Over time,
as we have separated from the natural world
around us and our own nature, we have relegated
singing to the extracurricular, and entertainment,
and left this basic human expression to the
specialists. This exploration is about reclaiming, for yourself,
the original power and purpose of singing.
The journey of singing without words following
first the breath, then the sound of a sigh,
then the song, leads us with the energy of
emotion into a place of clarity and integration;
a reunion with our true nature.
Singing is a practice; a way to center, contact
who you are, and from that place create a
gift of beauty and truth to share with others.
Singing is the direct language of the soul,
available to all people regardless of talent.
It is a universally understood communication,
beyond words, from one body to another.
Singing is a primal creative act, a physical
metaphoric experience.
Singing can lead us directly to a profound
silence; the healing balm of stillness where
the soul can recognize itself beyond the
limitations of time and space.
A primary focus of this work is the power
of compassionate witnessing. How we listen
to ourselves and each other is primary. As
the song ends, we will dwell in the silence
revealed there. We will explore the nature
of emotion, and how it influences and ultimately
shapes the sound of the voice, as well as
how singing can contribute significantly
to our emotional health.
Silence and Song is for anyone, regardless
of experience or talent, who would like to:
strengthen and expand the clarity and range
of their voice, explore the practical uses
of singing as a tool for communication ...
a practice in intimate creativity and emotional
integration, and as a pathway to deep silence.
Singing without words disorganizes patterns.
It disorganizes thought, deconstructs story
and keeps energy fluid and usable, and flowing.
It can also organize new, cohesive patterns.
The feeling of fear as we approach singing
without words is about letting go of the
known, the continuous story we tell ourselves
about how the world is organized, and approaching
the unknown. The mind needs to know to understand...and
singing without words can lead us into presence
which cannot be known, because it is new
and happening now. Most adult civilized beings
never hear their own voices singing without
words. After language enters, at 2 or 3,
the natural flowing wordless song of a child
begins to disappear.
How strange that we
edit out this very basic human expression.
And at the same time, we also begin to edit
spontaneous dance and movement. Is it because
it is so revealing? . . . of our sensuality. . . our
connection with our senses?
I believe that
these natural responses to being alive are
vital to our ability to survive. As we edit,
we begin to lose touch with the sensual world
that surrounds us and upon which we are dependent.
Could it be that something as simple, and
as basic as singing, holds the key to our
ability to navigate more gracefully through
life? If we allow our senses to atrophy
through non-use, how can we really survive? What richness is edited out and eliminated from our experience? I am asking you to
consider that the beauty you love is actually
who you are, and that you can discover and
nurture that beauty in the sound of your
own voice.