Notes: I am thrilled to announce a 3-generational podcast!!! Our daughter, Rebecca Csuy (pronounced, "Soo-ee"), was kind enough to join me to record this lullaby I started singing to myself a few months ago.... and then Rebecca managed to catch Claire, their almost 3-year-old daughter, singing it to herself the next day! (If you wanted to skip ahead to that, it's at the very, very end of the podcast, as a bonus, and of course, I would completely understand!) Do you ever sing with someone who makes you feel better about your own voice just by the way they sing with you? That's how I feel about singing with Rebecca -- her voice is so true and released -- it helps me find the center in my own in some way. I wrote this song because I'm not always an easy sleeper... so one day after a rough night, I was trying to sing to myself to unwind and relax -- and this is what came. The white birds were seagulls, making a racket outside our apartment window... and just before I fall asleep, it feels like my thoughts turn white and begin to float -- and so the white thoughts.

Join the A Breath of Song mailing list by clicking here. You'll 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 to both parts of Lullaby My Sweetness, and a picture of the Rebecca, Claire & me together, 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: That would be me, so both of the websites below have stuff...

Links: 
abreathofsong.com
juneberrymusic.com

Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Ionian, melody with harmony

Notes: I love this song for the both-and-ness... both joy and grief; both broken and mending; both hurt and healing, lost-found, hidden-revealed. The song appeared in an including way, too... Lyndsey was tasked with finding or creating moments of beauty and surprise at 2017 Village Fire, and as she sat at a table with the youth, creating art and words to decorate the port-a-potties, she saw what 10-year-old Livian had written -- "Sing upon joy". Lyndsey heard it as a song, and sang the first phrase... then the folk at the table created the interlocking part together. Both music and art, both words and song, both older and younger, both-and, both-and. Next week's episode is a songwriter conversation with Lyndsey -- not only does she share one of the amazing songs from her new album, but we get to talk and explore. My heart feels wider, my brain click-ier, my spirit lighter after every interaction with Lyndsey -- I hope you can join us!
​
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here.

Songwriter Info: Lyndsey Scott is an artist-goofball-yintennae devoted to priestesSing the Heartland, (literal and figurative).  She weaves community singing to empower earth-based spiritual consciousness, and gathers soul circles that, through Song and sacred listening, decompose oppressive scripts that get in the way of freely living the Love we are. With jams that get you skipping easily between the sacred, sexy, and sssssilly : your inner child, exiled banshee, and wise elder are all very invited to the circle. ​

Links: 
The song is free to share but Lyndsey always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
Everything Lyndsey! https://linktr.ee/lila.gaia
We Belong Community of Song: https://www.facebook.com/webelongcommunityofsong
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lyndseyscott
Lyndsey's album on Bandcamp: https://lyndseyscott.bandcamp.com/album/well-held

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 2 harmonized layers

Notes: For most of these episodes, I pick the song many months in advance, because what with artwork & permissions, not to mention my own anxiety levels(!), it helps to have things lined up before.... which sometimes means I haven't listened to the song much until I'm ready to record. Then I wonder -- will I still love it? Will I still want to learn and spend time with it, or was it a temporary infatuation? I can tell you unequivocally, I loved coming back to this song! Katie Sontag's "Share the Journey" felt like reconnecting with a wise, deeply beloved friend who loves me back.., you know that feeling of mutual warmth and trust that you can relax into, and at the same time feel empowered and energized by? Ahhhh.
​
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here.

Songwriter Info: Katie Sontag writes songs that are honest and vulnerable for her own healing and transformation and seeks to inspire the same in others. Based in Eugene, OR, but working on touring the world, Katie's songs will touch your heart and leave you feeling better then when you came. Listening to her music has been described as receiving "a big hug". She is also the lead vocalist and songwriter for her band, "Katie Sontag and the Love Notes" and half of the duo, "smalltime". She is a group song leader and aspiring choral director. Her songs have been adapted for choirs in Portland, Boulder, Austin, and Big Sur.

Links: 
Website: katiesontag.com
email for contact: katharine.sontag@gmail.com
Patreon: patreon.com/katiesontag
Facebook: facebook.com/katiesontagmusickatiesontag.com
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/katiesontag
Bandcamp: https://katiesontag.bandcamp.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KatieSontag
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/17B4xx4loeNl48GXD6oyBB?si=9p7YgO6FQQ6s-WjBS1VhOg&nd=1

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major, 3-part harmony

Lyrics to all six songs shared in this episode by Wendy Luella Perkins

Notes: Wendy Luella Perkins sings to telemarketers, tells of her brother choosing her for his show-and-tell, and why she has a tik-tok channel. She talks about auditory memory, singing as refuge, and the reclamation of her voice. She describes the transition from singer/songwriter work into the Soulful Singing in 2002, and the challenges unique to this kind of therapeutic singing which is not professional therapy. We have the awkward conversation about money -- is it possible to make a living as a songwriter without commodifying song, which is a birthright? Patty Piotrowski has created the most appropriate beautiful art in my mind because of the generosity and openness of the bloom.

Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here.

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 875+ 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: 
Wendy Luella's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com
and tiktok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins
To email Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com
To join Soulful Singing every day from 9:00-9:45 a.m. Eastern Time, please click here for information: Wendy Luella Perkins | SoulfulSinging
(notice you'll need to email ahead of time to receive a link for joining, so don't leave it to the very last minute!)
Album that mattered: Joni Mitchell, Blue
Songwriter Wendy Lu wishes more people would listen to: Coco Love Alcorn

Nuts & Bolts: 
​Loving-Kindness: 3:4, major, zipper.
When All Is Swirling: 2:2, minor, zipper.
We're All Connected: 4:4, major, unison.
Trust In the Power: 4:4, major, zipper.
It's Good to Have a Song or Two: 4:4, major, unison.
To Love I Do Return: 3:4, major, zipper.

Notes: This poignant song by Wendy Luella Perkins comes from early on in the pandemic -- a time of fear and grieving -- yet also, in the early mornings, the streets were so unusually quiet in the cities that birdsong was clearly audible.  You'll be able to hear the echo of a dove call in the melody, which I teach with extra care so you can feel comfortable and relaxed singing it. This song helps me notice what I'm hearing around me -- and when I notice the sounds around me, I drop into the present micro-second, where all is well. In the next episode, there's a songwriter conversation with Wendy Luella, which includes not one, not two, but four songs that can be personal assistants as we heal, adapt, and grow.
​
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here.

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 875+ 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: 
Wendy Luella's website: https://www.wendyluellaperkins.com
andtiktok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyluellaperkins
To email Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), unison, harmonized

Notes: This is a vacation episode! I'm on vacation with my dear friend, Joy Truskowski... and what do you think we're doing together? We've been having such a good time singing, and on this episode (I think the shortest yet) you get to hear us together, singing a song I wrote just as a particularly difficult time was beginning. It helps me to not jump ahead to the future or gnash over the past -- that I can be right here, right now, and usually that's a pretty good moment. I asked the A Breath of Song listeners via the email list where they've experienced sanctuary, and they wrote the lyrics we sing... here are some of the other options that came up: in my swing, in this garden, in this choir, with this book, as I'm cooking, with this patient, with my cats, with my ponies, in my loved one's arms, in a canoe, while I'm painting, meditating.
​
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here to sign up.

Songwriter Info: I'm bringing you this podcast, so you've already got a sense of me! You can find more about me at the juneberrymusic website, or pertaining specifically to this podcast here at abreathofsong.com.

Links: 
Find Joy at joytru.com -- all kinds of awesome things!​
Juneberry Music -- everything I'm doing professionally, and some less-than-professionally
A Breath of Song -- lots of extras about this podcast, including a Year One art tile page, atip jar, and songwriter collaboration information

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), zipper song, unison

Notes: "Singing was never an option: it's like walking, breathing, eating... it's just one of the things that you do." It's a songwriter conversation with Lea Morris, who brings us not only her song, Just As You Are, but also gives us the very earliest possible sneak peek of what she might be writing for the NVN Black Lives Matter commission she has received. You can hear me stumble through learning a new-to-me song. We talk about how a song can transform a relationship or build self-forgiveness and self-acceptance. How singing with others is actually heaven. Lea shares her personal take on appropriateness versus appropriation and encourages us to follow our joy... "let yourself have that expression." This was my first in-the-same-room interview, and what a pleasure it was!
​
Be one of the first to know as new episodes are 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. Click here.

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

Links: 
Lea's website: www.thisislea.com
Lea on youtube: www.YouTube.com/thisislea
Good Morning Melodies by Lea Morris -- this link lets you buy either the songbook or the recordings of Lea's collection of acapella songs
Lea's recommendations:
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder... here's a 1976 album review by Rolling Stone, which I thought was interesting to read, since it was from before everyone knew how this album would go on to become one of the definitive pieces of art from the 1970s. Title link to the Amazon listing.
Fleur de Lis by Richard Julian... and here's a youtube video of a single from the album, Die in New Orleans

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4; Ionian (major), harmonized with response

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

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

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

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

Notes: An elemental song that reminds us of how ephemeral human life is -- yet how we can rely on the solidity of the elements and return to them again and again. This is a song I need when I feel unrooted by grief and anger. I wonder how it will feel to you, what it might touch, how it might help you adapt and flex and grow? Listen for the surprise sound effect... I was recording with the windows open, and my looper caught a passing sound... I decided not to rerecord, both because I didn't really have the time, and because I thought it was actually kind of cool in the context of this song. Just a reminder that this podcast is not a polished recorded performance (as if you hadn't figured that out already! :) ) I use the looper to layer up my voice a bit, but it's how it would sound if we were sitting in the same place and you were singing with me live... two real humans doing real human-y stuff.

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: Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. Anne Hill has expertise in many areas, from dreams and spirituality to self-publishing and author platforms. She is a sought-after speaker and teacher, helping people improve their lives using both inner and outer resources. With Diane Baker, they co-created a book called Circle Round, which is a resource of nature spirituality practices.  Unusually, I did not manage to get their explicit permission to share this song, though I reached out through their websites... so if this episode disappears, you'll know why! I'm hoping that because this song is already widely shared, it might be okay. Please, if this song speaks to you, here's an extra plea to use the links and visit their websites to support their work!

Links: 
Regenerative Culture, Earth-based Spirituality, and Permaculture « Starhawk's Website http://starhawk.org
About Anne | Serpentine Music & Media

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Ionian, Call & response with harmonies.

Notes: What are summer songs for you? I think of summer as a time of greeting and gathering and workshops and camps and goodbyes and endings... a time of physicality, sensuality, heat, languor... I notice my body responding to light and heat. When I tune inward, I listen for what hums, what hurts, what is healing. Especially in this time, I notice what memories are loosened and how tender connections feel -- which brings me to this song, which is a farewell wish that could be sung to anyone -- family, friends, people we don't yet know. It might even be sung to an inner self that we are extra aware of, or listen to, and then ask to wait while we tend to other demands. As we leave gatherings of family or friends or memories, we can hum this song, envisioning each, wishing them well. In the last line of lyrics, I use the pronoun "her" for love -- but please, sing whichever pronoun embodies love for you -- his, her, their, our, xer, sher -- craft a version that evokes warmth in you.

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: That would be me, so both of the websites below have stuff...

Links: 
abreathofsong.com
juneberrymusic.com

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, melody with counter-harmony

Notes: I keep singing this to myself... so grateful that Kaitie caught this song-morsel that provides so much release. This idea that life keeps rearranging, sometimes feeling awkward -- but that's not the end -- I get to keep moving through that... for some reason I can hear this so much more easily when it's coming in a song. Kaitie isn't done with this song -- she is still listening for the harmonies -- which means you're getting it at this sweet moment of openness and exploration -- how will you harmonize it, or will you stay with the melody, singing the reassurance into your bones? The songwriter conversation that follows ranges across the Ubuntu philosophy origin and how/why it applies to choirs, caring for a group, straight talk about singing in groups when not everyone's on pitch, what we can learn from small children, musings on flexibility versus predictability ... and more!

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: Kaitie Ty Warren (she) is a Bay Area-based songleader, teacher, writer, cartoonist and performer. Passionate about creating joyful experiences through music, Kaitie uses simple yet luscious harmonies to build bridges within communities and bring people together in song. In early 2020, Kaitie's Living Room Choir moved online, and that fall her first child was born. Living Room Choir continued online, and in 2021 Kaitie added Simple Harmonies: Songs for Babies & Their Grown-Ups. Nowadays, Kaitie is still leading online but also exploring pandemic-conscious opportunities to sing together in person. Her dream, pandemic-willing, is to host a vibrant, in-person, intergenerational choir for babies, children and adults of all ages to sing together. ​

Links: 
To contact Kaitie directly: kaitietywarren@gmail.com
To learn more of Kaitie's songs: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/original-music/
To sing with Kaitie: thelivingroomchoir.com
Kaitie's cartoons: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/
For cartoons & things for sale: https://society6.com/kaitietywarren

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrisette MORISSETTE,ALANIS - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic - Amazon.com Music
Simon Webbe: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/simon-webbe/78729485
more about the Bird/Cat/Dog idea for community reengagement
Ubuntu and Bishop Desmond Tutu... here's an article about ubuntu by Desmond Tutu’s granddaughter

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), melody with optional harmonies

Notes: Penny includes us all into her circle of friends by sharing "First Light" -- a song she wrote for 5 close friends, including her partner. Then we have a rollicking conversation, covering big voices, purposeful singing, what a requiem might do, and a few little questions like, "What has singing taught you about life?" Also, how and why you might say "FTS"...

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. 

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: First Light (learn and sing along) - YouTube
Twitter: @singovertheguns

The lullaby Penny describes that she wrote for the "wee girl": https://youtu.be/aG3OgCWd8c4
How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy:  An Excerpt from How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy | Penguin Random House
Two choices for Jaqueline du Pre Elgar cello concerto:
 Jacqueline du Pre & Daniel Barenboim - Elgar Cello Concerto - YouTube
or with Sir John Barbirolli: Elgar Cello Concerto / Jacqueline Du Pré / Sir John Barbirolli, LSO (ASD 655) 1965 - YouTube

Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Major, Harmonized, tune in the middle

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.

Notes: Creativity is so often the process of connecting disparate things in a new way. Juliana Murphy crafted this sweet, reassuring wish for safety, wellness, and fearlessness by combining a text from a modern-day fable of awakening with a folk song that came with disturbing, murderous lyrics. She adjusted both and ended up with a song that to me, at least, sits easily in the voice, and lightly on the spirit. I can send this wish to myself, family members, friends, or strangers. I don't take "awakened" to be a politically-angsty, aggressive kind of "wokeness", but rather an eyes-opened kind of awareness and presence that lets me register the world immediately around me. As always, you get to take this song and make it your own now -- what is it that you wish for yourself and those around you that is actually already true? How much fear can we release as we sing?

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: Juliana Murphy (she/her) 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 co-leads the Tucson Community Song Circle and is a graduate of the Littlebird Songleader Flight School for community songleading.

Links: 
Juliana's blogpost about this song, with her recording: ​Be Safe, My Love — juliana murphy
Juliana's website: https://www.julianamurphy.com/waking-lullabies
Instagram: @wakinglullabies

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major,  harmonized

Notes: As we prepare to leave our home of 22 years and shift to a new kind of community for us, let me tell you, this song is proving useful! As I sort belongings, as inspections get scheduled... and spring begins to rise, and world news swirls, and how to responsibly bring people together is still confusing and uncertain... something sweet, short and simple that I can repeat to myself, exchanging the words "It's all falling apart! I can't do this!" with "I am the calm in the eye of the storm..." is a huge gift I give myself with tenderness and with strength. Carole Marie wrote it in the early days of the pandemic, when even yoga practice felt overwhelming -- she could sing this to herself on her mat and take a breath. I think it is aging well, holding that kind of unpanicked settling effect that lets us function through it all. And while I sincerely hope you don't need this song right now, if you learn it this week, it will be snugged into your heart for any moment in the future when it becomes useful!

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: Carole Marie Downing is a songleader, music guide, and facilitator committed to sparking joy and creating connection in times of transition and change. She leads 'Simply Singing', a monthly community song circle and facilitates workshops and retreats integrating music with writing. As a music guide, she teaches introductory ukulele and guitar with a passion for supporting beginners to trust and nurture their innate musicality. Carole Marie lives in Portland, Oregon and finds inspiration for music and life in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Links: Find Carole Marie in any of these places!
Website: https://www.tunetojoy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TunetoJoy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tunetojoymusic/

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, Major, 2-layers, one harmonized

Notes: Okay, I procrastinated on recording this episode for the longest of any song yet... I respect Moira so much, and I desperately wanted to share her song in a beautiful way that convinced you to love it, too. I felt like I wasn't good enough, and I got a good run of the whole imposter syndrome going, yada, yada, yada. But you know what shifted? I remembered why this podcast exists -- to share songs that help me heal, adapt, and grow, so you can sing them, too. And this song is one that I've sung to myself over and over in the middle of troubling times to help me release and let go. When I sing this into myself, I can see more clearly which actions might be mine to make next. And when the world is in turmoil, this is what helps me navigate a way forward. None of us (myself included) need to have a stunning voice for a song to be a companion... and I'm grateful to Moira for this gift. Please notice, I haven't shared the entire song here, only an excerpt... check out the links below to hear the whole song, and buy the music on her website for yourself or to share with others. Next episode: a conversation with Moira Smiley herself, who turns out to be absolutely lovely and generous -- we talk creativity, how rest is part of the job, how her voice has protected her, and more...​

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, for example, I shared a video collected by the Polyphony Project of Ukrainian women singing a traditional song about a son who has gone to be a soldier, and I included a list of possible organizations to support the people harmed by war. 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 a 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
A beautiful recording of a quartet singing the full Stand In That River, part of "The Mt. Tom Sessions".
Moira's own recording of Stand In That River with VOCO.

Nuts & Bolts: ​3:4, Ionian, harmonized melody

​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

Notes: Whether or not you have snowdrops blooming right now, who doesn't recognize the promise we sometimes can sense in a bloom? The cycle of blooming, falling, disintegrating, resting, reforming, growing, blooming... this song has a beautiful criss-cross of lines, so the first line burrows into the second line, while the second line starts low and grounded, then rises hopefully above the first. The third line lets you sing out a sort of commentary and affirmation of the first two. I take time teaching the first part, especially, so you can feel really confident as the song develops...

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: Jenny is a community singing leader and songwriter with a passion for using song to bring joy and build communities and friendships. She runs a-cappella harmony singing groups in Knaresborough and has two young children aged 7 and 4. She also writes beautiful, soulful and easy to teach songs often inspired by and celebrating her love of nature.

Links: A license to teach the song along with the score and learning/ part tracks are available for £5 by sending an email to Jenny at Jenny.j.cook21@gmail.com
You can also find more of Jenny's songs at her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jennycookmusic/ (you don't need to belong to facebook to look & listen)
Jenny singing Brighter Days herself in a beautiful video with Patty's art, among other lovely snowdrops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1HBLiURzqI

Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Ionian, 2 layer, one harmonized

Notes: What does it take to allow you to fall to rest, deeply & completely? Rest is such a necessary component of healing, and sometimes can be tricky to come by -- unless I'm the only one awake at 2 in the morning sometimes, with my head spinning fruitless circles? Feeling completely safe -- completely loved -- is one of the things that lets me rest, slows the adrenalin responses, and lets my body and mind heal. This song does that for me... whew!!! The composer, Elizabeth Norton, points out: "Please note that there is no "you" verse. This is because Rev. Dr. Parker was very clear that this is a widening circle of Love and compassion that embraces all." We are each at the center of this song.

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: A life-long church musician, Elizabeth (Beth) Norton has served First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts as Director of Music Ministry since 1994, leading a dynamic adult choir and guiding a vital and varied music ministry for singers and instrumentalists of all ages and stages. She has led UU singers on concert pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, building musical bridges with Unitarian churches in Transylvania (Romania), Hungary and the Czech Republic. Beth received her bachelor’s degree with a major in music from Smith College and a master’s degree in choral conducting from Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. As a composer, she has written several songs, chants and choral anthems that are currently available by contacting EHNComposer@gmail.com. Beth says she had the great wisdom to marry into the Norton family in 1986. Her husband, Peter, is Tom Norton’s brother. Thus, she has the great good fortune (again, her own words!) to claim Patricia Norton as her sister-in-law and friend! Beth and Peter have two adult sons, who live in southern Vermont and near Boston Massachusetts. Beth and her family share a love of music, hiking, skiing, and birding. She usually has a knitting project on hand.

Links:
The score can be accessed through the UUA "Worship Web" here: https://www.uua.org/worship/words/music/there-love
Hear a roomful of people singing There Is A Love (and catch a glimpse of Beth!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlY7Yf-l8rU

Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, round

Notes: Lisa wrote this song in a beautifully flexible way, so we can each adapt it to what we need to be singing in the moment... in the podcast, I only sing "All our voices are rising up...", but you can insert your own word for the kind of voices rising up inside you. In the community singing world, songs like this are called "zipper songs", and they can be a beautiful practice of awareness -- as you sing, over and over, other words might appear in your head -- and some of them may surprise you, or make you laugh, or touch you tenderly. Welcome to your voice -- welcome to mine -- I can imagine them thrumming through the earth as we sing this song 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: Oxford, U.K.-based singer-songwriter Lisa Doscher believes in the power of the voice to reconnect us, to ourselves and to each other. Her songs open up a portal for listeners to go within, while at the same time resensitizing to the world through beautiful harmonies and life-affirming lyrics. Her new album, ‘Tuning In: Songs to Reconnect and Recharge’ is a retreat from the stresses of daily life, designed to activate our creative energy and help us realign with our unique purpose. There are songs to soothe, uplift and restore balance. For those interested in going deeper, Lisa is offering a ‘Tuning In’ Women’s Group starting February 1st, 2022, with monthly live sessions, weekly meditations and support for going within to activate your voice and creative process. Lisa also offers individual voice and healing sessions.

Links:
All the info, places to buy/listen:
https://lisadoscher.com

Or go directly to buy/stream on Bandcamp: https://lisadoscher.bandcamp.com/
It includes a beautifully designed booklet with the intentions behind the songs and ways to use them in your daily life.

Find Lisa on Facebook or Instagram as @lisadoschermusic

You can also hear Lisa singing Voices Rising on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjDQDDf_MU4

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (Major), melody with harmonized interlocking part; zipper potential

Notes: "Hope lingers on"... I love singing this to myself as a reminder that a pandemic is not the only thing lingering around. There are so many beautiful recordings of this piece online, I encourage you, like always, to use this podcast as a way to learn the song, and then if it speaks to you, follow the links and sing along with gorgeous professional recordings! Sometimes, honestly, it makes me uncomfortable to put my voice with loops out there when there are such polished renditions available (that honestly might sound better!) -- but then I remind myself that I'm not here performing for you... I'm here sharing a song that makes a difference to me when I sing it to myself -- and maybe it will do that for you, too? Planting songs for wellness...   
  Next week I'm hugely excited to share a songwriter conversation with the composer of this song, Lissa Schneckenburger. We talk about some of the differences between voice and violin as instruments, music as a way of distilling learning and helping heal from trauma, how not to lose heart as a change-maker, touring on a bicycle and more.

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 the next episode's conversation.

Links:
Lissa's website: lissafiddle.com
Low Lily's recording of Hope Lingers On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv9R60CSQ54
The totebag with the chorus lyrics: https://lissafiddle.com/store/hope-lingers-on-tote-bag/
Learn more about Thunder in My Arms :  https://lissafiddle.com/store/thunder-in-my-arms/
Vancouver Youth Choir singing Hope Lingers On:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0bmhcvPwTI
A combination of a college and middle school choir made one of the infamous virtual choir videos of Hope Lingers On:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506zikTDSMs

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian, 3 verses & harmonized chorus

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

Notes: It's a generous mast year here around the Connecticut River -- another gift of the trees, our breathing partners. Joy brought this song to my Pocket Songs group in the fall of 2020, and it is much loved by the Pocket Song Singers. A thing to know about Joy is that she has an extraordinary ability to be present with the feelings of those around her -- and an incredible capacity for delight and kindness… as well as an openness to learning that is hard to have unless you feel confident about your own innate worth. There's something about this song that transmits that sense of one's own standing: present, and also willing to change. It is a TOUGH one for me to sing in tune!!! (Thanks, Joy!) There are back-up parts that remind me of my once-upon-a-time deep desire to be one of the Shirelles, and a sweeping melodic line for the first part, followed by a breathing, in-and-out line for the second part. I hope you find it as satisfying and affirming as I do.

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: Joy Tru combines heartfelt harmonies with vocal percussion, electronic layers, guitar and flute to create unique, honest folk and pop songs evoking love and hope. She also leads circlesinging and creates live improvised prayer songs and soundscapes using a loop station.

Links: 
Joy's website: joytru.com
Joy singing Falling Acorns herself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFLvejDaz7E

Nuts & Bolts: 6:8, Ionian (major), 2-layers with 4-layer background

Notes: Ishka talks about music making while hiking and cuddling, the influence of her singing mother, the difference between singing alone and in large groups, kitchen singing, good food, how songmaking could be available to anyone, and why she sometimes says she doesn't like music (!) And in with all that, she shares this song which originated as a walking song, but can be used in many moods... and I get to sing along so you can hear how it rounds... we can imagine ourselves in the kitchen making a yummy fall soup, singing together.... feeling grateful.

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:
How Could Anyone Ever Tell You? by Libby Roderick (this is a live recording of Libby's with a story at the beginning; the song starts at about 3'20")
Aimée Ringle site: http://www.aimeeringlemusic.com/
Lyndsey Scott: to find more about her, I'm going to direct you to Episode #16, which features a song of Lyndsey's and all her multitudinous contact info!
Ishka's Soundcloud site- https://soundcloud.com/user-943187430  Ishka directly shares many mantra-like songs​
Ishka's Therapeutic Cuddling website- holdmeavl.com 

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major scale), 2-part layer or round.

​Notes: Kathleen says she caught this comforting song while lying on a huge rock next to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, crying her heart out over a relationship that was transforming.  A beautiful oak tree was growing out of the rock, and as the song was born her sorrowful feelings washed through with the sound of the river, and she was left feeling whole, and at peace with the way things were. She also shared this story with me, "One time I sang the song in a show with a group of women drummers. Their teacher, a lovely African man, also played with us in the concert and rehearsal. After I taught them in the rehearsal and we had played it for a while, the African drummer told me that the song felt like an African song to him. That was one of my happiest moments, since I have for so long felt inspired by African diaspora music. And I did not really feel like I wrote that song... it just came through as a whole as I cried by the river." 

Songwriter info: Kathleen has been writing, collecting and sharing songs for over 50 years. Her songs were awarded a North Carolina Arts Council Songwriter Fellowship. She currently leads the Bodies, Voices & Spirit Choruses in North Carolina and Maine, and is also a Dances of Universal Peace leader. She's a student of the Heart, and she facilitates The Work of Byron Katie.

Links:
Kathleen's blogpost & recording of Ancient Green with guitar, bass, piano, and drum. (So much fun to sing with!) 
​https://www.kathleenhannan.com/song-blog/songs-for-our-journey-26
Kathleen's online presence: www.kathleenhannan.com
Kathleen's chorus: https://bodiesvoicesandspirit.weebly.com/
Kathleen's song blog, which is searchable by title, subject or excerpts from lyrics: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/song-blog

Kathleen's most recent CD is Seen & Unseen: Songs from the Light of Midlife
Purchase CD here: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/seen--unseen-cd1.html
Lyrics are here: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/lyrics--credits.html
Photos from the recording process: https://www.kathleenhannan.com/photos.html

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major), round with possible harmonies, or optionally could be taught as a layer song