lisa g littlbird

Staying in love through conflict... the final frontier!  A song for community singing by Lisa G. Littlebird that was born in conflict and designed to woo us into staying in our wisest, most loving perspective. A spell for our hearts to find our way together, even when we disagree.

Image is of Alexander Milov's  sculplure "LOVE" at Burning Man 2015.

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/bridging-hearts-song/

Bridging Hearts Song - ALL PARTS

I credit the artists of my childhood like Crosby, Stills & Nash with teaching me the art of harmony.  This is a true favorite, one of their lesser-known but most beautiful, written by James Raymond. Arranged for Wholehearted Chorus by Lisa G. Littlebird.

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/lay-me-down

Lay Me Down by James Raymond - ALL PARTS

An easy teach and instant uplift from Karisha Longaker of MaMuse. This song was born from Karisha asking for a song for middle-schoolers, as they look around at each other wondering about how much conformity is required to belong, and how much their authenticity is welcome.

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/let-it-be-easy

Let it Be Easy by Karisha Longaker - ALL PARTS

A brand new song from Sorah Nutting of MaMuse coming on their new album in October, 2025.  Arranged here for Wholehearted Chorus to backup MaMuse in concert.

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/through-the-night

Through The Night by MaMuse - ALL PARTS

Melanie DeMore and Lisa G. Littlebird commissioned this song from MaMuse for the "Boots on the Ground, Skin on the Line" community singing playlist in 2021.  What a song they delivered! Here, Lisa has arranged their song with permission for Wholehearted Chorus in three voice parts.  

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/circle-round/

Circle Round by MaMuse - ALL PARTS

This is a combination of two songs arranged for Wholehearted Chorus - an original by Lisa G. Littlebird and the iconic Get Together by the Youngbloods. May we all keep learning to walk the path of their timeless lyrics.

For song details, including lyrics, individual voice part tracks and teaching notes, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/starsong-get-together/

Starsong + Get Together by Lisa G. Littlebird & Chet Powers - ALL PARTS

A an early gem from dynamic and wonderful MaMuse. This river song is an ultra-inviting singalong.

Original song by MaMuse. Free for singing in community, get permission from the composer before recording or performing for profit.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, visit https://thebirdsings.com/hallelujah/

Hallelujah by MaMuse - ALL PARTS

This is a very old song out of the Yoruban & Santeria traditions - Nigeria, Cuba, & Brazil. I learned recently that it is about those who serve the Orisha Oshun (sometimes Osun) and the brass bracelets they wore that Oshun asked them to rattle. This somehow managed to be mistakenly interpreted and shared by myself and many others as “necklace of love,”  perhaps due to the devotees adoration of the Orisha.  Oshun embodies love and sexuality  and one of her elements is brass, which never rusts. One writer shares "To understand Osun is to know the intelligence, vitality, caring and nourishing abilities of womankind. Long-suffering, cheated, overlooked, and over-worked, but always committed to the survival of humanity. Besides signifying wealth, brass never rusts, it is eternal. In Osun, we have the embodiment of prosperity, love, beauty, elegance, sexuality and sensuality and a divinely sanctioned feminist. 

This is a traditional song in the public domain. Choral arrangement copyright Lisa G. Littlebird, instrumental arrangement and guitar recorded by Aimee Ringle.

Chords, lyrics and more:
http://thebirdsings.com/ide-were-were

Ide Were Were

An anthem for our time, written by the beautiful singing duo MaMuse. UPDATE! This recording has been updated here as of June, 2025 to precisely match MaMuse's arrangement and tempo. 

Original song by Karisha Longaker, 2016. Copyright MaMuse. We Shall Be Known is recorded here with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.
http://mamuse.org

This is a recording used as a practice track for the Wholehearted Chorus of Monterey and Big Sur, CA, under the direction of Lisa G. Littlebird. Details including lyrics and individual part tracks can be found at:
http://thebirdsings.com/we-shall-be-known

We Shall Be Known by MaMuse - ALL PARTS

This arrangement is a mashup of two soulful, celebratory songs, Blessed We Are by Peia Luzzi and Soul Key by Lisa G. Littlebird & Zan Moore. Most of the arrangement is in two voice parts, with moments of four part harmony, sung with guitar and drum.

Blessed We Are is an original song by Peia Luzzi. Soul Key is an original song by Lisa G. Littlebird & Zan Moore. Arranged for Wholehearted Chorus by Lisa G. Littlebird. Contact Lisa G. Littlebird for permission to record or perform for profit.

Lyrics, individual part tracks and more are available at: http://thebirdsings.com/blessed-we-are-soul-key

Blessed We Are by Peia + Sol Qi - Middle Low

This simple and beautiful layer song from Karisha Longaker of MaMuse is an easy, delicious one to teach in community singing groups of all sizes and levels of experience. It is arranged here in 5 parts for Wholehearted Chorus, with one or two audible additional parts that can be added by soloists or additional divisions of the chorus. 

Original song by Karisha Longaker. Oh River is included in this song library with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, you must get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.

Recorded by Lisa G. Littlebird, with base arrangement track from Karisha Longaker.

For details about the song including lyrics and all the individual part tracks, please visit: http://thebirdsings.com/oh-river/

Oh River by Karisha Longaker of MaMuse

*Track Updated 6/27/25*
Influenced by the Gullah tradition active in composer Sarah Nutting's Carolina homeland, it's part gospel, part hoedown, and major joy. This song is in a mostly 2-3 voice part arrangement that shifts between voicings and has several solo opportunities on the verses.

Original song by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse. ©Sarah Nutting. Please support the artist by purchasing their released version of this song on MaMuse's album Heart Nouveau.  These practice tracks were recorded over the original MaMuse track by Lisa G. Littlebird, up a half step from the original.

For individual part tracks, lyrics and more, visit:
http://thebirdsings.com/through-that-gate/

Through That Gate by MaMuse - ALL PARTS

This song came from a desire to sing words I wish to hear and feel more often. I often seek a deeper solace and remembering of life's safety and wellness, inside a world that so often feels so far from well. 

My wish with this song offering is that it be sung and shared not from a place of complacency, willful ignorance or false positivity... but from that deeper substrate of being that truly knows this life and world is safe to explore, safe to leave and safe to love.

Original song by Lisa G. Littlebird with beautiful guitar arrangement and recording by Zan Moore.

For lyrics, teaching notes, individual part tracks and more, visit: https://thebirdsings.com/alliswell/

All Is Well by Lisa G. Littlebird - Low

If had to be stranded on a desert island with one mantra, this song would be it. This gem of music medicine landed in the voice of my dear friend and singing sister Lyndsey Scott, as she biked around the midwest. It's been changing lives and hearts ever since. 

Original song by Lyndsey Scott, recorded here by Lyndsey Scott and Lisa G. Littlebird. Lisa added the two harmony lines with Lyndsey's support and the arrangement is shared here with her blessing.  Melody and 1 and 2 are identical except for a little echo at the end of the song.

Lyrics, teaching notes and individual part tracks can be found at: http://thebirdsings.com/thewayknows/

The Way Knows the Way by Lyndsey Scott

Lisa G is a songcatcher. She holds a vision for a world where singing is once again an integral part of daily community life. May we use this most ancient technology to meet life's challenges and celebrations, open our hearts, and uplift our lives.

Lisa G. Littlebird is the director of the 250-member Wholehearted Chorus in Carmel and San Diego, CA. She has been on the faculty as a community singing facilitator at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA since 2006. She is a singer, composer and teacher with more than 30 years of musical experience, facilitating community singing as medicine for our world.  Learn more at http://thebirdsings.com.

Blessed We Are by Peia + Sol Qi - Middle Low

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