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  • Published on

    209. We Shall Be Known with Flow Singers

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Melody: 00:04:20
    High harmony: 00:07:16
    Low harmony: 00:11:34
    Whole song: 00:15:05
    Lyrics:

    We shall be known by the company we keep
    By the ones who circle round to tend these fires
    We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap
    The seeds of change alive from deep within the Earth
     
    It is time now
    It is time now that we thrive 
    It is time we lead ourselves into the well
    It is time now
    And what a time to be alive
    In this "Great Turning" we shall learn to lead in love
    In this "Great Turning" we shall learn to lead in love

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    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

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  • Published on

    208. Estrellitas

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:39
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:14
    Lyrics:

    ​Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh… (bis 4x) 

    Deja, deja, deja que las estrellitas 
    Que las estrellitas, se lleven tu dolor 

    Deja, deja, deja, 
    Ve y enciende el fuego, 
    Deja, deja, deja, tu duda y tu temor

    Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…
    (4x) 

    Let it go, let it go, let the little stars,
    Let the little stars carry away your pain.

    Let it go, let it go, let it go,
    Go and light up the fire,
    Let it go, let it go, release your doubt and fear.


    FURTHER LYRICS:

    La tristeza esa, Pa’ las estrellitas 
    La preocupación y el dolor del corazón 
    Deja, deja, deja que los queme el fuego 
    Deja, deja, deja y vuela alto por favor 

    Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…
    (4x) 

    Deja, deja, deja, que los queme el fuego 
    Y las estrellitas transmuten tu dolor 
    Deja la tristeza, las dudas, el miedo, 
    Pide a las estrellas que te curen por favor… 


    Outro: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…

    ENGLISH:

    That sadness—give it to the stars,
    The worry and the ache within your heart.
    Let it go, let it go, let the fire burn them,
    Let it go, let it go, and now please, fly high 
    reaching the skies up above 

    Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…
    (4x)

    Let it go, let it go, let the fire burn it,
    And let the stars transmute your pain.
    Leave behind sadness, the doubts, the fear,
    Please ask the stars to heal you… 


    Outro: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…
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    Song: Estrellitas
    Music by: Ana Lucia Divins

    Notes: Singing this song of grief and the lifting of grief connected deeply with my heart this week. No matter what grief is in my heart at the moment, the wordless "O", followed by the shaping of Spanish words for sorrow, doubt, and fear as well as let go and little stars -- letting all the grief light the fire and then the sparks carry it away -- oh, it felt good to sing this. Soft and strong, velvet and spark, ache and motion. I'm grateful Ana Lucia gifted us this song to sing, and excited that once you've learned the core of the song with me, you get to sing all of it with her if you follow the Bandcamp link! 

    Songwriter Info: Music has been a lifelong companion for Ana Lucia Divins, who has witnessed its healing power and the strength of community connections. This journey led her to explore sound and therapeutic music studies. She is a Certified Music Practitioner by MHTP and a Holistic Voice Therapist with the British Academy of Sound Therapy. Since 2022, she has integrated healing music into her offerings, singing by patients’ bedsides and sharing therapeutic music in the community for restoration and relaxation. In 2023, she received the Arts and Science Council Creative Renewal Fellowship and in 2024, the Arts and Science Council Artist Support Grant, enabling her to delve deeper into music’s healing potential and produce new works. Ana Lucia’s exploration of her voice has taken her to national and international workshops and retreats in Greece, Spain, the UK, and Colombia. 
    In the summer of 2024, Ana Lucia and Carlos Crespo, an Ecuadorian guitarist, released their debut healing music album, “Emerging,” in collaboration with other talented musicians. Available on all digital platforms, "Emerging" offers a deeply relaxing and uplifting sound bath of original new-age world music. It is a sonic journey mirroring life’s ebb and flow, from dawn’s gentle awakening to night’s tranquil embrace, remembering the cycles of healing, new beginnings, and transformation.

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

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:39
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:14

    Links:
    Ana Lucia's website: https://www.adivins.com 
    Divins Music Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divinsmusic/ 
    Azul Healing website: https://www.azulhealing.com 
    Azul Healing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azulhealing/ 
    Emerging album on Bandcamp: https://divins.bandcamp.com/album/emerging 

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, unison

    Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:  https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share

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  • Published on

    207. Ribbon 12: Dreaming

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    The Sunday after this episode is released, October 12th, 2025, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!

    ​Lyrics 
    & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.
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    ​28. Drifting Dark

    by Patricia Norton

    Drifting dark, cold and spark,
    floating dream, holiday scene.
    I know this world keeps on turning,
    spinning songs of hearts in yearning.

    Dark.  Spark.  
    Dream.  Scene.
    World.  Turning.
    Spinning candescent, spinning candescent,
    spinning hearts in yearning.
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    ​199. The Turtle Remembers

    by Becky Reardon

    The Turtle remembers 
    a dream in December,
    alone with God.
    Alone with songs of the whales,
    returning, returning.
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    ​189. Hearth

    by Yuri Woodstock

    Fire at the center in my heart
    Rise of the night spark fly away
    Smoke twines together in the sky
    Oh how the dark times light my way

    Fire in my heart
    Praise be to the dark

    Dreaming in an endless night
    Living in an endless dream
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    ​120. Alchemy

    by Te Martin

    Everything is helping you
    grow and thrive;
    know what you need to know.

    It is not too late,
    it is not too late to follow
    (3x)
    your dreams.

    Dream!
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    ​62. Let Me Be The Love

    by Karly Loveling

    Doing my best to be the Love
    my deepest heart is dreaming of.

    With every breath I take,
    Let me be the Love

    Letting my cup overflow
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  • Published on

    206. Breathe Easy

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:34
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:16

    ​Lyrics:


    Breathe easy, let it all go
    Rest your body, trust your soul
    To guide your way and keep you whole
    Breathe easy let go

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    Song: Breathe Easy
    Music by: Karly Loveling

    Notes: When I heard this song of Karly's, I couldn't wait to tease apart the harmonies -- and I find I sing it to myself at odd moments -- its kind, gentle advice lets me release into my own wisdom. What's funny is I came to record it in a bit of a rush, after a rather stressful day and knowing I'd be travelling in the morning, so I really had to get it done... and the breath of song did its thing. As I taught it, my heart eased, my breath deepened, I reconnected to my own wholeness -- and by the end of the episode, I was loathe to stop! I'll be curious to know if your body responds the same way?

    Songwriter Info: Karly Loveling is a seasoned songleader, songwriter, and permissionary of heartfelt expression. For over two decades, she has been guiding voices and hearts through community singing, classes, and workshops in Eugene, Oregon and beyond.
    Karly’s journey in Oregon began with a formative chapter at Lost Valley Educational Center, where she immersed herself in personal growth workshops and forged lasting connections. With a background in dance and a degree in the field, she co-founded Coalessence Dance, an ecstatic dance community that continues to thrive, with Becca Perry in 2006.
    Karly’s love for community singing deepened through her many years at Singing Alive, where she led song circles and found inspiration among fellow songleaders from the gathering’s inception through 2023. In 2013, she founded the Hummingbirds Girls Choir, whose joyful harmonies became a beloved feature at the Eugene Saturday Market, Holiday Market, and the Oregon Country Fair.
    In 2015, Karly launched Singing Heart, a community singing group, which inspired her to complete the Community Choir Leadership Training in British Columbia the following year. Singing Heart is proud to be part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, affirming the principle that everyone can sing and that singing builds connection.
    Karly’s often playful, layered, and meaningful original songs are sung by songleaders from Appalachia to Ireland. She currently offers in-person and online classes, leads retreats, and shares her work at community singing gatherings across the country.

    Sharing Info: This song is free to sing, but Karly always welcomes and appreciates financial and networking support.

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:34
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:16

    Links:
    Karly's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/KarlyLoveling
    Karly's Bandcamp: https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/music
    Singing Heart Harmonies: https://singingheartharmonies.com/
    Karly's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlyloveling

    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, melody & 2 harmonies

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