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  • Published on

    148. Oh the Rain

    3 Layer 6:8 Accept Be Present Breathe Calm Gentle Heart Listen Notice Rain Ribbon Scale: Mixolydian Song Form: Layer Trust
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:12
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:37
    Lyrics:

    1. Oh the rain,
    the rain it comes down,
    and it carries a world
    in its sound.
    Oh the rain,
    oh the rain,
    it comes down.

    2. Some
    times I feel blue;
    I’m
    gonna take a breath or two
    and soften,
    let my heart
    be tender.

    3. Softly,
    gently,
    let it fall as it will.
    Softly, gently
    tender, tender.
    Picture
    Song: Oh the Rain
    Music by: Patricia Norton

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

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

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

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

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

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

    147. Walk On Through

    Ancestors Change Earth Empower Friendship Grieve Heal Home Journey Love Mixed Meter Moon Pain Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Verse & Chorus Stars Trust
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:30
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:57
    Lyrics:

    The Mystery is holding your hand
    The Mystery is holding your hand
    The Mystery is holding your hand
    As you walk through

    The angels are holding your hand
    The angels are holding your hand
    The angels are holding your hand
    As you walk through….

    Chorus:
    So walk on through - no turning back
    Walk on through - we got your back
    We’ll stand by you
    You’re not alone
    So walk on through, we’ll walk you home

    (other verses, same form, fill in the blank with: stars and moon, mother earth, ancestors, all of us, etc)
    Picture
    Song: Walk On Through
    Music by: Samara Jade

    ​Notes: Samara's song sings powerfully inside me about how we accompany each other... and are accompanied by the natural world. It gives me words to say and feel when someone I care for is going through pain and there is nothing I can "do" to help... and that I am not the only source of companionship. This episode is a little unusual -- instead of just voice, I decided to play piano, including time for you to sing while I accompany you. Patty's artwork was in my mind's eye as I was singing -- I am so grateful for her accompanying vision as we create this library of songs.

    Songwriter Info: Samara Jade is a multi-instrumentalist folk troubadour - a writer, crafter, performer and producer of memorable soul-centered songs. Coming from a diverse musical background, Samara stitches together a unique tapestry of sounds with a sophisticated quality of musicianship distinctly her own. Born in the Hudson Valley of New York state, and shaped by the mountains and rivers of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, Samara has been a grass-roots style touring folk musician for over a decade, spreading her songs all across this country and weaving and widening the webs of community. To Samara, music is a primarily a healing and spiritual practice - with many of her songs born out of and made for her own journeys of grief, underworld spelunking, connection with the natural world & transformation - and she derives great joy and fulfillment when her songs turn out to provide good medicine for others as well.
    ​
    Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Samara always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
    ​
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:30
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:57

    Links: 
    Samara's Patreon: www.patreon.com/samarajade

    Nuts & Bolts: Mixed meter; major, verse & chorus

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

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

    146. Begin Again

    4:4 Accept Be Present Breathe Earth Flow Heal Home Journey Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Unison Song Form: Unison With Separate Harmony Line Tend
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
    Start time of reprise: 00:18:57

    Lyrics:
    ​
    I begin again with my breath,
    joining earth,
    earth and spirit.
    I return again to my breath,
    ​walking home the unknown path.
    Picture
    Song: Begin Again
    Music by: Jean Farmer

    ​Notes: Jean Farmer's song was just right for me this week, as some old wounds were reopened. I was frustrated with myself -- I didn't want to have to heal again. This song helped me find the kindness and willingness to start over, connecting with this breath and the earth. Jean said I could harmonize at will -- so I give you four different ways -- a simple echo, a descant, and then a 3-part harmony with part above and below and some different sounds, and of course, the unadorned song so you can play or enjoy joining your voice with mine. I'm so glad we're singing together!

    Songwriter Info: Jean Farmer has experienced the joy of singing in community from her earliest days, often singing with her sisters as a child and later leading songs around the campfire. She was a registered nurse for 35 years. Since retiring from Nursing, songs have been coming through her, often in the middle of the night. This opening to welcome the songs is a spiritual practice: a path to centering, a form of self-expression, and a way to create and build community. She often sings at labyrinth walks and other contemplative gatherings in Northern California with her singing partner Robin O'Brien in a group called Notan.
    ​
    Sharing Info:     The song is free to share in oral tradition groups. Please credit Jean Farmer as the author. Please contact Jean for recording and or performing permission. (jeanwfarmer@gmail.com)
    ​
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:45
    Start time of reprise: 00:18:57

    Links: 
    Notan Bandcamp: https://notan.bandcamp.com/album/mother-tree
    Notan website: https://notan.org/

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

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

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

    145. Hold On with guest Aaron Johnson

    2:2 Calm Determination Empower Grieve Heal Hope Love Mantra Prayer Safe Scale: Aeolian (minor) Song Form: Unison Song Form: Unison With Separate Harmony Line Song Form: Zipper Songwriter Conversation Time Trust Wisdom
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:42
    Start time of reprise: 01:13:45

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

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

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

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

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

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

    144. I Hear

    4:4 Be Present Belonging Friendship Gather Grieve Heal Heart Listen Love Mantra Notice Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Unison Song Form: Unison With Separate Harmony Line Wisdom
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:05:09
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:20

    Lyrics:
    ​
    I hear my voice
    from my heart to my soul;
    I hear your voice
    from your heart to your soul.
    Picture
    Song: I Hear
    Music by: Aaron Johnson

    ​Notes: What I love about Aaron's song is how it is quick to learn, and then can be taken in many directions -- it can stay simple, giving a chance to listen deeply to one's own voice or the voices of surrounding people. It can be explored in many ways -- growing, soft, harmonies, rhythmic intense or free -- and for this recording, I had the privilege of listening to five friends learn it for the first time, and then let themselves take risks and explore. When making a studio recording, anything that didn't ring perfectly would be taken out -- but I've left the exploration in, to encourage you to do some of your own. Your voice from your heart to your soul. Listening to what it's saying. What a beautiful practice.

    Songwriter Info: Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch specialist working to identify and interrupt barriers between people. As co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Because oppression is a part of historical and present American culture, the long-term impact of those trauma stories should be acknowledged and held as a map for our collective healing. Aaron Johnson practices and invites various methods of moving through these stories, such as the communal listening ear, sound healing, meditation, and closeness to the earth.
    ​
    Sharing Info:     When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Aaron for permission and rates.
    ​
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:05:09
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:20

    Links: 
    Link tree: https://linktr.ee/HolisticResistance
    Grief to Action: https://www.grieftoaction.com/
    The Chronically UnderTouched Project:
    https://www.cutproject.org/
    https://bio.site/cut.project
    TEDx on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zi_hm0-zrgk

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison with option of adding harmonies

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

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