Barbara.. I love this song.  It brought tears to my eyes.   Thank  you 🙏🏾

I am the Song
I am the Sun
I am the Soil
I am the Seed
I am the Shadow
I am the Longing
I am the Darkness
I am the Need

Two or more are gathered now
and here we Be
Two or more are gathered now
and so we See

song + lyrics + vocals: Lyndsey Scott 
production, harmonies, instrumentation: Michael Linder

I Am the Song

Something deep within you is awakening
Let it wake
Let it wake

Sarah Lockwood's Album

Something Deep Within You

This is a practice track for an upcoming retreat.
Hope   by Debbie Nargi-Brown

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the Soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all" Emily Dickinson

Never, never never, never, never, never, never, never. never
Never give up, on hope

Hope is living in my Soul

HOPE

Sung by our Twin Cities based comfort choir, The Morning Star Singers.  This song was created for a friend whose daughter was experiencing a life-threatening health crisis following the birth of her first child.  Happily everyone pulled through.  Here's the strange part -- my beloved friend Jack Heckelman used the phrase "unexpected joy" a great deal during his conscious dying process.  I didn't have any recollection of that when I wrote the song.  I think he was dictating that line from the other world....

Surrounding You

Record release date: 13/06/2024

You
Can you write me a story about Detective Columbo in June 2024?

Copilot
Certainly! Here’s a short story featuring the iconic Detective Columbo in June 2024:

The Case of the Melancholic Melody

It was a sweltering June afternoon in 2024 when Detective Columbo found himself standing outside a grand Houston mansion, the kind that spoke of old money and secrets. The air was thick with the scent of magnolias, but the mood was soured by the somber notes of a piano playing a haunting melody from within.

Columbo, in his trademark rumpled coat despite the heat, was greeted at the door by a butler who seemed as old as the house itself. “Detective, thank you for coming. Ms. Erin Susan Jennings has been expecting you,” the butler said, leading Columbo to the parlor.

Inside, he found Erin, a renowned pianist, her fingers dancing over the keys with a grace that belied her troubled expression. She finished her piece and turned to Columbo with a sigh. “Detective, it’s about Kevin Gilbert, my composer and partner. He’s gone missing, and I fear someting terrible has happened.”

Columbo listened intently, nodding along as Erin explained how Kevin had been working on a new composition that was set to redefine his career. “He was so excited about the premiere next week,” she said, her voice faltering. “But two days ago, he vanished. His sheet music, his notes, everything related to the composition… gone.”

The detective scratched his head, peering around the room filled with gold records and framed accolades. “Ms. Jennings, do you mind if I ask a few questions? You know, just to clear up the picture in my head.”

“Of course, Detective. Anything to find Kevin.”

Columbo began his investigation, questioning the household staff and examining the room where Kevin worked. It was meticulous, organized, not a single note out of place—except for the missing composition.

As the day turned to evening, Columbo sat in the garden, pondering over the facts. It was then that a young gardener approached him, nervously clutching a crumpled piece of paper. “Detective, I found this in the hedge. I think it’s one of Mr. Gilbert’s.”

Columbo unfolded the paper to reveal a single line of music, a melody line that matched the somber tune Erin had been playing. His eyes twinkled behind his thick glasses. “Son, I think you’ve just given me the missing piece.”
The next day, Columbo returned to the mansion with a spring in his step. He found Erin at the piano once more, the melancholic melody filling the room. “Ms. Jennings, I believe I’ve solved the mystery of Mr. Gilbert’s disappearance.”

Erin stopped playing, her eyes wide with anticipation. “You have?”

“Yes, ma’am. It seems Mr. Gilbert wanted to disappear, but not in the way you might think. He wanted to create a buzz around his new composition, to make it the talk of the town before its grand reveal. And what better way than a little mystery?”

Erin’s face broke into a smile, a mixture of relief and admiration. “That sounds just like Kevin. Always the showman.”

Columbo chuckled, his gaze softening. “He’ll be back, Ms. Jennings, with a story to tell and a melody to play. And I have a feeling it’ll be a hit.”

As Columbo left the mansion, the sound of the piano started up once more, this time with a joyful tune that promised new beginnings. The detective smiled to himself, knowing that sometimes, the simplest answer is the right one. And in June 2024, the melody of life played on.

I hope you enjoyed this little adventure with Detective Columbo! If you have any other requests or need further assistance, feel free to let me know.

This story writ: 8 Jun 2024, just before approx. 7:10PM CST

11 - Fading Footprints (3'23")

*** The recording of this track was updated in May 2020, to more accurately reflect the original song by the composer. ***

This is a wonderfully lighthearted layer song for moving through challenge, written by Dianne Baker.

Copyright Dianne Baker. Contact Dianne for permission to record or perform for profit.

For more information about this track including lyrics, please visit http://thebirdsings.com/the-only-way-through

The Only Way Through by Dianne Baker

An original 5-part polyphonic song that serves as a reminder to listen to life's subtle nods and not wait until the rug is pulled out from under us to make a change... This song has also become somewhat of an anthem for environmentalists and climate change.

Written and arranged by Britta Gudmunson, 2019.

For individual parts, visit inCourage Chorus on SoundCloud. 
For permissions to perform or inquiries, please write Britta at info@brittagreenviolet.com

iCC Spring '19

Soft Breeze

No more holding on
Now I can flow like a river
No more holding on
Let go, surrender and flow

Composition available to buy at www.susiero.com

No More Holding On - Murray Kyle (arr. Susie Ro Prater)

The ethereal voices of Yala Lati meet the colorful voice of Heather Houston for a rainbow of sonic delight! Calling you home to the sacred circle of sisterhood, this album is a symphony for the innermost tendrils of the heart. 

We are sisters of the moon 
And daughters of the sun
We are mothers of the world
Our voices they are one
We are lovers of the earth 
and guardians of the land
We are weavers of the dream 
Together we are standing

For parts to these songs, please visit Heather's public song library at:
https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/sisters-in-harmony-song-library/

Sisters of the Moon

05 - Tending the Spark

This track is just the highest harmony by itself, once through the chorus. For the full song, visit: visit:
https://thebirdsings.com/hold-everybody-up/

Another powerfully infectious and uplifting song from the great Melanie DeMore. This one speaks to not leaving anyone behind, with nods to two of the great leaders of racial justice, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Madiba (Nelson Mandela).  The chorus of this song by itself is a quick and easy teach, and the song grows in complexity and beauty by adding the two high harmony parts to the choruses as well as two verses and a bridge.

Original song copyright Melanie DeMore. Recorded by Melanie DeMore with Lisa G. Littlebird in February, 2020.

For lyrics, individual voice part tracks and more, visit:
https://thebirdsings.com/hold-everybody-up/

Hold Everybody Up by Melanie DeMore

This song was recorded live at Esalen at the first Singing on the Edge retreat in 2018. This is an orginal song by Debbie Narg-Brown. Debbie is the lead singer on this track and if you listen closely you will hear Lisa G. Littlebird and Barbara McAfee in the background singing as well as retreat participants. Glen Phillips on guitar and Emile Hassan Dyer on drums. To learn more about Debbie's music go to www.debbienargi-brown.com

Put Back Together Again/I Will Let My Heart be Broken

Barbara is a singer-songwriter, voice coach, speaker, and the best-selling author of Full Voice: The Art and Practice of Vocal Presence (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011).  She has released 8 CDs of mostly original songs that occupy the genres of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk.  Her lyrics encompass many moods:  smart, poignant, irreverent, boisterous, and tender.  Her voice is clear, powerful, and nuanced.  Barbara's full catalog can be accessed on iTunes or through her website.

Surrounding You

Barbara McAfee

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