My weekend and concert Holiness and the Feminine Spirit in Duluth were beautiful and reverent.

I so enjoyed working with my fellow performers and meeting artist Janet McKenzie. We met Friday afternoon for our dress rehearsal and then convened Saturday afternoon a talk with the artist.

Janet is soft-spoken, quietly funny and passionate about her art. She explained that her work changed in the mid-90s when her nephew (then a little boy of color) couldn’t see himself in her artwork. And so her work opened.

That opening put her on the path to including people of color and, in particular, women of color in her paintings. She feels it is the work she was put here to do. (Having work you are called to do is an idea I can relate to. *smile*)

During the afternoon she talked about her work, her journey with her painting “Jesus of the People” and answered questions. Mary Lou, Regina and I also presented a preview of the evening’s music and dance.

…

In the evening, we gathered at Peace Church to present this eclectic event of offerings inspired by her work. We sang, dance and, important to me, told stories.

A big part of my improvisation journey over the past year has been discovering stories in the music.

I love this story that I “found” during this weekend’s concert.

Here is the image that was projected during the story.

© Janet McKenzie Study #1

The Law of Mother Nature (proposed for adoption in Bolivia by their first indigenous President Evo Morales) include:

“The right to life and to exist;
the right to continue vital cycles and processes
free from human alteration;
the right to pure water and clean air;
the right to balance;
the right not to be polluted;
and the right to not have cellular structure modified
or genetically altered.”

Leading Songtaneous

Wow — what a gift! Singing with a couple hundred (just my guess looking out over the crowd) people in this weekend’s opening ceremony.
….

I get to bed at a remarkably decent hour Friday night and arose around 7am to finish my prep and get on the road. I was due in Mankato at 10:30 am and since I was the opening act, I wanted to be early. *grin*

When I arrive, things are in stir due to the 2nd convergence of this conference and the Mankato marathon. I find my contact Laura and meet the sound team. It turns out the ballroom has been renovated with a brand new (and better!) acoustic design and sound system and this conference is the first event in the “new” space. I receive my wireless microphone and do a quick sound check.

(Everything works fine. *smile*)

…

I step on the stage and see the faces of all the people who have come to this conference in search of … something.

And I relax into the knowledge that I am searching, too. And that we can search together.

(And remember, as my mom says, that they want me to do well.)

I joke about sitting in my car feeling “less-than-positive” energy about the marathon which has again intersected with my route to this conference. I offer my apologies and bless anyone willing to run 26 miles. *smile*

Then we breathe.

…

We start by singing to ourselves. Then we sing to our neighbors. The energy shifts: the fear dissolves and is replaced with delight. And then (my favorite part!) the community begins to form.

I ask the singers to move from the parts they are singing to a unison tone. I ask them to find this tone while they are singing. I tell them this is a model for how we can communicate; how we can be individuals and part of a group at the same time. We get pretty close to a single note (with just a few pretty harmonies) and I am moved to sing what I can only call a blessing. Beautiful.

…

The weekend rushes by. I present Songtaneous workshops Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. I meet lively, open and adventurous singers. People thank me for my presentation, ask me questions about the opening and offer me lunches (with cookies!). We laugh and sing and make community from circles of song. Sunday afternoon, I join a smaller, but spirited group of conference attendees to close the weekend.

Music-making in Mankato. Yum.