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    231. Road Trip: Kingston Three-fer

    2:2 3 Layer 4:4 Be Grateful Be Present Dawn Earth Friendship Gratitude & Trust Joy Mantra Moon Praise & Wonder Road Trip Scale: Ionian (Major) Scale: Mixolydian Song Form: Harmonized Song Form: Layer Song Form: Unison Sun

    Song Learning Time Stamps:


    Lifted

    Intro: 00:04:42

    Start of teaching: 00:09:40

    Start of reprise: 00:47:37


    Present Moment, Sacred Moment

    Intro: 00:14:01

    Start of teaching: 00:20:03

    Start of reprise: 00:48:30


    I Am Grateful Deep Down

    Intro: 00:31:56

    Start of teaching: 00:32:45

    Start of reprise: 00:49:04

    Lyrics:


    Lifted

    by Wendy Luella Perkins

    something’s been lifted

    and now I know

    been carrying so much

    so much on my own


    in circles of friendship

    story and song

    in circles of earth, sun, moon

    we keep rising with the dawn


    Present Moment, Sacred Moment

    by Steph Drouin

    Part 1

    Present moment, cha-cha

    Sacred moment

    Ah-ah-ah, ah-oh-wa!


    Part 2

    We are living in a

    Sacred moment

    Ah-ah-ah, ah-oh-wa!


    Part 3

    Present moment

    Only moment

    Sacred moment

    This moment

    Ah-ah, ah-oh-oh-oh-wa!


    I Am Grateful Deep Down

    by Paul Barton

    I am grateful deep down, deep, way down deep.

    Image description

    Notes: Our first road trip stop is Kingston, Ontario in Canada, where I got to meet up with three delightful songleaders – and we sang SO many good songs over the weekend! It was impossible to narrow down to one, so this episode is a three-fer, and you get three very different songs, one from each songleader. You hear us playing; making up harmonies on the spot, trying to get the words in the right order – this is an unrehearsed, “what-can-happen-when-you-put-four-people-who-love-songs-into-one-room?” kind of moment. We had such a good time doing it and hope you get to catch our joy as you sing with us.



    Song 1: Lifted

    Music by: Wendy Luella Perkins


    Songwriter Info: Wendy Luella Perkins founded SOULFUL SINGING (singing meditation for all) in 2002. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she shares "short-on-words, long-on-meaning; easy-to-learn, hard-to-forget" songs in the oral tradition. Soulful Singing fosters depth and uplift, resonance and healing, connection and community. 


    Enjoy singing in community? Had a fourth grade teacher who told you to mouth the words? Dedicated shower singer? Shy about singing out loud? Love to belt it out? Committed chorister? Everyone is warmly welcomed into the circle of song. Wendy Luella strongly believes that connecting with our singing voices has beneficial effects on many, many areas of life, including enhancing our capacities to trust ourselves and to learn and grow with others. 


    Back in March 2020, Wendy Luella, who is based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada responded to the call of our times by taking Soulful Singing online "for a couple of weeks until this whole pandemic thing blew over". She has been singing via zoom every single morning at 9am, and Thursdays at 6pm (ET) since then. EVERYONE is welcome to attend these gatherings. More than 200 of her original Soulful Singing songs are available on tiktok @wendyluellaperkins. She is also working on an online song library of her original songs. Find out more at info@wendyluellaperkins.com. 


    Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Wendy for recording and/or performing permission. When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Wendy for permission and rates.


    Song Learning Time Stamps:

    Intro: 00:04:42

    Start of teaching: 00:09:40

    Start of reprise: 00:47:37


    Links:

    Wendy's website: www.wendyluellaperkins.com

    Soulful Singing with Wendy Luella: info@wendyluellaperkins.com


    Nuts & Bolts: slow 4; major, unison, harmonies optional



    Song 2: Present Moment, Sacred Moment

    Music by: Steph Drouin


    Songwriter Info: Steph Drouin (she/her) is a community song leader, singer, songwriter, and Expressive Arts Therapist based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. For over a decade, she has guided people of all abilities into easeful, joyful, and healing singing experiences. She has helped sow the seeds of community singing throughout Toronto and across Ontario with groups such as Sing for Joy, and in 2019 founded her own social enterprise, Fiercely OK.


    Through Fiercely OK, Steph offers weekly in‑person and online song circles with her partner, Paul Barton, as well as special events with visiting artists such as Coco Love Alcorn and Luke Wallace - all in the spirit of nourishing a vibrant, connected singing community. Her most recent project includes co‑creating Kingston Pop Choir with Paul.


    Informed by a lifelong relationship with anxiety, Steph writes and teaches songs that help people embrace their full, messy humanity and stay connected to their sense of being OK. She is known for her warm, playful presence and her ability to create spaces where people feel safe to show up exactly as they are.


    Steph completed the Community Choir Leadership Training program and Lisa Littlebird’s Flight School in 2018, and is a graduate of the three‑year Expressive Arts Therapy program at the CREATE Institute. In 2024, she moved back to Kingston to be closer to family and to share her gifts with her home community.


    Sharing Info: Steph says:

    "I encourage (and am trying to remember to practice) a slow culture of learning and sharing songs - taking time to embody the notes, rhythms, and stories behind them, and to build relationships with the people who wrote them. Please take your time and enjoy singing this song, and if you feel moved to share it, please do. You have my permission! 


    Keep it as close to the original as you can to start. If your group wants to play with adding other layers or harmonies later, this is most welcome. This songs invites being in the present moment; whatever comes out being in the moment while singing this song belongs in it! I just ask that the song be taught first as it came to me (and my nephew). If you would like to teach it differently from what you heard on A Breath of Song, please reach out.


    I encourage forms of reciprocity that align with your gifts and context. Here are some I love:

    - Tell me or show me what it was like to share the song with your community. It's fun to see how songs travel! 

    - Come sing with us (Paul and me), in person or online. Learn the songs directly from us and hear their stories. This feels important - it means so much when folks carry the songs with an intimate sense of their origins and intricacies.

    - Song swaps! If you also write songlets, let’s exchange. I love being in meaningful song‑sharing relationships with other song leaders. This kind of reciprocity feels alive and good.

    - Financial reciprocity. If you have room in your budget or are making oodles of money (more than a living wage), we'd love for you to send a little our way. For non-performing groups, folks generally send $25-50 per song or $1 per singer (whichever is greater). Performing or recording rates would be a little higher. For Canadians, e‑transfer works well; otherwise, Wise is my preferred option.

    - Follow and share our work. Join the Fiercely OK mailing list, follow us on social media, and help spread the word to folks who would enjoy what we offer.

    - Patreon. I’ll be adding my songs to Patreon this year, and I’d love for you to join me there as a monthly patron.

    If you have any other ideas, send them my way!"


    Song Learning Time Stamps:

    Intro: 00:14:01

    Start of teaching: 00:20:03

    Start of reprise: 00:48:30


    Links:

    Join the Fiercely OK Mailing List!

    https://forms.gle/97Y9hQn55HHL1kHP7 

    Website: https://www.fiercelyok.ca/ 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephdrouin3973 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyok/ & https://www.instagram.com/therestlessinchoirer/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiercelyOK/ 

    Join our online song circles! The next series begins May 11th, 2026.

    https://www.fiercelyok.ca/online-weekly-song-circles 

    If you're ever in the Kingston-Toronto area, come sing with us in person! We offer weekly song circles and a monthly pop choir in Kingston, and occasional workshops in Toronto.

    I'll be getting my songs up on Patreon this year. There's nothing up there yet, but you can be the first to get updates here:

    https://patreon.com/fiercelyok?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink 


    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, mixolydian, 3-layer song

     


    Song 3: I Am Grateful Deep Down

    Music by: Paul Barton


    Songwriter Info: Known by some as a musical “wizard,” Paul makes clever use of his education in Jazz guitar and experience as a professional musician to help song circles run seamlessly. His songs, infused with his passions for the environment, community, and mental health, are among the most requested songs in the Fiercely OK singing community. His simple melodies carry deep truths right to the heart.


    Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Paul always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. The best way to support Paul's songwriting is on Patreon.


    Song Learning Time Stamps:

    Intro: 00:31:56

    Start of teaching: 00:32:45

    Start of reprise: 00:49:04


    Links:

    Paul's website: https://www.paulbarton.ca/ 

    Paul's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/paulbartonmusic 


    Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, harmonized

     


    Extra links: 

    Lone Wolf by Steph Drouin and Aimee Ringle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SFrSkZ-0Hs 

    Thich Nhat Hanh: “Present moment, wonderful moment” https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/710946/present-moment-wonderful-moment-revised-edition-by-thich-nhat-hanh/9781952692239 

    500 Days in the Wild https://tctrail.ca/dianne-whelan-documentary/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21899380530&gbraid=0AAAAABzGiwLd2QCJzToHLUN4HbIpFlKx_&gclid=CjwKCAjwtcHPBhADEiwAWo3sJpemebM5-j0FsOefQ1hxcS4-spp7nBB2-QlQnybCRxiX9UxcfU5bQxoCO68QAvD_BwE

    Present Moment, Sacred Moment movement video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZedwiqraNQ



    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

    190. In the Spring with guest Yuri Woodstock

    4:4 Beauty Birds Dawn Joy Light Scale: Ionian (Major) Seasons Song Form: Round Songwriter Conversation Sun Uptempo
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:44
    Start time of reprise: 01:02:21

    Lyrics:

    In the spring, among the flowers
    Bird song rings in the morning hours
    Sun is up and the day is bright
    What a time to unleash your light!
    Picture
    Song: In the Spring
    Music by: Yuri Woodstock

    Notes: Yuri Woodstock describes himself as the "bossy pirate in the middle of the room" when songleading, and tells a supernatural story of his phone bringing him song advice. He also describes why he thinks his song gatherings have grown so large, why he's now living in a "housey-house" (and what he did before), how literally letting his hair down helped him "tease out the subtle mystery" of what makes him feel most like himself. Fortunately for us, that includes songleading and writing this joyous spring round. You'll learn it with me (and hopefully not mess it up with me when I go a bit wonkers at one point!) We talk about the importance of noticing when you're okay, not giving "the stank-eye" to people who miss notes, and how his brother, Jonah, helps kickstart his songs.

    Songwriter Info: Yuri Woodstock is a community song leader based in Asheville, NC, who has run the now 180-member Hark! Community Choir for the past seven years. It is a non-performing, non-auditioned group that sings for joy and connection. He specializes in quick teaches of layer songs and SATB bangers that are easy to learn and fun to sing. Often Hark! feels like a singing dance party.

    Sharing Info: Fully free, no donation requested

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:44
    Start time of reprise: 01:02:21

    Links:
    Yuri's website: https://www.weringlikebells.com/ 
    Yuri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weringlikebells/ 
    Village Fire: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/ 
    Jonah Woodstock: https://www.woodstockbookstock.com/ 
    Community Choir Leadership Training – CCLT: https://www.communitychoirleadership.com/ 
    Tebe Poem: https://www.omniglot.com/songs/bcc/tebepoem.htm 
    The Wild Ashville Community chorus with Susannah Park: https://www.wildashevillecommunitychorus.com/about-1 
    Laurence Cole: Let Things Ripen and Then Fall: https://www.laurencecole.com/album/let-things-ripen/ 
    Shireen Amini: The Sun Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLa23Lfe5w 
    Bex Lipps: Take Your Medicine: https://music.apple.com/au/album/take-your-medicine-single/1729594936 
    Karly Loveling: I’ve Got a Fire: https://karlyloveling.bandcamp.com/track/ive-got-a-fire-2 
    Alexa Sunshine Rose: Pool of Love: https://alexasunshinerose.bandcamp.com/track/pool-of-love 
    Kira Seto: https://www.instagram.com/kira.is.singing/ 
    Heather Houston: https://www.instagram.com/heatherhoustonmusic/ 
    “We contain multitudes.” - Walt Whitman: https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-51 
    “Shrinking”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/ 
    Laurence Cole: “Notice where you are” from "Attention is the Healer": https://www.laurencecole.com/album/attention-is-the-healer/ 
    The Strokes: "Is This It": https://music.apple.com/us/album/is-this-it/266376953 
    Double syrinx birds – veery or hermit thrush: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds 
    The Bowerbirds: “Tuck the Darkness In”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeFTPj8zljQ 

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round

    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

    122. September Moon with singer Rebecca Csuy

    3:4 Abundance Accept Autumn Be Present Cycles Dawn Earth Harvest Home Light Moon Night Rest Scale: Aeolian (minor) Song Form: Round
    Song: September Moon
    Music:     Chandler Yorkhall
    Lyrics

    Full Moon outside my window this warm September night
    Pulls me into wakefulness far too early.
    I’d rather be sleeping the day is already too long for me
    I’ll just wait for dawn.
    Picture
    Notes: Chandler Yorkhall has written one of my favorite full moon songs, as I rarely sleep well during a full moon! I am delighted to have gotten to record this with my daughter, Rebecca -- laughter ensues, and we ended up including an "outtake", where we experiment with rounding the song much more closely than usual... just to see what happens (and okay, yes, maybe it's a train wreck, but then we tried again!) I love the dancing rhythms of this, and appreciated Chandler's willingness to listen to how I'd learned to sing it. He pointed out a few spots which differed from his original so we could bring you a fairly accurate rendition of his original. As good songs travel, they sometimes morph...

    Songwriter Info: Chandler grew up singing with his family and can’t remember a time when singing wasn’t part of his daily life. He has been writing, leading, and getting inspired by songs since he was a teen, and songs have saved his sanity more times than he can remember. He is so pleased to be able to share his joy through sharing his songs. Chandler lives in Minneapolis with his wife and 4 children, who also love to sing! He's never really settled on a parenting “philosophy” per se, until his two teen daughters returned from their first Village Harmony camp, singing lustily in praise of everything good. At that point he said to himself, “Well, if my children leave my home knowing how to sing, I guess I’ll have done them, and the world, a great service.”

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

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:50
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:37
    ​​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian minor, round

    ​Join 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.

    Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​
  • Published on

    112. Let Me Sing

    4:4 Be Grateful Be Present Beauty Cycles Dawn Earth Flow Light Moon Night Scale: Mixolydian Song Form: Harmonized Sun
    Song: Let Me Sing
    ​Music: Jane Lewis
    Lyrics

    Let me sing as the sun rises
    Let me sing as the day falls
    Let me offer this prayer to the moonlight
    Let me stand in the beauty of it all

    (Let me sing to the beauty)
    Picture
    Notes: A sweet short song like this brings me deep rewards -- the chance to drop into the joy, the preciousness, the abundance of simply being alive. For me to learn it, Jane sent me "a just rough off the looper" recording -- and it was so, so beautiful! Don't miss the links to Jane's recorded music -- her voice is like flavored butter -- smooth with an extra kick -- and the sense you get of her self that infuses her singing is generous and gentle and joystruck. My version doesn't sound nearly as good as her's to me -- and yet, it was such a pleasure to get to sing the song, and I think it'll work so you can learn the song and take it on into your own life, with your own voice. If Jane ever records it, or you get a chance to hear Jane live, maybe you can sing it along with her!

    Songwriter Info: Jane Lewis is a singer-songwriter, workshop facilitator, and community music instigator. She is a strong believer in the power of music to bring people together. When not performing with her folk/roots duo Gathering Sparks, she can be found leading vocal & harmony workshops, Circle Singing, Vocal Meditation, and Women's Music Weekend retreats.

    ​Sharing Info: Yes — The song is free to use/share, but Jane always welcomes networking support. A financial contribution when folks are able is also appreciated!

    Links: 
    Jane's Website: http://www.janelewis.ca
    Women's Music Weekend, facilitated by Jane: https://www.womensmusicweekend.com
    Jane's YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/JaneLewisMusic
    Jane's duo with Eve Goldberg: Gathering Sparks YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/GatheringSparksMusic

    ​Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:59
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:29
    ​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Mixolydian with a twist, 3-part harmony

    ​Join 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.

    Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!​
  • Published on

    74. Equinox Blessing (Shadows & Light)

    4:4 Accept Darkness Dawn Flex Flow Light Moon Night Notice Ribbon Scale: Dorian Shadow Song Form: Layer Sun Trust
    Song: Equinox Blessing (Shadows & Light)
    Words & Music​ by Heather Houston
    Lyrics
    ​
    Honoring the darkness, Honoring the light,
    Honoring the day, Honoring the night

    All things find their way into balance

    Suspended in time

    Shadows and light
    Picture
    Notes: This is song is a taste of Heather Houston's creative, connecting powers -- Episode #75 will feature an intimate conversation with Heather. After she shares another of her songs, we'll delve into why song matters, why voices matter... and a really good soup! Meanwhile, I love this song for noticing the balance of shadow and light -- to me, it's a beautiful song to sing on cusps, like dawn or dusk. Recently, as I've been healing from tick-borne illness, I've hummed it to myself as I watch the shadows and light cross my bedroom wall, encouraging my body to find its way into balance.

    Songwriter Info: Heather Houston is passionate about uplifting hearts, freeing voices, transforming lives, and building strong, loving communities through the power of singing. She spreads her magic through her 20+years of international song circle leading, private vocal coaching, and her online offerings - The Art of Mindful Singing, S.H.E. Sings, Singing as Sanctuary, and Sisters in Harmony Song and Chant Leader Training. You can now join her every Monday night on Zoom for a 2-hour Sisters in Harmony Global community song circle with guest artists!

    Heather recently released her second solo album, Sisters of the Moon, which features the ethereal voices of her 40-voice women’s choir Yala Lati. Her first solo album, Prayers for the Water is a ZMR Top 10 album. You can find Heather’s music and her a cappella group SIRENZ on all of the streaming platforms and for download on her website.

    ​Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:14
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:05

    Links: 
    Website: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com
    Albums
        Download: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/recordings/
        Streaming on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gw79r7NGOw6WF2bytPW5a?si=E0mvdKMpQ9ObjpRnhViDYQ
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherhoustonmusic
    IG: HeatherHoustonMusic
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPr_m3bi0-TqhBFvJlD4pFA

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian, 5-layer song
    ​
    Join 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.

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

    68. Share the Journey

    4:4 Accept Be Present Change Dawn Empower Friendship Gather Grieve Hope Journey Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized Trust
    Song: Share the Journey
    Words & Music: Katie Sontag
    Lyrics
    As the dark fades away, here it comes, a brand-new, new day.
    As it leaves, we watch it go, all we learned, all we need to know.
    I believe we will survive. I believe this is our time.
    ​I believe we are alive to share the journey, to share the journey.
    Picture
    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.

    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.

    ​Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:02:52
    Start time of reprise: 00:20:39

    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
    ​
    Join 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.

    Exchange energy with A Breath of Song with dollars at the Gratitude Jar (whoo-hoo!!!!), or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!