Tags

  • 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

    125. Dahil Mahal Kita with guest Gerone Pascal

    4:4 Be Grateful Be Present Belonging Breathe Flow Gather Generosity Gentle Heart Joy Love Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Unison Tend
    Song: Dahil Mahal Kita
    Music:     Gérone Pascal
    ​Lyrics:

    Dahil mahal kita
    dahil mahal na mahal kita
    dahil mahal kita
    ibibigay ko ang lahat

    Because I love you so much,
    Because I love you so much, so much, so much
    Because I Iove you so much,
    I give you all of my heart.
    Picture
    Notes: Gérone explores ways we can give ourselves our full hearts… with words and without words. How songs express and touch emotions, how questions can be a form of self care. Her partner is cooking in the background, so the recording is riddled with the crashes and bangs of everyday life, and our conversation is grounded in here and now. Recorded just two days after we moved, I wasn't feeling at my sparkliest(!), yet singing Dahil Mahal Kita was a settling, centering way to start in to a conversation about song in daily life.

    Songwriter Info: Gérone is a thirty-something movement and meditation teacher from the Philippines, now living in France. Her work is mostly about helping people get to know and love their bodies so much that they'd want to take care of them through yoga postures, mindful consumption, regulated breathing, and rest. When she's not in the yoga studio or the health center, she's happy singing Filipino folksongs while hiking, belting out karaoke hits in the kitchen while cooking or baking delicious vegan fare, or meditating while sewing or knitting clothes for her friends and family.

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

    Links:
    Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France: https://www.thetravel.com/what-makes-lyon-the-gastronomical-capital-of-france/
    Tagalog- one of the main languages spoken in Manila: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tagalog-language
    https://www.omniglot.com/writing/tagalog.htm
    History of music in the Philippines: https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/historical-notes-on-why-filipinos-love-music
    Understanding Mantras: 
    https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/sanskrit/mantras-101-the-science-behind-finding-your-mantra-and-how-to-practice-it/
    Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/
    Rhiannon: https://rhiannonmusic.com/circlesing
    Tonal languages - https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/tonal-languages
    Le Cercle Enchanté (The Enchanted Circle) retreat - https://lecercleenchante.com/en/
    Gérone’s friend's album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0xPu4z5Z0lj7cmfGg8YjNG
    Kendrick Lamar: https://www.biography.com/musicians/kendrick-lamar
    Cynthia Alexander on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pu1wIlONwzjRxXFMg3u0U
    Comfort in your Strangeness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltebib8teeM
    Gérone's Website: https://gerone.yoga/fr
    Gérone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerone.gentlewarrior

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:05:15
    Start time of reprise: 01:04:02

    ​​​Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, unison

    ​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

    124. Andito Ngayon

    3:4 Be Grateful Be Present Belonging Breathe Calm Flow Generosity Gentle Heal Heart Home Love Peace Rest Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized
    Song: Andito Ngayon
    ​Music: Gérone Pascal
    Lyrics

    Andito ngayon
    Sa aking puso
    Ang bawat hininga
    Maginhawa.

    Here now
    in my heart
    Every breath
    Full of ease.
    Picture
    ​Notes: It's magic to sing a song of presence in a language unfamiliar to me -- this one from the Phillipines -- it magnifies the focus, the awareness. Also I experience great comfort singing this particular set of sounds. Songwriter Gérone Pascal talks next week about what is special about Tagalog, why song creating feels natural to her, and her #1 self care tactic... all things which play out in this song. I added a few harmonies, but you might choose to play the melody section on repeat and add your own!

    Songwriter Info: Gérone is a thirty something movement and meditation teacher from the Philippines, now living in France. Her work is mostly about helping people get to know and love their bodies so much that they'd want to take care of them through yoga postures, mindful consumption, regulated breathing, and rest. When she's not in the yoga studio or the health center, she's happy singing Filipino folksongs while hiking, belting out karaoke hits in the kitchen while cooking or baking delicious vegan fare, or meditating while sewing or knitting clothes for her friends and family.

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

    Links:
    Gérone's Website: https://gerone.yoga/fr
    Gérone's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerone.gentlewarrior

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching (text): 00:04:00
    Start time of teaching (singing): 00:0    6:10
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:30
    ​​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, major, harmonized melody

    ​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

    115. Reciprocity with Guest Pam Blevins Hinkle

    3 Layer 3:4 Abundance Be Grateful Beauty Belonging Breathe Earth Flow Generations Generosity Grieve Grow Heal Motion Ribbon Scale: Dorian Song Form: Harmonized Songwriter Conversation Trees Trust
    Song: Reciprocity
    ​Music: Pam Blevins Hinkle
    Lyrics

    I breathe for the trees and they breathe for me.
    You and me and the tree, living in reciprocity.

    Rooted in the moment and reaching for each other.
    Rooted in the moment and reaching for the dream.
    Picture
    Notes: Hands down favorite moment of this conversation? When I asked Pam a question that made her tense, and she started to sing to help herself through the challenging moment. Pam says she often has to say difficult things to people in power, and this was an example of how she uses improvised song to root and empower herself. We caught Pam at a transitional point, and I deeply appreciate her reflections about how song has stayed consistent across her life and how it has changed, the evolving role of relationships, what singing in community actually does or can do, what self care might look like. Oh, but then there was another favorite moment, when she tells a story about her relationship with her father.... hmmm. Lots to love here, not least of which is the song, Reciprocity -- after singing this song, you'll be ever more keenly aware of trees and our breath exchange with them.

    Songwriter Info: Pam Blevins Hinkle–song leader, composer, arts administrator, tree-lover, and kazoo fanatic–has devoted her life to projects that blend creativity, community-building, and spirituality. With over 30 years experience leading community, college, and congregational choirs, she currently facilitates spontaneous group singing for conferences and events, co-leads SongSquad Indianapolis with her brother Adam, co-produces the annual Indy Winter Solstice Celebration, and more. Pam has received numerous awards including the Inspirational Woman Award from IUPUI and the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Indy Arts Council. Since 2006, she has served as director of Spirit & Place, which sparks civic change through a one-of-kind, 11-day festival and through year-round initiatives that leverage the power of the arts, humanities, and religion to catalyze creativity and conversation.

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

    Links: 
    Indianapolis, Indiana Indigenous Peoples: Miami, Kickapu, Shawnee, Delaware: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/diversity/land-acknowledgement/indgenous-tribes-indiana
    Trees as communal creatures: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too
    Laurence Cole, singing as “the oldest technology of belonging” https://www.laurencecole.com/
    Indianapolis Women’s Chorus: https://www.indianapoliswomenschorus.org/
    Winter Solstice Singing Ritual by Julie Forest Middleton, Stasa Morgan-Appel- published by Emerald Earth: https://www.allbookstores.com/Winter-Solstice-Singing-Ritual-Julie/9780966371550
    Indiana Forest Alliance: https://indianaforestalliance.org/
    Forests for Indy: Reciprocity (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdj65H67Ww
    Lyndsey Scott: https://linktr.ee/lila.gaia
    Rhiannon: https://www.rhiannonmusic.com/
    Emergent Strategy- Adrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/emergent-strategy/
    Peter, Paul, and Mary “In The Wind” https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-wind-mw0000315197
    Hush-a-bye: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2VN2Hn-Z0
    Puff the Magic Dragon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y0ABZ0AJXY
    Very Last Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmk6cf32HH4
    Episode 69: Sing Upon Joy (Livian's Song) Lyndsey Scott & Livian & helpers
    https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/69-sing-upon-joy-livians-song
    Episode 70: “As I Relax” Lyndsey Scott
    https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/70-as-i-relax-with-guest-lyndsey-scott
    Song Squad Indianapolis Website: songsquadindy.com
    Indy Winter Solstice Celebration Website: indysolstice.com
    Pam's Website: pamblevinshinkle.com

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:51
    Start time of reprise: 00:55:44
    ​​
    Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Dorian, 3-layers with a harmonized ending

    ​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

    96. Beautiful Rain With Singer Rebecca Csuy

    3:4 Be Grateful Calm Celebrate Earth Flow Gentle Grow Heal Rain Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Layer Water
    Song: Beautiful Rain
    Music & Words: unknown origin, 2nd section by Patricia Norton
    Lyrics
    ​
    Rain, rain, rain, rain, beautiful rain.
    Rain, rain, rain, rain, beautiful rain.
    Rain falling down on the plains,
    On the roofs of our towns,
    Beautiful rain.

    Rain, rain, rain, rain, beautiful rain.
    Rain, rain, rain, rain, beautiful rain.
    Rain falling down on the plains,
    Rooftop raindrops, rooftop raindrops falling,
    Beautiful rain.
    Picture
    Notes: Rain is not always the easiest weather for me to delight in... seems to come with dark days and wet, slippery footing -- I often get a little cranky in response! I love the delight in the rain this song evokes -- reminds me of how crucial water is, what a gift to have it falling fresh from the sky. The original melody reminds me of the whoosh of rain, and as we sing "Rain falling down on the plains," the melody falls, too. Then in the response melody, I put the plink of the rain drops on the rooftops -- so the whole song is an onomatopoetic celebration of rain that enchants me out of crankiness into delight.

    ​Songwriter Info: I got to record this one live with my daughter and dear friend, Rebecca, which affirmed for me the magic of singing with someone you love. Just as relationships of love grow and shift and change, some songs seem to grow organically, shifting shape and adapting to their circumstances. I always want to respect and hear the intent of the composer, and there are times when a song adapts in relationship to the singer. When sharing songs that have grown or changed, or songs of unknown provenance, I think it’s really important to name what we do know, what we guess, what we've changed (after requesting permission if there's a living composer), and welcome learning more. So: I learned the melody of this song from Micky Hickey, who offers a beautiful set of pocket songs on Instagram. (See the links below.) She learned it from Bennett Konesni, a songsharer in Maine. It has definite echoes, and maybe even quotes from the Joseph Shabalala song, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain, that Ladysmith Black Mambazo released in 1987, but it’s not exactly that song. I added the response melody… so what we’re singing today is a song of accretion and adaptation. Maybe you will add to it or adapt it as it enters your life? And if you have more information about the origin of the song, I would love to hear!​

    Sharing Info: Free to share, but please credit the full history as we know it.

    Links: 
    Micky Hickey's Pocket Song project: https://www.instagram.com/pocketsongproject/
    Bennett Konesni:     http://www.duckbackfarm.com/
    Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke6RF3IH45g

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:24
    Start time of reprise: 00:14:12

    Nuts & Bolts: ​3:4, Major, melody & countermelody

    ​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!