Song as Prayer and Medicine: Songs that Transform Us and Our World
Wednesdays December 1, 8, and 15
1-2:15pm Pacific/4-5:15pm Eastern
During these three December sessions we’ll learn and create songs for daily support and for touching grounded hope. We’ll look at how music has been a healing force in our lives and has been essential to nonviolence. When we sing, we pour love into the web of life, and offer strength. Truth-telling songs build a culture of nonviolence. What songs do you need to hear and sing?
What to expect:
Learn new songs from many traditions and songwriters.
Contribute ideas for zipping in new words and hear your thoughts sung.
Collaborate in creating a song prayer, “I carry you in my heart."
Share time with others using conscious mutual-respect to practice voice equity.
Create short songs at home between classes with the option of sharing.
We will welcome everyone with music that links and nourishes us, rather than music that compares and ranks. You’ll join into singing in the way that serves you the most. Technically zoom requires that while Sarah teaches a song, others sing at home muted. We’ll also experiment with slow group unison, and use zipper songs where you can speak your word suggestions for new verses. In this safe space there’s no pressure to share your singing voice unless by choice.
Facilitator
Songleader Sarah Pirtle has forty years experience as a peace educator who writes songs that contact inner strength and build community. She received 10 national awards for her nine recordings and has four peace education books. She was part of Pace e Bene’s music festival, “For Goodness Sake.” She’s both a longtime member of the People’s Music Network and central founder of the Children’s Music Network. For fifteen years Sarah trained teachers in music through Lesley University where she emphasized that music belongs to everyone. She has placed 75 of her songs for free on Sarah Hope Sings.
She writes prolifically, creating songs for specific occasions, for gifts, and for building cooperation in the classroom. She has heard over 100 songs in dreams. For thirty years she has worked as a dialogue leader in unlearning racism and is a member of Bridge4Unity where BIPOC and European Americans join together in social action. Currently she is an Interfaith Minister at the Village Church in Cummington, MA.