Tonight was the first night for my singing group in Owen Sound, after completing the training in Victoria. What a gas! I'm so high!
Of course there was a wide range of musical ability, so many stops and starts, and much laughter. I just loved everyone who came, and felt so grateful to them for... well, for letting me PLAY with them and try out some of what I had learned!
I call the group OSSIA. I found it one sleepless night at 3 am. It is a musical term meaning a suggested alternative, and comes from the Latin "or let it be". As an acronym, it stands for Owen Sound Singers in Accord. How could I pass that by?
We learned 6 or 7 songs, starting with "We are a'beginning" and with some coaching, they sang harmonies. We ended with the Contemplation Chant, a peaceful way to end after all the laughter. And we learned my personal favourite... Grind that coffee. Not spiritual or erudite, but who cares. It's fun!
What is it about singing? We all have memories of singing in the car on family outings, or around a campfire with a guitar, or hearing our mothers sing... I once heard an afternoon workshop of working songs at Mariposa Folk Festival, and Pete Seeger (bless him!) sang a lullaby... he said, that's a working song if there was one. My colicky baby would stop crying when I played piano with him in the snuggly, but he would squirm and whimper when I made mistakes... true story!
The magic of vibration!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Crybabies anonymous
Yesterday morning, Tom from North Carolina described our group as "Crybabies anonymous". Imagine that phrase with a southern drawl... At that point, at least half of us had had a cry... and if you counted the damp eyes and tearing up that happens when people are moved, then all of us qualified.
In the afternoon, Shivon was moved to tears by a song led by one of the CCLT members. In the discussion that followed, she raised her hand and said, My name is Shivon. I am a crybaby. Much laughter.
The course has been intense: intensely educational, intensely moving. Combine a safe space to stretch yourself, the magic of beautiful music and voices that harmonize so easily, and Denis's amazing ability to pull exactly the right choice from his reservoire of memorized poetry, and you have a recipe for emotional growth... and tears!
I taught my 3rd song this morning, a beautiful song by Hanna Tiferet Siegel called Planting Seeds. I had created harmonies that I taught the group, and was thrilled to hear it sung. Tomorrow is the last day. My only regret is that I didn't manage my recordings better... I'm going to have a lot of work organizing all this material! Oh well, there's all that time on the plane on Sunday.
In the afternoon, Shivon was moved to tears by a song led by one of the CCLT members. In the discussion that followed, she raised her hand and said, My name is Shivon. I am a crybaby. Much laughter.
The course has been intense: intensely educational, intensely moving. Combine a safe space to stretch yourself, the magic of beautiful music and voices that harmonize so easily, and Denis's amazing ability to pull exactly the right choice from his reservoire of memorized poetry, and you have a recipe for emotional growth... and tears!
I taught my 3rd song this morning, a beautiful song by Hanna Tiferet Siegel called Planting Seeds. I had created harmonies that I taught the group, and was thrilled to hear it sung. Tomorrow is the last day. My only regret is that I didn't manage my recordings better... I'm going to have a lot of work organizing all this material! Oh well, there's all that time on the plane on Sunday.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Fisherman's Wharf
The classes and evening choir practices are held in a beautiful white stucco building called The Church of Truth, in a round room under skylights. We sit in a circle around an inlaid star in the floor. Ever noticed how much synchronicity there is when you're "in the zone"? Over and over again, the sunshine beams on one person (the sunbeam moves as the sun does), either on Cheryl from Malaysia when she's feeling so sun-deprived, or Kamille when we're giving her feedback after her practice teaching and she's still beaming with joy. Or the foghorn resonates exactly at the right time to punctuate something that's been observed. Much laughter and delight in this group.
And harmony! Not everyone reads or understands musical theory, but all 16 of us love to sing and make harmony. When Denis or Shivon introduces a warmup, the group spontaneously breaks into harmony. So much joy in this.
Yesterday my cousin took me to his friend's seafood store on a float at Fisherman's Wharf where there is a small community of pastel buildings on floats: some are homes and some are commercial. He pointed out to me that there was a seal in the gap between the dock and the float, right below the window where we paid for our seafood purchases. I looked down and saw huge pleading eyes, obviously begging for a treat, just like a dog. His friend got out a herring, dangled it and swung it in circles, telling the seal to turn around. The seal instantly went round and round under the water, and then caught his reward. Wow!
And harmony! Not everyone reads or understands musical theory, but all 16 of us love to sing and make harmony. When Denis or Shivon introduces a warmup, the group spontaneously breaks into harmony. So much joy in this.
Yesterday my cousin took me to his friend's seafood store on a float at Fisherman's Wharf where there is a small community of pastel buildings on floats: some are homes and some are commercial. He pointed out to me that there was a seal in the gap between the dock and the float, right below the window where we paid for our seafood purchases. I looked down and saw huge pleading eyes, obviously begging for a treat, just like a dog. His friend got out a herring, dangled it and swung it in circles, telling the seal to turn around. The seal instantly went round and round under the water, and then caught his reward. Wow!
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