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Singing for Well Being Pick a Song &
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Join UsAn unusual email resource to tend and befriend you and our community as episodes are released. Artwork by Patty Piotrowski, Patricia's musing, and extras -- questions, occasional transcriptions, links to more community singing resources --- yummmmmmmmm! Beautiful!!!So glad you've joined us, listening to your own voice... A welcome email with a request is winging your way right now. □ |
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1/7/2026 0 Comments 218. The River
Song: The River
Music by: Coco Love Alcorn Notes: Coco is entering a long and challenging journey with an aggressive cancer diagnosis. She’s hopeful and grounded, but as an independent musician, she doesn’t have access to benefits like employment insurance or sick leave. With her treatment schedule, she’s had to cancel every concert, every tour, and even postpone the recording of her new album. She also had to pause her local choir until further notice. This means she’s facing at least a year ahead with almost no income — while focusing all her strength on healing. Supporting her directly through buying her music, or donating to the GoFundMe will make this time easier. In the meantime, you can sing this song of Coco's, bringing river healing energy into the world! Songwriter Info: “Coco is the ultimate musical spark plug... an electrical connector through which the creative energy flows. In my 30 years of touring around the world, I have never seen another performer able to bring people together like Coco does.” ~ James Keelaghan - Artist Director, Summerfolk and renowned Canadian singer/ songwriter The first thing you notice about Coco Love Alcorn, is the voice. It's a rich, dynamic, supremely soulful instrument – hailed by the press as extraordinary, beautiful, and stunning – that has a way of touching your heart and making you care. As a performer, Alcorn is always in the moment, joyful, and genuine. She combines diverse musical influences including jazz, R&B, pop, folk, and Gospel. Her playful and witty character, love of improvising, and willingness to engage fearlessly with the audience has made Alcorn an established presence on the Canadian music scene. Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and now based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Alcorn’s career has spanned more than 20 years, 12 (9 solo) albums, cross-Canada tours, collaborations, festival appearances, award nominations, and notable success in TV and film licensing. And it took someone with a spirit like Alcorn's to navigate this path. "Throughout my career I have explored across many genres, collaborations and projects, taking a winding path to get to here,” she says. “But I’ve loved every step of my journey and trusted my inner curiosity to take me where it wanted to go.” Sharing Info: Please support Coco directly if you are sharing this song, either by buying the music on her website here: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store or supporting her GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:49 Verses taught slowly: 00:11:55 First run through: 00:15:50 Start time of reprise: 00:20:53 Links: Coco teaching the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgmg1K7BFxo&t=133s Coco's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer Lisa Littlebird teaching tracks: https://thebirdsings.com/the-river/ Sheet music for The River: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, verses & chorus, harmonize Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
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11/26/2025 0 Comments 213. Breath By Breath
Song: Breath By Breath
Music by: Juliana Murphy Notes: There is so much joy and delight in the holiday seasons -- and there can also be so much grief and loss. The air is thick with the smells of sugar and memories, we are in contact (or not) with folk with whom we carry long histories, and sometimes it's really hard to show up as we are now. I love this song of Juliana's for the full acceptance of grief: "I will allow my heart to be broken." And I love the way that very allowing unsticks feelings, so they become a river flowing, a soul opening... and I love the way she gives a concrete way to do all this: "breath by breath, steady and slow." This song helps me be wiser about allowing my full self to include my grief -- and reminds me that breath by breath, that grief can be a gentle, soul-opening presence. Songwriter Info: Juliana Murphy (she/they) comes to the circle with a lifelong love of singing and a library of original and collected songs that connect us to ourselves, nature, and the cycles and rhythms of being a human on this planet. She brings a deep desire to sing a more beautiful, inclusive, loving, sustainable, and delightful world into being. Juliana is co-founder of the Monsoon Seed Choir and Chrysalis Choir, co-tends the Tucson Community Song Circle, is a graduate of the Littlebird Songleader Flight School for community songleading and is a member of the Ubuntu Choirs Network. Sharing Info: Juliana says: "This song being carries potent medicine for moving grief. It is most supportive when sung within a container of care, both individually and in community. If you plan to perform or record it with the intent to sell, please contact me for permission." Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:22 Start time of reprise: 00:15:51 Links: Website: https://www.julianamurphy.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/julianamurphy Community Singing Offerings: https://www.tucsonsongcircle.com/ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jumutx Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, 2-layer Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 11/12/2025 0 Comments 211. Set Us Free
Song: Set Us Free
Music by: Elise Witt Notes: Elise is an inventive songleader and huge heart in Georgia, USA, whom I met online during the pandemic doing vocal improv with our shared teacher, Rhiannon... but I had been in contact with her before then because I wanted to sing a song of hers with my community chorus. Here, she has set words from the Rev. Timothy McDonald, calling us to the kind of integrity that gives freedom. I teach the song a capella, so you can sing with just my voice -- and then do it with piano at the end, so you can experience it that way -- and then if you follow the shownote links, you can sing it in Spanish and English with Elise, Judith & Lisset Rodés -- Lisset wrote the Spanish words... and it's a little slower, a little more legato than I sang it. I love it when there's a chance to compare different versions of the same song! Songwriter Info: Elise’s concerts of Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ and her Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ workshops create and connect singing communities around the world. Born in Switzerland, raised in NC, and living in Atlanta since 1977, Elise speaks 5 languages fluently and sings in at least a dozen more. The Elise Witt Choral Series features choral arrangements of her original compositions and she recently published All Singing, a songbook with 58 original songs including music notation, lyrics and chords, stories and photos. A founding member of Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit, Elise spent many years as a Resident Artist, visiting communities around the state of Georgia and the Southeast, teaching global music and writing local songs with students of all ages. From 2009 until 2024 Elise served as Director of Music Programs at the Global Village Project, a non-profit, special purpose middle school for teenage refugee girls in Decatur Georgia, for which she published Imagine A Circle: The Global Village Songbook, Using Singing and Songwriting to teach English for Multi-lingual learners. Elise currently gathers singers of all persuasions in joyous circles, and continues her global touring. Sharing Info: Elise says: "I always love to share songs in oral (by ear) tradition and I'd love to hear from you how and with whom you share the song... AND the song is also available as a choral arrangement (SATB, SSAA, TTBB) on my website https://elisewitt.com/web/ewcs-choral-music/" Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:49 Start time of reprise: 00:15:29 Links: Website: www.EliseWitt.com A glimpse of what I do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0YHTe_Q7bE&feature=youtu.be All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook: https://elisewitt.com/web/product-category/songbook/ “Jenny Jenkins” global community music/art video created for DAS Year 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmNNZIVZkw&t=2s “Ready or Not” global community music/art video created for DAS Year 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsUsSobImw&t=11s Imagine A Circle: The Global Village Project Songbook: https://elisewitt.com/web/gvp-songbook/ Elise's Bandcamp: https://www.BandCamp.com/EliseWitt Choral arrangements by Elise: https://elisewitt.com/web/ewcs-choral-music/ Choral arrangements for Set Us Free in particular: https://elisewitt.com/web/product/set-us-free/ Spanish and English version of Set Us Free in concert: https://youtu.be/L5IjAhJZyOo?si=5WIleerpseLX_rxo Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, many verses Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: In This House
Music by: Karisha Longaker of MaMuse Notes: Today we get “right in the river, totally listening, totally all in” with MaMuse, the duo of Sorah Nutting and Karisha Longaker, whose description of songcatching is what I just quoted. I came out of our conversation thinking about so many things -- how we see and appreciate those we love, kindness as our common wealth, danceable songs, being led by feeling and what's insanely fun, and especially house rules for how we be in the world... which comes from "In This House." I was singing harmony with them by the time we sang the song the second time, so you'll hear me making stuff up... partly because of the big, beautiful permission Karisha and Sorah give each other and us to celebrate creativity. I hope you feel that extra space and encouragement, too, after you sing with us! Songwriter Info: MaMuse (“Ma” as in Mamma; “Muse” as in the one who inspires) was born out of a collaboration between songwriters Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting. 2008 was a year of great alchemy. Fires erupted in Northern California, a great wind of inspiration blew through, catalyzing a series of songs written from the soil and rivers, ash and heat of Chico where these two musicians met. In the early days these troubadours toted instruments around town by bicycle and shared their songs at farmers markets, community gatherings, small cafes and festivals. Not too long after, these two voices became iconic to the Chico community, representing idyllic values of friendship, community, love for nature and care for Self and World. The love spread, sisterhood held strong through two decades of LIFE: children, relationships arriving and dissolving, making home in many new places. MaMuse songs such as “We Shall Be Known” and “Hallelujah” have sprouted wings and are now sung at the bed sides of birthing mothers, round campfires, at weddings and funerals... All places where people are gathered to celebrate and to mourn. These are songs born of the Folk lineage; songs for all of us. Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Karisha and Sorah always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:56 Start time of reprise: 01:03:15 Links: Show info, bookings and newsletter signup: www.mamuse.org Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamusemusic Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaMuseMusic Patreon: www.patreon.com/mamuse Download and contribute to recorded music funds: mamuse.bandcamp.com Song Village in Santa Cruz: https://www.songvillage.net/ Kirtan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtan ReMuse: https://mamuse.bandcamp.com/album/remuse Patrick/FunkPharm who produced ReMuse: https://www.instagram.com/funkpharm/ Tidal as a subscription platform: https://tidal.com/ Community Choir Leadership Training in Canada: https://www.communitychoirleadership.com/ Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion duet competition October 2012: https://www.prairiehome.org/shows/47951.html Arnaé Batson: https://www.eomega.org/people/arnae-batson Scott Elliot Ferreter (guitar and bass): https://www.scottelliottferreter.com/ Trying Time album: https://open.spotify.com/album/3BSIiZwg5MdqY6OuVLRMdR Nathan Dittle (keyboard/piano): https://www.instagram.com/redbeardthecat/ Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder: https://open.spotify.com/album/6YUCc2RiXcEKS9ibuZxjt0 Blue by Joni Mitchell: https://open.spotify.com/album/1vz94WpXDVYIEGja8cjFNa Aimée Ringle – Human and Tender: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com/album/human-and-tender A Breath of Song conversation with Aimée Ringle: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/160-o-spirit-guide-me-to-those-i-need-with-guest-aimee-ringle#/ Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/ A Breath of Song conversation with Melanie DeMore: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/175-one-footlead-with-love-with-guest-melanie-demore#/ Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized, call and echo Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: We Shall Be Known
Music by: Karisha Longaker of MaMuse Notes: I could not be more delighted than to bring you this beloved song in a real-life song-sharing situation. My Flow Singing folk were singing "We Shall Be Known" for the third week -- so we simply recorded! You'll sing with them as they review the main melody, learn the upper harmony for the first time -- and then I inserted a quick teach of the low harmony -- and then we get to sing "in the room" with the Flow Singers, who were leaning into the song in such a beautiful way. I feel so lucky with the company I get to keep... and next week, I find myself in a Zoom room with Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting themselves, talking about the "insanely fun, incredibly connected" first years, and what it means in practical terms to "believe in kindness as our common wealth." Songwriter Info: MaMuse (“Ma” as in Mamma; “Muse” as in the one who inspires) was born out of a collaboration between songwriters Karisha Longaker and Sorah Nutting. 2008 was a year of great alchemy. Fires erupted in Northern California, a great wind of inspiration blew through, catalyzing a series of songs written from the soil and rivers, ash and heat of Chico where these two musicians met. In the early days these troubadours toted instruments around town by bicycle and shared their songs at farmers markets, community gatherings, small cafes and festivals. Not too long after, these two voices became iconic to the Chico community, representing idyllic values of friendship, community, love for nature and care for Self and World. The love spread, sisterhood held strong through two decades of LIFE: children, relationships arriving and dissolving, making home in many new places. MaMuse songs such as “We Shall Be Known” and “Hallelujah” have sprouted wings and are now sung at the bed sides of birthing mothers, round campfires, at weddings and funerals... All places where people are gathered to celebrate and to mourn. These are songs born of the Folk lineage; songs for all of us. Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Karisha and Sorah always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Song Learning Time Stamps: Melody: 00:04:20 High harmony: 00:07:16 Low harmony: 00:11:34 Whole song: 00:15:05 Links: Show info, bookings and newsletter signup: www.mamuse.org Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamusemusic Patreon: www.patreon.com/mamuse Download and contribute to recorded music funds: mamuse.bandcamp.com Lisa Littlebird's page for We Shall Be Known: thebirdsings.com/we-shall-be-known/ Burlington, VT Flow Singers: www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 3-part harmony Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: May the Way Open Before You
Music by: Ana Hernández Guest singers: Sadie Jones, AJ Banach, Cameron Brownell, Rebecca Csuy Notes: Recording this was a complete treat, because I had four friends in the studio with me -- Rebecca Csuy, Cameron Brownell, AJ Banach, and Sadie Jones learned the song and loved it. AJ catches me when I make a note mistake in the harmony, which is fabulous -- friends who have your back! Next week, I have the privilege of talking with Ana and learning about her extensive background and why community singing matters to her... for now, please enjoy this, which she calls "a simple blessing," and her wish for everyone in the world. Songwriter Info: Ana Hernández is a composer, recording artist, retreat leader, and activist song leader creating and collecting tunes to build living and just communities through skillful action. A theomusicologist with NYS Poor People’s Campaign, Ana is also the author of The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice (Skylight Paths/Turner Publishing). Sharing Info: The song is free to share in public resistance actions and oral tradition groups. Please contact Ana for recording, streaming, or performing permission. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:29 Start time of reprise: 00:13:05 Links: Ana's website: https://anahernandez.org Ana's Patreon: www.patreon.com/anahernandez Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/in/artist/ana-hernandez/214582777 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NGPpe3jeQqHFeFArIqYEH SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/anahermusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-p9kisJu1ISLW7w6Wy2lVA Also look for HARC (with Ruth Cunningham): https://anahernandez.org/album/inside-chants/ The Miserable Offenders: https://anahernandez.org/album/keepin-the-baby-awake-music-for-advent-and-christmas/ Eternal Spirit (w/ Sr. Helena Marie, CHS): https://anahernandez.org/album/eternal-spirit/ Banquet of Love (w/ Ike Sturm and so many friends!): https://anahernandez.org/album/banquet-of-love/ Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, major, 2-part harmony Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 7/9/2025 0 Comments 196. I Am Blessed
Song: I Am Blessed
Music by: Desirée Dawson Notes: Ok, so there's a bit of mess in this episode -- the reprise happens twice, because I couldn't get my Loopy app to turn off when I wanted it to -- but we just get to sing it again, so it turns into a good thing! Desirée's song really helps me remember how blessed I am, with my mess, my stress -- the way it all opens my heart, like a treasure chest. Great body percussion part for all you rhythm-hungry folk, plus oohs for the Supremes fans. I take some time picking it apart so you can find some of the intricacies... Songwriter Info: As a recording artist, songwriter, producer, facilitator, and yoga teacher, Desirée is driven by a passion for collective liberation. She is a two time SXSW music video winner and was nominated for a Juno Award for best adult contemporary album of the year in 2022. She has had multiple viral moments on TikTok and Instagram with her most popular video being for her song I Am Blessed. With her powerful voice as her main instrument, Desirée often accompanies it with her baritone ukulele, body percussion and other musicians. She has a passion for harmonizing and singing with others. She blends folk, soul, pop, Americana, and old-time country influences into her creations, though she often labels her music as 'singer-songwriter' for simplicity. Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Desirée for recording and/or performing permission. Desirée says, "Donations are encouraged and welcome but I do not want money to be a barrier for people to share and learn the song." Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:31 Start time of reprise: 00:21:53 Links: Desirée's website: www.desireedawsonmusic.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/desireedawsonmusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desireedawsonofficial Desirée singing I Am Blessed on Bandcamp: https://desiree-dawson.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-blessed-loop Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, melody, harmony, body percussion Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 6/4/2025 0 Comments 192. Freedom Over Fear
Song: Freedom Over Fear
Music by: Tembre de Carteret Notes: Which freedoms do we get to choose? What are the places or times in your life when certain freedoms were not available? Have you ever lost freedoms because of violence or threat? Sometimes it's hard to release fears that may have helped protect us in the past -- and sometimes the feeling of letting go of fear is like standing on an ocean cliff, proclaiming again and again, "I choose freedom over fear!" Songwriter Info: Tembre de Carteret lives in County Clare, Ireland, and has led a beautiful online singing circle called "We May Sing" since 2020. You can learn more about her and the way in which she facilitates, mentors, and builds song communities at her website, www.tembresong.com Sharing Info: Tembre says: "This song is free to share with your circle of loved ones and singing group. I just ask you credit me and I whole heartedly welcome any recording/video you do of the song with your group, please send to me." Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:45 Start time of reprise: 00:16:35 Links: Tembre's website: http://www.tembresong.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tembre.decarteret Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tembredecarteret/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5NOOeWM2w3Og68acT2zPei Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhgwiqOGcvICIjSsJq6iJg Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 5/28/2025 0 Comments 191. Another World
Song: Another World
Music by: Patricia Norton Lyrics by: Arundhati Roy Notes: Hearing these words in 2020 for the first time felt like a gift of possibility. I love the deeper listening they invite. It took five years before they found a melody in my head -- and the reminder of the quote in its entirety, which is, "Another world is not only possible, she's on her way. Maybe many of us won't be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing." Listening. That's the invitation of this melody, which stacks up into a complicated chord when sung as a round. Songwriter Info: You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html Or the whole team that puts this podcast out here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/about.html Sharing Info: Please share freely, and consider contributing to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar in reciprocity -- or write a review, leave a comment! Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:25 Start time of reprise: 00:14:00 Links: Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html All of what I'm up to: https://www.juneberrymusic.com Kindred Voices Retreat: https://kindredvoicesretreat.com Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: In the Spring
Music by: Yuri Woodstock Notes: Yuri Woodstock describes himself as the "bossy pirate in the middle of the room" when songleading, and tells a supernatural story of his phone bringing him song advice. He also describes why he thinks his song gatherings have grown so large, why he's now living in a "housey-house" (and what he did before), how literally letting his hair down helped him "tease out the subtle mystery" of what makes him feel most like himself. Fortunately for us, that includes songleading and writing this joyous spring round. You'll learn it with me (and hopefully not mess it up with me when I go a bit wonkers at one point!) We talk about the importance of noticing when you're okay, not giving "the stank-eye" to people who miss notes, and how his brother, Jonah, helps kickstart his songs. Songwriter Info: Yuri Woodstock is a community song leader based in Asheville, NC, who has run the now 180-member Hark! Community Choir for the past seven years. It is a non-performing, non-auditioned group that sings for joy and connection. He specializes in quick teaches of layer songs and SATB bangers that are easy to learn and fun to sing. Often Hark! feels like a singing dance party. Sharing Info: Fully free, no donation requested Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:44 Start time of reprise: 01:02:21 Links: Yuri's website: https://www.weringlikebells.com/ Yuri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weringlikebells/ Village Fire: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/ Jonah Woodstock: https://www.woodstockbookstock.com/ Community Choir Leadership Training – CCLT: https://www.communitychoirleadership.com/ Tebe Poem: https://www.omniglot.com/songs/bcc/tebepoem.htm The Wild Ashville Community chorus with Susannah Park: https://www.wildashevillecommunitychorus.com/about-1 Laurence Cole: Let Things Ripen and Then Fall: https://www.laurencecole.com/album/let-things-ripen/ Shireen Amini: The Sun Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLa23Lfe5w Bex Lipps: Take Your Medicine: https://music.apple.com/au/album/take-your-medicine-single/1729594936 Karly Loveling: I’ve Got a Fire: https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/track/ive-got-a-fire-2 Alexa Sunshine Rose: Pool of Love: https://alexasunshinerose.bandcamp.com/track/pool-of-love Kira Seto: https://www.instagram.com/kira.is.singing/ Heather Houston: https://www.instagram.com/heatherhoustonmusic/ “We contain multitudes.” - Walt Whitman: https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-51 “Shrinking”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/ Laurence Cole: “Notice where you are” from "Attention is the Healer": https://www.laurencecole.com/album/attention-is-the-healer/ The Strokes: "Is This It": https://music.apple.com/us/album/is-this-it/266376953 Double syrinx birds – veery or hermit thrush: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds The Bowerbirds: “Tuck the Darkness In”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeFTPj8zljQ Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 4/23/2025 0 Comments 187. Where Am I Going To?
Song: Where Am I Going To?
Music by: Patricia Norton Notes: I heard adrienne maree brown describe humans as "bags of water" -- humans on average are around 60% water.... like a delta, or the land around a pond or river with its banks, or a bathtub and its water pipes -- we are a way of shaping water -- we are, literally, a flow. This song was born in motion, the kind of walking where the rhythm of your steps and breath becomes the soundscape, and you can release everything else, dropping into the flow. Songwriter Info: Patricia loves to walk fast from one spring wildflower to the next -- averages out to a stroll! Sharing Info: Please share freely, and let people know about A Breath of Song when you do. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:19 Start time of reprise: 00:11:40 Links: Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html All of what I'm up to: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/ Kindred Voices Retreat: https://kindredvoicesretreat.com Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round or 3 layers Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 4/16/2025 0 Comments 186. The Riddle Song
Song: The Riddle Song
Music by: traditional Notes: I find myself feeling like we live in a bit of a riddle right now -- how can this impossible thing be so, and what will resolve it? I literally learned this song at my mother's knee... it's one of the earliest I remember singing, and I was so delighted by the riddle form! As a young teen, it was one of the first songs I learned on guitar. I sang it to kids I babysat in college, where I learned about the Child Ballads and Cecil Sharp's collecting in southern Appalachia. I sang it with my children, with our granddaughter -- and now I get to sing it with you! There's a through-line for a song.... what songs have travelled with you your whole life? Songwriter Info: Patricia was born in Boulder, CO, and is grateful to the burgeoning folk music scene that encouraged family music, which is how she learned this song. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:20 Start time of reprise: 00:12:08 Links: An intriguing discussion board about trad music: https://mudcat.org/ An introduction to Child Ballads: https://folkways.si.edu/playlist/child-ballads Text of Child Ballad #46 (which The Riddle Song is believed to have come from): https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch046.htm The Cecil Sharp collection of The Riddle Song: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/9/2688 Doc Watson's recording: https://youtu.be/fRO6egtKipg?feature=shared Carly Simon's recording: https://youtu.be/4O_Lu_khQDM?feature=shared Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, strophic (3 verses) Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 4/2/2025 0 Comments 184. Where the Moss Grows
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: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 3/19/2025 0 Comments 183. The Strength Within
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: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: Extraordinary Magic
Music by: Judy Tse Notes: Judy describes the act of witnessing beautifully -- and this song is one that feels so good to have echoing in my head as I practice holding space for other people... really being present and seeing them fully. That seems to get harder and harder as people get older and make choices we disagree with or are harmful. But wishing them well, looking for the extraordinary magic that is in them, even while being clear-sighted about behaviors -- while not always easy, it feels like a way of being I personally aspire to! Songwriter Info: Judy Tse participated in the A Breath of Song retreat in 2024! About this song, Judy says: "Being a witness to someone; really being present for a person by listening actively + not trying to fix or 'make better', is one of the greatest gifts one person can give another." Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Judy for recording and/or performing permission. (You can write Patricia at [email protected] to be connected with Judy.) Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:35 Start time of reprise: 00:15:14 Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison or harmonized Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: Pearl in the Dark
Music by: Sarina Partridge Notes: Here's something to boost your "joy-ometer", as Sarina refers to it! We dive into infiltrating the health system with singing, stories we tell to make sense of the world, geysers of weird choices, singing to support community goals, cosmic bowling alley bumpers and more... and all that after learning a fresh song of Sarina's that helps us dive into the grit and the mud and the muck (when we choose to!) Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, song-leader and educator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs, and enjoys singing with a wide variety of music projects - Eastern European and Yiddish song, old-time music, community song-leading... and everything in between. Sarina has traveled around the world to study with master folk singers, and has toured with the traveling ensemble Northern Harmony abroad and in the USA. She has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing to help folks develop a sense of wonder for this wild world around us. Let’s sing! Sarina performs and teaches with several music projects/ensembles (Heartwood, Nanilo) and as a solo artist and educator; teaches at music camps (Village Harmony, Songroots, Folklore Village); and leads regular community sings and workshops in and around Minneapolis. Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Sarina for permission and rates. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:05:34 Start time of reprise: 01:30:39 Links: Sarina's website: SarinaPartridge.com Sarina's Patreon: patreon.com/sarinapartridge Sarina's Bandcamp: sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com Heartwood's UK tour in March: https://www.heartwoodtrio.com/upcoming SongWeavers retreat: https://www.singwaldorf.org/songweavers Village Harmony: https://www.villageharmony.org/ ABS episode with Kate Valentine: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/130-ride-the-storm-with-guest-kate-valentine Mariah Carey: https://mariahcarey.com/ Bad Posture Club: https://badpostureclub.net/ Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 3 layer Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 2/19/2025 0 Comments 179. Let Your Voice Be Heard
Song: Let Your Voice Be Heard
Music by: Sarina Partridge Notes: Getting access to Sarina Partridge's catalog of songs was a beautiful moment for me -- SO many good things -- wise, accepting, generous, warm -- the songs reflect the songwriter, for sure! Join me today singing "Let your voice be heard..." -- I love the laid-back feel combined with the invitation to speak up -- and listen to next week's episode to hear Sarina's own voice, getting an inside perspective of how an educator might approach song leading with full heart. Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, song-leader and educator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs, and enjoys singing with a wide variety of music projects - Eastern European and Yiddish song, old-time music, community song-leading... and everything in between. Sarina has traveled around the world to study with master folk singers, and has toured with the traveling ensemble Northern Harmony abroad and in the USA. She has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing to help folks develop a sense of wonder for this wild world around us. Let’s sing! Sarina performs and teaches with several music projects/ensembles (Heartwood, Nanilo) and as a solo artist and educator; teaches at music camps (Village Harmony, Songroots, Folklore Village); and leads regular community sings and workshops in and around Minneapolis. Sharing Info: When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Sarina for permission and rates. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:05 Start time of reprise: 00:20:00 Links: Sarina's website: SarinaPartridge.com Sarina's Patreon: patreon.com/sarinapartridge Sarina's Bandcamp: sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized melody with harmonized response Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: One Foot/Lead with Love
Music by: Melanie DeMore Notes: Melanie DeMore both entrances and intimidates people -- she is direct, funny, a fabulous story-teller, and fierce and broad in her love. I have to apologize to listeners for the sound quality of this interview -- we had some microphone glitches on both sides that means despite the best sound studio wizardry I could come up with, there's some distortion, and it's not the usual quality of sound. But the quality of content -- where it counts -- is top-notch. Melanie shares One Foot/Lead with Love, including the story of what sparked its creation. She talks about her family, and how the wisdom and experiences of her parents shaped the way she approaches people who hold different world views. We talk about coyotes, kids, accolades, how she takes care of herself on tour as a "4-star, card-carrying introvert". She sends us out with a charge: “Here’s what you need to do, people out there: keep your head up. Keep your heart wide open. Remember to breathe, and keep doing the work. Sing on.” 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: 00:02:56 Start time of reprise: 01:12:05 Links: Lady of Peace – written by Melanie for her mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Clq6DHpNA Threshold Choir: https://thresholdchoir.org/ Children’s Music Network: https://childrensmusic.org/ Bessie Jones: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BUnRZrkCS0NoTiXefkW6U Ella Jenkins: https://ellajenkins.com/ Oakland Youth Chorus: https://www.oigc.org/oyc Obeah Opera (South African/Toronto) – about Tituba: https://obeahopera.com/ All One Tribe collective album: https://open.spotify.com/album/1EEVSonqRIjEB0DapNIRs8 Melanie's GoFundMe for a home in Taos, NM: https://gofund.me/6be198cb Taos pueblo – Tewa people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewa Bebe & Cece Winans – gospel singers: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WNUkxJcJeliFx9KXWXMgs John Lewis: https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/rep-john-lewis/ Margaret Nes - visual artist: https://www.ventanafineart.com/margaret-nes Something Moving by Mary Watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RTzI4-j64 Whirimako Black: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dzCFvKwiJQ4w9ViwLzs49 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.demore/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butchyg3/ Melanie's email: melaniedemore(at)earthlink.net Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, call & echo, chorus & verse, 3-part harmony on chorus Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 1/8/2025 0 Comments 174. Standing Stone
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 Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: Don't Go Putting the World on Your Shoulders
Music by: Will Lawrence and Erin Bridges Notes: December in the north is such a great time for me to dig a little deeper -- finding mini-rests, sometimes even by taking an extra breath before I go do the next thing. I love that this song reminds me to lean on other people, too... to widen my base, to remember my connections. The irony of recording this (alone, in my basement!) was not lost on me!!! So I hope you sing extra vigorously along with me, and share this song widely -- I have been loving singing it with my Flow Singers this month, and we are really feeling that "take a nap" verse, I tell you! Songwriter Info: William Lawrence is an organizer and social movement strategist from Lansing, Michigan. He was a co-founder of Sunrise Movement. He is currently the Coordinator of the MI Rent Is Too Damn High coalition, fighting for rent control, tenants rights and social housing in the Great Lakes State. Erin Bridges was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where she now lives with her dog and queer family in a big turquoise house. Like many southerners, she grew up with a love for shared meals, music sung in fellowship, pies made from the garden, and a close relationship to earth. Erin's work is rooted in building a world where everyone can access these simple pleasures. In 2017, she co-founded Sunrise, a youth movement that launched the Green New Deal, and more recently launched Hollerin' Up, aiming to fund people-powered teams for the long haul. Sharing Info: Erin and Will are happy for this song to be shared far and wide, attributed to the two of them! Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:42 Start time of reprise: 00:13:29 Links: Sunrise Movement: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/about/ Sunrise Movement songbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/120wccqh6jdV-Cb1gCZgxtuE7ELnYPUXL/view?usp=sharing which includes a beautiful acknowledgment of the complexity of oral songsharing without appropriation Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, verse & chorus Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 11/13/2024 2 Comments 168. The Net
Song: The Net
Music by: Patricia Norton Notes: The Hindu teacher, Sri Nisargadatta, said, "The real world is beyond our thoughts and ideas; we see it through the net of our desires... To see the universe as it is, you must step beyond the net. It is not hard to do so, for the net is full of holes." I began singing this song to myself in the summer of '24, reminding me that what I thought was an immutable barrier might actually be a net of holes, and if I found fluidity, I could slip right by it. As events unfolded, the song grew and took on layers of meaning for me. What if the net were my safety net, and I felt myself slipping through? Can I be at peace with recognizing that there is no safety, no guarantee -- but there is a truth grounded beyond all of my desires, and like water, I can fall down through to that. Patty gave us a beautiful visual of the freedom in that fall... this song has been a great resource to me. Songwriter Info: Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community program called Flow Singing in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a resource for vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... the whole messy catastrophe. She lives with her long-time beloved husband, Tom, in a small townhouse close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their granddaughter!) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training. Sharing Info: The song is free to share in the oral tradition; please contribute to A Breath of Song as a fair exchange if you are earning money at an event using this song. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:08 Start time of reprise: 00:20:00 Links: Patricia's website: https://www.juneberrymusic.com Nuts & Bolts: 12:8, major, 3-part with harmonies Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
Song: Heaven Above, Earth Below
Music by: Becky Graber Notes: Becky Graber let her unconscious speak during our conversation, and when I asked what she knows about herself right now, she said, "I am a breath of air on the earth" -- and then laughed a little in surprise and delight. The song she teaches also came from delighted awareness of the place of the body between heaven and earth -- plus a little tai-chi. Becky and I share a wonderfully rambly conversation about shedding old identities and making space, wanting to allow things to bloom rather than push them, and threshold times. We also take a lot of time with this three verse song, including playing with harmonies. You'll hear me making mistakes as I learn and play with harmonies -- but hopefully you won't notice it too much, because you'll be singing right along, too! The goal of this podcast is to encourage you to keep stepping into the power and beauty of your own voice, something Becky Graber has many years of experience at helping people do... Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus. Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:58 Start time of reprise: 01:15:20 Links: Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org Psychospiritual paths like psychosynthesis – Roberto Assagioli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosynthesis The Diamond Approach – H.M. Almaas: https://www.diamondapproach.org/ Helen Yeomans: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/156-we-got-all-the-love Natural Voices Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/ Lisa Littlebird’s library: https://thebirdsings.com/song-library/ Velma Frye: https://www.velmafryemusic.com/ Song “Take Heart, Take Part, with lyrics “Participation is gonna save the human race” – Pete Seeger quote set by Becky Reardon: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/product/take-heart-take-part/ “Spes” by Mia Makaroff – Latin & Sami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKeikhsVynM Gaia Music Collective in NYC: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gaia-music-collective-44369305153 Choir! Choir! Choir!: https://choirchoirchoir.com/ Gareth Malone with “The Choir” on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008y125 Ry Cooder “Jazz” album with red cover and black letters: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Z6RuwMcmDMgBJsZ01Ouhf Buena Vista Social Club: https://www.buenavistasocialclub.com/ Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/ Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 3 verses Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 10/16/2024 0 Comments 164. Fly Away
Song: Fly Away
Music by: Becky Graber Notes: Becky Graber really captured that feeling I get sometimes when I'm so uncomfortable, I want to simply fly away... when you are seeking something that feels trustworthy, and it feels elusive. I taught this in an unusual way for A Breath of Song, using solfege to identify the very different ranges of each of the four parts... you may find that useful, or not -- let go of anything doesn't serve you! Next week, Becky and I get to dig into a conversation with both of us here in my basement workspace... newsletter subscribers will see the pairsie (what do you really call a selfie with two?) As a songleader who started a chorus that has felt like mutual nourishment for almost 30 years, Becky has a perspective on group singing that is unique, and I really enjoyed exploring this experience with her. Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus. Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Becky for recording and/or performing permission. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:03:00 Start time of reprise: 00:16:44 Links: Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 4 part layer Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 10/2/2024 0 Comments 163. Radiate
Song: Radiate
Music by: Lisa Piccirillo Notes: Going epic this week -- we learn the chorus to Lisa Piccirillo's song, Radiate, with just me and the piano...and then when we're feeling solid, blow our socks off by singing along with her huge soundtrack! If you love the song, then there are links to find it in Bandcamp, etc, just below! I particularly love the way the word "radiate" is the most intimate in the entire chorus -- it feels like a world of confidence and self-connection right there... Enjoy -- I certainly did!! Songwriter Info: Lisa Piccirillo almost gave up on songwriting, but the muse wouldn’t let her. The inspiration for her latest record came to her as a vision: the silhouette of a woman, backlit by the sun, alongside the word RADIATE. Fueled by this idea and the desire to reclaim her creative identity, Lisa devoted herself to daily songwriting sessions at sunrise and the new record was born. An unapologetically loud follow-up to her mellow and folky 2008 debut (momentum), RADIATE chronicles Lisa’s vast emotional landscape with her signature blend of vulnerable songwriting and powerhouse vocals. Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Lisa always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:03 Start time of reprise: 00:13:57 Links: Website: www.lisapmusic.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lisapiccirillo Tickets for Radiate Release Event Oct 19th 2024: https://tinyurl.com/48t8dna7 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GJmGSN3Era6CJspcpMMY4?si=PFoGHPmUTQOVLYSJv0UlNg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-piccirillo/289758509 Bandcamp: https://lisapiccirillo.bandcamp.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/lisapiccirillo YouTube: www.youtube.com/lisapmusic Facebook: www.facebook.com/lisapmusic Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html 8/21/2024 2 Comments 158. Quiet At First
Song: Quiet At First
Music by: Eileen Webb Lyrics by: Kai Skye Notes: How often do you get to sing with a thrush? Eileen Webb has made that possible for us... and so we get full enjoyment out of it, singing the entire song twice after learning it. The song itself, with words from Kai Skye, is a succinct reminder to drop in to that sensation of connection to all living things and how good it feels. What could be better? Recording this was unusual for me, because instead of loops on Loopy (where I just have to get it sounding right once!), it's layered tracks because of singing with the thrush... so I got to practice staying centered for the entire length of the song... not once, not twice, but three times plus a bit! It was really good for me -- so thank you for singing with me and perusing the A Breath of Song library -- I love the way my sense of responsibility to you keeps me in practice. Songwriter Info: Eileen is a consultant and facilitator who helps tech companies build stronger relationships within and across their teams. She loves how music-making helps create deep connections in diverse groups of people, and leads the circlesinging community in Portland, Maine. Sharing Info: The song is free to share, but please remember to share the lyrics credit to Kai Skye as well! Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:04:33 Start time of reprise: 00:17:52 Links: Eileen's Portland circlesinging group: https://www.meetup.com/circlesinging-portland/. Kai's art website: https://flyingedna.com/ Note: For credit purposes, his NAME is Kai Skye, his PEN NAME (also his previous name) is Brian Andreas, and the site where people can buy his arts is Flying Edna. Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-3 part harmony plus some extras Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share Help us keep going: contributions at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html, plus reviews, comments, encouragement... we float on your support. |
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Come sing songs to help uncover wellness! We present these companion songs in a relaxed way that makes it easy to learn and join in.
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All original art by Patty Piotrowski,
pocket song singer Logo by Patricia Norton,
aided and abetted by Hannah Gross All text content (except quotes)
created by Patricia Norton ©2024 Juneberry Music, LLC |

























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