Heart - A Breath of Song

Published on: May 14, 2025

189. Hearth

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:53
Start time of reprise: 00:13:08

Lyrics:

Part 1:
Fire at the center in my heart
Rise of the night spark fly away
Smoke twines together in the sky
Oh how the dark times light my way

Parts 2&3:
Fire in my heart
Praise be to the dark

Part 4:
Dreaming in an endless night
Living in an endless dream

Song: Hearth
Music by: Yuri Woodstock

Notes: Yuri Woodstock knows how to start and tend fires -- and this song sings the magic of smoke and spark. He's managed to make it feel dark and joyous, with a sinuous, smoky sound to remember the mystery, the dream of being alive. Next week is a conversation where Yuri brings his high energy take on community singing and how he found his way into the world through a combination of friends and mentors and skills so deeply embedded it's hard to remember how he got them. By the end I was wishing I could visit his song groups -- I may have to plan a road trip!

Songwriter Info: Yuri Woodstock is a community song leader based in Asheville, NC, who has run the now 180-member Hark! Community Choir for the past seven years. It is a non-performing, non-auditioned group that sings for joy and connection. He specializes in quick teaches of layer songs and SATB bangers that are easy to learn and fun to sing. Often Hark! feels like a singing dance party.

Sharing Info: Free to share!

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:02:53
Start time of reprise: 00:13:08

Links:
Yuri's website: https://www.weringlikebells.com/
Yuri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weringlikebells/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3-layer, one layer harmonized

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Published on: January 22, 2025

176. An Open Heart

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching, song 1: 00:04:26
Start time of teaching, song 2: 00:08:51
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16

Lyrics:

Original:
I wanna let life touch me,
wanna let life move me deep,
Wanna let life stir me,
from an ancient sleep.

May I laugh all my laughter,
may I cry all my tears,
may I love the rain as deeply as the sun when it clears.

Living my life with an open heart.

Song 2:
I'm gonna let life move me,
I'm gonna let life stir me deep,
I'm gonna let life wake me
from an ancient sleep.
I'm gonna laugh all my laughter,
I'm gonna cry all my tears.
I'm gonna love the rain as deeply as
the sun when it clears.

Song: An Open Heart/Gonna Let Life Move Me
Music by: Scott Grace

Notes: Learning songs in an oral tradition can be a little like playing telephone, as they take on a life of their own, responding to the people singing them, growing, evolving... I learned "Gonna Let Life Move Me" in a song circle, and loved it. Eventually, I wanted to share it with my Pocket Song singers. So I tried to find out who had written it, so I could ask their permission/blessing and send some financial exchange their way.... and it took a quite a bit of searching before I turned up Scott Grace (Kalechstein)'s original song. This one had shifted quite a bit, so I got in touch with Scott directly to ask how he felt about the changes... I quote his generous answer directly in the episode. Enjoy two songs this week, and see which one lands for you!

Songwriter Info:
WARNING: Scott Grace, who has been described as a cross between John Denver, Robin Williams and Dr. Seuss, is wanted by the authorities for creating the peace, as well as defying the law of gravity with levity.
Contact with Scott is likely to be hazardous to your misery, as he has provoked outbreaks of joy in four out of five laboratory humans.
It is alleged that Scott’s work has so threatened to cut into the sales of anti-depressants that pharmaceutical companies have offered him millions to retire.
Scott gives keynotes using a stolen identity, a.k.a. the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. His feel-good viruses on YouTube have infected over 2.5 million people with just four of his Seussian videos.
Scott has been known to practice life coaching without a license, eluding the police by working over the phone, Zoom, or FaceTime. He fancies himself an intuitive, and smuggles wisdom and guidance over the border from beings he calls spirit guides, who are also not licensed, and who have allegedly not filed a tax return in several lifetimes.
As a front, Scott does do various legal, above the board activities. He has written four books, his latest being Mindful Masculinity.
Scott also has recorded nine CD’s (remember CD’s?) of his original music. He presents as an inspirational guest speaker and singer at churches, non-profits, schools, and corporate events. As an occasional stand-up comedian in the Bay Area, he has shared the stage with Dana Carvey and Robin Williams.
But don’t be fooled. His rampage of Song Portraits, custom-made personalized song-gifts that honor people for their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all, have been killing people softly with their song since 1987.
Authorities would very much like your help in apprehending Scott. Try catching him on the web at https://www.scottsongs.com, or on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein

Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Scott for recording and/or performing permission. Scott says, "This song is my deepest prayer from my heart of hearts."

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching, song 1: 00:04:26
Start time of teaching, song 2: 00:08:51
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16

Links:
Scott's website: https://www.scottsongs.com
Scott's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 3 layer or unison

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:
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Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.
https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html

Published on: October 23, 2024

165. Heaven Above, Earth Below with guest Becky Graber

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:58
Start time of reprise: 01:15:20

Lyrics:

Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the path between,
Making my way through fields of ever rolling green,
Making my way through fields of ever rolling green.

Heaven above, Earth below,
And in between am I,
Finding a path with heart and spirit, earth and sky,
Finding a path with heart and spirit, earth and sky.

Ah dah dah, ah dah dah, ah dah dah dah.
Ah dah dah, ah dah dah, ah dah dah, Ah.

Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the two reveal,
Shining through me the light of Spirit that can heal,
Shining through me the light of Spirit that can heal.

Heaven above, Earth below,
And I the path between.

Song: Heaven Above, Earth Below
Music by: Becky Graber

Notes: Becky Graber let her unconscious speak during our conversation, and when I asked what she knows about herself right now, she said, "I am a breath of air on the earth" -- and then laughed a little in surprise and delight. The song she teaches also came from delighted awareness of the place of the body between heaven and earth -- plus a little tai-chi. Becky and I share a wonderfully rambly conversation about shedding old identities and making space, wanting to allow things to bloom rather than push them, and threshold times. We also take a lot of time with this three verse song, including playing with harmonies. You'll hear me making mistakes as I learn and play with harmonies -- but hopefully you won't notice it too much, because you'll be singing right along, too! The goal of this podcast is to encourage you to keep stepping into the power and beauty of your own voice, something Becky Graber has many years of experience at helping people do...

Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus.

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:04:58
Start time of reprise: 01:15:20

Links:
Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com
Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org
Psychospiritual paths like psychosynthesis – Roberto Assagioli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosynthesis
The Diamond Approach – H.M. Almaas: https://www.diamondapproach.org/
Helen Yeomans: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/156-we-got-all-the-love
Natural Voices Network: https://www.naturalvoice.net/
Lisa Littlebird’s library: https://thebirdsings.com/song-library/
Velma Frye: https://www.velmafryemusic.com/
Song “Take Heart, Take Part, with lyrics “Participation is gonna save the human race” – Pete Seeger quote set by Becky Reardon: https://beckyreardonmusic.com/product/take-heart-take-part/
“Spes” by Mia Makaroff – Latin & Sami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKeikhsVynM
Gaia Music Collective in NYC: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gaia-music-collective-44369305153
Choir! Choir! Choir!: https://choirchoirchoir.com/
Gareth Malone with “The Choir” on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008y125
Ry Cooder “Jazz” album with red cover and black letters: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Z6RuwMcmDMgBJsZ01Ouhf
Buena Vista Social Club: https://www.buenavistasocialclub.com/
Bobby McFerrin: https://bobbymcferrin.com/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 3 verses

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https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html

Published on: October 16, 2024

164. Fly Away

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:00
Start time of reprise: 00:16:44

Lyrics:

I feel the cold closing in,
I see the colors light up the sky,
I feel the part of my heart
that's here with you.

I want-a fly away, away,
I want-a fly away from here.

Give me something I can believe in (3x)
here on this Earth.

Let the light shine. (2x)

Song: Fly Away
Music by: Becky Graber

Notes: Becky Graber really captured that feeling I get sometimes when I'm so uncomfortable, I want to simply fly away... when you are seeking something that feels trustworthy, and it feels elusive. I taught this in an unusual way for A Breath of Song, using solfege to identify the very different ranges of each of the four parts... you may find that useful, or not -- let go of anything doesn't serve you! Next week, Becky and I get to dig into a conversation with both of us here in my basement workspace... newsletter subscribers will see the pairsie (what do you really call a selfie with two?) As a songleader who started a chorus that has felt like mutual nourishment for almost 30 years, Becky has a perspective on group singing that is unique, and I really enjoyed exploring this experience with her.

Songwriter Info: Becky Graber has lived her life professionally centered around music and storytelling, teaching and performing, and a heart-drive towards healing and coming to centered generosity. She is the founder and director of the Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus.

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:00
Start time of reprise: 00:16:44

Links:
Becky's website: www.beckygraber.com
Brattleboro Women's Chorus website: www.brattleborowomenschorus.org

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, Major (Ionian), 4 part layer

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: July 10, 2024

153. Blessings Whenever You Breathe

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:56
Start time of reprise: 00:15:43

Lyrics:

Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings whenever you breathe
Blessings all around

Bless your heart
Your tender, tender heart
Bless your heart
Blessings whenever you breathe

Song: Blessings Whenever You Breathe
Music by: Melanie DeMore

Notes: Melanie DeMore has probably influenced your singing, whether or not you've had the chance to sing with her in person yet! This week is a chance to spend some time with one of her songs that is a breath blessing -- as we sing, you can notice the breath pouring in, and just to be sure we don't miss it, there's a tapping rhythm on the chest to help center attention. Melanie is one of my heroes in the songleading community -- and I was too intimidated to ask to share one of her songs -- but it turns out, (no surprise to those of you who know her already), she's absolutely lovely (although she did give me a talking-to about not viewing myself as a "real singer".) What finally got me over the hoop of reaching out to her? The fact that she has made an ask of the songleading community, and there's a special chance to give back to someone who has given so generously...

Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3 time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: "A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you."

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:56
Start time of reprise: 00:15:43

Links:
Help Melanie find a place to call her own in Taos, New Mexico: https://gofund.me/6be198cb
A great interview with Melanie about being a vocal activist: https://chorusamerica.org/article/%25E2%2580%259Ci-use-my-voice-weapon-mass-connection%25E2%2580%259D-interview-melanie-demore

Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, Mixolydian. 2-part with harmony

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Published on: June 25, 2024

151. Deeper

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Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:03
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16

Lyrics:

Here in the place I am,
I drop in a little deeper.

All I've known and the ways I've grown,
I take in a little deeper.

To live and to give from a place
that's a little deeper.

I want to live from a place
that's a little deeper;
I want to give from a place
that's a little deeper

Song: Deeper
Music by: Meg O'Dell Chittenden

Notes: I was stymied when I came to the point in the podcast where I explain why I chose this song... because to me it simply is exactly the way I'm trying to live. It's like Meg O'Dell Chittenden went in my brain and named what was happening! Do you find songs like that -- ones that simply speak your truth so clearly that singing them feels like naming your very own core? It reassures me that I am not alone...

Songwriter Info: Meg loves helping people access their innate capacity for healing, connection, and joy. She is a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing. Because she's always found the voice, and especially singing in harmony with others, to be a particularly powerful pathway for connection with ourselves and the world around us, she delights in serving as a music teacher, song leader, and vocal mentor. She hosts an annual adult and family singing retreat on the coast of Maine called SongWeavers. In addition, Meg is an Adjunct Professor for Antioch University's Graduate Program for Waldorf Teachers and for the Center for Anthroposophy's Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. Her sources of inspiration include the small, misty mountain that overlooks her home and singing with her children, Clancy and Celia.

Sharing Info: The song is free to share but Meg always welcomes financial and/or networking support if/when folks are so moved.

Song Learning Time Stamps:
Start time of teaching: 00:03:03
Start time of reprise: 00:12:16

Links:
Meg's Website: www.singwaldorf.com
Meg’s A Breath of Song songwriter conversation: https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/135-what-would-it-take-with-guest-meg-odell-chittenden

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor with a major V7 chord, 4-layers

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!

Tags

189. Hearth

176. An Open Heart

165. Heaven Above, Earth Below with guest Becky Graber

164. Fly Away

153. Blessings Whenever You Breathe

151. Deeper