Posted by Stan Stewart (Sawyer) on August 15, 2011 under Stan Stewart | 
Outside my morning window, two birds are having a bit of a chat.
It seems that they want to demonstrate that they each can sing
A song of their own choosing.
Amazing how such so-called “unintelligent” creatures understand
So deeply for what they were created: to sing their own simple
Song and not worry about critiques.
We ultra-smart humans on the other hand can create bountiful
Arguments and conundrums in our own favor; eradicating whole
Days dedicated to the pursuit.
I think it’s time for me to simply sing — ignoring anything from smiles
To stern glances — and carry on for my own bemusement and joy:
Even to the end of the morning.
Posted by Stan Stewart (Sawyer) on March 16, 2011 under Stan Stewart |
When the mouth opens
And partakes of the air about it,
Anticipation fills the void.
For in the song, there is no
Emptiness.
It is full:
Of you, of itself, of the world.
This song, each song,
Sung by the new singer.
For temerarious muscle
Must move and connective
Tissue alongside vocal organs
Will tremble with the sounds
This body is evoking.
“I am me.” The song cries.
It does not matter what literal
Words are uttered. This is the
Real song.
“I am my own self and I claim
This breath, this air, this soundwave,
This energetic moment as
A true expression of me.”
Even the humming, the wordless song recites
This mantra.
Then, as the sound of the song
Abates, the impassioned and
Invigorated self knows the empowerment
Of “I am” and the singer
Soon enough
Longs to repeat the act
Of singing
Once again.
~ by Stan Stewart
Copyright © 2011 by Music for the Moment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
125/1,000
Posted by Stan Stewart (Sawyer) on January 8, 2011 under Stan Stewart |
sing to me about your sadness
and about your joy
i don’t want to wait any more
to hear your celebration or
your longing
~ by Stan Stewart
Copyright © 2011 by Music for the Moment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
63/1,000
Posted by Stan Stewart (Sawyer) on April 10, 2010 under Anita Bondi, Stan Stewart |
Something beautiful is happening between Anita and me: we’re falling in love again. Maybe it’s the seven year itch finally bearing fruit — we’ve been together for about nine years. Maybe it’s that we’ve actually managed to practice what we preach by using the tools we have learned over the years in our own day-to-day relationship. We’ve even remembered to pull a card from Anita’s own InterPlay Inspiration Deck or role Gretchen Wegner’s MuseCubes a few times recently!
Mostly, I think it’s been about each of us learning to be more playful — both individually and in the ways we relate with each other. One of our playmates is our “rescue dog,” Scout. In addition to loving to hike, run in circles (usually around Anita or me), and play games with his stuffed toys, Scout likes to sing and talk. Sometimes these vocalizations just sound like grunts and sometimes they form random melodies. However they may sound, they always draw our attention to him.
A few days ago, we were involved in this deathly serious discussion. Anita was getting focused — I could tell because of the furrow in her forehead — and I was getting sad — and showing it. Suddenly, Scout stretched and performed one of his delightful little vocalizations right between us. We both laughed. And the moment was transformed.
So — unless you have a dog or a child to shift the mood — roll the dice or draw a card and relax into your life. Join us on a Monday night to experience the tools we use.
Playful blessings!
Posted by Stan Stewart (Sawyer) on December 1, 2009 under Stan Stewart |
From a journal entry dated 3rd September, 2009, April Point, Quadra Island, British Colombia, Canada
Here’s my crackpot theory: people who in some way have “not been heard” are made most vulnerable by playing with creativity or performance techniques centered in the voice. Even if I’m wrong about generalizing, my own personal experience bears this out. And I’m inspired to reflect on this now because I’ve just completed my first workshop with Rhiannon at Hollyhock Retreat.
Making way for the trail at Hollyhock Resort
She’s an awesome teacher and performer (live and on CD). I’m finding renewed passion in myself as I enter into these playful techniques that she has been formulating for years.
It only took me a few hours of the workshop to be feeling deeply. My inner turmoil came to the surface when I was drafted into the role of beat-box in a quintet. Beat-box vocal percussion has been an elusive form for me. I’ve taken workshops in it, but have never been successful at making the techniques come to life in my mouth and vocal cords.
So, when it was my turn to be the “drummer”, I accepted the challenge. When it was over, I judged that I’d done poorly and felt ashamed. My impulse was to hide out and minimize the experience.
So I chose another direction. I outed my shame to the group in the sharing time.
Sunrise at Hollyhock
Bringing shame out into the open (in a safe group of people anyway) is almost always a cleansing and cathartic experience for me — and this time was true to form.
In subsequent improvisations where I needed to be the drummer, I used variations on TaKeDiMi: a vocal form in which I am more capable and practiced. (Thanks to Rhiannon and everyone else in that workshop community for creating the space for this to happen. There were many more examples of this sort of cracking open at Rhiannon’s workshop. They were experienced by other memebers of our community of 16, so they are not mine to share. It’s enough to say that my experience was not an isolated happening.)
The fact that the singing involved is spontaneous (improvised) is important as you can imagine. This is the song of the heart. That call of longing from the core. Vocal improvising cracks me open to my own yearning to be heard. Singing greases the wheel of desire that’s been waiting to roll out.
This is part of what calls me to improvised music and creating “songs” from improvisations.
Playful blessings…
Tags: CD, circle, circle singing, improv, improvisation, InterPlay, mp3, music, practice, Rhiannon, round, sing, singing, Stan Stewart, voice
Follow Us!