Dances of Universal Peace: 3rd Sat of Aug & Sept

UPDATE:  There will be Dances of Universal Peace at St. Mary's this Saturday, August 20! 

The camping weekend on the St. Croix was cancelled with all the rain expected today and tomorrow.  See you in the Undercroft, 7-9 p.m.

Address:  1895 Laurel Ave, St. Paul, MN (map)

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Greetings PoLiMu Dancers,

My calendar reminds me that I can't be in two places at once, as much as I'd like to attend this workshop and singing in that circle and meet with that friend and hang with family all at the same time. 

In August, I will be hanging with part of the St. Mary's family on a camping weekend on the St. Croix. 

In September, I will be completing the last retreat weekend for my Full Voice Coach training with Barbara McAfee and my 8 other fellow peers.  Curiously enough that weekend is also near the St. Croix.  (I'll ponder what's special about the St. Croix ... let me count thy ways!)

Looking ahead in my calendar, October, November, and December look clear for 3rd Saturday Dances of Universal Peace at St. Mary's, St. Paul.  Feel free to RSVP at Meet-up.com. 

Eat, Dance, and Pray Together.  ~ Samuel L. Lewis

Sept 29-Oct 1: Music that Makes Community - Des Moines 2016 edition

I'm excited to be one of the presenters for a Music that Makes Community (MMC) workshop in Des Moines, IA in late Sept/early Oct this year.  This is a great event for two reasons.

Singing at MMC-Mpls 2014

1. MMC does a great job of teaching the tools for paperless music to natural and trained musicians in a short amount of time. 
2. It is super affordable with the generous support of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa.  Only $100!
3. And a bonus 3rd reason, is how inclusivity pervades as a core foundation of the work.  Folks of other faiths/beliefs, no faith, seekers, and the "spiritual and not religious" are welcome to sing and hone their song leading craft. 

Our Political Life Together

It is Minnesota's Primary Election Day today! 

I was sitting with my breakfast at my kitchen table this morning when I realized I live next to a polling place. The turf paint is still visible from last Tuesday's National Night Out labyrinth ... And wouldn't it be a good time to invite folks coming and going to the polls to reflect on democracy, civic engagement, and our political life together? 

Out come the pennants and the paper and markers! 

Ta-da! 

So, on this Primary Election Day, what are you reflecting on? 

- where and when did you first vote?

- what concern do you have for our city, neighborhood, state, country, world? 

- what's your favorite way to get involved? 

- what's a funny, crazy, <fill in the blank> story about a past election? 

- what does democracy mean to you? 

- or anything else you'd like to share...

If you're not in my St. Paul precinct, I'd love to hear your thoughts too! Please write a note in the comments below. 

Thanks! And happy Primary Election Day! 

ISO Brave Individuals and Groups for Full Voice coaching

I'm in the final six-week stretch of my Full Voice coach training with Barbara McAfee.  It's been an exhilarating and intense ride as I continue to plumb the secrets of my voice to use it more effectively with work and family. 

A little doodling of the 5 Elements Framework: 
Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, Air

It's that time in training where I need help getting more experience leading individuals and groups through the 5 Elements Framework. 

Would you like to help me?  To volunteer the only thing you need is a willing spirit to try something new.  Being a "singer" is not a requirement.  The 5 Elements is about exploring the different sound characteristics of our voices and using them more thoughtfully and effectively. 

If you would like to accept this mission, please send me an email at fullvoice@pointsoflightmusic.net or give me a call/text at 612-756-8011 and leave a message about when would be a good time to meet.  I will follow up in the next business day or so.

This first lesson is FREE, gratis, pro bono, on me because I'm in training.  All I ask is for honest feedback on what worked during the session, what was missing, what would be helpful, etc. 

Thanks for considering this!  Please feel free to pass this invitation onto others you think would benefit from this work. 

--No animals or humans will be harmed in the sound experiments involved. 

National Night Out Labyrinth Pictures!

It was National Night Out earlier this week!  Guess what was installed at the neighborhood's party? 

A three-circuit modified Classical labyrinth. 

Here's a few of my favorites.  You can spy a few more on Facebook. 

Panning the post-party grounds beside the church.
It was a well attended party with folks young and wiser.

Inviting folks to walk and ponder neighborhoods in the labyrinth.
Notice the camp chair in the center.  I saw many kids use it as seat and as table!
(wish I got a picture of that!)

 

Inviting folks to write or draw about neighborhoods: what's missing,
a funny story or happy memory, if you change one thing what would it be?
What makes a neighborhood, a neighborhood?



A flower and person!



Response:  I like summer because then I get to see my neighbors.
My neighbors give me hope.

Drawings!  What do you think this is trying to say?

Turf paint on the ground is all that is left of the National Night Out labyrinth. 
Walk it while you can.  It lasts for a couple weeks and disappears slowly with mowing and rain.

Aug 26: "This Is Our City" tour

Youth-docent lead Tour of “This Is Our City” at Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN

Friday, August 26, 2017*
4-5 p.m.

Join others to tour the “This Is Our City” exhibit, listen and ask questions of the youth docents about how artists are being embedded into city government of Minneapolis. 

Times of crisis require great creativity and innovation. Checkout how the city of Minneapolis and Intermedia Arts have partnered together to experiment with artists in certain departments to ask curious questions, invite empathy, and make space for creative possibilities for equity. 

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Over the last 5 years my awareness about the many equities that plague our society has grown.  In the same time period, my hope in community empathy and creativity to respond has also expanded.  Join me to see the learnings that Intermedia Arts and the City of Minneapolis have gleaned in their experiments so we can be inspired to work creatively in our own municipal systems for equity. 

* Intermedia Arts has a number of youth docent led tours scheduled throughout the month of August.  Check the website to find a time that works for you ... or just stop by when the gallery is open (show ends on Aug 27, 2016). 

Wed, Aug 3: Singing with your Full Voice

Late in 2006 I was deeply impacted by the Full Voice work of Barbara McAfee and you can see the ripples spreading out from it in the bedside music/hospice choir, Dances of Universal Peace, and Music that Makes Community activities I do.  She wrote about book about the method in 2011 and trained her first group of practitioners soon thereafter.  I'm in her second cohort of mentees right now and look forward to sharing this method with you.  I'll be offering more group and individual sessions soon so drop me a line if you're interested.  Consider yourself invited to Wednesday evening's event.  -Conie

 

 

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Come help Brenna, Tom, & Conie practice teaching about the Full Voice! We will learn a little about the elements of the voice and then sing as usual. Let’s meet inside, as there is a chance of storms.

 

What: Singing with your Full Voice

When: Wednesday, August 3^rd at 7PM

Where: The Jam Room in Jam House, 3612 10th Ave S, Mpls. 

(This is a normal looking house. Come inside and walk up the stairs to the 2^nd floor.)