A Year in Song!

THANK YOU

For a Wonderful Year of Song

Here’s a Special Video Celebration

featuring magical songful moments and amazing groups

I’ve had the pleasure of singing with this year.

Sharing the Love

If you’ve enjoyed these newsletters and singing together and

would like to spread the love a little further please do

Text SAFEWATER to 70300 to Donate £3 to WaterAid

This will fund life-saving clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene education projects

around the world.

Wishing love, health, happiness, prosperity, peace and abundant creativity

for all this Christmas and a truly magical start to 2015.

Love and Seasonal Sparkles

 

 

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life & behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia
- Charles Lindbergh

There are times in life when we find ourselves in the wilderness.  We may have moved home, changed jobs, ended a relationship or literally trekked off into the sunset in search of new adventures. Times of transition and transformation invite us to let go of our known identities, stories and comfort blankets and connect with the wonderful wilderness of the unknown.

The Wild One
One darky wintery night on the streets of a small village in Austria, I encountered the Krampus - a long horned hairy beast who goes around scaring naughty children on the eve of St Nicholas Day. Unlike St Nick, who comes bearing gifts, the Krampus comes with a whip and may even carry you away to hell in a bathtub.  His big beastly footsteps track back to mythological wildmen and women including Old Father Winter, Jack Frost, Pan, Odin, The Green Man, Werewolves, Crones and Witches like Baba Yaga and Hekate, Satyrs, Fauns, Sprites and Elves.  Different forms of the Krampus can be found stalking across Europe from Befana the Italian witch, La Pere Fouettard the French Whip Father and the currently controversial Black Pete of the Netherlands. I share the deep discomfort of protesters about the use of blackface by white people, even if used to impersonate a character who emerged soot-faced from the chimney to leave gifts for children in their shoes.  It is no surprise that these wild characters provoke intense debate, for that is their role - to catalyze chaos and transformation.

The Call Of The Wild One
The Krampus myth is a big, bad, hairy monster which calls to acknowledge the wilder aspects of life.  Krampus is not just the bad cop to good cop St Nick, he is actually in service of our development. In some myths he asks children to sing a song, recite a poem or answer a riddle, in others he is St Nick’s adopted helper, much like Santa’s Elves.  Like the Roman winter feast of Saturnalia where masters and slaves reversed roles and cross dressing orgies were rife, on Krampusnacht wildness roams the streets.  The message is simple: if we want the gifts of life, we must take a walk on the wild side.

Getting Wild
We need the tonic of wildness.  At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable.
- Henry David Thoreau
The wild ones come from the woods.  They live on the outskirts of our consciousness in dark places, under stones and prickly leaves.  All of a sudden they may spring out on us - in unexpected dreams, passions, conflicts, crises and transitions.  They live in the parts of us that we don’t know we don’t know, in the places where we are far more than our familiar identities.  They have no concern for traditional morality and conventions - being a ‘good girl or boy’ has no meaning in their realms.  Their ‘gifts’ do not come neatly wrapped nor do they give out easily interpretable ‘life lessons.’  Their wisdom is not easily discovered or illuminated, it emerges from the deep dark, lost places. They have access to a naturalness that defeats the intellect as to meet them requires meeting the wildness in ourselves.

The Riddle of the Seer
The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask - Nancy Wynne Newhall
The riddle of our wildness is that in order to see we need to become present to our blindness. Much of our energy and potential can remain hidden in our blindspots - our everyday perceptions, filtered by our conditioning.  To live fully, we must release our creative wisdom which often emerges spontaneously from leftfield - through lightning strikes or the whispers of breezes.  To gain insight many mythological heroes, prophets, sages and deities spent time undergoing strange trials in the wilderness.  The Norse and Anglo Saxon God W/Odin hung upside down on World Tree Yggdrasil for 9 days and received the runic alphabet in a revelation.  He led the Wild Hunt across stormy wintery skies, followed by a trail of spirits - a myth now assimilated into Santa’s magic sleigh ride. W/Odin means seer, poet, sound, awe and the wild fury associated with ecstatic states.  Sacrificing an eye in exchange for a mouthful of the waters of wisdom, his quest for inner vision demonstrates that in order to grow, we must release our ‘normal’ perceptions and open to the great wild unknown.

Following The Underground River
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver
When our wildness is not honoured, our growth is stilted, and like an underground river it will emerge where it can, sometimes violently.  Street gangs are formed from the need for initiation and expression in young people.  Crowds of sports fans revert to howling, chanting mobs in tribal warfare. Corporates driven crazy by stress seek out urban retreats and drum circles.
Our wild places, like the Underworlds of mythology, have rivers that run through them, deep archetypal strands that weave watery themes through time, passing through our own lives and those of our ancestors.  Charting a course through these dark waters may seem daunting in the shadows and may require us to shatter illusions about all we have known and held dear.  Yet connecting to this wild self is where we gain a deeper more satisfying and nurturing sense of power.  It is where we come home to the unknown within us and where our wildest dreams can and do come true.

Wishing you all the wonders of your wildness


 

Photo: Elizabeth Gadd whose photography captures Wanderlust in Magnificent Landscapes

Take a Walk on the Wild Side
* Challenge your habits - sleep on the other side of the bed, wear odd socks,
* Channel your creativity in an unusual way - paint with your feet, draw with your other hand.
* Visit a wild place in Nature or in your Neighbourhood :)
* Dare to say No - to unfulfilling obligations, oppressive situations and unnecessary social niceties
* ROAR!! - find somewhere safe to let rip!

Walking in an Inner Wonderland

Walking in an Inner Wonderland

Inner World - S Jaswant

Dear <>
I am surrounded by folks telling me they feel overwhelmingly tired here in London.  It’s no surprise - even though the autumn has been unusually warm, we now have less time to soak up the sun’s rays.  Yet in an urban environment, the production line carries on, insisting that all continue to output at the same level.  We wrap our bodies in extra layers, yet can miss the summons to stoke our inner fires.  Whatever season we are in, it is essential we nourish our inner worlds so that we can remain connected to our natural, creative impulses and re-energise our sense of enchantment with the wonder of life.

Walking For Wonder
All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking - Friedrich Nietszche
That old chestnut of a song, Winter Wonderland, contains some wisdom- to make life a wonderland we need to go for inner and outer walks. A pharmacist once told me that 20 minutes sunlight on our hands and faces gives us the daily sun vitamins we need - so walking can be truly revitalising. It also gives us time to walk through the talk in our heads - to turn over ideas about projects, ruminate on our relationships and simply let our thoughts wander. Walking feeds us with inspiring sights and sounds - from the dancing smile of a laughing child, the rugged face of a local tramp or the wind whistling through shivering leaves.  Like all forms of movement, walking charges up our inner spark, reigniting our energies and reconnecting us with our natural rhythms.

I’m looking forward to stoking the inner fires with graceful, generous yoga teacher Ciara Jean Roberts at a special Winter Warmer workshop - Phoenix Rising please do join us this Sunday for a heartwarming sing and stretch.

Making the Impossible Possible
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” - The White Queen, Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Our inner worlds can sometimes seem at odds with our external circumstances. We may find ourselves pushing to fulfil conditioned expectations or social obligations while inwardly longing to sit and dream by the fire.  Creativity bridges the gap between our inner and outer world, inviting us to walk through the wonderland of the impossible before making it outwardly possible - to listen to our hearts desires, our crazy ideas, our whisps of inspiration.  Singing requires us to listen for the magic of breath, melody, harmony, rhythm and to resonate with a song, a feeling, a story until it emerges as outward sound. 
I am currently honoured to be working with Joanna Foster, Angela Reith and patients on the Singing for Breathing programme at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals on a composition that celebrates the wonder of breath, sound and song. This will be performed on 11th November at the exhibition of Jayne Wilton’s exquisite breathe artwork which makes the inner world of the breath visible.

Dreaming the world into wonder
Later on/ We'll conspire/ As we dream by the fire/ To face unafraid/ The plans that we've made/ Walking in a winter wonderland
We need the warmth of courage to fan the flames of our hearts desires. To make our world a wonderland we must act on our dreams.  The solutions to so many problems - both personal and collective - lie within and at the tips of our fingers.  I was recently inspired by a visit to Paxton Green Time Bank - part of a nationwide scheme enabling individuals and organisations to share and access skills, assets, time and resources. An hour is exchanged for an hour - whether that’s an hour of gardening, exercise or training - celebrating the value of our time and the wonderful wealth we have as individuals and communities. There is more than enough wealth in the world to end poverty - a tax of only 1.5% on some of the world’s billionaires would be enough to put every child in school and provide health care in the world’s poorest countries.  You can sign Oxfam’s petition to help Even It Up and dream a more wonderful world for all of us.

Wishing you a wonder-filled November

Dreaming more wonder in your world

* Make time for a wonderful walk
- perhaps in a new and undiscovered place
* Acknowledge your wonderfulness
- celebrate and list your skills and assets
* Dream something different
- dare yourself to fulfil that secret dream
* Bring more wonder into the world
- do something to make someone’s day

Harvesting Your Creative Contribution

Harvesting Your Creative Contribution

Gather every man, gather every woman
Celebrate your lives, give thanks for your children
Gather everyone, gather all together
Overlooking none, hopin' life gets better for the world
Harvest for the World - Isley Brothers

Here in London, the harvest of autumnal colours brings rich, ripe rewards to the eyes. A rainbow of leaves flutter from trees and mellow golden sunshine warms the cheeks of chestnuts.  Twirling sycamore helicopter seed pods and the crackling smile of a bright orange halloween pumpkin awaken us to the seasonal tricks and treats of Nature.  

Perceiving richness
Wealth begins in our ability to perceive the riches available within every moment.  The treasure trove of our experience yields its glory when we take time to recognize it.  Gratitude is the ability to find and embody greatness, even in the most challenging of experiences.  The word harvest arises from words meaning to cut, gather, pluck - and there will be chopping and peeling to do when life gives us lemons. By sharpening our focus on what can be gathered, learned or gained, we glean valuable riches from experience.

Being and bringing value
Our values determine the lens through which we focus on life.  The cultural, familial and religious values we receive from our environment during childhood shape our perspective.  We can, as adults, consciously choose what we want to value and how we wish to bring value.  For example, the value of my experiences of the natural world inspired me to write music about trees, water, which lead in turn to me joining Sing for Water and fundraising for WaterAid’s life-saving projects.  This has brought me immense value as I have met, sung, collaborated and been inspired by so many wonderful people.

The wealth of wholeness
To walk our talk is to embody our values. To act with integrity requires us to integrate and befriend the guests at the table within ourselves, as Rumi points out.  When the values we have been instilled with are not aligned with our purpose and truth our walk and talk are out of kilter, our behaviours are out of tune with our words. This requires a brave and compassionate look at ourselves to discover what we truly value and to be courageous enough to act on it, even in the face of resistance. 

Harvesting our true values changes the world
Malala Yousafzai was brought up in a culture which did not value women.  She describes facing two choices - “one was not to speak and wait to be killed, and the second was to speak up and then be killed.”  She was shot and almost killed for continuing to pursue her education and recovered in exile in the UK.  The youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize she is now making a huge impact with her message of peace and education:  “I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys.  I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”

Creative celebration
Singing for Breathing at the Royal Brompton & Harefield hospitals demonstrates the power of creativity at work within challenging circumstances. Visual artist Jayne Wilton is currently working with patients, using photography and animation to create visual representations of their breath.  This process facilitated powerful changes of perspective for patients - pathology has been transformed into artistry.  One of the many insights, was just how different every breath is - the richness of textures, sound and character it contains.

When we become present to the gold within us we can gather and harvest our true value.  In doing so we contribute to a harvest for the world.

Wishing you an abundant harvest of happiness this October

Harvesting Your Creative Contribution 
Making a personal treasure map

* Map out your treasure - list and celebrate your gifts, resources, support network, positive experiences, trainings.
* Notice and list the core values that thread through your map.
* Commit to three actions you can take this month which will bring more of what you value into your life.

Remember September

Dear Friend

Remember September
Say do you remember/ dancing in September/  never was a cloudy day
- Earth Wind and Fire - September
I often find autumn to be a nostalgic time.  As the rhythm of life changes from holidays to ‘back to school’, feelings and memories of previous autumns wash through me.  Memory is such a potent force in our lives which is inextricably linked with our sense of music and sound. The sound of a bus or the crunching of autumn leaves under foot can trigger memories of our journey home from school.  So here’s a little look at how singing is a form of brain gym that keeps our memory muscles supple at all stages of life.

Brain babble
From the moment we are born, we learn by listening and imitating the sounds in our environment.  This continues throughout life - we notice that buzz words go in and out of fashion - whether that’s a new piece of mobile phone jargon 'Apps' or the latest teenage descriptive words ‘sick’ or a new exclamation ‘wow’ or ‘awesome’.  We pick up verbal habits, intonations, accents and expressions when we hang out in different cultural, professional, social groups - I found myself after a period of living in New Zealand adding an ‘eh’ and raised inflection to the end of many sentences.  No surprise then, that songs reflect the preoccupations of their times and have the tardis like ability to transport us back and forth through the trajectory of our personal, social and cultural histories. 

The Mouth of Memory
Throughout history different cultures have used singing as a memory device.  Before the advent of the written word, early indigenous cultures integrated the soundscapes of nature into hunting, social and religious rituals which passed on the knowledge and language of the tribe.  Much of Ancient Greek theatre and poetry would have been sung rather than spoken, making the content memorable for both actor and audience.  Indian Classical music is still taught through the oral tradition where the student learns by continued repetition from their guru.  Whilst the visual representation of words is now considered vastly powerful in the media, internet and literature, ‘word of mouth’ is still fundamental to the way we share, process and absorb important information - we still want to hear the truth ‘from the horse’s mouth.’

Music of the Brain
Music requires a multi-level, multi-sensory response.  The vibrations of sound can be perceived by everyone regardless of hearing ability.  The rhythmic aspect of music stimulates motor and kinaesthetic brain functions - from surreptitious toe tapping to all out boogie-woogie. Imagining the stories contained in songs and engaging with representations of music such as scores stimulates our visual senses.  The emotional and memory aspects of our brain are closely associated, which is why a weepy love song can trigger a memory of a past love. Learning and creating lyrics enables us to develop language skills and express ideas, concepts and feelings.

Making Memory
When we are young, singing acts as a powerful mnemomic - from the Greek mnemonikos ‘memory’ - helping us recall everything from names, alphabets, facts, concepts and social cues.  A pioneering study in 1967 by Gerald R Miller demonstrated that musical mnemonics increased memory retention by 77%.  Many teachers testify that young children respond far more readily to instructions when they are sung rather than spoken.   Young brains are engaged and stretched by the dynamics, pitch, story, melody and intonation of song.

Traces of Time
“Singing supercharges your memory”
Composer and singing ambassador Howard Goodall explains that we build memory by capturing traces of our experiences.  To fully embed a memory requires significant repetition, which is why babies and children will repeat the same action to a level which bemuses adults. My baby nephew will repeat the motion of opening and shutting a door, laughing with delight each time.  The rhythm of early learning patterns is embedded in nursery rhymes like ‘wind the bobbin up’ or ‘open and shut them’ to support a child’s development in all areas, building memory until a skill becomes automatic.

Mending Memory with Music
This extraordinary capacity of music to support the creation of memory can be used to support those suffering memory loss, brain disease and trauma.  As music stimulates many areas of the brain, whilst language is very specifically located, it is often found that those who have lost the ability to speak can still sing.   Singing songs from earlier parts of life can restore a sense of familiarity to those with Dementia, Alzheimers or Brain Trauma. Singing songs like ‘Roses of Picardy’ was used to cure soldiers with shellshock after WWI, whilst Big Band music was found to help WWII veterans recover mobility just as walking to a rhythm is now used to treat patients with Parkinsons or stroke.  
"One theory is that music as able to short-circuit the damaged area through repetition.  It creates a new pathway in and people can then use that pathway out." - Lee Ann Rasar, Music Therapist, University of Wisconsin

Life Long Song
Throughout life, singing enables us to create, retain and reclaim our powers of memory. Whether it is the song at our wedding or the lullaby we heard in infancy, music puts markers in our personal timelines, enabling us to celebrate and commemorate important events and create the legacy of songs we sing to those who are to come.

Wishing you a truly memorable September

15 Powerful Statements to Say to Resistance

 

15 Powerful Statements to Say to Resistance

Dear Friend
Resistance is a well known friend to all of us - it’s the playmate who gets us posting on Facebook and cleaning the house when we are writing a report. Resistance has a great repertoire of excuses - “you can’t write a book, you don’t have a degree.”  Resistance is that ever-so sympathetic yet disabling friend who says “poor you, you must be exhausted, have a lie down” when we start exercising. Resistance says “I can’t, I’m not worthy, not today, maybe tomorrow, I’ve got a headache, I need to check my email, I’m not ready.”  Resistance is the mental mumbojumbo which leads straight to the fridge/ internet/ booze/ cigarettes/ sofa where we find ourselves ‘vegging out’ with a glazed look on our face wondering why we feel strangely depressed.

I am constantly facing resistance - both my own and others. I find myself standing in front of people displaying looks of terror, poker faces, crossed arms, yawns, tuts, grimaces, furrowed brows, despairing sighs when I say “Let’s Sing!”  This helps me identify and understand my own resistance.

So here’s 15 statements to say when resistance comes knocking.

0. “......” Silence - Be Still - taking a deep breath and stopping for a minute stills the resistance rap and sets up a new flow of inspiration.

1. “I will turn up and start with one small step” - turning up is bringing our presence to the party - even if I sit and stare at a blank screen, just turning up is a start.

2. ‘It’s ok not to know” - when we start something new - making a cake or planning a trip- even if we have a map or recipe there’s no real way of knowing what will happen. So it’s ok to take the pressure off ourselves to be all-knowing and acknowledge that it’s scary.

3. “I’m allowed to try something new” -  transforms the fear of change into permission to explore new possibilities, which as any neuroplasticist will testify, is great braingym.

4.  “It’s ok to make (mis)takes” - giving ourselves permission to take small imperfect steps liberates us from perfectionism and the fear of failure.  Success comes by working through many ‘takes’ - which are the juicy material of our life-movie.

5. “The time is now, everything else can wait.” - great for dealing with procrastination - the art of forever waiting for the ‘right time’ to do something.  That extensive list of non-essential tasks (a.ka. distractions) can keep for later.

6.  “I really do want to do this because….” - staying tuned to our intention is a great internal GPS, enabling us to prioritise and commit fully to our dreams.

7.  “I’m here to do my job, not to be liked” - this alleviates people pleasing - I am aware that not everyone will like me or my work, but this does not stop me from doing it.

8.  “I’m just going to do me” - other people’s problems can be a wonderful distraction. Far from being selfish, focusing on ourselves allows us to give more, as we replenish our resources and serve up our true contribution to the world.

9.  “Obstacles are a welcome test of my mettle” - Saying ‘AHA!’ when you encounter resistance in its many forms including domestic, technology and transport incidents means you can have a chuckle and take it in your stride.

10. ‘I’m allowed to take support” - whether it’s hanging out with the cat or employing a dream team to get the vision on the road, building in self-care and being around  supportive people is essential.

11. “I’m allowed to enjoy this”- conditioning like ‘life is a struggle’ can imbue us with a sense of guilt, obligation and drudgery.  Returning to our sense of play, curiosity and pleasure allows us to enjoy the experience - there is space for fun even within the most difficult tasks.

12.  “It’s ok to complete things” - delaying completion is rooted in the fear of endings and death - we fear the grief we will feel when something is finished. Completion brings fulfilment, accomplishment, celebration and space for new beginnings.

13. “I will feel so great when…” - visualising the end result and how brilliant it will be brings the enjoyment into the present in the same way as booking a holiday gives us pleasure before we travel.  Fear and excitement are two sides of the same coin so cultivating positive excitement turns the cobblywobbles into beautiful butterflies.

14. “I’m allowed to be BIG” - fulfilling on our dreams often requires stepping up and becoming more visible. The part of us that wants to stay small will resist. A quick way to vanquish this is to strike a really big pose, smile and shout TA DA!

15. “I can laugh and congratulate myself at each step of the way” - laughter immediately discharges the grand problem of taking things too seriously.  Celebrating the ups and downs enables us to truly enjoy the magnificent journey of creativity.

Wishing you a powerful, playful, creative summer

38 Singing Loves

38 Singing L♥ves

Dear Friend
I’ve made it through another year on earth and to celebrate here are 38 things I love about singing with much love and gratitude to all of YOU for being part of my singing journey.

My birthday wish is that we create a tidal wave of singing love so please do take a moment to close your eyes and sing a heartfelt AH of love for our world. 

Also if you feel inspired, please do throw some pennies in my virtual fundraising bucket as I’m going to be taking part in Sing for Water at the Thames Festival raising funds for WaterAid projects bringing clean water and sanitation to some of the world’s poorest communities -  Click here to visit my Just Giving Page

38 Singing Loves
♥ 1. Exaltation - singing makes the spirit soar
♥ 2. Breath - singing is literally inspiring - as patients from the Singing for Breathing programme testify
♥ 3. Listening - singing helps us listen to ourselves and each other
♥ 4. Transformation - singing changes our lives, one note at a time
♥ 5. Togetherness - singing bring us into unison and empathic connection with others
♥ 6. Bridge building - singing crosses all social, religious and cultural boundaries and helps us remember our common humanity
♥ 7. Peace promoting - singing is a powerful tool of peaceful communication
♥ 8. Creativity - singing stimulates our imagination and charges our enthusiasm
♥ 9. Self Expression - singing liberates our authentic expression
♥ 10. Presence - singing helps us become powerfully present in the moment
♥ 11. Mental Gym - singing improves our concentration, focus, alertness and memory
♥ 12. Emotional Balance - singing helps our feelings get in e-motion
♥ 13. Body Boost - singing helps us become more embodied, grounded
♥ 14. Joie de Vivre - singing boosts our vitality with a host of health benefits
♥ 15. Empowerment - singing helps us discover and express our power appropriately
♥ 16. Taking a Stand - singing enables us to raise our voices for change in our world
♥ 17. Courage - singing enables us to access our core strength
♥ 18. Possibility - singing helps us discover new territories
♥ 19. Learning - singing is an journey of self-development
♥ 20. Teaching - singing can help us educate one another
♥ 21. Dancing - singing gets our toes tapping and our hands clapping to irresistible rhythms
♥ 22. Laughter - singing gets us giggling
♥ 23. Bogey-buster - singing helps us bust fears, stresses and sticky issues
♥ 24. Multi-sensory - singing engages all our senses
♥ 25. Stories - singing can help us share important stories and oral traditions
♥ 26. Ancestral - singing can connect us with the wisdom of those that have gone before
♥ 27. Culture - singing connects us with our roots and helps us learn from other cultures
♥ 28. Social - singing is a core part of social occasions - from the Happy Birthday song to football chants
♥ 29. Originality - singing helps us connect with our uniqueness and inspires innovation
♥ 30. Heart opening - singing helps us to listen, follow and express the song in our heart
♥ 31. Trust - singing inspires more trust in ourselves and with each other
♥ 32. Interdisciplinary - singing connects with many other artforms
♥ 33. Intergenerational - singing can bring together elders, adults, young people, children and babies
♥ 34. Harmony - singing helps us listen and harmonise with each other
♥ 35. Catharsis - singing can helps us express, release, cleanse and let go
♥ 36. Performance - singing supports our presentation and performance skills
♥ 37. Charity - singing can be part of our social contribution
♥ 38.  Infinity - singing connects us to the big cosmic symphony of which we are all a unique note

Sending you a big AH of Love and Gratitude for a wonderful songful summer
Love and Blessings