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    103. Return

    4:4 Be Present Breathe Calm Flow Gentle Heal Journey Scale: Ionian (Major) Scale: Mixolydian Song Form: Call & Response Song Form: Layer Tend Trust
    Song: Return
    Music:     Patricia Norton
    Lyrics
    ​
    Return. Come back. Return. Come inward. Return, return to now.
    Return (4x) Return and trust. Return. Return.
     Float through. Let it go. You are one and many; this is now.
     Float through. Let it go. You can tend and trust. Return. Return.
    Picture
    Notes: A breakthrough in mindfulness practice for me was realizing that it's not about spending hours in blissed-out presence... it's about noticing that I'm not present and coming back, returning, again and again. I started to sing this when my mind was doing a particularly good imitation of a squirrel on amphetamines, and I needed to strengthen my ability to return! I particularly like that this song can be sung very simply, as a call & response, or have added layers of complexity -- I'm loving a bit of adaptability in my life right now.

    ​Songwriter Info: In addition to hosting this podcast and an online singing program, Pocket Songs, Patricia is excited to be developing an in-person community singing program in Burlington, Vermont. You can find more details about that at the Juneberry Music site. Patricia believes in singing as a part of vibrant well-being, experiencing wholeness, courage, connection and joy along with brokenness, fear, loneliness, and despair... trusting the whole messy catastrophe! She lives with her long-time beloved, Tom, in a single bedroom apartment close to their daughter's family (the better to play with their grand.) Patricia reads widely, and also spends time exploring the natural world on these Abenaki lands, knitting, and reluctantly strength-training.

    Sharing Info: You are welcome to share this song; please contact Patricia directly for sheet music or permission to record or perform. She always appreciates hearing about how the song travels.

    Links: 
    Full Program Website: juneberrymusic.com
    Patricia'sFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/juneberrymusic 
    Patricia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneberry.music/

    Song Learning Time Stamps:
    Start time of teaching: 00:03:06
    Start time of reprise: 00:15:59
    ​
    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major & Mixolydian, Call & Response or 4-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

    97. Settle Like A Pebble

    4:4 Be Present Calm Earth Flow Gentle Release Scale: Ionian (Major) Song Form: Harmonized Trust Water
    ​Song: Settle Like A Pebble
    Music & Words: Laura Walker
    Lyrics
    ​
    Settle, settle like a pebble.
    Settle, settle like a pebble.
    Settle like a pebble on a riverbed.
    Drift like a feather on a stream.
    You can travel with the flow, if you just let go,
    and close your eyes and be.
    Drift, and settle gently.
    You can travel with the flow, if you just let go.
    The water flow will wash you clean.

    Picture
    Notes: I sometimes find my body feels chaotic and overloaded with visual and audio stimulation. "Settle Like A Pebble" is a song that helps me drop in -- it feels almost like a psyche rinse! As I sing it, I feel a loosening and ease – the calm of the word "settle" – I am reminded of the feel of a pebble, round in my fingers, smooth in a riverbed – then the float and lightness of “drift like a feather” – and finally, the low release of “let go” and “close your eyes and be." Laura Walker's detailed stop-action videos & original songs on her Marnie Bee Mindful youtube channel create a unique visual & audio meditation -- here's one to explore -- Space: https://youtu.be/_E_DT6qiipM

    ​Songwriter Info: Laura Walker started writing short songs about a year ago as a creative outlet and a way to help her remember kind self care messages to access when she needs them. She found focus in making short films to accompany the songs and to help illustrate the words and began posting on YouTube under the name Marnie Bee Mindful as a way to share the things that work for her with others who may enjoy them. “Settle Like A Pebble” is about slowing down and taking a calm moment to let go of the stresses of the day to close your eyes and allow thoughts to drift. Spending time in nature, especially near water helps Laura achieve this mindful state but the song reminds her that calm peacefulness can also be found by closing her eyes and imagining somewhere beautiful too. It’s her wish that by being extra kind and gentle to ourselves and connecting through music we can help find the strength to share and cultivate these things with those around us too. She hopes the song helps you settle into your day and soothes you a little. ​

    Sharing Info: Yes the song is free to share for anyone who feels it may be help, please be kind enough to mention Laura as composer when doing so and the Marnie Bee Mindful YouTube Channel. It brings her such joy to know if a song has been of use to someone so if a song helped she'd love to hear from you! 

    Links:
    Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marniebeemindful/
    Laura's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084878260963
    Laura's Website: https://marniebeemindful.com/
    ​Laura's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarnieBeeMindful 

    Nuts & Bolts: ​4:4, major (Ionian), harmonized and a 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!
  • 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!
  • Published on

    91. You Are Enough

    4:4 Belonging Earth Enough Generosity Gentle Heal Scale: Aeolian (minor) Song Form: Call & Response
    ​​Song: You Are Enough
    Music & Words: Louise Blackburn ​

    ​Lyrics
    You are enough
    Go gentle on the earth
    Go gentle on yourself
    You are enough
    Picture
    Notes: It was amazingly fortuitous -- Louise Blackburn and I had agreed on releasing her song as episode #91, and then it turned out that recording episode #91 live would be just the right time to celebrate 25,000 downloads -- and we had the perfect song in place. In June of 2021, I had searched long and hard for a podcast I could listen to from which I could learn songs for well being and more about the people who shared these songs. I couldn't find it, so I started A Breath of Song together with Patty Piotrowski, constantly reminding myself that who I am, what I bring to the table, is enough. I love the way Louise's song embeds that idea in my brain with gentleness and persistence. The spacious, simple harmonies create an elegant call, while the response feel like it's tugged out of my heart. Recording live in front of a full gallery Zoom audience was a novel way to create an episode, and I believe you can feel the connection I felt with the group and we all felt with you who listens now across the space/time continuum.

    ​Songwriter Info: Louise feels incredibly lucky to run choirs, workshops, festivals, singing for wellbeing groups and yoga and voice sessions across Birmingham, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Sandwell in the United Kingdom. Her songs are an absolute joy of creation for her and have been sung all over the world including New Zealand and America. It makes her very emotional to think of them being sung and enjoyed by other people.
    ​
    Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Louise always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

    Links:
    Louise's website: www.voicesentwined.co.uk
    Louise's Spotify:     https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oTIDDsibmihC771Wvy1Mh

    ​Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Aeolian, 3-part harmonized call with response

    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

    22. When the Water Is Glass Calm

    4:4 Beauty Calm Cycles Dawn Gentle Holy Light Listen Notice Praise & Wonder Ribbon Scale: Ionian (Major) Sky Song Form: Layer Sun Water
    Song When the Water Is Glass Calm
    Words & Music​ by Paul Barton
    Lyrics
    ​
    When the water is glass calm, the stillness cradles life.

    The sun rises slowly, pealing through the trees, bringing color to the sky.

    Listen, ​listen, to the soft sounds of this new day.
    Picture
    Notes:  I met Paul Barton in 2019 at a Circlesinging workshop with Bobby McFerrin -- a quiet, gentle redhead with a warm smile, he was easy to like… and then gradually since then, I’ve been discovering his music, which unfolds itself the more you sing it. I live not far from a pond, lake, and river, all which I have seen at moments of glass calmness (although, truth be told, not at sunrise!) I love the way I feel calm and clear after I sing this song, which he says Stephanie Drouin helped write as they were visiting a friend's cottage, and had gone for an early morning paddle. 

    Songwriter Info: Paul is a skilled jazz guitarist in Toronto, Canada, who creates music for community singing, in his words, "because I want to use my creativity to help people experience the joys (and sometimes sorrows) of singing together. There is a growing number of people around the world who are remembering that singing together can be inclusive to everyone regardless of singing ability or musical knowledge. And, the focus can be on the healing and connecting power of music, rather than on 'getting it right'." You can find Paul leading songs at Fiercely OK and Sing for Joy song circles.

    Links:
    Paul's website, http://www.paulbartonmusic.com/
    Paul's teaching tracks and sheet music for When the Water Is Glass Calm.
    Fiercely OK song circles
    ​Sing For Joy Community Choir

    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Ionian (major), 3 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!