes to the title song of the album. Here is the album on Apple Music.
Shara Nova - "My Brightest Diamond" -- This link goes to a live performance and interview (go to about 2'40" to get close to the start).


Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Minor, Dorian & Aeolian, harmonized layers
2 Comments

2/16/2022 2 Comments

37. Lead With Your Heart, Friends

Song Lead With Your Heart, Friends
Words & Music​ by Ian Carrick
Lyrics
Lead with your heart, friends, the day is unfolding;
the way is clear.
You already know.

​Notes: I love the bloom of trust I can feel inside myself after singing Ian Carrick's "Lead With Your Heart, Friends" for long enough to let it settle inside me. I find myself relaxing, trusting that my heart knows the way already, that the day can unfold and I can follow it without worry or fret. It's a generous gift of a song, and I'm happy to share it forward... including all my mess-ups and squidgely tuning (highly technical term right there!) I figure the point of this podcast is for YOU to do the singing and take this song away with you, make it your own, let yourself sing it when YOU need to hear its message; let the breath and the vibration take you where you want to go!

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Ian Carrick is a songleader, musician and songwriter based in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. He aspires to be a sort of modern-day bard, telling stories of the land, tending the heart of his people, singing for life with rhythmic refrains and refreshing harmonies. Ian has been honored to lead singing for students of all ages, educators, homeless shelter residents, recovering addicts, corporate groups and grief ceremonies. He is thrilled to have released his first album as a songwriter and is excited to carry the ethos of community singing into the conventional realm of performance music.

Links: Original songs by Ian for singing together can be found both at https://soundcloud.com/iancarrick
and https://www.openhubsinging.com/song-library
Enjoy and/or buy Ian's first-ever professional album, released October 2021, at
https://iancarrick.bandcamp.com/
Listen to Ian himself sing this at Lead with Your Heart

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, round
2 Comments

2/2/2022 2 Comments

35. Hymn To Loving with Guest Lisa Forkish

Song Hymn to Loving
Words & Music​ by Lisa Forkish
Lyrics
1. What if falling felt like flying?
What if flying felt like freedom?
Will I be healed? Will I be healed? Will I be healed?

2. What if freedom felt like living?
What if living felt like loving?
Will I be whole? Will I be whole? Will I be whole?

3. So in living, I am you;
And in loving, you are me, too.
Will we hold, and be held? Hold and be held?

Hold and be held. Is this what freedom feels like?

Notes: Lisa Forkish shares her song, Hymn to Loving, and talks about song titling, songwriting away from keyboards, deconstructing binaries, singing as a pure, liberating expression of the self, learning to love and be tender with our voice... and the surprise of connections through Zoom. Now, maybe that's all immediately appealing to you, or maybe it sounds complicated and brain-challenging! Let me tell you, Lisa has a gentle, welcoming presence and wide-open curiosity and questioning that makes this conversation a pleasure to eavesdrop on -- and whether her views raise questions for you, or drop easily into your pocket, I hope you will find useful connections through Lisa's explanations and in the links to help you follow up on whatever sparks your interest. She talks a lot about what she experiences as healing in voice work... and a tiny bit about her experience with the movie, Pitch Perfect, and her role in popularizing and opening up the collegiate acapella world.

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Lisa Forkish (she/they) is a queer singer-songwriter, community-builder, artivist, song-healer, and self-described "Love Warrior," infusing all she creates with fierce authenticity and heart. For the past 20 years, Lisa has been using song as both an expressive art and a tool for building connection. For Lisa, facilitating music spaces is much more than a job; it is a sacred calling. Lisa breathes humanity into their music and teaching with infectious joy and compassion, aiming to heal the wounds of music elitism and not-enoughness through an embodied, trauma-informed and heart-centered approach. For Lisa, Love is paramount and closeness is the antidote to cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacist delusion and cultural disconnection. Lisaʻs mission is to utilize music for personal and collective healing and liberation. 

Links:
Lisa's website: lisaforkish.com
Lisa's singing offerings: wesingthebody.com
adrienne maree brown (principles of emergent strategy): https://adriennemareebrown.net/
Holistic Resistance (Black-led movement facilitating racial justice and other work to heal oppression): https://www.holisticresistance.com/
white supremacy culture (what exactly does that mean?): https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/
Rev angel Kyodo williams (radical dharma): https://angelkyodowilliams.com/
On Being podcast (Krista Tippett interviews with various people): https://onbeing.org/
Brene Brown (wholehearted, daring living): https://brenebrown.com/
Rhiannon (vocal art as vehicle for change; improvisation): https://rhiannonmusic.com/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian, verse followed by layer
2 Comments

1/26/2022 3 Comments

34. Possibility

Song Possibility
Words & Music​ by Lisa Forkish
Lyrics
An end is not the end, it can be the beginning.

Like a river, I flow.

I am open to all the possibility.
Notes: I love a layer song which gives me options -- what do I feel like singing? Is singing low and warm feeling yummy? Or floating high? Or getting snuggled in the middle of a set of harmonies? Lisa Forkish's "Possibility" song offers all those choices, starting with a low, potentially gritty, determined line that says "An end is not THE end -- it can be the beginning." Then a fluid river line that requires some release to sing, as it flows among notes. Finally, when singing about being open, there is an amazing note on the word "open" that moves the whole song into a slightly unexpected place, giving a visceral experience of opening up to a different possibility. Love it. A song that helps me embody the knowledge of possibility that change brings.

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Lisa Forkish (she/they) is a queer singer-songwriter, community-builder, artivist, song-healer, and self-described "Love Warrior," infusing all she creates with fierce authenticity and heart. For the past 20 years, Lisa has been using song as both an expressive art and a tool for building connection. For Lisa, facilitating music spaces is much more than a job; it is a sacred calling. Lisa breathes humanity into their music and teaching with infectious joy and compassion, aiming to heal the wounds of music elitism and not-enoughness through an embodied, trauma-informed and heart-centered approach. For Lisa, Love is paramount and closeness is the antidote to cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacist delusion and cultural disconnection. Lisaʻs mission is to utilize music for personal and collective healing and liberation. 

Links:
lisaforkish.com
wesingthebody.com
www.patreon.com/lisaforkish
Insta and Youtube / lisaforkish


Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, 3 layer song with 2 layers harmonized, so 5 parts
3 Comments

12/29/2021 0 Comments

30. Labor On with Lissa Schneckenburger

Song: Labor On
Words & Music by Lissa Schneckenburger
Lyrics
When the darkness overtakes you and you shiver in the cold
When disparity wakes you, and you know you must be bold
When you put your body on the line don’t hesitate in fear
We know the train it is coming, it is near


Chorus: Labor on my children, labor on my friend
Labor on my children, we will not let this be the end


When they dig the earth and turn it into dollars to be made
You can’t help but try to save her, for her sake don’t be afraid
While the fire it rages onward, burning everything it sees
And destruction consumes our decency

Chorus
When the powerful corrupt us and complacency sets in
They’ll distract you, they’ll placate you, but we can not let them win 
With each step we take together, we are stronger by the hour
And we are rising, we are shining, we have the power

Chorus

Notes Lissa Schneckenburger's song has a personal back story that we get into during the conversation part of the episode -- along with discussion of change-making as integral to music-making, the similarities and differences of violin and voice as instruments, why Lissa chose songs with words for her recent solo album... Lissa spills over with ideas, generosity, connections, and a deeply caring heart -- our time together was a treat for me. This song feels particularly appropriate at this turn of the year, when we are tired of COVID and injustice and it is easy to be fearful... "we are rising, we are shining, we have the power"... "we will not let this be the end". Something a little different on this episode -- after she invited us to join, I included myself singing with Lissa and experimenting (sometimes more successfully than others) with harmonies... my hope is that that encourages you, too, to explore. Brendan Taaffe says you're only ever one note away from a great harmony! If you want to hear the song already beautifully harmonized and sing along with a polished version after you've learned it on the podcast, check out the links below for Low Lily's video.

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Lissa Schneckenburger is a fiddle player and singer whose roots are in folk music in Maine. She lives in Brattleboro, Vermont, now, and says, “To me, music creates community. Music is what people sing along to, dance to, fall in love to… music brings people together." Giving concerts on her own or as part of the trio, Low Lily, as well as supporting other musicians with practice challenges (and jokes) through her website, Lissa consistently does her part to build community. Her solo album, Thunder In My Arms, is a tender, powerful collection of songs about attachment, parenting, and trauma. We talk about its origin and development in today's conversation.

Links:
Lissa's website: lissafiddle.com
Low Lily's music video of Labor On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2XtOspP1Jc
Peter Mulvey (bike tours and music!) https://www.petermulvey.com/
The Road North by Alasdair Fraser and Paul MacHlis -- one of Lissa's influential albums
Moosewood borscht recipe by Mollie Katzen -- the link goes to a blogpost with the recipe, or buy the whole cookbook at your local bookstore -- a 40th anniversary edition was released and is still in print.
Kafari on kafarimusic.bandcamp.com/ -- a Black, Portland, Maine-based artist Lissa wishes more people knew about... piano and percussion music.
Duet with Lissa on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@lissafiddle?

Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Aeolian, verses & chorus
0 Comments

12/8/2021 2 Comments

27. What Am I Rushing To?

Song What Am I Rushing To?
Words & Music​ by Wendy Luella Perkins
Lyrics
What am I rushing to, oh, what am I rushing for?
What am I rushing to, oh, what am I rushing for?
Slow down, slow down and savour.
Slow down, slow down and savour.​

Notes: I stumbled upon Wendy Luella Perkins a few weeks before recording this episode, when I was browsing in facebook groups of songleaders, looking for new music I loved and wanted to share. I heard "What Am I Rushing To?", and went hunting online to learn more. Several Soulful Singing sessions later, I can say that this intuitive songleader and gracious, gentle song and space creator has become a great gift in my life. Not only do the most beautiful, varied songs seem to pour through her with ease and fluidity, but she understands how to tend herself and those around her with laughter, loving-kindness, and acceptance.
  Wendy Luella tells the painful origin of this song in a time of grief and conflict... and also how she and small groups of singers have sung it in bus depots, shopping malls, and other public spaces in the month of December, and the delighted reaction from passers-by. Wendy Luella has always dreamed of having this song pop-up in other communities, led by other folks, so if there are podcast listeners who are inspired to offer What Am I Rushing To? in your communities, please do and let her know about it!
  It can be sung beautifully as a unison song -- and today, I add harmonies to it that were created by members of my family. Rebecca Csuy, Elyse Wadsworth, and Elizabeth Norton joined me in singing it over the American Thanksgiving holiday, and as we played with different harmonies, this combination struck me as particularly suited to the song.
It was magical, and gave me a way to imagine you all in the room, too... if I'd been really on top of it, I'd have brought a microphone and recorded us all together! 

Sign up for the A Breath of Song mailing list (the little form on the home page; you might have to scroll down a bit) 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.

Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins has been singing and making up songs since she was a very young child. When she was three years old, her older brother, Tim, took her to school as his Show+Tell item saying “this is my sister Wendy Lu, listen to her sing!” She's been going strong ever since.  
  As a singer-songwriter, Unitarian Universalist community minister, and founder, in 2002 of Soulful Singing (singing meditation for all) Wendy Luella leverages the power of song to build authentic, healing and joyful communities. A prolific writer of folk songs and meditative chants and supportive guide who helps others to create their own songs, Wendy Luella's greatest joy is to bring friends and strangers together in the transformational circle of song. Wendy Luella has produced three CDs of original music, which you can find on her website.   
  As a response to pandemic restrictions, and recognizing the need to keep on singing in community, especially in difficult times, Wendy Luella transitioned Soulful Singing to online sessions in March 2020. Soulful Singers from all over have been gathering online EVERY SINGLE DAY since then and once a week on THURSDAY evenings. Everyone is welcome to join Soulful Singing via Zoom. 
  Singing daily over the last 600+ days with wonderful folks from Kingston and around the world has encouraged Wendy Luella to share her original songs more broadly in what she calls her “Song Liberation Project” (The SLiP). She has written hundreds of songs and with The SLiP is sharing them one by one on TikTok. 
   Wendy Luella grew up in rural Nova Scotia, and has lived in Kingston Ontario for over 25 years with her sweetheart and fellow musician, Charlie Walker. She loves waking early, walking daily, eating communally, crafting publicly, sharing deeply, gardening bountifully, laughing abundantly and of course, singing soulfully!


Links:
Contact Wendy directly to join Soulful Singing, or to let her know how this song moved you at info@wendyluellaperkins.com
Find Wendy on TikTok and sing a duet with her! https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins
Explore Wendy's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com


Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison, harmonies optional
2 Comments

10/13/2021 2 Comments

19. You've Got To Move Slow

Song You've Got To Move Slow
Words & Music​ by Ishka Shir
Lyrics
You've got to move slow to find your flow,
chase that mystery to know that you are free.
Do what you do to make it through,
​and be who you want to be.

Notes: Ishka Shir says, "I created You've Got To Move Slow when I was hiking an area called Shining Rock wilderness in North Carolina. It was part of a healing from an abusive narcissistic relationship that I had been in." I learned it from Aimée Ringle at a Zoom circle, then shared it first with my Pocket Songs singing group in the summer of 2020. Personally, this song gives me a sense that I, myself, can create the space I need to heal. I love the practical, grounded approach Ishka has to singing and song making.... and for the next episode, #20, I get to have a conversation with them!!! Our conversation covers a lot of ground, and she shares a song of theirs that I've loved since I first heard it in the spring of 2020 when she and two of their good friends recorded a few "Fermentation Station" videos of songs to share.

Songwriter Info: Ishka is someone who sings from their heart.  She has been making up songs since she was a child and has been sharing songs at community song circles since 2007.  Ishka integrates song into most aspects of their life which include, hiking, gardening, cooking, biking, and cuddling clients.  Professionally Ishka is a therapeutic cuddler in Asheville NC. Ishka is especially drawn to songs that have simple yet powerful lyrics and believes that songs can help us heal.  

Links:
Ishka's Soundcloud site- https://soundcloud.com/user-943187430
Ishka's Therapeutic Cuddling website- holdmeavl.com 

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, mostly Aeolian minor (the harmony is mostly Dorian), either unison, harmonized, or round.

2 Comments

9/15/2021 7 Comments

15. Brave This World with guest Tembre de Carteret

Song Brave This World
Music & Words by Tembre de Carteret
Composed in​ 2020
Lyrics
Brave this world
with your heart.
Stay open and brave this world.
Notes Tembre shares her song that was created in a bathtub during lockdown, "Brave This World".  I learn it as she teaches it. We talk about free-ranging children in the natural world, cold water, slowing down, expanding, spicy sweet potato soup, how Tembre can SEE someone find their voice, Ireland, and more. Tembre has been leading group singing since May of 2001, and developed a beautiful online presence hosting "May We Sing" during the lockdown. She says, "Having an English accent and a French name growing up in a rural community here in Ireland was challenging at times," yet the strong connection she has to both the natural world and music means that Ireland has been a beautiful, nurturing home.

Resources mentioned
Tembre's website www.tembresong.com
Tembre's daughter, Amelia on instagram, going by the name of DECARTERET
Also find Amelia on Spotify 
Joni Mitchell's Blue album


Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Aeolian (natural minor), 3 part layer song

Join the mailing list to know as each episode is released, get a larger version of Patty's artwork, and receive the occasional extra tip about ways of making the podcast useful to you.

Sign Up

* indicates required
7 Comments

8/25/2021 5 Comments

12. Finding My Way Back To Now

Song Finding My Way Back To Now
Music & Words​ by Heather Pierson
Lyrics
​
I am finding my way,
I am finding my way,
I am finding my way back to now.

Finding my way, my way now.

Notes Heather unified the message and the music in a beautiful way in this song, which helps the singer wind their way back into the present moment. As you sing the melody, you start on the home note, and then the different "ways" land in various places that are NOT the home note... until you get to the word "now", when all the voices together come together the home note. So you come back to where you begin, which is now. If the practice of presence intrigues you, this is a way to embody it, to make it a reality. I find this song both centering and gentle in the way it invites my mind to come back to now... and does it with such lilt and movement that it feels like a joyful process.

Songwriter Info Heather Pierson is a singer, songwriter, pianist, song leader, and performer who frequently tours throughout the United States both as a solo artist and with her acoustic trio. She has released twelve CDs and several singles of her original music, ranging in style from folk to jazz to vocal chants.  Heather’s original community singing repertoire is inspired by the power of song to nurture harmony, community, connection, joy, and peace. She lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Find Heather in any of these places on the web:
www.heartsongsandcirclesongs.com
www.heatherpierson.com
www.patreon.com/HeatherPierson​

Join the first to know when a new episode is released, plus occasional other carefully curated extras by signing up on the home page or Episode #10 shownotes.

Nuts & Bolts 4:4, 3-Layer song with a harmonized 1st layer, Ionian (Major)
5 Comments

7/21/2021 2 Comments

7. Spiral

Song Spiral
Music & Words Patricia Norton
Composed in​ 2020
Lyrics

I'm letting myself move in a spiral,
I'm flexing and I'm swaying and I'm bending with the wind.

I'm coming down to where I want to be.

Gotta let me grow, gotta let me grow,
you know.... I've got to grow.

Notes I wrote this song a few months into the pandemic, at a point when I was disappointed with how I seem to know all this wisdom in my head, but have so much trouble translating it into body knowledge... I was tearful & fearful – and so frustrated with myself. Then I realized – oh, right -- this what it feels like to grow! Moving from comfortable to uncomfortable in a spiral of growth. Which started me thinking about prairie grass – the beauty of acres of grasses swaying and moving in the wind. Roots in the dirt and touching the sky... both growing up and coming down. Natural patterns that occur and recur -- including the spiral.

You can learn more about me and what influences my choices and work here​.

Nuts and Bolts 4:4, Layer song, Aeolian (minor)
2 Comments

7/14/2021 7 Comments

6. Be Open

Song Be Open
Music & Words Debbie Nargi-Brown
Composed in 2017
Lyrics

Be open for something wonderful to happen
Be open to the possibility (x2)

Aiye Aiye Aiye, Aiye Aiye Aiye (x2)

Notes To be open to the possibility of something wonderful happening seems both counter-intuitive in the middle of the pandemic and multiple crises, and also surprisingly comforting and hopeful. And indeed, wonderful things are happening in addition to what's hard and perplexing and dismaying. I love how I feel lighter after singing this -- I wonder how you feel?
Debbie said she wrote this song to help a couple people in her life that were going through difficult times. She says it is a great song to help manifest a dream into being -- you can think of something you want to come into your life and sing that into being, to embody it as you sing and to really see it happening, to call it in for yourself.

Songwriter info Debbie Nargi-Brown started singing and dancing on the day she was born! A gifted community song leader, an award-winning dance teacher, and a talented songwriter, she offers her songs with love, compassion, and the hope of bringing joy and healing to others. Debbie’s lyrics and melodies are sung all over the world. She writes songs for the heart, healing, transformation, love, grief, and all that connects us as human beings. Bringing people together in dance and song is one of her greatest joys in life!

You can connect with Debbie and her work at debbienargi-brown.com

Nuts and Bolts 2 harmonized sections which can be sung as a round or layered, in 2:2, Ionian (major) mode.
7 Comments

7/7/2021 2 Comments

5. Find Our Way Home

Song Find Our Way Home
Music & Words Maggie Wheeler
Composed in​ 2020
Lyrics

We are out here in the open water
No clear direction to carry on.
We are out here in the open water
Together we'll find,
Find our way home.

We are out here together (4x)

Together we'll shine the light,
Together we'll shine
Together we'll find
Find our way home.


Notes
Maggie Wheeler talks about the bravery of this last year, how campfires affected her songleading, and how singing becomes a forgiveness practice. But first and last, she shares a song of hers, Find Our Way Home, which rose out of the pandemic, and will be included on a new project she has just started working on. (I go maybe a LITTLE fan-girl-squeaky, but, hey, my first interview, and someone I deeply admire -- I think I can be forgiven!)

Extra special thanks to Patty Piotrowski, who provides beautiful art for each episode; I particularly love the sea otters in this one!

Learn more about Maggie's extensive work, and sign up for her emails (I'm definitely on the list!) so you can keep up with what's coming up at goldenbridgechoir.com

I mention a Peter Occhiogrosso interview with Maggie, in which she eloquently describes the many benefits of singing, among other things...

Maggie talked about a few artists -- if you have a local music store, of course get them there -- but here are some links, as well:

Sweet Honey in the Rock Live at Carnegie Hall

Singer-songwriter Aimée Ringle -- Human and Tender 

The South African acapella group The Soil

​
Maggie Wheeler is best know in the U.S and internationally for her work as an actress in film, television and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching her vocal workshop "Singing In The Stream" for over 30 years at retreat centers, universities, communities and schools to provide the experience of creating interpersonal harmony and internal harmony through the powerful act of creating vocal harmony. Maggie directs the 100-voice Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood, an inter-generational, non-auditioned choir now going in its 16th year.
She is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs worldwide. Maggie’s original music for choirs and communities is available on Itunes and other music platforms. To accompany her most recent CD entitled 'Walk With Me’, Maggie has created a songbook available by request through her website www.goldenbridgechoir.com Throughout this year of change Maggie hosted a weekly online community gathering called Together In Song, bringing together people from around the world to join in the healing power of singing.

To learn more about Maggie’s work please visit: 
www.goldenbridgechoir.com and maggiewheeler.net
Nuts and Bolts This layered and harmonized song is in 3:4, Ionian mode (major)
2 Comments

6/25/2021 4 Comments

3. Wɔyaya

Song Wɔyaya
Music Sol Amarifio
Words Sol Amarifio (title in the Ga language of Ghana)
​Composed in 1971
Lyrics
We are going, heaven knows where we are going, but we know within.
And we will get there, heaven knows how we will get there, but we know we will.
It will be hard, we know, and the road will be muddy and rough,
But we'll get there, heaven knows how we will get there, but we know we will.
Wɔyaya, Wɔyaya, Wɔyaya, Wɔyaya.
Notes You'll hear me playing with different patterns and rhythms under this song... some of which work well right off, and some of which are more... umm... experimental! But we're all about exploring and growing and changing here -- and one of the downfalls of the highly polished recordings we are immersed in is that we forget that in real life, as we sing by ourselves or with each other, some of our experiments sound great, and some turn out to not be ones we want to continue -- heaven knows where we are going! But we'll get there...
Sol Amarifio was the Ghanian drummer of the band Osibisa. The band members were African and Caribbean musicians living in London: Teddy Osei, Sol Amarfio, Mac Tontoh, Spartacus R (Roy Bedeau) Wendell Richardson, Robert Bailey, Loughty Lasisi Amao. Here's Osibisa with the original.
This song is under copyright, so recordings or performances for profit are subject to copyright restrictions -- please sing freely at home and with family! Anaïs Mitchell and Kate Stables collaborated on a beautiful cover of this. 


Nuts and Bolts It’s harmonized, in 6:8, Ionian mode (major).
4 Comments

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021

    Categories

    All 1:1 (Unmetered) 12:8 2:2 3 3:4 4:4 5 & 6 Mixed Meter 6:8 Accept Be Grateful Be Present Calm Celebrate Change Earth Empower Fire Flex Friendship Gather Grieve Grow Heal Hope Journey Moon Night Notice Nuts & Bolts Open Pain Play Release Rest Scale: Aeolian (minor) Scale: Dorian Scale: Ionian (Major) Scale: Minor Scale: Mixolydian Scale: Mixolydian Flat 6 Song Form: Ballad Song Form: Call & Response Song Form: Harmonized Song Form: Layer Song Form: Round Song Form: Unison Song Form: Unison With Separate Harmony Line Song Form: Verse And Layer Song Form: Verse & Chorus Song Form: Zipper Songwriter Conversation Stars Sun Tend Trees Trust Water

    RSS Feed

All content created by Patricia Norton
​©2022 Juneberry Music, LLC
All original art by Patty Piotrowski,
pocket song singer
Logo by Patricia Norton, aided and abetted by Hannah Gross
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture