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  • Published on

    241. Sing Your Roots with guest singers

    3:4 Be Grateful Belonging Calm Earth Heal Nature Roots Scale: Minor Song Form: Round

    Song: Sing Your Roots

    Music by:  Eileen Hazel


    Song Learning Time Stamps:

    Start of teaching: 00:02:44

    Start of reprise: 00:13:13


    Guest Singers: Becky Peterson, Karen Chickering, Molly Moerdyk


    Lyrics:


    Sing your roots into the soil, deep within the earth


    Sing of sea and sky and land, all that gave you birth


    Sing a song of earthly praise,

    sing it to the stars


    Sing your truest inner song, remember who you are




    Image description

    Notes: There's a slightly strange sound quality in this one, as something weird was going on with my mic when recording... maybe we were so rooted and grounded singing this that we changed the electricity in the room?! I invited three friends over to sing Eileen's round with me, and a little delightful chaos ensued... pick a place to start singing the song, with one of us or in between us, and see what happens. I wonder how we would all be if we felt that sense of deep rootedness, combined with a rise to the stars?

     

    Songwriter Info: After many years of singing, composing, and performing, Elieen discovered her deepest love in community singing. The joy and deep connection found in singing together deeply fed her soul. Since 2023, Elieen has been facilitating community song circles in the East Bay. She especially loves co-facilitating with other song leaders and cultivating spaces that feel joyful, welcoming, and harmonious. In the last few years, Eileen's connection to the Muse has opened in new ways. The songs flowing through her are now largely created for community singing—meant to be shared, experienced, and sung together. The songs she creates emanate from a place of spirit, drawing inspiration from her profound connection to the natural world, and to our communities. Visit her website (eileenhazel.com) to see what’s coming up.

     

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

     

    Links:

    Eileen's Website: eileenhazel.com

    Bandcamp to buy music: https://eileenhazel.bandcamp.com/.

    More music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel

    Eileen's own recording of Sing Your Roots: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel/sing-your-roots

     

    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, minor, round

     

    Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:

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  • Published on

    240. What Have We Done with guest Kaitie Ty Warren

    4:4 Belonging Change Empower Gather Grieve Hope Justice Legacy Power & Change Scale: Ionian (Major) Shame Song Form: Layer Tend

    Song: What Have We Done

    Music by:  Kaitie Ty Warren


    Song Learning Time Stamps:


    Start of teaching: 00:03:18

    Start of reprise: 01:14:26



    Lyrics:


    What have we done?

    What have we done?

    What have we done?

    What can we do?


    And I fear we’ve gone so far, I fear we can’t get back to who we are, and who we are is simple: we remember we’re all one


    And I know there’s a story, waiting for me to write the ending



    Image description

    Notes: Kaitie and I talk about how we get to practice skills in singing that help us show up in full right size to help build the kind of culture we want to live in. This includes stories about cockroaches, childraising, computer-savvy friends... and Kaitie brings it all "earthside" by teaching this powerful layer song which is intimately connected with the South African song "Senzenina". We talk about cross-cultural connections, and how we try to continually update our learning -- what it is to be in right relationship, the illness of wetiko, how to be "other" in a non-inclusive dominant culture. If any of this sparks your curiosity, join us!

     

    Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.

     

    Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.

     

    Links:

    Where to find What Have We Done:

    https://livingroomchoir.com/what-have-we-done/

    https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety/posts/song-what-have-143827793

    https://kaitietywarren.bandcamp.com/track/what-have-we-done


    Living Room Choir's Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingroomchoir

    Living Room Choir's Website: LivingRoomChoir.com/song-library


    Kaitie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety

    Kaitie's Website: https://kaitietywarren.com/

    Kaitie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/

     

    Senzenina – The Joy covering it: https://youtu.be/0ye19cENvY4?si=okLZ6YrsQrXwHJb4

    Vukani Mowethu South African choir in Oakland: https://www.vukani.com/

    Kele Nitoto: https://www.instagram.com/kelenitoto/

    Ahimsa – concept of non-violence: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ahimsa

    Heather Houston retreats: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/retreats-old/

    Laura Sandage: https://www.lauraschapel.com/

    “I Am” by Tom Shadyac (available on Netflix) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_(2010_American_documentary_film)

    Wetiko: Algonquin term for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess and selfish consumption (in Ojibwe it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan) - https://www.lapishealingarts.com/lapidary-blog/wetiko-and-the-collective-dark-night-of-the-soul

    East Bay Songfest April 16-18, 2027: https://eastbaysongfest.com/

     

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, layer, major

     

    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

  • Published on

    239. My Body is Perfect

    4:4 Abundance Acceptance Sing Be Grateful Belonging Empower Gentle Heal Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Call & Response

    Song: My Body is Perfect

    Music by:  Kaitie Ty Warren


    Song Learning Time Stamps:


    Start of teaching: 00:02:54

    Start of reprise: 00:14:00



    Lyrics:


    Your body is perfect

    (my body is perfect)


    Just the way it is

    (just the way it is)


    Your body is perfect

    (my body is perfect)


    Just the way it is

    (just the way it is)


    Image description

    (feel free to sing "your body is perfect" or "my body is perfect" according to the needs of the moment.)

    This song is a good zipper song. Here are some suggestions:


    my health is perfect

    my timing is perfect

    my offer is perfect

    my singing is perfect

    my voice is perfect

    

    Notes: Kaitie started quite a discussion around our house with this song. What is perfect? Who gets to decide? And why is it so darn comforting to be told you're perfect, anyway? But when I first sang this song with Kaitie at Heather Houston's Global Summit many months ago, I was struck by how much better I felt after singing it to myself -- and I have continued to sing it through a flare of pain that I'm still seeking answers for and is constricting my way of life -- and I continue to find it comforting! Maybe you will, too? Next week, I get to talk with Kaitie directly about all kinds of things, including the ways we're trying to move away from the harm done by white colonial cultures and toward a vibrant, inclusive kind of presence that hums with life and generativity.


    Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.

     

    Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.

     

    Links:

    "My Body is Perfect" on Kaitie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety/posts/new-song-my-body-137978799

    Kaitie's Patreon: www.patreon.com/kaitiety


    Living Room Choir's Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingroomchoir

    Living Room Choir's Website: LivingRoomChoir.com/song-library


    Kaitie's Website: https://kaitietywarren.com/

    Kaitie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitietywarren/

    Kaitie's Bandcamp: https://kaitietywarren.bandcamp.com

     

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, call and response, major

     

    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