I Don't Promise

I don't promise

To always be there for you,

To care for you in illness,

Or pain,

To carry you in weakness,

To lift you up through doubt,

To hold your hand through trials,

To go with you where life leads.

I don't promise these things.

Because promises are things people break.

I sing these things.

They are the melody of my soul 

And I sing them

To the universe and all creation.

That is the only way I know how to tell you

That I will love you always. 

Promises alone shall never be enough,

Shall never truly express

This One Truth.

So I shall sing to you

The melody of my soul

That is completed in each moment 

By your love.

11/22 - Enough

You are finished and complete.  You are enough.  You do not have to try to do more to be who you are, to express your heart to the world.  Simply allow the breath to begin and let the song come from your heart.

Priez pour paix

Priez pour paix

Douce Vierge Marie,

Reine des cieux et du monde maîtresse,

Faites prier, par votre courtoisie,

Saints et Saints, et prenez votre adresse

Vers votre Fils, requérant sa Hautesse

Qu’il lui plaise son peuple regarder,

Que de son song a voulu racheter,

En déboutant guerre qui tout dévoie.

De prières ne vous vueillez lasser.

Priez pour paix, priez pour paix,

Le vrai trésor de joie.

-----

Pray for peace

Gentle Virgin Mary,

Queen of the skies and Mistress of the world,

of your courtesy, ask for the prayers

of all the saints, and make your address

to your Son, beseeching his Majesty

that he may please to look upon his people,

whom he wished to redeem with his blood,

banishing war which disrupts all.

Do not cease your prayers.

Pray for peace, pray for peace,

the true treasure of joy.

~ Charles d’Orléans, 1938, published in Le Figaro in Paris, France, just before the start of WWII

Set to music by Francis Poulenc.

Inspiration

Inhalation
Elation
Intoxication
Motivation
Inspiration
Exhalation.

Breathing in
The sweet music
Of inspiration.

Deep Food for Profound Thought

It's funny how the light of life together
Now seems reflected in all things,
Scattering like autumn leaves
Through these days that are the pages of our lives.

It's funny - joyous, and wonderful -
So much so that it tickles the very soul
Until the laughter overflows from
Cheeks that ache from smiling.

I write almost nothing besides love poems,
Love thoughts, love reflections,
And you are writing love songs --
And I love to sing along.

Getting the Words

Getting the words -

Tongue moves

Millions of miles a minute.

Vowels, plosives, fricatives 

Nasals!

(C'est Français!)

Mais!

Add the notes

And there they go! ... 

All the words

Seem to

Vani.....

Sh!

An Open Letter

Oh you are extraordinary, great love of mine!  Each moment we share, together or apart, brings joy beyond description into my life.

You move me with your talent and passion for the wonderful art of music, the art that connected our paths before we ever knew they would cross, let alone join together.

I cherish every note you play, sing, and write; each piece that we have performed together is dear to me; the songs we have heard and connected to will always hold a special place in my heart.

I look forward to all of the music our lives will be filled with my love. ❤️ 

don't look for me anymore

This past March, I sang a chamber piece for my graduate recital entitled "Race for the Sky" by Richard Pearson Thomas.  It has four movements, three of which are settings of poems found in the city of New York in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  This last one is my favorite, I think because it contains hope - hope in future recovery though sharing love with those around us.  It is about feeling the pain, accepting it, and letting it go; about not looking any longer for that which is lost to us, for past happiness in shards of a shattered reality; about the love that pervades our existence and how it carries on in every person who chooses to share it.  

This is what my graduate recital, Songs of War and Peace, was truly focused on.  How, in the midst of the most terrible trials of this earth, we as a people, all around the world, can and will persevere towards peace via loving one another.  For there is no way to operate with love without also living compassionately, honestly, and peacefully.  I hope and pray that these are the traits we work towards cultivating in both ourselves and in future generations.

don't look for me anymore - Graduate Recital
with the incomparable Mai Linh Pham (piano) and Katie von Braun (violin)

"don’t look for me anymore

it’s late and you are tired

your feet ache standing atop the ruins of our twins

day after day searching for a trace of me

don’t look for me anymore

your eyes are burning red

your hands cut bleeding sifting through rock

day after day searching for a trace of me

it’s my turn, I’m worried about you

watching as you sift through the ruins of what was

day after day in the soot and the rain

I ache in knowing you suffer my death

don’t look for me anymore

hold my children as I would

hold my sisters, hold my brothers

hold my children for me

since I can’t bring them up with the same

love you gave me

I’ll rest assured

you’re watching my children

it’s late and you’re tired

go home and rest

and don’t look for me anymore"

- by Alicia Vasquez

Heartsong

Hear my heart

As it sings your name

A glorious melody

That's never the same.

For each passing day

Is made wonderfully new

In sharing the song

Made from loving you.

O moonlight!

The song of my soul glides on the steadiness of moonbeams

To meet your eyes in the velvet darkness of these sleeping hours.

Let the light of my melody caress your longing heart.

Let the echo of my lingering kiss brush your hungering lips.

O moonlight!  I envy you, for you smile upon my beloved,

While I must wrap my kisses up in your beams to reach him.

Faithful watcher over the darkness, lightener of the stars,

Please sing my love letters to his eyes with your gentle light.

L.O.V.E.

Was made for me and you. :)

Sometimes very little needs to be said.

Musician's Prayer

"Oh Lord, please bless this music that it might glorify your name. May the talent that you have bestowed upon me be used only to serve you.

Let this music be a witness to your majesty and love, and remind us that you are always watching, and listening, from your throne above.

May your presence and beauty be found in every note, and may the words that are sung reach the hearts of your people so they will draw closer to you.

May your Spirit guide us through every measure so that we might be the instruments of your peace, and proclaim your glory with glad voices."

Found: here

-----

The sun was a fiery orange tonight as it lit the sky over R's memorial service, its burning color a product of the summer wildfires to the east.  But my heart and hands were burning, too, lit with a fire of the Holy Spirit, who was reaching out to comfort those in mourning. 

I have little to give -- especially tonight where I was singing in front of more strangers than friends.  However, what I can give, what I have been so absolutely blessed to be able to give, is music.  Music that reaches hearts, that uplifts grieving souls, and that I sincerely hope inspires people to sing as well.  I am grateful for thanks and kind words after a service, but beyond my own "thank you" for people who take the time to share their experiences with me, often the only other words I have are that "I'm glad to serve."  My heart is filled from witnessing such an immense and unending Love and sharing it with people in a way that inspires emotion ... emotion that I know comes from an understanding of such Love as well. 

That's why I found these words of this prayer so perfect and grounding before tonight's service.  "Let this music be a witness to your majesty and love... May your presence and beauty be found in every note, and may the words that are sung reach the hearts of your people so they will draw closer to you." 

I am called to be a witness to and to share the presence of Unending Love -- how can I keep from singing?

God's Power in Loss

Reflecting on the pain and anguish of a life lost far too soon as I prepared music for a memorial service early next week, it came to me that God's hand does play a part in such a sad happening. However, it is not the event itself.
Rather, God's hand - the Way, the Truth, and Light- is shown in the outpouring of love and community that occurs as fellow humans reach out to uphold those who are hurting. In my small way, the music for the service, I pray that I can contribute to this beautiful expression of God's love for the people who have lost and are grieving.

to Sing

to Sing perchance to Fly;
i Soar on the wings of sound
to Reach both the height and depth
of Being human - of human Being.

oh music!
at once the cause and effect,
the why and the answer.

the reason for Singing:
to Sing perchance to Fly.

Soul Songs - 6/25/15

The song of our souls must continue; the melody cannot stall.  Though we can savor the echoes of the passages which touch our hearts, the notes vanish as each passing moment does into the infinite vastness of the past.  And so we must go on singing our songs, constantly creating themes and variations to form the parts of our lives around.  But it is hard to keep singing alone.

As we grow, however, our voices intertwine with those of the people around us into duets, trios, and even whole choruses; all are composed of melodies that are separate and unique, not always harmonizing, but always worth being expressed and heard.  The most precious people in our lives are the ones whom we can harmonize with, whether consonant or dissonant, who are unafraid to share their melody with us, and who refuse to cast judgement upon our own compositions, whether we are in periods of creative struggle or freedom.  And, especially in those times of struggle, our closest friends, loves, and collaborators are the ones who lift us up, who work to match our tones and strengthen them, helping return them to the vibrant brilliance we are all capable of expressing.

So goes the journey of the songs of our souls.

Love Songs

I was never sure
If love songs were right,
That people really could
Feel something so strongly.

"Wise men say only fools rush in..."
"I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream..."
"You were made for me, my one, my only..."
"So this is love..."
"Look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree..."
"Fly me to the moon..."
"I feel pretty..."
"There were bells on the hill..."

These are the songs
My mind keeps playing.
I can't help it.
Now I am sure.

Saturday Songs

I want to do a Music Monday... but it's Saturday so we're going with "Saturday Songs" for this musical segment!

Today's feature are two of my favorite bluegrass/folk/country-lite [??] bands.  Both consist entirely of fabulous ladies.

First - The Good Lovelies:
"Best I Know"

The Good Lovelies are a Canadian group headed by the vocal and instrumental talents of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough, and Sue Passmore.  They have tended toward a folk vibe in the past but have a new album coming out on May 26th (!!!) Burn the Plan that is described as a step away from the styles of their previous recordings.  They do covers of course, but I've found their original songs to be fun, touching, real, and just great to listen to.  I discovered them with my dad last summer at a Lake Meridian Summer Concert in my hometown in WA.  We were looking for something to do, I looked them up and was intrigued.  Cue the beginning of a love story.  I'm looking forward to getting their next album!!  (They do upbeat stuff too; these are just two of my absolute favorite songs of theirs.)

"Old Highway"

Second - The Wailin' Jennys:
"Glory Bound"

The Wailin' Jennys are another mainly Canadian group originating from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  What was supposed to be a one-time-only guitar-shop performance turned into a super successful trio of highly talented ladies: Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta, and Heather Massey (who is from Maine... which is practically Canadian, let's face it.)  :)  They are all classically trained in some way, whether vocally or instrumentally, and each has a well-established solo career outside of the Jennys themselves.  Their styles cover bluegrass/folk of course, but also a bit of alternative, pop, and Celtic-inspired as well.  Their version of "The Parting Glass" is the first song I ever heard of theirs and I was immediately hooked.  My favorite song they sing, however, is "One Voice," which Ruth Moody was recognized for at the International Song Competition.

And with that beautiful message, I'm signing off.

Love&Harmony,

Erin

All You Need is Love

"All together now!"

All we need is love, truly.
For ourselves, for our fellow people, for creation.

If we care, we try not to harm or hurt or judge.  We allow and encourage existence, growth, and prosperity.

We need to keep trying to add more of that to the world.

eARTh

Centuries ago, humans used to speak.  They sang.  They danced.  Painted.  Sculpted.  Drew.

They also argued.  They fought.  Yelled.  Screamed.  Cried.  Hit.  Kicked.  Killed.

Then we invented a way to hear each others's thoughts.  To experience each other's emotions.  At first it took the touch of a hand.  Then eye contact.  Now we can simply attune ourselves to whomever is in the room.  Someday we will have long-distance communication and be able to find each other whenever we need.  They already use this for escaped criminals.

When we took away all of our walls, we didn't need to express ourselves anymore.  We simply understand each other.  We don't need art.  There has been no new music for three hundred years.

But this morning I found music inside of me.