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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: ...

Monday, December 18, 2023

Winter/Spring 2024 Heart Songs dates



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 Winter/Spring 2024:
  • January 1, 15, 29
  • February 12, 26
  • March 11, 25
  • April 8, 22
  • May 6, 20
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.

Jan 26: Songs for Tending Our Hearts @ Yess Yoga




When it feels like the world is falling apart, when everything is literally on fire, singing in community together heals and centers us—we’re not alone.

Our culture desperately needs spaces where it is safe to feel your sorrow and the weight of the world. Come sing through the small and large griefs in your life and give them space to breathe.

When: Friday, January 26, 7:30-9p
Where: Yess Yoga, 105 E 26th St, Mpls
Facebook event link

Song leaders Conie Borchardt and Liz Digitale Anderson (aka GOOD TROUBLE) hold care-filled circles for you to find freedom in your voice, de-stress your nervous system, and move your body.

Every voice is welcome! We teach all the songs call and response- just open your mouth and echo back. We’ll sing songs to ground you, heal you, and help you breathe in the days to come.

Pre-register + pay what you can here: https://www.yessyogastudio.com/yoga-workshops/
$5-$20 sliding scale (No one turned away for lack of funds; we want you there!) You can also pay on the door.

**Notes**
- Masks Required as Covid is surging at this time.  
- Parking can be kind of tight around this block - leave yourself some extra time to find a spot!
- As we're in a yoga studio, we ask people to leave their shoes at the entrance to keep the studio clean. If you want to bring a clean pair of indoor shoes to support your feet that's fine. Thank you!

Jan 12 + *Feb 16*: Songs in Your Body On This Land @ Northrup King Building


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

When: Friday, January 12, and February 16, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Studio #240***, Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis (map)

Facebook event link


Led by GOOD TROUBLE, 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 if you're feeling it

**We will be requesting that folx mask up for the sake of collective community health indoors. Thank you for understanding**

***This is in a new accessible location.*** For those new to the Northrup King Building, it is a huge former seed warehouse, so you may want to take extra time to find us.  Here's some navigational tips:  

If you need to use the elevator, 
  1. Park at northern end
  2. The ramp is between dock 8 and 9
  3. Enter Door F (between dock 5 and 6)
  4. Once inside, the elevator is around the corner to the left (an old industrial one is ahead of you; a modern one is behind you)
  5. On the 2nd floor, turn left off the elevator and go straight a ways.
  6. When you get to a corner, turn left (it's the only way).
  7. Then follow the descending room numbers until you get to 240! 
Wanna take the stairs?  There's a few entrances you can pick from.  Floor maps are abundant inside.  If you take the main entrance (with the awning), you can pickup the directions from step 5 once you're on the second floor, i.e., turn left once you get to the main long hallway.  

--

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

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Setlist for Leslie's Birthday Gathering

If you're reading this, you might have been part of a private birthday "Songs for Celebration and Liberation" song circle for Leslie in St. Paul recently. 

Here's the setlist from that gathering. May it encourage your heart and spirit in this work and life.  
* No online recording exists, that we've been able to find. Please let us know if you've found one in the comments! 

We, Liz and Conie of Good Trouble, are honored to weave community song and movement with a wish for collective liberation to celebrate birthdays and all occasions. Reach out if you'd like to add participatory, fiercely heartfelt singing and movement to your gathering. 

Saturday, December 9, 2023

A Christmas Carol Dance: Joy to the World!

In the summer of 2019, I took a workshop on liturgical dance from Susan Mendenhall at the UCC Musicians Association Conference and it inspired me to create and lead a Christmas Carol Festival later that year.  This year I got the invitation to offering music and dance for an Advent (pre-Christmas) Sunday morning worship on Joy and I gleefully offered lead us in a circle dance for the traditional Joy to the World.

Here's the movements.  I believe they are Susan's (I'll need to find my materials to check!)












Feel free to use whatever verses that fit your context.  The hymntune is ANTIOCH, which is from a theme in the oratorio "Messiah" by George F. Handel, adapted by Lowell Mason in 1742.  Please source Susan Mendenhall for the movements and point folks to this page if you can. https://plm.tiny.us/DanceJoy2World

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Setlist for Dec 1 Songs in Your Body On This Land @ Beautiful Studio

Here are the songs we sang at Songs In Our Bodies On This Land at the Beautiful Studio on Friday night, December 1, 2023 with links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure.
  1. Welcome here (Rachael Weasley)
  2. Into the River (first line: I wanna lay my bones down in the water) (Chloe Smith/Rising Appalachia)
  3. Well Held (Lyndsey Scott)
  4. Earth You Hold Us (Lyndsey Scott)
  5. Loosen, Loosen (Aly Halpert)
  6. Courage, My Friend (anti-Apartheid movement, South Africa)
  7. Reworked Nursery Rhymes (ead)
  8. The Feelings Song (Heidi Rojas)
  9. Oxygen (Wendy Luella Perkins)
  10. Love from the Inside Out (Moon Clementson)
  11. Linger (traditional American camp song)
Thank you to the crew who sang with us! The right people were there, tenderness, grit, and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the dream Liz and Conie are working towards!

It takes more than desire to keep this BIPOC song circle going. Your contributions, energetic, trades, and financial, are welcome and needed! If you missed the big blue-green tip jar in the dark (lol), contributions can be sent through Paypal or Venmo or a check can be mailed to P.O. Box 11791, St. Paul, MN 55111.

The 2024 dates for Songs in Our Bodies On this Land are in the works and not yet ready for publication!  Stay tuned here or signup for the "Soul Songs BIPOC/Mixed Singing Space" list here.

Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

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


Saturday, November 18, 2023

Setlist from Nov 17 Songs for Tending Our Hearts @ Yess Yoga

Here are the songs we sang at Songs for Tending Our Hearts at Yess Yoga on Friday night, November 17, 2023:
  1. Gather / We Are Not Alone (Joanna Laws Landis)
  2. Holding Song (Ian Carrick)
  3. The Feelings Song (Heidi Rojas)
  4. One Body (Ahlay Blakely)
  5. Don’t numb to this (Abigail Bengson)
  6. We were made for these times (Clarissa Pinkola Estes/Linda Noonan)
  7. We shall be known (Karisha Longaker/MaMuse) - teaching page at The Bird Sings website
  8. Healing is Possible (Orion Johnstone)
We are grateful to you if sang with us and to Yess Yoga for hosting. 

In 2024, we're hoping to have bimonthly sings at Yess Yoga.  Stay tuned here or sign up for the In-person Sings/Good Trouble mailing list here to get an email after they're scheduled.  Or just check-in with the Yess Yoga's website.

Keep singing and stay warm, graceful, and creative!

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

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Setlist for Nov 10 "Contemporary Protest Songs: Lifeblood of Movement Work" at FREC's Overcoming Racism Conference

Greetings!

If you're reading this, you might have attended the 2023 Overcoming Racism Conference session "Contemporary Protest Songs: Lifeblood of Movement Work" on Friday afternoon, November 10, 2023 at Metro State in St. Paul.

Here is the list of the songs we, Liz Digitale Anderson and Conie Borchardt of Good Trouble, led at the workshop.
  1. We’ve Seen the Future* (The Peace Poets)
  2. Neighbor, Neighbor, Can’t You See (Vermont Solidarity Singers, in The Poor People’s Campaign Songbook, pg 64)
  3. People gonna Rise Like the Water/The Voice of My Great Granddaughter (The Peace Poets)
  4. Trans Rights are Human Rights (Liz Digitale Anderson, with thanks to Bill Nye the Science Guy)
  5. Holding Song (Ian Carrick)
  6. Hand in Hand (Jayanthi Kyle) - first link is from Justice for Jamar Unity March and Rally; this link is to Bandcamp where you can purchase the song (preferably on Bandcamp Fridays :)
  7. Be with me, Yah (Koach Baruch Frazier)
  8. Over/Under (Lyndsey Scott)
  9. We get there together (Or never get there at all) (Josh Blaine)
  10. Are You/Personal cultural structural Change (Liz Digitale Anderson)
  11. My liberation is your liberation/Let’s Get Free!* (Peace Poets?)
 * We're looking for an online recording.  Let us know in the comments if you find one first!

We also promised to share a list of resources after the workshop. Here it is!

Setlist for Nov 10 "Stress Relief Song Circle" for UMN MSW program

Greetings!

If you're reading this, you might have been part of a private "Stress Relief" song circle for Master's in Social Work students at the UMN on Friday, Nov 10.  

We, Liz and Conie of Good Trouble, were honored to share with you song and movement that supports your studies and personal well being during this intense time of study.  

Here's the list of songs we sang together with links to online recordings.
  1. Let it go (Words: Michael Leunig/Music: Suzann Frisk)
  2. Comfort (Heather Wilson)*
  3. Welcome to the table/zoom call/circle (clb)
  4. How many times will my heart be broken (Liza Walker?)
  5. Put Your Roots Down (Molly Hartwell)
  6. Ready (Alexandra Blakely)
  7. Bridging Hearts (Lisa Littlebird)
  8. If it’s not a F*#$ yeah (Lyndsey Scott) - doesn't include Liz's "Composting ..." adaptation 
* We're looking for an online recording of these! If you find one, please drop it in the comments!

Here's a list of Resources:
Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

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

Friday, November 10, 2023

Setlist for Nov 9: "NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING" Grief Song Circle for Palestine & Israel

Friends, 

If you're reading this, you might have attended the Song Circle and Grief Vigil for Palestine and Israel on Thursday, November 9 at Stewart Park in Minneapolis.  

We invited folks to not be alone, but to gather together and name aloud how difficult it is to bear witness to the loss of life.  To make space within ourselves to feel and let it move through us.  

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

  1. We Shall Come Together Singing (Maggie Wheeler)
  2. Holding Song (Ian Carrick)
  3. Syncopated Bismillah (Words: traditional Arabic/Music: Fattah Kriner)
  4. One Body (Ahlay Blakely)
  5. Why aren’t the children safe (Liz Digitale Anderson)
  6. Grief (Sarina Partridge)
  7. I pray for peace and liberation (Abigail Bengson)
  8. The Cure for the Pain (text inspired by Rumi; tune: Yam)
  9. Cross the Sea (Molly Bajgot & Sol Weiss)
  10. Shalom Benediction (music: Shlomo Carlebach/movements: Tasnim Fernandez)
  11. When Times Are Hard/We Lead in Love (Liz Digitale Anderson)


Here's a list of Resources:
  • Artist Grief Deck https://griefdeck.com/ - 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.  This one was created by hospice workers during the pandemic.
  • Here's the pack of Poems for This Moment by Palestinian and Israel/Jewish poets that Liz compiled.  
  • The Wailing Ritual was adapted from The Cosmic Mass (Matthew Fox) as shared through Joran Oppelt. 
  • Buddha Board - https://buddhaboard.com/

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Setlist for Nov 3 Songs in Our Bodies On this Land @ Beautiful Studio

Here are the songs we sang at Songs In Our Bodies On This Land at the Beautiful Studio on Friday night, November 3, 2023 with links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure.
  1. Communal Shruti improvisation
  2. We Shall Come Together Singing (Maggie Wheeler)
  3. Don’t numb to this (Abigail Bengson)
  4. Love from the Inside Out (Moon Clemetson)
  5. The Cure for the Pain (text inspired by Rumi; tune: Yam)
  6. Spirit of Peace (Words: Rev. Otto Zing & Neil Douglas Klotz/Music: traditional)
  7. Bridging Hearts (Lisa Littlebird)
  8. Heenay, Heenay, matov, matov (Words from psalm 133; tune: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi; movements by Tasnim Hermila Fernandez)
  9. In Hope, In Prayer (Batya Levine)
* Not recorded.  

Thank you to the crew who sang with us! The right people were there, tenderness, grit, and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the dream Liz and Conie are working towards!

It takes more than desire to keep this BIPOC song circle going. Your contributions, energetic, trades, and financial, are welcome and needed! If you missed the big blue-green tip jar in the dark (lol), contributions can be sent through Paypal or Venmo or a check can be mailed to P.O. Box 11791, St. Paul, MN 55111.

The next Songs in Our Bodies On this Land will be Friday, December 1, again at the Beautiful Studio in the Dow Building on University Ave in St. Paul. You can park in the lot behind the building or on the street.  Enter the building on Hampden.

Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

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

Friday, November 3, 2023

Nov 17: Songs for Tending Our Hearts @ Yess Yoga



When it feels like the world is falling apart, when everything is literally on fire, singing in community together heals and centers us—we’re not alone.

Our culture desperately needs spaces where it is safe to feel your sorrow and the weight of the world. Come sing through the small and large griefs in your life and give them space to breathe.

When:  Friday, November 17, 7:30-9p
Where:  Yess Yoga, 105 E 26th St, Mpls
Song leaders Conie Borchardt and Liz Digitale Anderson (aka GOOD TROUBLE) hold care-filled circles for you to find freedom in your voice, de-stress your nervous system, and move your body.

Every voice is welcome! We teach all the songs call and response- just open your mouth and echo back. We’ll sing songs to ground you, heal you, and help you breathe in the days to come.

Pre-register + pay what you can here: https://www.yessyogastudio.com/yoga-workshops/
$5-$20 sliding scale (No one turned away for lack of funds; we want you there!) You can also pay on the door.

**Notes**
  • Masks optional
  • Parking can be kind of tight around this block - leave yourself some extra time to find a spot!
  • As we're in a yoga studio, we ask people to leave their shoes at the entrance to keep the studio clean. If you want to bring a clean pair of indoor shoes to support your feet that's fine. Thank you!

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Nov 9: THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING: Grief Song Circle for Palestine + Israel



Don't be alone with your pain- we are not meant to carry this alone.

There are many marches and rallies and actions being planned right now, as is right. But we also need a space to tend our hearts, to say out loud how difficult it is to bear witness to so much loss of life. The cognitive dissonance of daily life and getting groceries while people are dying is a lot to bear—we are not meant to deal with grief alone.

Come sing and cry and grieve in community with us, and let's be honest together about the %#@&ed up state of the world.

NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING
A Grief Vigil + Song Circle for Palestine + Israel
Thursday Nov 9, 6:30-8 pm
The Rec Center @ Stewart Park, 2700 12th Ave S, Minneapolis
Facebook event link

*This singing circle aims to create a safe, liberatory, and welcoming space for all. Please come in authenticity, prepared to show mutual respect and love to each other, knowing that grief and trauma and oppression show up differently in each person's story.*

**We know that the middle east is not the only place in the world in conflict right now. Your pain and anguish for the sorrows of the world are welcome here.**

Nov 3, *Dec 1*: WINTER: Songs In Your Body, On This Land: BIPOC + Mixed Race Song Circles


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

When:  Friday, November 3rd, and Friday December 1st, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Beautiful Studio #214***, 2242 University Ave West, St Paul
Facebook event link

Led by GOOD TROUBLE, 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 if you're feeling it

**We will be requesting that folx mask up for the sake of collective community health indoors. Thank you for understanding**

***We are trying a new location to see how it works for our community; this studio is on the second floor -- if you have access needs/cannot do stairs, please please DM us so we can figure out how best to accommodate you!***

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

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Setlist from UTS "Horizons of Hope" 2023 Symposium Chapels, Oct 23-25

Greetings, 

If you're reading this, you probably attended the "Horizons of Hope" chapels during the 2023 Symposium at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, October 23-25 and sang along with Conie and Liz.  May these setlists and online recordings for each day support your studies and work for healing, justice, and spiritual care. 
 
Monday, October 23, 2023
  1. Hope Comes (The Bengsons)
  2. The Center Will Hold (text: Brene Brown, from Atlas of the Heart; music: clb)
  3. United We Can* (Jen Bach)
  4. Risk More for Love (words: Casper ter Kuile; music: Liz Digitale Anderson)
  5. Healing is Possible (Orion Johnstone)
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
  1. Bridget's song*
  2. Grateful (Sarina Partridge)
  3. Abundance (Liz Digitale Anderson)
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 

Friday, October 13, 2023

Setlist for Oct 12 "Songs for Healing" session with Center for Health Equity MDH

Greetings!

If you're reading this, you probably were part of a staff retreat for MN Dept of Health's Center for Health Equity on Thursday, October 12, 2023. Liz and Conie of Good Trouble were delighted to share with you song and movement that supports healing work at the personal, cultural, and structural levels. It is just a small snapshot of songs, exercises, and everyday rituals that we, Good Trouble, offer. Check out this list on Liz's website. Please reach out if you would like to brainstorm ideas for a particular group.  

Below is a list of songs we sang with links to online recordings.
  1. Gather / We Are Not Alone (Joanna Laws Landis)
  2. The Center Will Hold (text: Brene Brown, from Atlas of the Heart; music: clb) -
  3. I did not come here alone (The Peace Poets)
  4. Welcome to the table/zoom call/circle (clb)
  5. Risk More for Love (words: Casper ter Kuile; music: Liz Digitale Anderson)
  6. The Cure for the Pain (text inspired by Rumi; tune: Yam)
  7. We get there together (Or never get there at all) (Josh Blaine) -
Here's a list of Resources:
  • Music that Makes Community
    (MMC), https://www.musicthatmakescommunity.org/, practices communal song-sharing that inspires deep spiritual connection, brave shared leadership, and sparks the possibility of transformation in our world. Sign up for MMC's newsletter to get the latest details on upcoming workshops.
Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

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

Monday, October 9, 2023

Setlist for Oct 6 Songs In Our Bodies On This Land @ Hidden Falls

Here are the songs we sang at Songs In Our Bodies On This Land at Hidden Falls on Friday night, October 6, 2023 with links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure.
  1. Welcome to the table/zoom call/fire! (clb)
  2. I did not come here alone (The Peace Poets)
  3. Armor (Ahlay Blakely)
  4. The Water Song (Dorene Day) - sung by Peng
  5. Water (Lyndsey Scott) 
  6. Risk More for Love (words: Casper ter Kuile; music: Liz Digitale Anderson)
  7. Redemption Song (Bob Marley) - led by Shari
  8. The Cure for the Pain (text inspired by Rumi; tune: Yam)
  9. The Way Knows the Way (Lyndsey Scott) - bandcamp version
  10. Put Your Roots Down (Molly Hartwell)
  11. This fire (Lawrence Cole)
  12. Healing is Possible (Orion Johnstone)
  13. When I rise (text: Wendell Berry; Music; Wendy Tuck) - led by Megan
  14. We shall be known (Karisha Longaker/MaMuse) - teaching tracks from The Bird Sings
  15. Hymn for the Russian Earth (Yuri Zaritsky and Eugene Friesen) - with Dances of Universal Peace dance
Thank you to the crew who sang with us! The right people were there, tenderness, grit, and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the dream Liz and Conie are working towards!

It takes more than desire to keep this BIPOC song circle going. Your contributions, energetic, trades, and financial, are welcome and needed! If you missed the big blue-green tip jar in the dark (lol), contributions can be sent through Paypal or Venmo or a check can be mailed to P.O. Box 11791, St. Paul, MN 55111.

We don't know when the next Songs in Our Bodies On this Land will be, but we're scheming and inviting you into that process.  Reach out!  Let us know if you have opinions for days/times of the week and/or location, inside or outside!

Keep singing and stay warm, hydrated and creative!

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

Friday, October 6, 2023

Nov 10: Contemporary Protest Songs: Lifeblood of Movement Work @ FREC Overcoming Racism Conference

What:  Contemporary Protest Songs: The Lifeblood of Movement Work at FREC's Overcoming Racism Conference

When:  Friday, November 10, 2023

Where and more details to register and other programming:  https://overcomingracism.org/2023-orc/



 

Monday, September 18, 2023

Oct 1, Nov 5, *Dec 3*: Dances of Universal Peace/Sufi Dancing @ Friends Meetinghouse, St. Paul

We're dancing and singing again!  And we're at the Friends Meetinghouse in St. Paul too!

Join us!

What:  Dances of Universal Peace  (what's this?)

When:  1st Sunday of the month, 6:30-8:45 p.m.

Where:  Twin Cities Friends Meetinghouse, 1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul

(here's an image of the building we're dancing in from a past event)


Sept 28: Opening Sing for "Justice Unbound: Building Race and Class Solidarity"

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Setlist for Sept 15 Songs In Our Bodies On This Land @ Hidden Falls

Here are the songs we sang at Songs In Our Bodies On This Land at Hidden Falls on Friday night, September 15, 2023, in no particular order.  (If you remember others, please let us know ... Conie wasn't tracking very well)
* This was not recorded.
** This song isn't online yet. We'll let you know when they are! (Or let us know if you find it first!)

Thank you to the crew who sang with us! The right people were there, tenderness and support were shared. Community was tended. This is part of the dream Liz and Conie are working towards!

It takes more than desire to keep this BIPOC song circle going. Your contributions, energetic, trades, and financial, are welcome and needed! If you missed the big blue-green tip jar by the door, contributions can be sent through Paypal or Venmo or a check can be mailed to P.O. Box 11791, St. Paul, MN 55111.

The next Songs in Our Bodies On this Land is Friday, October 6 down by the Misi-ziibi River at Hidden Falls Park. Bring friends!  We're scheming about what happens after this. Let us know if you have opinions for days/times of the week and/or location, inside or outside!

Keep singing and stay cool, hydrated and creative!


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

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Oct 28: 2 MMC Events in Chicago!

We're pleased to be leading a couple of Music that Makes Community events in Chicago this fall!  Join us if you're in the area, or make a special trip into the Windy City!

#1 - Advent Worship Planning & More -- Facebook event
- When: Saturday, October 28 from 9 am to Noon


- Where: Bethany United Church of Christ (4250 N Paulina, Chicago)

Join fellow musicians, clergy, and lay leaders on Saturday, October 28 for a Half-Day Advent Worship Planning Workshop at Bethany United Church of Christ, Chicago. The time of singing and learning will be facilitated by Conie Borchardt from the Twin Cities, in collaboration with local MMC leaders.

We'll reflect on this expectant season of the liturgical year through songs that invite our communities into paperless, participatory expressions of praise and prayer. The final hour of the workshop will model creative approaches to Communion liturgy, using paperless practices to renew our experiences around the table.

REGISTRATION:
Registration fees are on a sliding scale, from $40 to $20 per person, which includes access to a song list and resource materials following the workshop. We ask you to pay what is generous and affordable for you, with gratitude for the time and skill of our presenters. Additional scholarship support is also available, if needed.

REGISTER HERE!

The workshop is supported by generous gifts from Bethany United Church of Christ, Chicago and First Congregational Church of Evanston.


#2 - Peace and Justice SING! -- Facebook event

- When:  Saturday, October 28 from 2 to 4 pm
- Where:  Borelli's Pizzeria (2124 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago)

Join Twin Cities song leader Conie Borchardt and singer/song-writer Charles Murphy for a Peace and Justice SING in Chicago on Saturday, October 28 from 2-4 pm.

When we sing, we connect with one another and with something larger than our individual selves. Join us for this uplifting experience of learning and collaboration, as we share songs that give voice to our collective yearnings for justice, freedom, and peace in our world. Bring a song to share and, by all means, bring friends who love to sing.

The event is free and open to all who love to sing, regardless of musical experience or training. Freewill donations are welcome and help support the work of Music that Makes Community.

Sept 13 & 14: Ian Carrick in the Twin Cities!

We are so excited that Ian Carrick will be in the Twin Cities for TWO events this week!  Please check your calendar for both and join us!  

#1 - Community Singing With Ian

When:  Wednesday, Sept 13, 6:30-8p. 
Where:  Wolff Park, St. Louis Park.  We will be singing at the WEST shelter (by the playground). 

Please bring a blanket or chair for sitting.

Suggested donation $5-20
33% of donations will go to the Division of Indian Work
No one turned away for lack of funds
https://www.diw-mn.org/

Ian Carrick is a Celtic & Nordic heritage musician & song-leader from Bend, OR, the land of the Paiute. As a founding member of Central Oregon’s Open Hub Singing, he loves helping adults and children sing together well. His community-style songs are fresh and crunchy, wild and witty and his circles tend to invoke tears and laughter. Watch and listen by clicking these links.
At his best, Ian uses an awareness of his privileges as a white cis-man to instill hope, belonging and embodiment into a deeply troubled culture. Ian’s music is inspired by his recovery journey and his ongoing work with children, whose voices are featured on his first family-oriented album, Earthlings, available on all streaming services.



#2 - Earthlings: Music With Kids! Backyard Family Concert with Ian Carrick

When:  Thursday, Sept 14, 5-6:30p
Where:  So. Mpls backyard.  Reach out for address.

Join us in our backyard for an afternoon of family music with Ian Carrick! 

Ian Carrick (he/him) is a songleader, music teacher, and bard from Bend, OR, the land of the Paiute. He loves seeing groups of kids realize they are enjoying singing. Using goofiness, instrumental chops, and a conviction that singing matters, Ian brings music out of youngsters. Ultimately, his dream is to inspire kids to be contributors to a thriving, responsive, in-person musical culture.

Ian created a folksy family-oriented album, Earthlings, to build deeper relationships with ourselves, each other and the earth. The sing-alongable tunes are streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and everywhere else.

This evening will be co-created! Depending on the ages in the room and the flavor of the evening, we may go in a handful of different directions, so please bring curiosity, creativity, and courage! We’ll all hopefully leave a little lighter on our feet and more settled into ourselves.

Suggested donation $5-20 || No one turned away for lack of funds
Learn more at iancarrick.net

Sept 15 & *Oct 6*: Songs in Our Bodies, On this Land - TC BIPOC + Mixed Race Version


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

September 15th and October 6th.
We'll gather at 6 pm to picnic and start singing at 7 pm.

Led by GOOD TROUBLE, Conie Borchardt and Liz Digitale Anderson, mixed race song leaders. (Pictured here with Ihotu Ali, where we create Soul Song)

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 if you're feeling it

***If you come all the way down the drive and park in the end of the parking lot by the river, we'll be under the trees there nearish to the picnic tables. Maybe we'll go down and say hello to the river and put our feet in if we feel the need.****

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