Setlist from Nov 8 Singing for Liberation potluck

Here are the songs we sang at the Singing for Liberation potluck on Friday night, November 8 at CTUL/Inquilixs Unidxs.  Enjoy the links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure!

• Endless Boundless Gratitude (Samara Jade)
• Liberation (Liz adapted from Earth, My Body tune, unknown creator)
• I did not come here alone (The Peace Poets)
• I am not afraid (Peace Poets)
• What are we gonna do with all this grief (main lyric from Prentis Hemphill’s book, “What It Takes to Heal,” tune by Liz with melodic frame influenced by Ana Hernandez’s “Set it right again”, Black Blues + Spirituals, and Whiskey Shivers’ “Who’s gonna dig these graves”)
• Another world (inspired by Arundhati Roy/Kerri Meyer; Spanish by LDA)
• Organize! Organize! Organize! (adapted by Charon Hribar, in We Rise: A Movement Songbook by The Poor People’s Campaign)
• Lead with Love (Melanie DeMore)
• We get there together (Or never get there at all) (Josh Blaine)

* no online recording available. If you discover one, please let us know in the comments!

If you are interested in being part of January-February 2025 Singing for Liberation choir and/or be trained as a movement songleader, please add yourself to this Google form!  

Apr 25-27: The Blessing Way of the Aramaic Jesus (Dubuque, IA)

The Blessing Way of the Aramaic Jesus

A Residential Retreat with Neil Douglas-Klotz

When:  

Friday-Sunday, April 25-27, 2025

Where:  

Shalom Spirituality Center in Dubuque, Iowa

An introduction to the spiritual practice and contemplative prayer of Jesus viewed through the lens of his native Aramaic language. Including meditation, chanting, body prayer, walking meditation, contemplative prayer, and Dances of Universal Peace.

To learn more about the retreat, where it will be located, what's included, and to register, click here. Below are alternate lodgings and useful travel logistics. 

Nov 8: Singing for Liberation Potluck!

SINGING FOR LIBERATION: 

Please join us the Friday after the election for a potluck and community sing for movement organizers and workers: everyone and every voice is welcome!

Friday, November 8th, 6-8 pm
Hosted by CTUL + Inquilixs Unidxs 

@ 3715 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis

Facebook link

Please bring a dish to share if you're able!

Liberation movements throughout history have taught us that singing together helps us celebrate, march, grieve, stay true to our vision, and the songs anchor our courage for the work to come. We're not singing to perform, we're singing because it changes us - every voice is needed in the movement.

This potluck is to help launch a winter series coming January 2025 to help train up more songleaders for movement work here in the Twin Cities -- we want to help organizers grow their confidence and toolkit of songs for justice and liberation work. Come find out more, experience the way your body shifts when singing hope in community, and try it out with us!

*Nov 14*, Dec 12: Retrain Your Lizard Brain sessions for Fall 2024

What: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience
When: Selected Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

     Dates:  October 10, November 14, December 12, 2024

Where: Walker/New City Church,
     3104 16th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 (map)
With: Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute and GOOD TROUBLE

REGISTER HERE: Eventbrite

How do we find our way through personal, cultural, and systemic trauma towards resilience? Our culture is honestly pretty terrible at having community rhythms to process this and tools to live towards growth. Singing and somatic practice are one container offering a space to practice working through our grief, pain, and conflict towards finding joy, courage and connection.

Inspired by the STAR* training, you’re invited to a monthly community song circle of simple songs, taught call and echo, and somatic practices to check in with how our bodies are processing. You don’t need to “be a singer” - we’re not singing to perform; we sing because it changes us.

Oct 8: Registration opens for The Blessing Way Aramaic retreat (Apr 25-27, 2025)

 

Click here for more details on this retreat and to register.

*Nov 3*, Dec 1: Dances of Universal Peace in St. Paul

Please join Conie B and Adam Wolter for Sufi Dancing, a.k.a. the Dances of Universal Peace on the first Sunday of the month at the Twin Cities Friends Meetinghouse in St. Paul.  

• When:  First Sundays from 6:30-8:45 p.m.
• Upcoming Dates:  Oct 6, Nov 3, Dec 1, 2024
• Where:  Twin Cities Friends Meetinghouse, 1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul.  

Join our group on meetup.com for upcoming events.

MMC News: Fall 2024

Here's a quick roundup of Music that Makes Community (MMC) news of this moment.  

What's inside:

• Events: around Turtle Island and TC local
• Important resources
• A Vision
• And an invitation to contribute to our mission.  

Sept 8: Dances of Universal Peace at TCFM

 

More details at http://www.meetup.com/The-Minnesota-Dances-of-Universal-Peace/.  

Fall 2024 Heart Songs Schedule

What: Heart Songs: Lament, Longing, & Love (an online community space for you to bring your heart and your voice)

When: 6:30-8p CDT (05-UTC until Daylight Savings Time ends)

Dates for Fall 2024:  

• September 9, 23
• October 7, 21
• November 4, 18
• December 2, 16, 30

Where: Online: https://zoom.us/j/431161455 (see call-in options on Heart Songs' main page)

Gather for an informal singing time to re-center our hearts in community. Simple songs will be led paperlessly/taught by ear by Conie Borchardt, Nancy W, Sarah M, other song leaders, and you, if you have a song to share.

Join us. Bring friends. (Signup for the email reminder here; select Heart Songs)

Songs will be about the human experience and in that way, spiritual in nature, but not specifically religious.

This is a space intended for self-care, however that shifts for you in every moment. Bring water. Come and go. Sit in a chair, lie on the floor, or stand as you need to.

Aug 4: Dances of Universal Peace @ Friends Meetinghouse, St. Paul

 

Aug 4 + *Sept 1*: Special Guest at Heretics Sing

THE SUNDAY MORNING HERETIC SING

When:  Sunday, August 4, 10:30 a.m.
Where:  Anam Cara House Backyard: 

3612 Bloomington Ave, Minneapolis, 

gate to the backyard at the right of the house open (come alllllll the way around the house to the shade) 

Conie is filling in for Liz today!  

Open to all and especially holding space for queer & ex-religious folx who wanna sing with their whole selves.  We roll 1st and 3rd Sunday every month

Aug 30: Spirit of Peace Meditation ONLINE

 

It feels like a season to invite folks to a public practice of the Spirit of Peace Meditation.

If you feel called to join with others in 1) recommitting to "give our strength ... that love may reign and war may cease" and 2) to practice seeing the love and light in one's self and others, please consider yourself welcome to the next public online practice.

What: Spirit of Peace Meditation*
When: Friday, August 30, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Central Time USA (UT-05)
Where: Zoom Meeting ID: 941-277-002; Password: DUP

At this time we will meet monthly online. It may shift to in-person and more frequently, so sign up for the Spirit of Peace newsletter on this page to be most up-to-date.

If you have interest and delight in supporting this public practice of dedicating one's spirit to peace and seeing the holy love and light in each person, please reach out and let us know. Use the contact form here or send an email to listening@pointsoflightmusic.net.

--

Interested in history of the practice? Follow this link of posts tagged with "Spirit of Peace Walk" including *how we adapted it to zoomland,

Aug 21: PoLiMu recommends: Karly Loveling!

 

What:  Minneapolis SING! with Karly Loveling!
When:  Wednesday, August 21, 7-8:30 p.m.
Where:  Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis

More details on Facebook!

Aug 27: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience

What: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience

When: Tuesday, August 27, 2024, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Walker/New City Church,
3104 16th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 (map)
With: Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute and GOOD TROUBLE

REGISTER HERE: Eventbrite
Facebook event page 

How do we find our way through personal, cultural, and systemic trauma towards resilience?

July 7: Dances of Universal Peace, a.k.a Sufi Dancing

Sufi Dancing

(AKA Dances of Universal Peace)

Sunday, July 7, 6:30 to 8:45 pm
Twin Cities Friends Meeting House
1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul (map)
https://tcfm.org/

Watch the MN DUP Meetup.com for future events! 

Donations accepted, but not required-

Come and weave a circle of sacred presence and harmony with shared movement and song. All spiritual traditions of the world are honored in a circle of universal prayer.

No former experience is necessary (And... seasoned dancers and dance leaders are more than welcome to bring their wisdom, dances, and shared leadership:)

Jul 26: Spirit of Peace Online Meditation

It feels like a season to invite folks to a public practice of the Spirit of Peace Meditation.

If you feel called to join with others in 1) recommitting to "give our strength ... that love may reign and war may cease" and 2) to practice seeing the love and light in one's self and others, please consider yourself welcome to the next public online practice.

What: Spirit of Peace Meditation*
When: Friday, July 26, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Central Time USA (UT-05)
Where: Zoom Meeting ID: 941-277-002; Password: DUP

At this time we will meet monthly online. It may shift to in-person and more frequently, so sign up for the Spirit of Peace newsletter on this page to be most up-to-date.

If you have interest and delight in supporting this public practice of dedicating one's spirit to peace and seeing the holy love and light in each person, please reach out and let us know. Use the contact form here or send an email to listening@pointsoflightmusic.net.

--

Interested in history of the practice? Follow this link of posts tagged with "Spirit of Peace Walk" including *how we adapted it to zoomland,

Jul 25: MSP MMC gathering!

Music that Makes Community in Minneapolis-St. Paul!

WHEN:
Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 3:00pm - 4:30pm

WHERE:
University Lutheran Church of Hope
601 13th Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

If you are looking for a new way to foster vulnerability, trust and connection in your worship, meetings or gatherings… if you enjoy oral singing tradition… or if you need a place to rest your soul and be filled…

Join Conie Borchardt, Maria Anderson-Lippert and Liesl Spitz for a Paperless Singing Practice Group. This gathering is for anyone who loves to sing, churchy and non-churchy alike. 

Questions? Contact hello@musicthatmakescommunity.org

PoLiMu recommends: Samara Jade + Mica Sun (Jul 6)

 

Samara Jade, the song catcher of "Endless, Boundless Gratitude," "The journey to the center," "Carrying water," and so many more songs in our aural tradition canon will be travelling through Minneapolis this weekend with creative and life partner, Mica Sun.  

Catch them in the western suburbs on Saturday night, July 6.  More details here!

Jul 9: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience

What: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience
When: Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Walker/New City Church,
3104 16th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 (map)
With: Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute and GOOD TROUBLE

REGISTER HERE: Eventbrite
Facebook event page 

How do we find our way through personal, cultural, and systemic trauma towards resilience?

Setlist from June 13 Retrain Your Lizard Brain

Here are the songs we sang at the second Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience at Walker/New City Church on Thursday evening, June 13, 2024. Enjoy the links to online recordings for your at-gome remembering pleasure!

• The Way Knows the Way (Lyndsey Scott)
• Do You Feel? Do You Heal? (Lu Aya Nephew, The Peace Poets + Deirdre Shabaaz)
• Put Your Roots Down (Molly Hartwell)
• Don’t numb to this (Abigail Bengson)
• You Are Safe Now* (Shireen Amini)
• Loosen, Loosen (Aly Halpert)
• Healing is Possible (Orion Johnstone)

* no online recording available. If you discover one, please let us know in the comments!

Here are some of the Resources we promised to share:

• About the Card Decks: Having a tangible tool to sit with and reflect our feelings back to us helps us slow down, process, and make space for emotional work and intentions we otherwise tend to ignore. In May we spread out the Rest Deck by Tricia Hersey and the Artist Grief Deck, made by hospice workers in the pandemic.
• Instruments we use: 
• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Conie has a 12" CajonTab; Liz has one of the Pro series. Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. Use Liz's affiliate link to get 10% off!
• Shruti Box, literally "sound" or "singing" in ancient Sankrit, replicates the sound of the Tambura, an East Asian Indian drone instrument. Part of the family of drone instruments that show up in many cultures, related to bagpipes and harmoniums. Conie's instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA.

Thank you to the crew who jumped in to retrain their lizard brain!  The right people were there, tenderness, grit, and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the world we're working towards!

Many thanks to Mni'sota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute for offering the amazing Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR) training that Liz and Conie took in June 2023 and to being interested in partnering with us when we expressed interest in offering a hand-on offering.  Please checkout their offerings and consider taking a webinar or the full training.

We're planning to make this session monthly because the work of Trauma Awareness and Resiliency is long and slow!  The next Retrain Your Lizard Brain session will likely be Thursday, July 9, 2024; stay tuned for details on this blog as they unfold or sign up for the In-person Singing and/or the Good Trouble Songleaders newsletters

Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

Love, Liz and Conie, a.k.a. Good Trouble

June 28: Community Sing for Sacred Lands

WHEN:  FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 7-8 P.M.

WHERE:  FAITH MENNONITE CHURCH, 

2720 22nd St, Minneapolis

Facebook event | MMC website

Come join song leaders Doe and Conie, from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and Music that Makes Community, as they share songs submitted to their playlist project collaboration on Sacred Lands. The songs will connect to stories from the Coalition's growing network for Indigenous justice. For more information on the playlist project and/or to submit an original song, see here: https://tinyurl.com/sacredlandsplaylist

We will be indoors, so masks are strongly encouraged, as is taking a Covid test prior to attending.

This is an opportunity for local Twin Cities folks to connect with other members in the Coalition's national network for Indigenous justice and decolonization, as many of our members will be in the Twin Cities for our Annual Gathering June 28-July 1.

PoLiMu Recommends: Ahlay (Jul 22-23) + Lawrence (Aug 8)

AHLAY BLAKELY

DETAILS FOR AHLAY BLAKELY:  

- MONDAY, JULY 22:  Facebook + Registration

- TUESDAY, JULY 23:  Facebook + Registration

 

Lawrence Cole

DETAILS FOR LAWRENCE COLE:

- THURSDAY, AUGUST 8: Facebook + Registration

Jun 21: Songs In Your Body On This Land

We'd like to welcome People of the Global Majority (Black, Brown, Indigenous, People of Color, and Mixed Race) to these monthly song circles.

WHEN:  Friday, June 21, 6-8 p.m.

WHERE: Beautiful Studio, #214, 2242 University Ave W, St. Paul (more details below) 

 Hidden Falls Park (North Gate), St. Paul (map/more details below)

Facebook event

****UPDATE:  We wanted to be down by the river but it's supposed to Thunderstorm all of Friday (HELLO SOLSTICE) so we are moving indoors to the Beautiful Studio in St. Paul.

Beautiful Studio, #214, 2242 University Ave W, St. Paul

There's a parking lot in the back; you'll need to text us to get in (look for signs on the Hamden doors) and holler with questions!
No masks required this month but strongly welcomed + encouraged.

Led by GOOD TROUBLE, aka Conie Borchardt and Liz Digitale Anderson. We teach songs for joy, courage, grief, hope, and justice in the oral tradition, call and echo. You don't need to "be a singer" or "know what you're doing", you just gotta be willing to breathe and open your mouth and echo back. Maybe even move your hips and grab a shaker if you're feeling it...

Community potluck meal starting at 6 pm, singing starting at 7 pm and/or woven through

Down by the river at Hidden Falls Park; follow the north entrance drive all the way down to the parking lot and look for the SING HERE flag on the beach.

--
Photo by Mankwe Ndosi: Preparing the Unburdening Ground, Say Their Names Cemetery at George Floyd Square, Minneapolis

Setlist from May 24 Songs for Tending Our Hearts @ Yess Yoga

Friends,

Here are the songs we sang at Songs for Tending Our Hearts at Yess Yoga on Friday night, May 24, 2024:

1. Holding Song (Ian Carrick)
2. One by One (Michael Stillwater)
3. Be with me, Yah (Koach Baruch Frazier)
4. Haida* (words & music: traditional Jewish niggun)
5. Keep it open (Ahlay Blakely)
6. Let my soul dance in the rain* (unknown; learned from Scott Skoog)
7. My soul’s home* (Shireen Amini)

* An online audio or video recording has not been found.  Let us know if you find one in the comments!  

Some of you asked about the Resources we shared. Here's a short list...

• 
  About the Card Decks: Having a tangible tool to sit with and reflect our feelings back to us helps us slow down, process, and make space for emotional work and intentions we otherwise tend to ignore. 
• In May we spread out the Artist Grief Deck (https://griefdeck.com/) which was created by hospice workers during the pandemic
• And the Rest Deck by Tricia Hersey (https://thenapministry.com/rest-deck/) based on Hersey's book "Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto"
• Instruments we use: 
• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Conie has a 12" CajonTab; Liz has one of the Pro series. Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. Use Liz's affiliate link to get 10% off!
• Shruti Box, literally "sound" or "singing" in ancient Sankrit, replicates the sound of the Tambura, an East Asian Indian drone instrument. Part of the family of drone instruments that show up in many cultures, related to bagpipes and harmoniums. Conie's instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA
• Where else to sing in the Twin Cities? There's three places you can check! 
• Twin Cities Singing Circles (Facebook group)
  
• Perfection-Free Community Singing (Facebook group)
• AND this Google Doc of regular circles that Liz DA put together.

We are grateful to you if sang with us and to Yess Yoga for hosting.

Bimonthly dates for this grief song circle at Yess Yoga have been scheduled for 2024. Pencil these dates into your calendar:

• July 19* Revised date
• Sept 20
• Nov 22

If you'd like reminders, sign up for the In-person Sings/Good Trouble mailing list here to get an email beforehand. Or just check the Yess Yoga's website.

Keep singing and stay warm, graceful, and creative!

Love, Liz and Conie, a.k.a. GOOD TROUBLE

Jun 14: Spirit of Peace Public Meditation ONLINE

 

It feels like a season to invite folks to a public practice of the Spirit of Peace Meditation.  

If you feel called to join with others in 1) recommitting to "give our strength ... that love may reign and war may cease" and 2) to practice seeing the love and light in one's self and others, please consider yourself welcome to the next public online practice.

What:  Spirit of Peace Meditation*
When:  Friday, June 14, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Central Time USA (UT-05)
Where:  Zoom Meeting ID:  941-277-002; Password:  DUP

At this time we will meet monthly online.  It may shift to in-person and more frequently, so sign up for the Spirit of Peace newsletter on this page to be most up-to-date.  

If you have interest and delight in supporting this public practice of dedicating one's spirit to peace and seeing the holy love and light in each person, please reach out and let us know.  Use the contact form here or send an email to listening@pointsoflightmusic.net.

--

Interested in history of the practice?  Follow this link of posts tagged with "Spirit of Peace Walk" including *how we adapted it to zoomland, 

Jun 13: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience

 

What: Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience

When: Thursday, June 13, 2024, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Walker/New City Church, 

3104 16th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 (map)

With: Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute and GOOD TROUBLE

REGISTER HERE:  Eventbrite

Facebook event page

How do we find our way through personal, cultural, and systemic trauma towards resilience? Our culture is honestly pretty terrible at having community rhythms to process this and tools to live towards growth. Singing and somatic practice are one container offering a space to practice working through our grief, pain, and conflict towards finding joy, courage and connection.

Inspired by the STAR* training, you’re invited to a monthly community song circle of simple songs, taught call and echo, and somatic practices to check in with how our bodies are processing. You don’t need to “be a singer” - we’re not singing to perform; we sing because it changes us.

What to Bring:
To make the most of our time together, please remember to bring the following items:

• Water to stay hydrated throughout the event
• Clothes that are suitable for easy movement
• Yoga mats, pillows, and blankets for your comfort during somatic practices
• A journal and pen for any reflections or insights you may wish to jot down

Donation Guidelines

We request a donation for tickets to this event - any amount between $10-$50; we use a sliding scale in order to make this work as accessible as possible to people. For reference, we consider:

• $10 is a Sliding scale solidarity rate for folx who would not otherwise be able to come
• $25 is a Full price ticket that allows us to break even for this event
• $50 is a Benefactor rate that allows more people to attend by covering costs for our community.

If you want some help thinking through what you might be able to donate, we've found this graphic really helpful in thinking through the amount of financial privilege you carry and how it might apply: https://www.transgendertraininginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sliding-Scale-Guidance2.png

COVID-19 Precautions:

Summer 2024 Heart Songs

 

What: Heart Songs: Lament, Longing, & Love (an online community space for you to bring your heart and your voice)

When: 6:30-8p CDT (05-UTC until Daylight Savings Time ends)

Dates for Summer 2024:  over the summer we meet less frequently because Mni'sota summers are amazing and it's hard to be inside!

• June 17
• July 8
• August 19

Where: Online: https://zoom.us/j/431161455 (see call-in options on Heart Songs' main page)

Gather for an informal singing time to re-center our hearts in community. Simple songs will be led paperlessly/taught by ear by Conie Borchardt, other song leaders, and you, if you have a song to share.

Join us. Bring friends. (Signup for the email reminder here; select Heart Songs)

Songs will be about the human experience and in that way, spiritual in nature, but not specifically religious.

This is a space intended for self-care, however that shifts for you in every moment. Bring water. Come and go. Sit in a chair, lie on the floor, or stand as you need to.

June 2024 Mn'sota DUP Tour

The Dances of Universal Peace are spreading around Mni'sota!

With gracious support from the MRAC's Arts Impact Fund, these activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.  

The Dances of Universal Peace are easy circle dances with singing. Everyone is taught call and echo.  Bring yourself and an openness to try something new with others!  Lead by Certified Dance Leaders: Conie Borchardt, Adam Wolter, and others.  Learn more about the Dances here.

Tour Dates

Sunday, June 2, 6:30-8:45 p.m.

Twin Cities Friends Meetinghouse

1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul (map)

Meetup | Facebook 

Friday, June 7, 7 p.m.

Svalja Yoga

N 1st Ave W, Duluth (map)

Register here

Meetup | Facebook 

Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

715 S. Central Ave, Ely (map)

Meetup | Facebook 

Sunday, Jun 9, 2 p.m.

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church

501 NW 16th St, Grand Rapids (map)

Meetup | Facebook 

Saturday, June 15, 2 p.m.

A Place to Move

714 Columbia Ave, Morris (map)

Meetup | Facebook 

Setlist from May 2 Retrain Your Lizard Brain

Here are the songs we sang at the very first Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience at Walker/New City Church on Thursday evening, May 2, 2024.  Enjoy the links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure!  

• Neuroplasticity Song (Ahlay Blakely)
• The Center Will Hold (text: Brene Brown, from Atlas of the Heart; music: clb)
• Do You Feel? Do You Heal? (Lu Aya Nephew, The Peace Poets + Deirdre Shabaaz)
• The Cure for the Pain (text inspired by Rumi; tune: Yam)
• Grief is Coming (Aurora’s Song) (Liz Digitale Anderson)
• The Shame Song (Ahlay Blakely) 

* no online recording available. If you discover one, please let us know in the comments!

Here are some of the Resources we promised to share:

• About the Card Decks: Having a tangible tool to sit with and reflect our feelings back to us helps us slow down, process, and make space for emotional work and intentions we otherwise tend to ignore. In May we spread out the Rest Deck by Tricia Hersey and the Artist Grief Deck, made by hospice workers in the pandemic.
• Instruments we use: 
• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Conie has a 12" CajonTab; Liz has one of the Pro series. Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. Use Liz's affiliate link to get 10% off!
• Shruti Box, literally "sound" or "singing" in ancient Sankrit, replicates the sound of the Tambura, an East Asian Indian drone instrument. Part of the family of drone instruments that show up in many cultures, related to bagpipes and harmoniums. Conie's instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA.

Thank you to the crew who jumped in to retrain their lizard brain!  The right people were there, tenderness, grit, and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the world we're working towards!

Many thanks to Mni'sota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute for offering the amazing Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR) training that Liz and Conie took in June 2023 and to being interested in partnering with us when we expressed interest in offering a hand-on offering.  Many thanks to Jean for their supporting hands-on support to bring this into being!  

We're planning to make this session monthly because the work of Trauma Awareness and Resiliency is long and slow!  The next Retrain Your Lizard Brain session will likely be Thursday, June 13, 2024; stay tuned for details on this blog as they unfold or sign up for the In-person Singing and/or the Good Trouble Songleaders newsletters

Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

Love, Liz and Conie, a.k.a. Good Trouble

Setlist from April 28 edition of Tending Your Fire, Tending Your Heart

Dear Friends,

If you're reading this, you might have attended the Tending Your Fire, Tending Your Heart gathering on Sunday afternoon, April 28 in South Mpls.

We invited folks who have been carrying a load for their community, in a season of deep service, organizing, and/or mutual aid work to lay it all down for a weekend and receive some spaciousness and care.

Here is a list of the songs we sang over with links to online recordings.

• Am I Willing (Ahlay Blakely)
• Love from the Inside Out (Moon Clemetson)
• Armor (Ahlay Blakely)
• The Way Knows the Way (Lyndsey Scott) and the studio version
• Healing is Possible (Orion Johnstone)

Here's a list of Instruments: 

• 
  Shruti Box, literally "sound" or "singing" in ancient Sankrit, replicates the sound of the Tambura, an East Asian Indian drone instrument. Part of the family of drone instruments that show up in many cultures, related to bagpipes and harmoniums. Conie's instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA
• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Conie has a 12" CajonTab; Liz has one of the Pro series. Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. Use Liz's affiliate link to get 10% off.

May all of these resources support you in your work and in your rest.

Liz and Conie, a.k.a. GOOD TROUBLE