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    160. (O Spirit) Guide Me to Those I Need with guest Aimée Ringle

    4:4 Chant Hope Journey Listen Love Prayer Scale: Aeolian (minor) Song Form: Unison Songwriter Conversation Trust Wisdom
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
    Start time of reprise: 01:34:28

    ​Lyrics:

    O Spirit, guide me to those I need.
    Guide me to those who need me.
    I follow where You lead.
    Picture
    Song: (O Spirit) Guide Me to Those I Need
    Music by: Aimée Ringle

    Notes: If you've run across Aimée Ringle's work, you know her wicked musical skills, her exuberant, high-energy presence, her huge heart and desire to be of service... and you may not yet know how she grew into her voice, the questions she asks herself around how best to contribute to songcircles, her deep desire for village community, and questions about how to make that real in the here and now. We dig a little into one of the hard conversations in songcircles or any group situation where people bring varying skill levels -- how can people of varying skill levels feel welcome and find space and satisfaction as they are? We talk about what Aimée finds she needs to be able to let songs come through and more! Aimée shares the story of how O Spirit came through and we sing it both with guitar and in an up-close and personal way. It's a big episode because we let our conversation spread out, enjoying the end of summer and a sense of expansiveness. I hope you, too, find that pleasure of connection when you join us.

    Songwriter Info: Aimée Ringle is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, song-leader, and storyteller. She has an invigorating teaching style that is enriched by her capable percussion and guitar skills. Aimée’s work as a song-leader and storyteller have woven her into an ever widening community of cultural shifters around the country in the realms of sustainable agriculture, alternative education, community living, healing, creativity, and spiritual exploration ~ all of which are reflected in the songs she carries. As a song-leader, Aimée’s work and example have become a valued part of several Ancestral skills gatherings including Winter Count, Spirit Weavers and Sharpening Stone.

    Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Aimée for recording and/or performing permission. She says: "For now, the song is just the chorus, but I am paying attention to its evolution and leaving space for the possibility of verses, etc. But this will not be a group process and I'm not inviting unsolicited creative ideas in this process."

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:53
    Start time of reprise: 01:34:28

    Links:
    Aimée's website: www.aimeeringlemusic.com 
    Aimée's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AiméeRingle
    Aimée's O Spirit video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8wzISTpTsh
    Aimée's Bandcamp: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com
    Earth Practice: https://www.instagram.com/earthpracticemusic/
    Tone Home by Elijah Ray: https://soundcloud.com/entheo/tone-home?in=l29rjc61w9os/sets/the-upload-1
    I'm My Own Walkman by Bobby McFerrin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8DUi9RCTiQ
    Samara Jade: https://www.instagram.com/samara_jade_music/
    Three Wheels Turning: https://threewheelsturning.com/
    "We are what we repeatedly do." Aristotle interpreted by Will Durant: https://blogs.umb.edu/quoteunquote/2012/05/08/its-a-much-more-effective-quotation-to-attribute-it-to-aristotle-rather-than-to-will-durant/
    The Sharpening Stone: https://www.instagram.com/thesharpeningstone/
    Laurence Cole: https://www.laurencecole.com/
    Liz Rog: https://www.facebook.com/liz.rog1/
    Shireen Amini: https://shireenamini.com/music
    Song Village: https://www.songvillage.net/
    Emergent Strategy and Holding Change by Adrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/emergent-strategy/, https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/holding-change-2/
    Billie Eilish: https://www.instagram.com/billieeilish/
    Ganavya: https://www.instagram.com/ganavya 

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, unison chant

    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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    https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html
  • Published on

    159. The Ambulance Song

    3:4 Friendship Heal Hope Journey Love Prayer Safe Scale: Aeolian (minor) Song Form: Layer Tend
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:12
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:38

    Lyrics:

    Send them surely on. Bring them safely in. (4x)

    May all that is needed be clearly revealed. May all that can heal be healed. (2x)

    May family and friends be held in their holding. Hold and be held. Hold and be held. (2x)

    Ooo Love. Sweet Love. Ooo love is comin' where you are.
    Picture
    Song: The Ambulance Song
    Music by: Aimée Ringle
    "Ooo Love" part by: Laurence Cole

    Notes: We live on a busy road, not far from a fire station -- an ambulance is not an unusual sight -- and thanks to Aimée Ringle, I have the perfect song to wish the people involved well... and now you do, too! Next week, Aimée and I talk about the tender place music is able to open up, how someone with considerable musical skills and experience finds how they, too, can be included in community singing... how we are what we repeatedly do, and what that means for Aimée. She is generous, vulnerable, clear-sighted, and willing to name her own challenges. I hope you can join us... but before that, please enjoy adding this song to your personal repertoire!

    Songwriter Info: Aimée Ringle is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, song-leader, and storyteller. She has an invigorating teaching style that is enriched by her capable percussion and guitar skills. Aimée’s work as a song-leader and storyteller have woven her into an ever widening community of cultural shifters around the country in the realms of sustainable agriculture, alternative education, community living, healing, creativity, and spiritual exploration ~ all of which are reflected in the songs she carries. As a song-leader, Aimée’s work and example have become a valued part of several Ancestral skills gatherings including Winter Count, Spirit Weavers and Sharpening Stone.

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

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:12
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:38

    Links:
    Aimée's website: www.aimeeringlemusic.com 
    Aimée's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AiméeRingle
    The Ambulance Song video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b6WxqtlIbo 
    Aimée's Bandcamp: https://aimeeringle.bandcamp.com
    Laurence Cole's website: https://www.laurencecole.com

    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Aeolian, 4-part
    ​
    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

    158. Quiet At First

    4:4 Be Present Birds Earth Gentle Listen Love Notice Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized Wisdom
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:33
    Start time of reprise: 00:18:11

    Lyrics:

    It's quiet at first,
    this song of love
    for all the living things.
    But once you start to hear it,
    it's quite impossible to pretend
    there's something better
    you could be doing.
    Picture
    Song: Quiet At First
    Music by: Eileen Webb
    Lyrics by: Kai Skye

    Notes: How often do you get to sing with a thrush? Eileen Webb has made that possible for us... and so we get full enjoyment out of it, singing the entire song twice after learning it. The song itself, with words from Kai Skye, is a succinct reminder to drop in to that sensation of connection to all living things and how good it feels. What could be better? Recording this was unusual for me, because instead of loops on Loopy (where I just have to get it sounding right once!), it's layered tracks because of singing with the thrush... so I got to practice staying centered for the entire length of the song... not once, not twice, but three times plus a bit! It was really good for me -- so thank you for singing with me and perusing the A Breath of Song library -- I love the way my sense of responsibility to you keeps me in practice.

    Songwriter Info: Eileen is a consultant and facilitator who helps tech companies build stronger relationships within and across their teams. She loves how music-making helps create deep connections in diverse groups of people, and leads the circlesinging community in Portland, Maine.

    Sharing Info: The song is free to share, but please remember to share the lyrics credit to Kai Skye as well!

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:33
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:52

    Links:
    Eileen's Portland circlesinging group: https://www.meetup.com/circlesinging-portland/.
    Kai's art website: https://flyingedna.com/
    Note: For credit purposes, his NAME is Kai Skye, his PEN NAME (also his previous name) is Brian Andreas, and the site where people can buy his arts is Flying Edna.

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-3 part harmony plus some extras

    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: contributions at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html, plus reviews, comments, encouragement... we float on your support.
  • Published on

    156. We Got All The Love with singer Tom Norton

    4:4 Abundance Be Grateful Celebrate Change Empower Enough Friendship Hope Joy Love Prayer Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:09

    ​Lyrics:

    We got all the love
    to change our world.
    Halleluia!
    We got all the love,
    all that we need,
    blessed be.

    (The word 'love' can be substituted by 'soul', 'joy', 'hope', 'friends', 'prayer', 'cake'...)
    Picture
    Song: We Got All The Love
    Music by: Helen Yeoman

    ​Notes: So many different things going on in this episode! First, in some ways this is a "greatest hit" of the community song world, so maybe you already know it? Helen Yeoman's confident, sweetly harmonized zipper song speaks to what can build and sustain hopefulness -- this knowledge that, in some way, we are exactly where we need to be. I am delighted to welcome onto the podcast my beloved husband of almost 35 years, Tom. He gives us the benefit of his long vocal chords to reach some low notes that are out of my range! Instead of looping this episode, I went back and edited in the alto and tenor parts -- and, oof, the pressure to perfect it, to sing exactly in tune -- I'm not sure I could ever let it go. But here you have the best I could do this week, with the alto panned left and the tenor panned right, soprano and bass in the middle. If it's a song you already know, I hope this gives you great practice; if it's new to you, welcome (and check out the shownotes for other learning options)! Fill in our sound with your voice!!!

    Songwriter Info: Helen is a well-loved choir leader & composer from the UK. her songs are sung all around the world - literally. She is self-taught and calls on every day events as well as global issues for her inspiration. In 2015 she won the esteemed international UK Songwriters Contest in the gospel category. She has four children and lives in Devon, England. Helen runs workshops and holidays in the UK and Europe and is coming to the USA in September 2024.
    ​
    Sharing Info:     When sharing in a money-making venture, like a workshop, class, or performance, please contact Helen for permission and rates.
    ​
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:35
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:09

    Links:
    All of Helen's music can be found at www.helenyeomans.co.uk

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major with raised 4 & 5, 4-pt 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, or by making comments, leaving reviews, suggesting songs or songwriters (including yourself) ..... your participation matters!
  • Published on

    154. Gather – We Are Not Alone

    4:4 Abundance Be Present Belonging Celebrate Empower Gather Grieve Hope Love Release Scale: Minor Song Form: Harmonized Trust
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    ​Start time of teaching: 00:03:12
    Start time of reprise: 00:17:21
    Lyrics:

    We gather with *courage
    In the presence of all who hold us
    Gather with *courage
    In the presence of love

    We are not alone here
    We are not alone

    ...*grief...*our fear...*hope...
    ​[whatever you are arriving with]...
    Picture
    Song: Gather - We Are Not Alone
    Music by: Joanna Laws Landis

    Notes: As we gather, by whom are we held? The trees, the earth, the air, the bugs, the people? And what do we bring? Hunger, courage, fear, hope, laughter? Our voices... our dreams. Joanna Laws Landis has written a song to hold the fullness of all this, and the ways in which we are not alone. Next week, join us for a songwriter conversation that explores how we show up... I'll give you a hint: Joanna says in it, "I am a new person in every moment," and talks about how she has observed “how much singing together can really knit a group together.” I hope you experience the fullness of being held... I am looking to be more aware of that myself!
    ​
    Songwriter Info: Joanna Laws Landis (she/her) is a song-carrier and grief-tender with a deep trust in the transformational healing power of welcome and compassion. Joanna was steeped in song and harmony from her early years: in church, at school and in community choirs. In her late 20s, she discovered the community singing movement and felt a deep alignment with this simple and direct pathway to connection and healing. After collecting a wide library of songs from the midwest to the pacific coast, she has been leading community song circles regularly since 2020. Joanna has recently relocated to the land of her maternal grandmother’s people outside of Asheville, NC where in addition to leading singing & grief-tending, she is deepening her understanding of the body’s innate wisdom for healing with Somatic Experiencing International, and is studying collective trauma integration & facilitation with Thomas Hübl.

    Sharing Info: You are welcome to share/teach the song in community settings, and Joanna always welcomes financial support when it is available. Please contact her for recording and/or performing permission.

    Links: 
    Listen on Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/joannalawslandis
    Would love to hear from you via email: joannalawslandis@gmail.com
    Follow my Grief Tending offerings on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/o/joanna-laws-landis-amp-will-rogers-30189070512
    Donations gratefully received on PayPal or Venmo @joannalawslandis    ​

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor with an occasional major 7, 2 part song; 2nd part 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

    147. Walk On Through

    Ancestors Change Earth Empower Friendship Grieve Heal Home Journey Love Mixed Meter Moon Pain Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Verse & Chorus Stars Trust
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:30
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:57
    Lyrics:

    The Mystery is holding your hand
    The Mystery is holding your hand
    The Mystery is holding your hand
    As you walk through

    The angels are holding your hand
    The angels are holding your hand
    The angels are holding your hand
    As you walk through….

    Chorus:
    So walk on through - no turning back
    Walk on through - we got your back
    We’ll stand by you
    You’re not alone
    So walk on through, we’ll walk you home

    (other verses, same form, fill in the blank with: stars and moon, mother earth, ancestors, all of us, etc)
    Picture
    Song: Walk On Through
    Music by: Samara Jade

    ​Notes: Samara's song sings powerfully inside me about how we accompany each other... and are accompanied by the natural world. It gives me words to say and feel when someone I care for is going through pain and there is nothing I can "do" to help... and that I am not the only source of companionship. This episode is a little unusual -- instead of just voice, I decided to play piano, including time for you to sing while I accompany you. Patty's artwork was in my mind's eye as I was singing -- I am so grateful for her accompanying vision as we create this library of songs.

    Songwriter Info: Samara Jade is a multi-instrumentalist folk troubadour - a writer, crafter, performer and producer of memorable soul-centered songs. Coming from a diverse musical background, Samara stitches together a unique tapestry of sounds with a sophisticated quality of musicianship distinctly her own. Born in the Hudson Valley of New York state, and shaped by the mountains and rivers of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, Samara has been a grass-roots style touring folk musician for over a decade, spreading her songs all across this country and weaving and widening the webs of community. To Samara, music is a primarily a healing and spiritual practice - with many of her songs born out of and made for her own journeys of grief, underworld spelunking, connection with the natural world & transformation - and she derives great joy and fulfillment when her songs turn out to provide good medicine for others as well.
    ​
    Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Samara always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.
    ​
    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:04:30
    Start time of reprise: 00:13:57

    Links: 
    Samara's Patreon: www.patreon.com/samarajade

    Nuts & Bolts: Mixed meter; major, verse & chorus

    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!