Song: I Am Listening

Music by: Jordan Mudd

Notes: Recording this episode was sheer joy -- I was with a community of vocal improvisors at Back to the Well at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY (see shownotes for links to participate next year!) -- and I shared Jordan's song with a small group of us who were free one afternoon. Please sing with us, letting the song sink in and sing inside you in whatever way is just right today. I love the way this song remembers me into Howard Thurman quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Songwriter Info: Jordan Mudd is a songleader, vocal coach, grief tender, and ritualist based in Boston, MA. He co-founded Boston-Area Singing Circles in 2023, where he leads regular community singing gatherings combining oral tradition songs, vocal improv, and ritual, as well as training workshops for aspiring songleaders. He has been catching & leading songs for a decade, and is committed to using song as a tool for personal, collective, and spiritual liberation.

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:04:01

Start time of reprise: 00:18:27

SINGERS:

Back to the Well workshop: https://rhiannonmusic.com/omega-2026

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, unison with optional harmonies

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Song: Mountain River

Music by: Kjersten Hallin

Notes: I absolutely adore the way this song embodies a river by having a low, slow undercurrent that lasts longer than the bubbling, swirling upper layer -- and the two layers sound different on top of each other in different places. As I sing it, I can feel into being the light sparkle on top and the dark fertile below... both needed. Which part calls to you to sing today?

Songwriter Info:

Kjersten Hallin (Pronounced Shares-ten Ha-leen) is a Community Song Weaver, Artist and Beauty Activist, Grief Tender, Earth Steward, Producer of Cascadia Song Rise, Eco-Edutainer and Youth Outreach Specialist. Kjersten is of Swedish/Norwegian ancestry, born on Lakota/Anishnaabe land (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and currently living/singing/practicing in the unceded Kalapuyan homelands of Champinefu (Corvallis, Oregon).

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:03:19

Start time of reprise: 00:22:16

Links:

Kjersten's Music: https://kjerstenhallin.bandcamp.com/music

Kjersten's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-songs-and-love-flowing-in-corvallis

Kjersten's Instagram: @kj_creatrix https://www.instagram.com/kj_creatrix

Eco-Edutainment: https://nofoodleftbehindcorvallis.org/videos/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 2-part round with different length parts

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The Sunday after this episode is released, July 26th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!

Lyrics ​& Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.

AN OPEN HEART

by Scott Kalichstein

travelled version (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.

BEAUTIFUL RAIN

with singer Rebecca Csuy

mysterious origins

Patricia wrote 2nd part

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.

THE RIVER

by Coco Love Alcorn

Bass part:

Dum t-ka dum dum dum k

Dum t-ka dum dum dum k

Dum t-ka dum dum dum dum

Dum t-ka dum dum dum k

Melody:

1. The river is a healer, 

the river is a sage.

The river knows no end and 

the river feels no age.

The river is a leader 

every single day,

It's living in the moment and 

it always finds a way.

Chorus:

Water heal my body, 

water heal my soul.

When I go down down to the water,

by the water I feel whole.

2. The river calls me over, 

it's calling out my name

In the day and in the night 

I hear that river all the same.

It's calling me over, 

calling out my pain,

oh a river gathers tears 

just like a river gathers rain.

3. The river is a traveller, 

always on the go

A river never worries 

if it's fast or if it's slow

River take me 

to where I need to go,

Oh and I will just relax 

and let the river flow.

STAND IN THAT RIVER

by Moira Smiley

Chorus: 

Come and stand in that river, 

Current, gentle and slow,

Send your troubles down water, 

Down on that water flow.

Verse: 

When you stand in that river, 

Angels sing in your head.

Secrets beyond every worry. 

Dreams beyond every dread.

AN OPEN HEART

by Scott Kalichstein

original version

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.

INNER PEACE

by Kate Valentine

I am the deep peace I seek, 

I am, I am,

Look upon the rolling ocean

Look above the sky unfolding

All around the tide is turning

Right here I am standing.

​

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Song: Sing Your Roots

Music by: Eileen Hazel

Guest Singers: Becky Peterson, Karen Chickering, Molly Moerdyk

Notes: There's a slightly strange sound quality in this one, as something weird was going on with my mic when recording... maybe we were so rooted and grounded singing this that we changed the electricity in the room?! I invited three friends over to sing Eileen's round with me, and a little delightful chaos ensued... pick a place to start singing the song, with one of us or in between us, and see what happens. I wonder how we would all be if we felt that sense of deep rootedness, combined with a rise to the stars?

Songwriter Info: After many years of singing, composing, and performing, Elieen discovered her deepest love in community singing. The joy and deep connection found in singing together deeply fed her soul.

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

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:02:44

Start time of reprise: 00:13:13

Links:

Eileen's Website: eileenhazel.com

Bandcamp to buy music: https://eileenhazel.bandcamp.com/.

More music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel Eileen's own recording of Sing Your Roots: https://soundcloud.com/eileen-hazel/sing-your-roots

Nuts & Bolts: 3:4, minor, round

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Song: What Have We Done

Music by: Kaitie Ty Warren

Notes: Kaitie and I talk about how we get to practice skills in singing that help us show up in full right size to help build the kind of culture we want to live in. This includes stories about cockroaches, childraising, computer-savvy friends... and Kaitie brings it all "earthside" by teaching this powerful layer song which is intimately connected with the South African song "Senzenina". We talk about cross-cultural connections, and how we try to continually update our learning -- what it is to be in right relationship, the illness of wetiko, how to be "other" in a non-inclusive dominant culture. If any of this sparks your curiosity, join us!

Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.

Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:03:18

Start time of reprise: 01:14:26

Links:

Where to find What Have We Done:

https://livingroomchoir.com/what-have-we-done/

Senzenina – The Joy covering it: https://youtu.be/0ye19cENvY4?si=okLZ6YrsQrXwHJb4

Vukani Mowethu South African choir in Oakland: https://www.vukani.com/

Kele Nitoto: https://www.instagram.com/kelenitoto/

Ahimsa – concept of non-violence: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ahimsa

Heather Houston retreats: https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/retreats-old/

Laura Sandage: https://www.lauraschapel.com/

“I Am” by Tom Shadyac (available on Netflix) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_(2010_American_documentary_film)

Wetiko: Algonquin term for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess and selfish consumption (in Ojibwe it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan) - https://www.lapishealingarts.com/lapidary-blog/wetiko-and-the-collective-dark-night-of-the-soul

East Bay Songfest April 16-18, 2027: https://eastbaysongfest.com/

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, layer, major

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Song: My Body is Perfect

Music by: Kaitie Ty Warren

Notes: Kaitie started quite a discussion around our house with this song. What is perfect? Who gets to decide? And why is it so darn comforting to be told you're perfect, anyway? But when I first sang this song with Kaitie at Heather Houston's Global Summit many months ago, I was struck by how much better I felt after singing it to myself -- and I have continued to sing it through a flare of pain that I'm still seeking answers for and is constricting my way of life -- and I continue to find it comforting! Maybe you will, too? Next week, I get to talk with Kaitie directly about all kinds of things, including the ways we're trying to move away from the harm done by white colonial cultures and toward a vibrant, inclusive kind of presence that hums with life and generativity.

Songwriter Info: Kaitie Ty Warren (any pronouns) grew up on Tongva and Ohlone lands, by the ocean and often dreams in fishes and songs. She is a songwriter, songleader, writer, collage artist, cartoonist, minister, and performing artist. She is the founder of Living Room Choir, Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson's, and East Bay Song Fest, all on Ohlone lands in the Bay Area CA. She has a background in theater and music. She goes by Mama to the most awesome little songleader. KaitieTyWarren.com for more; follow on Patreon and socials @KaitieTy.

Sharing Info: Kaitie's songs are available for free to humans for the sole purpose of using it with their choir(s) and song circles. For commercial and for-profit uses, please contact Kaitie via LivingRoomChoir.com. This is not for AI training or use.

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:02:54

Start time of reprise: 00:14:00

Links:

"My Body is Perfect" on Kaitie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kaitiety/posts/new-song-my-body-137978799

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, call and response, major

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Song: Got It Goin' On

Music by: Patricia Norton

Notes: Thanks to Liz Rog, I'm sharing this relatively new song (she requested it after hearing me sing it briefly on the road trip when we were exchanging songs.) I wrote it for my fabulous songleaders in training as we were tackling sometimes intimidating skills and breaking them apart into what we could actually try next. Singing it this week has been encouraging to me as I grapple with elevated pain levels, trying different next things to see what can help my body find more ease. I sing it, I get out of breath, I start laughing, I have to dig in a bit to keep it rolling -- by the time I was done recording, I was grinning and felt energized and like it was worth trying another thing! I hope it's a lift for you, too...

Songwriter Info: You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html

Sharing Info: Feel free to sing this song yourself and with your friends and family as often as you please! If you are using this song in a way that is making money for you, please contribute to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar, and/or send me a note letting me know how the song is helping you, so the song brings us into relationship. Thank you!

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:03:14

Start time of reprise: 00:13:59

Links:

Flow Singing: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/flow-singing.html

Nuts & Bolts: 15:8, minor, 6-part round

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:

Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support.

The Sunday after this episode is released, June 21st, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!

Lyrics ​& Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.

​

169. We Are the Door

by Lyndsey Scott

(second half inspired by Rainier Maria Rilke)

​We are the door that's blowing wide open

We are the path that's winding down

We don't know where…

Enter me!

Embody me.

Give me your hand --

Make big shadows I can move in

133. There Is Only Now

by Steph Drouin

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!

2. There’s only now.

There’s only this.

Blink, and you

will miss it.

with your feet firmly planted

right here, right now

is all there is!

4. Bring your full self

into this moment.

One breath

is all it takes.

51. I Release Control

by Alexa Sunshine Rose

I release control

and surrender to the flow

of love, that will heal me.

7. Spiral

by Patricia Norton

1. I’m letting myself move in a spiral,

I’m flexing and I’m swaying

and I’m bending with the wind.

2. I’m coming down

to where I need to be.

3. Gonna let it go,

gonna let me go;

you know,

I’ve got to grow.

83. Creature Teacher

by Hannah Jeffery

Am I tired, am I hungry?

Do I need to take a break now

And rest?

Am I tired, am I hungry?

​Do I need to take a breath?

We are responsible for tending these creatures

Let the growls and the howls and the cries and the whines

​Be our teachers.

196. I Am Blessed

by Desirée Dawson

I am blessed, yeah, I am blessed

Even when I′m here feeling like a mess

This life has shown me all kinds of stress

And also opened up my heart like the greatest treasure chest

I have grown

Yes, I have grown

And I'm finding my way home

Yes, I have grown

And I′m finding my way home

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:

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Notes: Singing a song of my own with my long-time mentor and vocal coach was a huge honor... and brought out some vulnerable moments around my own history of working with my voice. I also made some mistakes, which is funny, since I chose these words and notes myself... but can't always come up with them in the moment!!! But Judi and I have fun settling into this song about constant change -- hope you do, too!

Song: Earth and Sky

Words by: Patricia Norton

Music by: Patricia Norton

Songwriter Info:

You can find out more about me in general here: https://www.juneberrymusic.com/about-patricia.html

Or the whole team that puts this podcast out here: https://www.abreathofsong.com/about.html

Sharing Info: Feel free to sing this song yourself and with your friends and family as often as you please! If you are using this song in a way that is making money for you, please contribute to the A Breath of Song gratitude jar at https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar, and/or send me a note letting me know how the song is helping you, so the song brings us into relationship. Thank you!

Song Learning Time Stamps: 

Start of teaching: 00:03:34

Start of reprise: 00:27:12

Links:

Judi Vinar –

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, 2-part round

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:

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Notes: It was both an honor and illumination to meet with Sarina Partridge and Annie Schlaefer to talk about Singing Resistance (they were both in it at inception…) and learn two of the songs in the Singing Resistance Songbook – and I left feeling so much encouragement for community and relationship. Annie said, “People want to come to the streets if we’re singing together.” Sarina shared her slogan: “More song circles than gas stations!” We talked about weaving the learning from one event into the next crisis you face – the wisdom of long-standing organizers who help grass-roots eco-systems evolve. The role of singing in building community, showing people what we are FOR and welcoming them in, dispelling the belief that we are powerless and isolated, easing numbness, creating a container of beauty we can be in together during these times. And these songs – soooo beautiful!

Song 1: We Belong To Each Other

Words by: Nikita Gill

Music by: Annie Schlaefer

Songwriter Info: Annie Schlaefer (she/her), a community song-leader, has been collecting songs and facilitating song circles for 13 years in various communities (Northern Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin) and has more recently been co-facilitating a weekly local community song circle in Minneapolis with a dear friend, Linnea Champ, for nearly 5 years. She continues to be awed by the beautiful ways that singing together brings connection and community. She learned about this style of singing in 2012 in Decorah, Iowa from a local song-leader and now mentor, Liz Rog. 

Sharing Info: Annie says: "Please freely share this song in community gathering spaces. If you want to share this song and are making a bunch of money, I would appreciate some of these funds to come my way in the form of a one-time venmo donation @Annie-Schlaefer, or by joining my Patreon as a monthly subscriber. Thank you!"

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start of teaching: 00:03:10

Start of reprise: 00:51:46

Links:

Annie's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/AnnieSchlaefer 

Nikita Gill: https://www.instagram.com/nikita_gill/ 

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, round, major

Song 2: Grief and Love

Music by: Sarina Partridge

Songwriter Info: Sarina Partridge is a musician, songleader, educator, and activist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She feels most alive when learning, creating and sharing songs. Sarina sings with a wide variety of music projects: community song-leading; harmony-rich original music with folk trio Heartwood; and performing and teaching of Eastern European and Yiddish song.  Sarina has a passion for connecting people with their own creativity and with community, and uses singing as a modality to help folks develop a sense of wonder and belonging in this wild world

Sharing Info: Sarina says: "Please sing the song with your group! You can buy sheet music for it through my website (link below). If you’d like to have tracks of the separated harmony layers, please contact me. One meaningful way to support me is to join me on patreon for whatever monthly donation amount feels right to you. I post a new song - with separated out tracks for harmony parts, lyrics, the story of the song - on patreon every other week. Thank you!"

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start of teaching: 00:11:05

Start of reprise: 00:49:36

Links:

Sarina's website: www.SarinaPartridge.com 

Sarina's Patreon: www.patreon.com/sarinapartridge 

Sarina's Bandcamp: www.sarinapartridge.bandcamp.com 

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2; 3-layer, minor

Extra links: 

Barbara McAfee ABS episode: https://www.abreathofsong.com/p/195-get-up-with-guest-barbara-mcafee 

Lia Falls: https://marinemillsfolkschool.org/lia-falls/ 

Liz Rog: https://marinemillsfolkschool.org/liz-rog/ 

Linnea Champ - Sing As You Are: https://www.patreon.com/cw/SingAsYouAre 

Sara Thomsen: “Hearts awakened are unstoppable.”: https://www.echoesofpeace.org/vision 

Frankie Armstrong: Founder of Natural Voice Network in England (NVN): https://www.naturalvoice.net/about/history-of-the-network/ 

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely:

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