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  • Published on

    133. There Is Only NOW

    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

    130. Ride the Storm with guest Kate Valentine

    Song: Ride the Storm
    Music:
    Kate Valentine
    Lyrics:

    I'll ride the storm. I'll ride the storm.
    Ride the storm. Ride the storm.

    I'll ride this storm with you;
    I'll ride this storm.

    Shelter me, shelter me.

    Picture
    Notes: Even though Kate wanted a resolution, the song insisted on being what it is -- a way to stay in the storm. She talks with me about how that felt, and what happened as she kept listening. We explore further -- how do you become a songleader when that's not how you view yourself? How do you write songs, when that feels scary-impossible? What is it about singing together that offers healing, and why is Kate herself drawn to doing things that help people in difficult moments? Where do songs live? I left this conversation with respect and excitement tumbling over each other... I hope you, too, enjoy hearing Kate's perspective.

    Songwriter InfoKate 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:
    Ashdown Forest - Winnie the Pooh: https://ashdownforest.org/explore/winnie-the-pooh/
    Natural Voice Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
    Nick Prater: https://www.susiero.com/nick-prater.html
    Singing Mamas: www.singingmamas.org
    You Are My Sunshine: https://www.wideopencountry.com/you-are-my-sunshine/
    DYCP Award Arts Council: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp
    Monkey Mind: https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/understanding-monkey-mind-live-harmony-mental-companion/
    Episode 129: "Inner Peace" by Kate Valentine: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/129-inner-peace
    National Health Service UK: https://www.nhs.uk/
    Empowering women and addressing poverty: https://givingcompass.org/article/how-women-empowerment-can-help-address-poverty
    ​German Melodic Minimal Techno: https://www.chosic.com/genre-chart/minimal-melodic-techno/
    Royal college of Music, Dave Camlin: https://www.rcm.ac.uk/research/people/details/?id=94812
    Sound waves made visible…
    https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2814-sound-visualising-sound-waves
    Cymatics: https://journeyofcuriosity.net/pages/what-is-cymatics-how-to-explained
    Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQP0D4p8Xo
    Sand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJAgrUBF4w
    Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette: https://genius.com/albums/Alanis-morissette/Jagged-little-pill
    Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons): https://www.anohni.com/
    Victor Ruiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVT_81WihTA
    Sama’ Abdulhadihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lH-KzsQi0
    Singing Mamas on Instagram: @singing_mamas_org
    Singing Mamas on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singingmamas

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:52
    Start time of reprise: 01:23:00

    Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, 4-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

    128. Prayer for Peace

    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 InfoGitanjali 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 Bandcamphttps://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!

  • Published on

    127. Willing to Receive, Willing to Release

    Song: Willing to Receive, Willing to Release
    Music: Lynn O'Brien
    Lyrics:
    ​​

    I am willing to receive
    Anything you got for me
    I'll take the big
    I'll take the small
    I'll take the unknown
    I'll take it all
    I am opening!

    I am willing to release
    Whatever does not serve me
    I'll drop the big
    I'll drop the small
    I'll drop the unknown
    I'll drop it all
    I'll let go of everything!
    Picture
    Notes: A generous song to let us both receive and release -- I deeply respect Lynn O'Brien's way of moving through the world. I love singing this song of hers so these words, this wisdom of taking and dropping, yes and no, can sift into my being and start to feel natural, like something I believe in my very core. Patty says, "I connected this song with the micro rhizomes and roots of trees -- what they have within them to give and what is given to them from others." Yes, yes, yes!!!

    Songwriter Info: Described as a "musical force of nature," Lynn O'Brien is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, performer and recording artist with a soulful, dynamic voice. She has captivated thousands of audiences with her healing original songs, well-loved covers and compelling vocal improvisation - seamlessly blending genres like folk, jazz, soul, blues and R&B. ​Lynn has collaborated with artists across all mediums (from book authors to belly dancers to Bobby McFerrin himself) and also soars as a solo artist; she accompanies her vocals on guitar, ukulele, piano and occasional loop station to create an a cappella "one woman choir" effect. Drawing on her background as a board-certified music therapist, women's empowerment coach and speaker, Lynn brings a deep sense of presence, authenticity and inventiveness to every performance.

    In a moment of deep presence, Lynn spontaneously composed this tune as a self-prayer and intention-setting of radical openness. Influenced by Tosha Silver's writings and many other spiritual teachers, she finds that her core work is often about opening - opening to receive and release - opening to being an easy, open conduit for Life to come through. Singing and improvisation is where this openness is most accessible for her, but she tries to practice in all areas of life. Thanks for listening, and please use this freely.

    Sharing Info: Yes -- The song is free to share but Lynn always welcome financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved. To request the original recording from Lynn O'Brien, please contact her through her website, www.LynnOBrien.love

    Links:
    Website: https://www.lynnobrien.love/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnobrienlove/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnobrienlove
    Listen/buy on Bandcamp: https://lynnobrienmusic.bandcamp.com/album/rising
    Listen/stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4yMCG3V8FNV7JbkGR6FPTc
    Listen/follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LynnOBrienLove

    Support via Virtual Tip Jar (you know, "willingness to receive" and all that!)
    Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/lynn-Obrien 
    Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lynnobrienmusic

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:51
    Start time of reprise: 00:15:40

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4 minor; call and response, harmonized

    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

    121. Make Good Trouble

    Song: Make Good Trouble
    Music: Elizabeth Melvin
    Lyrics

    Part 1:
    Stand up and make good trouble
    Speak up and make good trouble
    Get up and make good trouble
    Rise up and make good trouble


    Part 2:
    Never, ever be afraid
    to make some noise, make some noise


    Part 3:
    This is the struggle,
    the struggle of a lifetime
    (Make good trouble)

    Picture
    Notes: John Lewis says bluntly, "Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part." Elizabeth gives us an equally blunt, strong song inspired by the life and words of John Lewis, reminding us to be unafraid to make the noise that needs to be made -- to stand up, and make good trouble -- to not give up because change doesn't come quickly, but rather see it as a lifetime struggle. I share all the parts together eventually, but you could pick and choose to sing only one or two of the parts, depending on which you needed. You'll hear some chromatic notes (close together in pitch) in one of the parts, which create some lively harmonies. I teach it at a slightly slower tempo, then put all the parts together a little faster -- you can see which speed feels best in you!

    Songwriter Info: Elizabeth Melvin holds a deep belief in the power of music to provide transformative, joyous experiences on the individual and community level. She brings a lifetime of study and performance in world music to her work as a choir director and song leader. A multi-instrumentalist, she has performed on marimba, keyboards and percussion in a wide variety of genres. She is the founding director of The Freedom Choir, a 60-voice world music community choir in Annapolis, MD. During the height of the pandemic she led the weekly Rise and Sing online community sing featuring guest song leaders from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Africa. Elizabeth is a graduate of the Community Choir Leadership Training in Victoria, B.C., Canada. She has led vocal music workshops around the East Coast and Canada and is passionate about helping everyone find their voice and claim their birthright to sing.

    Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups. Please contact Elizabeth Melvin if you plan to perform, record or film it with a choral ensemble and she requests that you/your group make a donation to any social justice or voting rights non-profit of your choice in honor of John Lewis. When using this song and the YouTube video (produced by Lea Morris) in a worship or educational setting, please purchase a license at https://www.hopesingseternal.me/songs/makegoodtrouble The license includes the YouTube video, mp3 & mp4 learning tracks and a score.

    Links: 
    Elizabeth's choir Website: https://www.thefreedomchoir.com
    The Freedom Choir on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomChoir
    Elizabeth's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@rhythmsis
    Elizabeth's Instagram: @liberateyourvoice
    ​YouTube Video of Make Good Trouble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nGomUt8gLQ


    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:58
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:52
    ​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Dorian (ish), 3 layer, harmonized

    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

    120. Alchemy with Guest Te Martin

    Song: Alchemy
    Music:
    Te Martin
    Lyrics: 

    Part 1:
    Everything is helping you
    grow and thrive
    know what you need to know


    Part 2:
    And it is not too late
    it is not too late to follow
    [x3]
    your dreams


    Part 3:
    ​Dream!
    Picture
    Notes: “I feel inside of myself something expanding when I sing," says Te. They've used song to metabolize experience for as long as they can remember... and as Te shares this song, we get to feel into their experience of trust. Alchemy could be a way of building gold out of fear; something beautiful is uncovered as Te sings and shares about learning to carry the complexity of song sharing loosely, relationship to each other and the earth, liberation... and the magic of a sigh.

    Songwriter InfoTe Martin is a song-keeper and ritual artist. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. They facilitate oral tradition singing classes and workshops that focus on song as a tool for collective liberation, somatic regulation, and ancestral connection. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years, is a student of Gaelic song, and released their first professional music video and EP of original songs, "Water & Bones," in 2021.

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

    Links from the conversation: 
    The Lama Foundation: https://www.lamafoundation.org/
    Pueblo Tiwa People Northern New Mexico: https://accessgenealogy.com/new-mexico/tiwa-pueblo-indians.htm
    Southern Pomo Coast Miwok
    https://alamedanativeart.com/post/alameda-native-history-project/coast-miwok-and-southern-pomo-map/
    Songs of Mother Europe: https://weavingremembrance.org/songs-of-mother-europe-fall/
    The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemist
    The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/
    Alchemy process: https://aras.org/concordance/content/alchemical-process-and-its-stages
    Village Fire Singing Iowa: http://www.villagefiresinging.org/
    Liz Rog: https://realsmalltowns.com/liz-rog-singing-as-breath-and-food/
    Singing Alive Oregon: https://singingalive.org/
    Melanie DeMore: https://melaniedemore.com/bio/
    Lisa G. Littlebird: https://thebirdsings.com/
    Finding Our Voice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingourvoiceproject -- while Josh and Te's "Finding Our Voice" project didn't end up with lots of accessible recorded interviews, it built more community among songleaders and nurtured both Josh and Te.
    Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
    Thrive Street Choir in San Francisco bay area: http://www.thriveeastbay.org/thrivestreetchoir
    Lyndsey Scott: https://www.lyndseyscott.earth
    Joanna Laws Landis: https://soundcloud.com/nextgenna/healing-through-grief-joanna-laws-landis
    Ysaye Barnwell:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-serendipitous-life-ysaye-barnwell-and-the-healing-power-of-music/2015/05/01/718db920-e52e-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html

    "I’m Yours" by Tracy Chapman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LdCazk77D4
    "The Long Way Around" by The Chicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5HKLteH9Mc
    Molly Hartwell & Laura Boswell - Wellspring album: https://wellspring.bandcamp.com/album/wellspring
    Put Your Roots Down: https://riseupandsing.org/songs/put-your-roots-down
    Put Your Roots Down on A Breath of Song: 
    https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/2-put-your-roots-down

    Te's Links:
    EP, "Water & Bones": https://temartin.bandcamp.com/album/water-bones
    "May This Body Be a Bridge" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Mn_2BSNAg
    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/temartin
    Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/1debadd3ebb3/sos 
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/te.martin/


    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:52
    Start time of reprise: 01:00:19
    ​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3 layer

    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!​