Episode 147

Walk On Through

Art by Patty Piotrowski

Hello Singer of Wellness!

All italicized words from "Walk On Through" by Samara Jade

This artwork by Patty simply stunned me when it arrived -- how she caught the song visually and deepened it through her image of the phases of the moon, reminding me of hard places, threshholds and transitions. I'm ever so grateful for the ways Patty and I intertwine in this library creation.

The mystery is holding your hand.

How do we all accompany each other? When it's easy, when it's hard -- when a loved one is going through something we've never experienced? Three times I have been blessed to be present at the bedside of dear friends very close to their dying. Twice, I was first on the scene of an automobile fatality and held the hand of a stranger as they died. There is an intensity of presence when you listen to hear if the next breath comes -- you want to be beside them all the way through, to ease the transition -- and you cannot. But the mystery can. The stars and moon can.

So walk on through, no turning back.

This song arose for Samara when friends were going through a heartbreaking grief, and she was wondering how to be there for them. Part of what I love about this song she caught (there is so much!) is the recognition that we are not the only ones doing the accompanying -- that our loved ones have the companionship of mystery, sun and moon, the earth itself -- and, as a "zipper" song, you can sing whatever else you are aware of as a presence with your loved one -- angels, ancestors, animals, and more.

We'll stand by you, you're not alone.

If you're a sheet music reader or instrumentalist, you might want the transcription I made below, which Samara generously agreed to make available to A Breath of Song subscribers. Click on the picture for a downloadable pdf. 

Techie aside: Guitarists can play in open tuning (DADGAB), or use the (chords) for standard tuning... and for any pianists who are wondering, in m.18, I'm playing a Cm7sus46 chord in the podcast... because sometimes, you just need to, right? 😊

Okay, enough jargon. I hope you get to love this song as I do. This episode is unusual, because I play piano instead of looping... and after we sing the song together, I continue playing but stop singing -- sort of a music-minus-one moment -- where I can be your piano player, your accompanist, and you can sing your heartsong.

Walk on through; we'll walk you home.

I'll go read your name now, thinking of the multitude of ways in which we are all accompanied. I hope you've got July 7th, 4 p.m. Eastern Time on your calendar? We'll get to see each other's faces and recognize this particular A-Breath-of-Song way in which we are accompanying each other.

Heather Houston (episodes 74 & 75) is fundraising to create a new album of original songs... don't miss your chance to help bring more beautiful work into the world! Click on her picture to visit her Kickstarter page and learn more.

Moira Smiley (episodes 39 & 40) is releasing an amazing new album project to the public on Sept 6... I just wanted to share an early heads up so you can start looking for it, because it is an amazing work, (I've gotten to listen to it & read the book). It gathers her "root songs" -- it's called the Rhizome Project, and includes string quartet and more. This video is of an early performance of one of the songs, "Refugee". Find Moira on tour this summer -- you will not regret hearing her in concert! Tour schedule.

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