Singing at Eaglewood

I went to an overnight music camp this weekend at Eaglewood campground, southeast of Lake Simcoe. These musical experiences are always so INTENSE!!! mainly because people who love music are so passionate about it.

We all learned half a dozen songs in three 3 hour sessions, led by Tom Leighton and Carol Hasek, then sang them for a tiny audience and a tape recorder on Saturday night.

In addition, we had the opportunity to sing in a master class, which amounts to a mini lesson in front of other people, and also to perform on Saturday night. And there were music circles and singing in cabins till the wee hours; fiddles, mandolins, bodhrans, penny whistles etc.

Well I leaped through the hoop of fire, had wonderful learning experience with Carol in the master class, and decided to take the opportunity to sing in the evening in front of the audience. Tom played a great jazz accompaniment on the piano to my version of Teach me Tonight, a torchy song written in the 50's, and I actually had fun! Fun! Me! The nerves I felt were minor compared to the fun I was having. Now that's a new experience, and one I'm going to keep in my treasure chest of useful memories!

Happy 2011

I've been so involved with getting OSSIA off the ground that I forgot all about blogging! I just remembered now, because I was thinking how much I want to share everything I've been learning and doing...

But first, an update. My starting group, the 15 dear people who've joined me on this singing journey, met weekly in Mudtown Pottery, a beautiful gallery space with great accoustics, above a pottery studio. On Dec/ 20th we gave a small concert to invited guests, and raised some money for Safe 'n Sound, an organization serving the homeless in Owen Sound. On the whole, it was a very successful evening. We all enjoyed ourselves and laughed a lot. A great aspect of this kind of music is that it lends itself to audience participation, and the audience seemed to delight in singing along with three pieces: Dona Nobis Pacem, the Contemplation Chant, and Light is Returning (a Solstice song).

Now it's 2011 and because of the unpredictability of the winter weather here, we meet casually at my house on Monday evenings. I sometimes have ginger tea and honey on the stove. There are a few new faces joining us and I have faith that the group will grow.

A new development is our Sunday Meditation and Singing group. We spend half an hour learning a few of the simpler and more introspective songs, then meditate for 15 minutes. Then we sing for half an hour, repetitively and without any conversation... the minute of silence between each song is powerful... then end with mediation. Our first meeting was so emotional for me that I phoned one of the CCLT teachers for suggestions on how to ground and prepare the group to go back to real life. Denis suggested that I use poetry, and directed me to John O'Donahue... and thus begins another beautiful trail...

"May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul."