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  • 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

    136. Breathe Deep

    4:4 Be Present Breathe Calm Flow Gentle Mantra Release Rest Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized Song Form: Layer Tend Trauma Trust Wisdom
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:41
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:42
    Lyrics

    All you need is a quiet moment.
    All you need is a quiet moment.
    All you need is a quiet moment,
    go inside. Go inside.

    Breathe deep, breathe deep.
    Breathe deep, everything's alright.
    Picture
    Song: Breathe Deep
    Music by:​ Sara Stutz

    ​    Notes: I had an early morning voice as I was recording this, full of creaks and gaps -- and it shifts as it goes! I didn't rerecord, partly because, you know, time, and partly because I'm challenging myself to let recordings be human and real, and partly because A Breath of Song is all about turning up with the voices we have... so you're welcome! 😊 Sara Stutz's beautiful song starts in one calm place, and then ever so gracefully settles into an even calmer presence. I can feel my whole system regulate every time I sing it.

    Songwriter Info: Sara grew up in a musical family and has always loved to sing. Over the years, Sara sang in choirs, performed in musical theater, led songs as a camp counselor, studied music in college, performed classically and thankfully, landed in the world of community singing about seven years ago when she met Kaitie Ty Warren and started singing with a few folks in Kaitie's living room. The heart connection, and joy that the Community Singing world has brought to Sara has been life changing. Sara is currently co-leading Living Room Choir ANEW with Kaitie Ty Warren and recently had the great good fortune to travel to Victoria Canada to complete her Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT) and become part of the Ubuntu Network. Sara also works as a pediatric physical therapist and loves to use singing, rhythm and movement to support connection and emotional regulation for little and big people.

    Sharing Info: Sara would be delighted if you sing and share her song. She'd love to hear how this song might land with you or your group.

    Links:
    Sara is co-leader of Living Room Choir ANEW: https://thelivingroomchoir.com/
    Sara's email addresses:
    smstutzpt@gmail.com
    sara@saramstutzmspt.com
    Kaitie Ty Warren: https://kaitietywarren.com/
    Community Choir Leadership Training (CCLT): https://www.communitychoirleadership.com

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:41
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:42

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layer, harmonized (5 parts total)

    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

    133. There Is Only NOW

    4:4 Accept Be Grateful Be Present Beauty Breathe Calm Empower Scale: Aeolian (minor) Scale: Dorian Song Form: Layer Trust Wisdom
    Song: There Is Only Now
    Music: Steph Drouin
    Lyrics:

    Part 1:
    There is only now, there is only this
    Don’t you look behind or you will miss it
    There is only now, there is only this
    Don’t you look ahead or you will miss it

    Part 2:
    There’s only now, there’s only this
    Blink and you will miss it

    Part 3:
    Land with your feet firmly planted
    Right here, right now
    Is all there Is

    Part 4:
    Bring your full self
    Into this moment
    One breath is all it takes
    Picture
    Notes: I love the way Steph Drouin's song reminds me to be right here, right now... which was useful during recording, as my voice is still recovering from a bad cold, and as I sing with it, right here, right now, it feels unpredictable! So I decided to play with range a little -- I teach the four parts of the song in the original key that Steph shares it in. It's a longer teach than some, because there are so many different unique parts -- and you can see in the song stamps when the song as a whole starts running, if you'd like to come back for just the song. Then for the reprise, I shifted the song several steps lower, which might be more comfortable for some people, and too low for others... one of the openings of singing practice is noticing where your voice feels comfortable, and where it feels stretched; this song gives you a chance to explore that if you'd like... right here, right now!

    Songwriter Info: Steph Drouin is a community song leader based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has been facilitating song circles in Toronto for over 7 years with groups such as Sing for Joy and Fiercely OK, which she founded in January 2019. Steph is a community builder and mental health advocate with a strong belief in the “Fierce OKness” in all of us. Informed by a life-long relationship with anxiety, she writes and teaches songs to help participants embrace their messiness and stay connected to their sense of being OK. Playful and strong, she has a knack for bringing light into dark places. She graduated from the Community Choir Leadership Training program and Lisa Littlebird’s Flight School in 2018, and is now in the process of completing a three-year training program in Expressive Art Therapy with the CREATE Institute. Steph sends a big thank you to all who have helped her share her gifts with the world!

    Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Steph always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. Please contact her if you hope to perform or record the song. Steph offers her songs in the spirit of the gift, meaning you choose if and how you give a gift in return. While monetary gifts make her work possible, they are not a requirement to enjoy, sing or share her songs. You are welcome to receive the gift of song! Reciprocity in the form of monetary contributions, networking, or permission to sing and share the songs of others is always received with gratitude.

    Links: 
    Fiercely OK Website: www.fiercelyok.ca
    Fiercely OK and Steph on Instagram: @therestlessinchoirer and @fiercelyok
    Fiercely OK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiercelyOK/
    Fiercely OK Mailing List: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/home-join-the-mailing-list

    Giving Options:
    1) Send an e-transfer to Fiercely OK: gifts@fiercelyok.ca (no password required) *PREFERRED*
    2) Make a contribution via PayPal to steph.drouin@gmail.com
    3) Become a monthly donor via PayPal HERE:
    https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=8FGN3GPS69BNU&currency_code=CAD&item_name=Thank%20you%20for%20helping%20us%20nourish%20wellness%20and%20resilience%20through%20song%20and%20belonging%20in%20our%20communities%21&no_recurring=0
    4) Make a cash contribution at one of our in-person events

    Steph's own recording of There Is Only Now: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/song-recordings-there-is-only-now

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:10
    1st song run through: 00:11:55

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor (a little Dorian, a little Aeolian), 4-part layer song

    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

    131. Be Here Now

    4:4 Accept Be Present Belonging Breathe Calm Chant Flow Gentle Harmony Listen Mantra Peace Release Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Unison Tend
    Song: Be Here Now
    ​Music:     Resa Cirrincione
    Lyrics:

    ​    I am here,
    I am now,
    I accept,
    I allow.
    Picture
    Notes: I've been lucky to have Resa singing with me for the past ten years in various Juneberry Music offerings, and her warm, colorful voice always brings me pleasure to hear. So as I sing this song, it's as though I hear Resa's voice inside mine. There's something wonderful about selecting the voices that are allowed inside your head and the messages you choose to hear. I find myself calmed by Resa's companionship in this song, reminding me to return to the present, make space for what is, return, return.
    ​
    Songwriter Info: Resa is a Certified Music Practitioner (Therapeutic Musician) at Concord Hospital, Concord, NH, who sings at the bedside of patients, including those who are who are physically and mentally ill, dying, recovering from surgery, in a coma, or in the NICU. She firmly believes in the healing power of music, and, like St. Augustine, affirms that "He who sings, prays twice." Resa has been singing in choirs and choral groups in the United States and Europe since she was 5 years old and occasionally accompanies herself on piano or guitar. When not singing, she is a voracious reader, an adventurous cook, an avid cross-stitcher, and devoted pet-parent. This song was born fully formed after struggling with the process of being present in the gift of each moment as it arrives.

    Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Resa for recording and/or performing permission.

    Links: Resa's profile on Creative Ground: https://www.creativeground.org/profile/resa-cirrincione-cmp#section-about

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:15
    Start time of reprise: 00:12:20

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, mantra, unison (optional harmonizing)

    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

    129. Inner Peace

    2:2 Abundance Be Present Beauty Belonging Breathe Calm Change Cycles Earth Flow Gentle Harmony Heal Motion Peace Scale: Ionian (Major) Sky Song Form: Harmonized Water Waves
    Song: Inner Peace
    ​Music:     Kate Valentine
    Lyrics:

    I am the deep peace I seek, I am, I am,

    Look upon the rolling ocean
    Look above the sky unfolding
    All around the tide is turning
    Right here I am standing
    Picture
    Notes: I love the way this song by Kate Valentine has both motion and deep stillness. It carries acceptance and conviction, and I simply love having it in my head. How did she do this??? Next week, in conversation with Kate, she tells how she wrote this specific song, as well as how she managed to convince herself to write music in the first place, which felt like a near-impossible stretch.

    Songwriter Info: Kate Valentine is a registered nurse and founder of Singing Mamas - a national non-profit for maternal well-being, bringing singing groups across the UK and the globe to women and mothers. Kate started with one group in 2011 and while struggling as a single mum to 3 sons and working nights shifts, she set about to get singing mamas free and referred to all new and expectant mums across the UK. There are now more than 200 leaders across 8 countries, with Singing Mamas programmes being delivered in over 50 local authorities, either as community groups or on-prescription through the national health service (NHS).

    Kate is most passionate about bringing the 'untrained' musician into the work of song sharing, and is driven by a determination to re-normalise a singing culture, where it has been lost.

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

    Links:
    Singing Mamas Website: www.singingmamas.org
    Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:34
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:47

    Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized 2 layers

    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

    128. Prayer for Peace

    2:2 Breathe Change Determination Empower Fire Future Harmony Heart Justice Love Peace Prayer Scale: Minor Song Form: Call & Response Song Form: Harmonized Wisdom
    Song: Prayer for Peace
    Music: Gitanjali Jain
    Lyrics:

    In this world that's ripped apart,
    there's a calling in my heart.
    Prayers for justice,
    prayers for peace.
    May we all have love and ease. 

    In this world,
    in my heart;
    there is peace.
    There is love.
    Picture
    Notes: Gitanjali Jain pours heartbreak, tension, anger, confusion all into this prayer for peace, which has some of the scrunchiest harmonies we've ever done on A Breath of Song. And although you could call these stacked harmonies, I decided to call them melodies -- because it's not clear to me that there's a single melodic voice -- to me it is the voice of many combined. Feel the frustration of the sounds hitting against each other; all those wishes we carry for peace, love and ease. Then notice how you feel after you've sung it... is there connection to Gitu, to me, to others feeling all the complexity of our beloved world?

    Songwriter Info: Gitanjali Jain is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in music and theater. Born in Mexico City to her Mexican mother and East Indian father, she has focused a significant part of her work on the study of her ancestry and lineage. Other formative experiences include seven years in Hawai’i, where she worked as an aerialist, actor, and dancer in the award-winning production 'Ulalena.

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

    Links:
    Gitanjali on Bandcamp: https://alicuanta.bandcamp.com/

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:08

    Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, mostly harmonic minor, harmonized call & response

    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!