Fall 2025: Heart Songs (*Nov 3* 17 Dec 1, 15)

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 2025:

• September 8, 22
• October 6, 20
• November 3, 17
• December 1, 15, 29

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 C. Onyx Li, 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.

Setlist for 9/4 Singing for Grief: After Annunciation

Dear Friends,

If you're reading this, you might have attended the Singing for Grief: after Annunciation circle at Creekside UCC in Minneapolis on Thursday night, September 4, 2025. Though this tragedy should not have happened, we take solace in feeling our grief together through song, in community.

I, C., was listening to a podcast of Francis Weller and Thomas Hubl, the morning after this, speaking of Grief Rituals and Soul Hygiene and Embracing the Wisdom of Grief, and commend them to you if creating communal space for grief is new to you.

Here is the list of the songs we sang with links to online recordings:

• Holding Song (Ian Carrick) - Instagram video + Bandcamp audio with parts
• We Know that Grief is Boundless* (Sarina Partridge) - many of Sarina's songs are on SoundCloud and Bandcamp, but this one is not so we are sharing her website so you can explore the many aspects of MSP local Sarina.
• The Center Will Hold (text: Brene Brown, from Atlas of the Heart; music: clb) -  Mixcord video 
• Don’t numb to this (Abigail Bengson) - Instagram video
• Grief (Sarina Partridge) - Bandcamp audio + SoundCloud audio
• Stone by Stone (Taya Ma) - Bandcamp audio
• One Body (Ahlay Blakely) - Instagram video + included in Bandcamp album "Wails: Songs for Grief" 
• We Belong to Each Other (words: James Baldwin; tune: Annie Rambeau) -  SoundCloud audio 
• Carry This All (Ahlay Blakely) - Bandcamp audio 

* no known recording online. Please share in the comments if you find one!

Writings included: 

• from Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. adrienne maree brown
• "Every bombed village is my hometown".  James Baldwin

Much gratitude to Bree and Linnea of Creekside UCC for welcoming this circle into their space and supporting it so abundantly.  Deep bows to the three therapists who volunteered their time to hold the hearts and voices of those who wanted more support.  

We are so heartened by each of you who attended.  Whether you had close ties to Annunciation Church and School or just have the tender heartstrings feeling our interconnectedness to this tragedy and the ones that have come before it, I (C.) trust that all of us are doing the work of listening to the pain of grief that is current and present and also that of our ancestors that has gone unheard, unprocessed, and is among the ghosts surrounding us (listen to the first episode above). There is so much work we need to do in this space of communal grief and I'm glad we all took a step towards tending that last night.  

We would love to have you be part of the community that sings and makes life together, feeling all of the griefs and celebrations. Below are a few events coming up that you are invited to. If you'd like to be added to the email lists (both of us have one) for song circle announcements, please send your email to goodtrouble@pointsoflightmusic.net with a subject line of "Pls add me to email list".

Notes on Instruments

• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. (Here's an 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. C.'s instrument is from Shrutibox.com, run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA; Ron has recently retired and is pointing folks to https://www.shrutibox.co.uk/. (Talk to C. if you're thinking about buying new or used).

Upcoming Events

Coming together: Singing for Courage, Resilience and Hope 

  When: Sat, Sept 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Where: Pershing Park, 3523 W 48th St. Mpls
  More Details: Facebook

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

  When:  Thu, Sept 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

  Where:  New City Center, 3104 16th Ave S, Mpls

  RSVP: coming soon.

Songs For Tending Our Hearts:  a song circle for grief and the weight of the weary world. 

  When:  TBA

  Where:  Yess Yoga, 105 E 26th St, Mpls

  Pre-register + pay what you can: Yess Yoga's website:  https://www.yessyogastudio.com/yoga-workshops/

Setlist from 8/13 BIPOC Centered Sing about Water

Dear Friends,

If you're reading this, you probably attended the BIPOC Centered SING about Water in St. Paul on Wednesday night, August 13, 2025. Thanks so much for joining us!

Here is the list of the songs we sang with links to online recordings:

• Wade in the Water (African American Spiritual) - The Bird Sings website
• A Water Hymn (Connie Lim, aka MILCK) - Instagram video
• The Water Song* (Liz Digitale Anderson) - email goodtrouble@pointsoflightmusic.net for more details
• Rubber Ducky (sung by Ernie of Sesame Street! written by Jeff Moss) - YouTube video
• I belong (Sarina Partridge) - Bandcamp audio | also part of The Sacred Lands Playlist, a partnership with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery: https://dismantlediscovery.org/sacred-lands-playlist/
• Oh River (Karisha Longaker of MaMuse) - YouTube video | The Bird Sings website
• Boundary Waters* (tune: Heart and Soul; text: Cory)
• Becoming Kin (Nathan Holst, inspired by Patti Krawec’s book, Becoming Kin) - YouTube reel
• Down by the Riverside (African American Spiritual) - YouTube video
• May This Body Be a Bridge (Te Martin) - YouTube video
• Waterfalls (TLC, written by Lisa Lopes) - YouTube video
• Shruti improvisation* (everyone present)
• Sitting at the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding) - YouTube video

* no known recording online. Please share in the comments if you find one!

Here's some notes on Instruments

• CajonTab by Louson Drum - Liz has one of the Pro series. Get to know a bit of the cajon's musical history here. (Use Liz's, Conie's partner, 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. C.'s instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA; Ron has recently retired and is pointing folks to https://www.shrutibox.co.uk/. (Talk to C. if you're thinking about buying new or used).

Gratitude to Asha Shoffner of St. Paul Parks and Recreation and the Capital Region Watershed District for organizing this event.  

If you'd like to be added to C.'s BIPOC song circle list, please your request and email to goodtrouble@pointsoflightmusic.net.

May we sing together soon!   

C., Aimee, and Asha.

August 2025 Events: BIPOC + MMC MSP

Mon, August 11 - Heart Songs Online

Details HERE.

Wednesday August 13 - BIPOC Water Sing

Time:  6-8pm

Location:  St. Paul river location

We are inviting all BIPOC folks to the river to come sing about water!

No registration is required — just show up, bring a chair (if you want to sit), your dinner (if you want to eat), water/something to drink, and any percussion or non-amplified instruments you know how to play.

Email Asha.shoffner@ci.stpaul.mn.us for location info and the link to add songs about water that you’d like to sing!

Monday, August 25 - Singing for Liberation

Details HERE.

Wednesday, August 27 - MMC Mpls-St. Paul Gathering

Details on MMC's Events Calendar.

Thursday, August 28 - Sacred Lands SING @ Land Alliance Folk School, near Iowa City, IA

Details on MMC Events Calendar.

Friday, August 29-Monday, September 1 - Singing Rabbit @ Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Rutledge, MO

Details HERE.