Tuning In Together

Dear Friend Tuning In Together Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together. – Vesta M Kelly It is no surprise that many traditions evolved traditions of feasting, fire-making, singing, story-telling and devotion to keep their hearts and minds merry at midwinter. It's a natural instinct to draw close to loved ones to eat and recharge in warm places.  Here's a look at how tuning in together in winter can help us weather the storms. Togetherness has a Powerful Purpose A Definition of a team - 'a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.- The Wisdom of Teams - Katzenburg and Smith Santa knew what he was up to when he chose reindeers for his team - these incredible creatures bond their small herds into huge flocks of up to 100,000 to migrate as far as 1,600 miles together. They swim, run (up to 35 mph!) and clip clip their way together to find favourable conditions in some of the longest migrations of creatures on the planet.  When a wolf approaches, the herds draw together and move in circular motions to prevent individual reindeer being attacked.  Reindeer teach us that incredible feats can be achieved through togetherness. Togetherness Cares and Connects It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed – Napolean Hill The power of a choir, group or team is that everyone wins by being part of it.  We all help each other to create something - whether its a song, project, event or a community.   Western individualism and capitalism have been used to pitch individuals one against each other in hierarchical power struggles for centuries resulting in war, destruction and unequal and unsustainable use of natural resources.   This obscures the true power of collaboration to create lasting and sustainable change in society.  Darwin, wrongly attributed and misinterpreted as coining the concept 'survival of the fittest,' noticed that 'those communities which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members would flourish best and rear the greatest number of offspring.'   One of the reason people enjoy singing together is because it releases the bonding hormone oxytocin which triggers the birth of babies and encourages the development of empathy, kindness, trust and togetherness.   Togetherness is diverse  Diversity - the art of thinking independently together - Malcolm Forbes Tuning in together allows us to discover ourselves.  When we sing in a choir, we learn to listen and receive the sounds of others whilst holding our own note and place within the whole. We relish the contribution that each voice brings - the warm bellied bass notes allow the soaring higher harmonies to ring and sing out.   Similarly we need the different skills that each person brings to a team - without a potwasher, the cook will be in a mess.  We all become strong by celebrating our differences together. Togetherness inspires Love Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together – Phil Jackson Togetherness allows us to express and discover our love for each other and our teams, groups and communities.   As our reindeer friends teach us, togetherness sparks creativity, motivates purposeful endeavours, inspires us to celebrate and take care of each other and fuels long term endurance towards the completion of long journeys across rocky terrain.  Tune Your Team? - If you'd like a special choir or singing workshop to help tune your team, office or workplace do get in touch - I'd be delighted to help Midwinter Singing Events Croydon Community Choir Midwinter Celebration Don your midwinter sparkles and come join the merry singing throng at Matthews Yard 5th December 7-8.30pm Winter Warmer Singing at Crystal Palace - all welcome to come and sing at Handmade Palace Craft Market at 2pm on 10th December at The Alma Sing Carols with London Mozart Players at their Carol Concert 16th December Crystal Palace Food Market at 12pm on 17th December Heart of the City Choir - restarts 12th January - after a magical end of term concert, I am looking forward to covering this wonderful choir again for Naamah Pinkerfield Dal'Or. The Choir meets Thursdays 7-9pm at beautiful St Botolph's Bishopgate, near Liverpool Street. Advance notice - DreamChoir Workshop 24th January   Mark your diaries for a delightful day of dreaming in the New Year with playful singing and improvising in the special ambience of St Mary Abchurch - all voices welcome.  Early bird bookings by 14th January - click here for more info Christmas Stocking Special - fill a loved ones stocking with special sounds - festive offer - 3 albums for £15 - click here. Do contact me with any enquiries about these events - more info below. Wishing you much tuneful togetherness this December www.therosewindow.org Twitter: @katierosewindow Facebook: www.facebook.com/therosewindow

The Voice of Calling

Dear Friend

The Voice of Calling
Follow your calling, not the crowd - proverb
Planning a voice session for female entrepreneurs at Yael Rose's networking group prompted me to think about how we can stay tuned to the Voice of our Business or Calling in life... Hoping that these musings serve to amplify the light of creative calling in each of us this November...

Calling comes from Within
Vocation is more about who you are than what you do 
Our Calling arises from within via our internal communication systems - dreams, visions, feelings, hunches, longings, senses.  Fortunately you don't have to call a BT engineer out and wait for a lifetime to get started - it simple requires a willingness to finetune our inner antennae.

Answering Calling
The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling - Fabienne Fredrickson 
No smoke without fire - our calling leaves smoke signals and calling cards.  Whatever we get fired up, het up or lit up about is an indicator of our values and potential creative contribution - so an animal lover sets up an animal sanctuary or the person with their nose always in a book pioneers a mobile library for the homeless.  

Calling Encourages
And her song called forth the courage in other hearts to sing their own song - Jane Lee Logan 
The great thing about answering our calling is it gives permission and inspiration for others.  In a choir, members who have more confidence encourage those around them.  Artists are constantly cross-pollinating and cross-referencing creative inspiration as naturally as plants do. I recently enjoyed the daily Creative Sprint challenge this October and loved seeing the shared inspiration and encouragement that happened online between fellow sprinters.  Recent research has shown that the health of our social networks can have as much impact on longevity as smoking or alcohol intake - so when we allow ourselves to grow, we encourage healthy growth in our social circles and loved ones.

Calling Is Big
To be a singer who truly inspires, we must throw our ego out of the show, show up and serve. That's when we truly change the world - Kerri Ho
Calling is always much bigger than our self-defeating concepts or images of ourselves.  It calls us to bigger platforms, wider connections and deeper engagement with life than we may have ever imagined possible.  That this is terrifying and will press all of our buttons goes without saying. Tuning into our calling often catalyses a deep rewiring and realignment of ourselves - as we answer the call, we commit to setting aside distractions and dramas, to listen to our own inner voice. The joy, fulfilment and delight that arises when we live out our calling brightens and lightens the world.



Autumnal Singing Events
Shining Your Light- In this month of fireworks and the lights of Diwali there's lots of wonderful singing events to lighten the longer nights...
Women in Business Group with Yael Rose - Join us for a morning of celebrating and empowering Wonderwomen in Biz - Friday Nov 4th 10am-1pm Free to attend, free coffee/tea with cake at delicious Dalhousie in Crystal Palace.
*NEW CHOIR* - Crystal Palace Transition Town- Celebrating Planet and People in Song - starting from Nov 2nd at the newly opened beautiful Paxton Centre, we'll be warbling and wassailing the winter nights in preparation for festive fun around Crystal Palace Triangle. All voices welcome.

Wishing you a truly sparkling November

www.therosewindow.org
Twitter: @katierosewindow
Facebook: www.facebook.com/therosewindow