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!

Setlist from October 10: Retrain Your Lizard Brain

Here are the songs we sang at the Thursday evening, October 10, 2024 Retrain Your Lizard Brain: Somatic Singing for Trauma Awareness + Resilience at Walker/New City Church. Enjoy the links to online recordings for your at-home remembering pleasure!

• May My Voice (Samara Jade)
• 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”)
• Stone by stone (Taya Ma)
• I am connected (Beautiful chorus) - and YouTube
• I am free in my body (Shireen Amini) - teaching parts at The Bird Sings

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. We typically spread out two: 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 hands-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! Stay tuned for details by signing 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