4:4 - A Breath of Song

Published on: April 22, 2026

230. Great Turning with guest Grace Oedel and singer Rebecca Csuy

Song: Great Turning

Music by: Joanna Colwell

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:03:03

Start time of reprise: 01:08:19

Lyrics:

Part 1
We are turning, turning
We’re part of a great turning
We are turning, turning
We’re turning it around

Part 2
I will not fear you
I will not harm you
I will not fear you
We are turning it around

Part 3
We are all in it together
We are turning, turning it around

(Gratitude to Joanna Macy, for her teachings on The Great Turning)

Notes: It seems fitting that Grace Oedel, who tells us she is “Not doing any of this alone," brings us a song caught by a friend of hers, Joanna Colwell... and that this song references the mentor and teacher Joanna Macy, who helped so many folk seek reconnection. Grace and I are joined by Rebecca Csuy to learn this three part song, and then we dive into a laughter-filled conversation that visits some hard questions and nourishing responses. Grace is doing vital work in the world in many different arenas, seeking ways to help us get comfortable with the enormous changes we are facing, hospicing modernity -- but she points out, “I eat chocolate chips in bed… I am not a holier-than-thou person!” "We're all in it together," like the song says... "we are turning it around."

Songwriter Info: Joanna Colwell is a yoga teacher and song leader in MIddlebury, Vermont. She started the Yoga Equity Project and can generally be found tearing down the patriarchy with art, song, ritual, and good cheer.

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:03:03

Start time of reprise: 01:08:19

Links:

Grace's Substack: https://graceoedel.substack.com/

Joanna Colwell – Middlebury yoga teacher:

https://www.yogaequity.org/

www.ottercreekyoga.com

https://www.instagram.com/ottercreekyoga/

Joanna Macy – The Work that Reconnects: https://workthatreconnects.org/

Octavia Butler: "Kindness eases change." "God is change.": https://www.octaviabutler.com/

Moira Smiley on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/39-stand-in-that-river#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/40-render-a-remedy-with-moira-smiley#/

Heidi Wilson on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/139-bend-and-rebound#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/140-the-feast-with-guest-heidi-wilson#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/228-all-call-this-home#/

Singing Resistance: https://linktr.ee/singingresistance

Kairos Center with Songs in the Key of Resistance: https://kairoscenter.org/projects/songs-in-the-key-of-resistance/

NOFA – Long-Handled Spoon Dinners: https://www.nofavt.org/about/blog/announcing-new-long-handled-spoons-dinners

L’Chaim Jewish collective leadership in Burlington: https://www.lchaimcollective.org/

Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, UVM professor: https://www.uvm.edu/cas/religion/profile/ilyse-morgenstein-fuerst

Elise Witt on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/21-song-deep-in-your-bones#/ , https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/211-set-us-free#/

Nero’s Expedition Up the Nile by Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpUIzHWB_zc

James Baldwin “The children are always ours.”: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/notes-house-bondage/

Aylie Baker – wayfinding in Micronesia: https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/wave-patterns/

Indigo Girls: https://www.indigogirls.com/

Batya Levine on A Breath of Song: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/166-breathe#/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layers

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Published on: April 15, 2026

229. We Will Not Stand Down

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:44
Start time of reprise: 00:15:29

Lyrics:

We will not stand down
we will not go home
our love will move us on
in love we're not alone

I do not need permission to be brave

I can do it scared
I will do it scared

Song: We Will Not Stand Down
Music by: Grace Oedel

Notes: This song came directly out of protective action, as Grace was asking herself how to develop a chant into a song -- it's got a groove, it's alive, and it's adaptable. Sing it with only a few words, or add some lyrics. Get people moving on the parts they resonate with and help them hear the collective pulse that underlies it all. Add what feels good in your body and voice -- and next week, join Grace and me for a wide-ranging conversation that asks questions about how can we keep showing up with and for each other for the long haul? How can we use rage as a fuel that doesn't burn us out, but helps us to not stand down, to not go home, to do what scares us because love is underneath that rage, moving us on!

Songwriter Info: Grace is a doula for change and an enthusiast for collective action. She's an ordained rabbi who organizes with the L'Chaim Collective and serves as the executive director of NOFA-VT, building power for a just and delicious future. She sits on the boards of Rights and Democracy, Milk with Dignity, National Family Farm Coalition, National Sustainable Ag Coalition, the Better Selves Fellowship, and is an affiliate for the Institute for Agroecology. She leads a monthly community sing for resistance and hope that is a real banger, is a fan of desserts, and is mama to three little ones.

Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups - use it anywhere it can be helpful! - but please contact Grace for recording and/or performing permission.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:44
Start time of reprise: 00:15:29

Links:
Grace's Substack: https://graceoedel.substack.com/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layers

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Published on: April 1, 2026

228. All Call This Home

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
Start time of reprise: 00:15:28

Lyrics:

Rock dove roosting on a roofline
Willow thicket on a highway island
Dandelion in a sidewalk crack
Muddy puddle with a raccoon track

You are never alone, and
We all call this home, and

You, are, never alone
We, all, are wild animals

-Plainfield, VT April 16, 2025

Song: All Call This Home
Music by: Heidi Wilson

Notes: Heidi Wilson has devoted herself to the craft of songweaving -- and it shows! My groups have all loved this song -- a great mix of almost-rap with sweet harmony swells, and trading back and forth playfully. Once it's in your head, it stays, providing a rhythmic counterpart to walks and a sweet sense of neighborliness with all our more-than-human kin.

Songwriter Info: Heidi Wilson has a passion for sharing songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for healing. She is drawn to the potent and surprising journey of deep-listening and collaborative emergent music making. Heidi has been leading community singing groups in Vermont for the last 15 years and currently sings with the vocal trio Heartwood.

Sharing Info:
Heidi says: "I’m on an ongoing journey figuring out how to share songs (that feel like generous gifts from the world) while also making a living as a songweaver. I am happy for the songs coming through me to be shared! If people are singing them in informal, community, or ritual settings that’s awesome, sing away! If people are sharing them in a setting where they are making a bunch of money or there is a budget for educational/repertoire materials and they are able to pass some of those resources my way I appreciate that. I would feel good about that reciprocity coming in the form of a one time donation (venmo: @Heidi-willsing) or by joining me on Patreon and supporting my songweaving work at any monthly level. And if you are interested in recording any of these songs let’s talk!
Looking for recordings of more songs? I mostly share music through Patreon, an online platform to support artists. On my Patreon site I’ve posted 80+ songs. Each post has downloadable practice recordings of the harmony parts. And through Patreon I also link to a spreadsheet where the songs are organized into categories, so you can listen through and find just the right song for Spring, or Gratitude, or Trees."

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
Start time of reprise: 00:15:28

Links:
Website: www.HeidiAnnWilson.com
Patreon: www.patreon.com/HeidiWilson
Heartwood Trio: www.heartwoodtrio.com

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 3-layers

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Published on: March 11, 2026

225. Walk Me Home with guest Una McCann

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:32
Start time of reprise: 01:28:35

Lyrics:

Oh wind blow away the doubt circling around my head instead
Let me know the blessing of my feet upon the ground

[Chorus:]
(And) walk me home,
(And) walk me home,
(And) walk me home again

(And) walk me home,
(And) walk me home,
(And) walk me home again
.................
Oh moon shine a silver light illuminating all that I would hide
Guide me through the shadows, trusting in the steps before me

[Chorus]
.................
Over and over, your touch at my shoulder, guiding me homeward again
.................
Oh mountain, be kind to me, shelter me from storms that would arise, wise and silent, you show me how to follow through

[Chorus]

Song: Walk Me Home
Music by: Una McCann

Notes: What do you do with anger? Can you set shame gently aside so you can get out of the way of what's coming through you and wants to be voiced? How do you move through times of doubt and grief to do what you are called to do? Una shares with us a beautiful song companion for walking each other home, and we explore these questions and so, so much more in this extended conversation.

Songwriter Info:
Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working with adult choirs for 15 years.
Una is a proud and active member of the UK Charity The Natural Voice Network, and works in line with the principle that we are all born to sing. She is passionate about the power of song and creativity to transform lives.
Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.
In her spare time, Una enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.

Sharing Info: Una says: "Please sing these songs; they were born to be sung. If you make money through singing the songs and would like to support me in my work as a song carrier, please purchase songs through my website or drop me an email for more options."

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:05:32
Start time of reprise: 01:28:35

Links:
Website: www.unamccann.org
Facebook: Una McCann Music
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unamccann47/
Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/home
Earthsong camps with John Bowker: https://www.earthsong.ie/about-earthsong
A note in sand or water: https://youtu.be/-CZlrgq8syE?si=VzijHkmvxuPUJ7MD
The first song Una remembers singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QfXXj8RoPk&t=32s
Stéphane Grappelli – musicians of the eyes and musicians of the ears: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Grappelli
Una’s Soundcloud – Henrietta!: https://soundcloud.com/unamccann/henrietta
Tara Brach – teachings of kindness and wellbeing: https://www.tarabrach.com/
Natural Voices Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Indigo Girls: https://www.indigogirls.com/
The Roches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roches
Airplane: https://youtu.be/MhVcbRldEfs?si=rubOOaeZ2S8lXF-a (from the Indigo Girls 1992 “Rites of Passage” album – my gift to Una was finding the song she loved!)
Gamelan instrument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, harmonized (intriguingly, it starts with a descending Phrygian scale...)

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Published on: March 4, 2026

224. We All Need A Little Love

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:16
Start time of reprise: 00:18:15

Lyrics:

Everyone:
We all need a little love in our lives, we all need a little love
We all need a little love in our lives, we all need a little love

Bass:
We all need a little love in our lives, we all need a little love
We all need a little love in our lives, we all need a little love
SAT:
Love, love, we all need it, love, love, we all need a little love
Love, love, we all need it, love, love, we all need a little

(Bass: So) Make a change now, make a change, make a change right now,
Fill your heart now, fill your heart, fill your heart with Love 'cos *

*back to start

Coda
Bass: We all need a little love in our lives we all need a little love
SAT: We all need a little love in our lives we all need a little, we all need a little love

Song: We All Need A Little Love
Music by: Una McCann

Notes: In this super-satisfying song, Una McCann stepped into the funk so we can all dig into a little more love in our lives -- not a bad thing to wish for filling our hearts. Doesn't matter what the regimes of the world are doing; we can invite a little more love into our hearts right now! Next week Una and I get to dive right into a conversation about the songwriting shift from singer-songwriter to community songs, how Una manages the energy of 300 singers every week, and more -- hope you can join us!

Songwriter Info:
Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working with adult choirs for 15 years.
Una is a proud and active member of the UK Charity The Natural Voice Network, and works in line with the principle that we are all born to sing. She is passionate about the power of song and creativity to transform lives.
Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.
In her spare time, Una enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.

Sharing Info: Una says: "Please sing these songs; they were born to be sung. If you make money through singing the songs and would like to support me in my work as a song carrier, please purchase songs through my website or drop me an email for more options."

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:16
Start time of reprise: 00:18:15

Links:
Website: www.unamccann.org
Facebook: Una McCann Music
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unamccann47/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, SATB

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Published on: February 18, 2026

223. The Reach

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:50
Start time of reprise: 00:14:29

Lyrics:

The earth
opened in the spring, opens
in all springs. Nameless,
ancient, many lived, we reach
through ages with the seed.

– Wendell Berry, “Rising”
New Collected Poems
(Counterpoint Press, 2012)

Song: The Reach
Words by: Wendell Berry
Music by: Malcolm Dalglish

Notes: I learned this beautiful round from the amazing Moira Smiley, who connected me with Malcolm Dalglish to request his permission to share on this podcast. I continue to be amazed by the seeds we sow when we befriend and tend each other, unfolding understanding and trust. It's not always easy to reach forward or back -- but these seeds we plant with each other open, even if the winter is long and icy! At least that's where this poem is taking me today. And let me tell you, I practiced deep love and care for all of you whose voices are comfortable in higher ranges than mine! I taught it where I'm comfy -- but I did the reprise where Malcolm actually set the sheet music (nice tenor/soprano range) -- so if you want to buy the sheet music from him and sing along with it, that's where you should head...

Songwriter Info: Malcolm Dalglish is a hammer dulcimer player and composer from Bloomington Indiana, whose many vocals celebrate a love of our natural world. He has set many poems by Kentucky author, and farmer, Wendell Berry.

Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Malcolm's website if you plan to share this song as a songleader.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:50
Start time of reprise: 00:14:29

Links:
Malcolm's website: https://oooliticmusic.com/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round with optional descant

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Tags

230. Great Turning with guest Grace Oedel and singer Rebecca Csuy

229. We Will Not Stand Down

228. All Call This Home

225. Walk Me Home with guest Una McCann

224. We All Need A Little Love

223. The Reach