Where The Highway Ends

co-written with Natalie Smith

rhondashark@gmail.com

Thousands of Miles (Hark/Smith)

The In - Between

Run, Girl, Run! (Hark/Snyder)

Stay

Artists have very busy minds, that push us to create, as a sort of emptying out.
To quiet my mind quickly, I employ a practice called, “deep listening”.
One morning I woke up with a mindful of thoughts and worries. I took a slow breath and began to deep listen while lying in my bed. 
First, I heard a bird singing very loudly outside my window, then listened deeper…
…another bird, and beyond there were more, each with their own unique call, until every pocket of noiselessness was filled.
For fun, I began to phoneticize each bird sound, assigning to them human words. And then I set the words to poetry, and finally to a melody. See, how the practice of deep listening can shift thoughts away from worry and clutter? 

My neighbor, Mike Rodgers was out in the street, demonstrating his bird calls to my husband. 
I asked him if I could record his calls for the song, which you can hear by listening in the pockets of this recording. The beautiful guitar is performed by Bill Henry, and the rest of the instruments and production by Jon Quinn. I am the bird singing throughout, and enjoying the flight. 

This song is a part of my 2023 compilation called, “Quilted: a colorful patchwork of original songs and the stories that stitched them”. The subject of this song folds nicely into my “Wild Goose Chase” hope chest.
Stay cozy!

Birds of a Feather

Fade to Black

Jobie Avonley sings about if we find ourselves "lisping" with our hearts, and getting our words mixed up, there's an answer - to listen more than speak!  (Photo by Jobie Avonley)

Listen More  - 7:25:24, 5.28 PM

We raised a family in Mystic, CT across the street from a woman named Edith. Edith lived for 103 years. She was cheerful, industrious, and grateful. I wondered sometimes, “What was key to Edith’s longevity?” 
I didn’t get my answer until her funeral when her family read from her diary. 
Edith wrote in her diary every day and began every entry with these same three words:
A wonderful day. 
WW1, WW2, the great depression, no matter what was happening, Edith began her report with, “A wonderful day”.
I believe it was this attitude of gratitude that explained her long and happy life. 

Ediths daughter’s name was Delight. 
Delight moved in to help Edith in her later years, 
and just like her mother, Delight was always, cheerful, industrious, and grateful.

Our four kids grew up next to these two ladies who wore gratitude every day like a quilt, 
and I believe we were all made better for it.

I wrote this song for Delight’s birthday party last year, she was 96 years old. She passed soon after, and sharing my gratitude to her for her gratitude exposed goes down as one of the finest moments in my songwriting experience. 
This song is called, “Edith Writes”. 

Edith Writes

surrender-perfection.mp3

IN 2017, Catholic Charities Adoptive Services asked me to write a song for their PSA (Public Service Announcement) for an adoption awareness campaign. Up to this point, all of my songwriting had been autobiographical. This task invited me to stand in another person’s shoes. I spent a long time imagining what it would be like: that moment of "handing over”. What would I say to my baby in parting? How would I really get through the motion, lifting up, and letting go. I would have to honor my courage and selflessness, and become so small, yet huge, in the gift that I would be giving.

This song may be found on my album, “Out of the Driveway”, and on Soundcloud also for this original “Cecelia’s” version used for the PSA.  

This recording features teen vocalists from my 2016-2017 Christian music teen group, "The Cecelia’s” and was recorded in my simple home studio, ReisUpStudio. 

LYRICS: Family For You
Verse 1:
I thought we’d have years before saying goodbye
I thought I would raise you as mine
But Mother knows best and the nest I’ve prepared
Just won’t hold us both at this time

PreChorus:
So I forget my hurts, and I put you first
I bless you, caress you, and whisper sweet words

Chorus:
And it’s goodbye for me, but hello for you
To a mother and father brand new
They’ve waited and prayed for this miracle day
And we’re gonna make it come true

Cause mother knows best, and I choose nothing less
Than this wonderful, family for you

Family For You - The Cecelias and PSA

For more songs, stories and links to my newsletter, please visit my website at www.ReisUpStudio.com. Thank you!

Edith Writes

Dot Reiser