Archive for May, 2009

Weekend Links

Saturday, May 30th, 2009
  • Rock band's gritty gospel, spiritual depth touch hearts - "A good example he offers is the "U2charist" - communion services in which the hymns are U2 songs and the sermon and offering are oriented toward the One Movement, an advocacy campaign co-founded by U2's lead singer, Bono." (The Baptist Standard)
  • Spirituality shines over New Orleans Jazz Fest - Aaron Neville says, "I feel God in every song. God gave me my voice. My hope is that you hear him no matter what I'm singing... The songs and the love of God who creates the songs will set you free." (Catholic Star Herald)
  • Common sees spirituality in "Terminator" role - "Actor/rapper Common took a big step in his film career when he signed on for Terminator Salvation." (NJ.com)
  • Bruce Cockburn: Water into wine - "If it's a political song, a spiritual song or a song about sex it's all the same." (JamBase.com)
  • Man on a Mission - Musician Michael Franti says, "But there's also that 'divine light' factor. You figure if you're on the side of positivity and goodness, and you're sharing something with people ... music just breaks down those doors." (Connect Savannah)

The Lord Works in a Strange Way

Friday, May 29th, 2009

An Interview with Corey Smith

By Tom Crenshaw, tom@RockOm.net

Corey SmithCorey Smith definitely has a fire of unconventional conviction in him. You can hear this faith, as he describes it, “a calling to be honest and real,” in his music and can witness it at sold-out shows across the country. Smith’s incredibly energetic live shows, combined with clever, well-crafted lyrics and a soulful Southern voice has earned him an enthusiastic legion of fans. Smith says, “It really starts with a song. It’s just about writing songs that, for one reason or another, connect with people and impact their lives.”

Smith’s roots are in rural Jefferson, Georgia but his dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter were fueled by the diversity and sounds of nearby Athens, Georgia. Smith has long since paid his dues penning such anthem-style, crowd rousing sing-a-longs like “Twenty-One,” “I’m Not Gonna Cry,” and “The Wreckage.”

Smith has taken full advantage of the internet - or you might say the internet has taken advantage of him. His music is readily available for fans, old and new to download and even share without too much concern for profitability. Smith explains it this way, "I get asked if I mind when someone burns my music. I'm just flattered that people want to."

In July 2008 Smith released his fifth album - a six-song EP recorded live at The Georgia Theatre in his adopted hometown of Athens, GA. As you’ll hear in the podcast accompanying these brief interview excerpts, 2009 finds Smith writing new songs for yet another CD due out in the fall, which is sure to keep him touring well into the future and continuing on in his much deserved success.

RockOm: I’ve read where as you were growing up you loved singing gospel. You still enjoy singing gospel?

Corey Smith: I think I sing gospel music. I think my music is very religious, especially the stuff I write now. It’s not what you would normally hear in church, but it’s my form of gospel. I grew up in a fundamental Southern Baptist home, raised largely by my grandparents. The church had a big impact on me; it was where I learned how to sing and where I was first exposed to live music through the church choir. It was probably my bedrock as a musician. Later on, a lot of the things that I learned to listen to was in reaction to that. As I got older I didn’t want anything to do with gospel or country music because it was what my parents and grandparents listen to. I wanted to rock. In high school I was listening to alternative music, all the 90’s rock, and gangster rap and such. But it was largely a reaction against my upbringing.

RockOm: Tell me about that spark, that line, melody or lyric that suddenly appears in your head and starts a new song.

Corey Smith 2Corey Smith: It’s euphoric and very spiritual. At some point in the writing process when I feel like I’ve got the spark, that the song is on its way, I’ll say a silent prayer, just like “Thank you.” I do believe that for me the music comes from God. My whole experience as a musician is a part of a much longer, deeper relationship with God. It’s not traditional; it’s a much different relationship than I thought I would ever have [with God] as a kid. It’s something that goes beyond what I learned in church. To me, even the songs that have cussing in them and are about raunchy things - it’s still God. My calling is to be honest and real and sometimes it’s hard for people to listen, but I try to stay focused when I’m writing on not censoring myself so much. For me, now, it’s really largely about the music letting the melody dictate what the song is going to be [about]. Having the music parts, to me, those are the parts that get me excited. When I hear the melody that’s when I feel like I’m really channeling something. Then I’ll let the melody inspire an emotion or mood or idea that will then turn into the words.

The entirety of RockOm’s interview with Corey Smith can be heard at the RockOm.net podcast for the week of May 28, 2009.

www.coreysmith.com

www.myspace.com/coreysmithmusic

New Podcast, 5/28

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

On this week's podcast episode, out today:

  • Austin, TX folk songstress Eliza Gilkyson discusses the interconnectedness of all things, her views on the Obama administration and spirituality as compassion.
  • Songwriter Scott Valentine shares his weekly newsletter, this week discussing the seasons of life and moving from "spring" to "summer."
  • Indie country/folk musician Corey Smith is interviewed about the Athens, GA scene, gospel music, inspiration for songwriting and how spiritual music isn't necessarily confined to the inside of a church

Swing over to the podcast page to download this episode individually or to subscribe to all future podcasts with iTunes or any other podcatching software.

Where Do We Belong?

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Scott Valentine song of the week - Week 10: "Where Do We Belong?"


Click to Play (stream)

Click to download (right-click, "Save As...")

“The world does not belong to man. Man belongs to the world.”
(Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn)

When I conceived the storyline for the film that would ultimately accompany my album Seasons, I visualized each of the four seasons representing the major stages of man’s spiritual experience on this earth.

The “Spring” record would be the fresh-faced and inspired perspective full of youthful energy, naïveté and idealistic optimism - much like myself around the time I graduated from high school and headed off for college. I emerged from my youthful cocoon to find the world in front of me like an open canvas, a blank slate of endless possibilities upon which I might freely and liberally paint all of my future hopes and dreams. It wasn’t until I turned 19 and my Mom took me for a “spiritual reading” that I recognized that I indeed had a uniquely powerful and beautiful energy emanating from deep within me. It was during this brief period of mental clarity and heightened inspiration that I began to hear the song of my own soul as it emerged, filled with the words and stories whose lessons my spirit was so desperately trying to share with me.

As incredibly joyous as this stage of my life experience was, it didn’t last long. Soon enough the stressful realities and pressures of the outside world seeped their way into my spiritual village and began to spread their polluted perspectives into my pristine mental health. I was young, confused and utterly defenseless to resist the overload of its sensory advances. Inspiration and joy suddenly disappeared from view, abandoning the last bastions of hope along the way in favour of primeval self-preservation. I was devastated.

The “Summer” record represents this transition from the crushing defeat of youthful idealism into the harsh realities of the grown-up world that lay ahead. The songs reflect the emotional state of my attitude and confusion during those years. I had spent a lot of time – the whole of my twenties in fact – embroiled in alternating and varying degrees of anger, resentment, disdain, anxiety, disbelief and activism all amidst a disproportional amount of soapbox pontificating.

There is a biting criticism underlying all but one of the songs on this particular record – a lyrical diatribe lambasting the narrow-minded and near-sighted vision of our culture. I had lots of ideas about what we were doing wrong and wanted nothing – and I mean absolutely nothing more than to inspire the world to pull its collective head out of its ass in time to make real change possible for future generations. I had become utterly consumed by all of the turmoil that thundered down upon my spirit once I began to realize the impact that our lifestyle was having on the community of life. Sickened beyond belief and obsessed by my newfound mission to “save the world”, I poured myself into writing as many different songs as I could while at the same time touching upon the same themes over and over again in each. I knew I couldn’t get everyone to like my music but became convinced that if I spread the message into as many styles of music as I could then I would at the very least have a greater possibility of reaching a wider audience.

Before I began to record “Summer” I decided I would write, create and produce the songs to the greatest abilities of my imagination – meaning I wouldn’t limit myself to what I may or may not be able to recreate with a live performance. I wanted to see how far I could go by exploring and pushing the hot-blooded and cheeky sass of those troubled twenties while, at the same time, maintaining the sincerity and earnestness that I knew would be the key to ultimately tying the whole Seasons album together come the end of “Winter.” I don’t know if I succeeded with this “Summer” record but, in the end, I desperately needed to get all of those pent-up frustrations off my chest and chose synthesizers, electric drums, sampled heroes and layered backups to best help me voice the emotions of those years with which I had struggled so fiercely. This week’s free song, “Where Do We Belong?” still maintains some of the sexual and emotional chemistry from the “Spring” record but, as the title and musical production would suggest, makes a sharp turn into uncharted territory.

I arrived at the “summer” of my life with a singular goal in mind, “Who am I and what is my purpose?” My Mom had always told me that the twenties were for answering that question and endlessly supported and encouraged me as I struggled to shed some light on the matter for myself.

As I struggled, consumed by anxiety and stubborn sense of self, I nonetheless still longed for someone to share my experience with. I wanted to reach out into the world and rally my spirit alongside the inspiring thoughts and designs of the other people in this world whose passions had helped to ignite my own. I wanted a different story to live in but had no idea whatsoever where such a place existed let alone how in the hell I would ever find the means to get there on my own. But the deeper I began to dig, the further I came towards reaching that goal. Slowly I found others who were willing to stand beside me and put the will of their own passions towards creating something new.

Once again, after reflecting one these songs nearly three years after the fact, I can see that in order to understand where I belonged I had to first learn to appreciate where I was. I couldn’t do that so well at the time – I was too stubbornly trying to figure it all out on my own. But I can honestly say that, while I’m not there entirely yet, perhaps the biggest realization that has come from this song is the recognition that we, human beings, belong together.

However our species got to this point, we adapted and evolved because we had other people to fight for survival with. In so doing, we found comfort in companionship and formed impenetrable bonds of loyalty and friendship. We could not have made it into the 21st Century without having those tribes to belong to. Can we possibly survive in the 22nd Century without them?

From Here To There,

Scott Valentine

PS- It is my sincere hope that you might visit my site each Tuesday to experience the new weekly video I have produced. It contains a unique live performance of the weekly "Free Song" as well as a fun little outro sequence which I really enjoy putting together for you. Also, for those of you who have only recently signed up to receive the weekly release and would like to experience the previous weeks songs, you will find the downloads available by visiting the archive page of my website: www.scottvalentinepresents.com

This song and post are part of Scott Valentine's song a week presentation entitled Seasons. Click here for more information.

What’s Rockin @ RockOm: 5/26

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

beautiful world intricate web of design
shadow and light playing out on the land
billions of years come down to a point in time
setting the stage for the folly of man

So sings folk songstress Eliza Gilkyson on the title track to her latest album, "Beautiful World." Check out Eliza's song as this week's RockOm Featured Track (on the homepage all week) and then be sure to listen in to the RockOm podcast this week (new episode available Thursday) for an interview with Ms. Gilkyson.

Featured Track of the Week

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

by Eliza Gilkyson

Eliza Gilkyson

Visit Eliza at...

Main site
MySpace

Eliza Gilkyson is a Grammy-nominated, veteran folk singer-songwriter from Austin, TX who has been performing and writing albums for over 20 years. Her latest, Beautiful World was released last summer, the title track of which is this week's RockOm Featured Track. Recently two of Eliza's tracks, "Requiem" and "Rose of Sharon", were also recorded by folk legend Joan Baez for the album Day After Tomorrow.

Featured Track:
"Beautiful World"

"I wanted to write something about why I'm so committed to this struggle for sustainable life and I wanted to remember who it is I work for. I think that's really what "Beautiful World" is about, just that the natural order of things is so infinitely complex, interrelated and perfect that I wanted to write a song that was a floating homage to the cyclical nature and interrelatedness of everything." (Eliza)


Click to Play

The Song of Life Gospel Choir

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Homeless Shelter Lets Singers Share Their Gifts and Gain Confidence to Confront Their Troubles
by Tom Weld, The California Chronicle

Earnest enthusiasm easily carries the voices across the span of empty pews that separate the visiting choir from those gathered for a sparsely attended Lenten service at Unity Lutheran Church.

Hush, hush, somebody's calling my name... Hush, hush, somebody's calling my name... Hush, hush, somebody's calling my name... Oh my Lord, oh my Lord, what shall I do, what shall I do?

The song grabs hold of the worshippers, even those still settled in their coats, sitting near the back. It rises to the tall, arched rafters and expands toward the glowing stained-glass windows.

It carries with it the sincerity of a choir formed largely by the homeless and formerly homeless who find help through Repairers of the Breach, a daytime shelter in Milwaukee's central city.

Their words continue:

I'm so glad, troubles don't last always

I'm so glad, troubles don't last always

I'm so glad, troubles don't last always

Oh my Lord, oh my Lord, what shall I do, what shall I do?

The joyful release in traditional gospel songs compels the congregants to stand, to clap, to stomp their feet and sing out, to spark rare enthusiasm in a traditional Lutheran Lenten service.

The response leaves the singers beaming, filled with pride and accomplishment, far removed from the difficulties that brought them to this healing choir, formed on a cold day in the city's only daytime shelter for the homeless.

Their performance at the church on E. Oklahoma Ave. in Milwaukee is another step toward a collective recovery, from abusive relationships, addictions, illnesses and struggles that often put them on the streets or in shelters.

In many ways, the tracks of their lives match the scales they sing during weekly rehearsals, ascending and descending, ascending and descending.

The rehearsals, Saturday afternoons in the Repairers of the Breach shelter on W. Vliet St., afford the members an opportunity to find their voices, to move past the feelings that often cause them to silence themselves.

"I was ashamed at first to bring my voice out, but it's starting to come," said Vickie Parker, a 40-year-old mother of seven and one of the dozen or so regular choir singers. "Now I can sing without being embarrassed or afraid."

Parker first sought help at the Repairers of the Breach shelter in winter of 2007. At the time, the native of East St. Louis, Ill., was living in a shelter and had no money to buy Christmas presents for her children.

Since then, she has relied on the Repairers for mattresses, sheets, towels and other furnishings for the cramped flat she rents off W. Center St. She's relied on the choir to fill her spirit.

When little in her life seems within ready control, joining the other voices eases the depths of her depressions.

"I believe when we're all in that group, we support each other," she said. "We help each other through weakness."

Arlene Skwierawski partners with country music singer K.C. Williams to provide the musical direction for the singers who fill the choir's ranks, both during rehearsals and in the performances at area churches. Skwierawski, 71, taught music at North Division High School for 25 years and directed the All Saints Roman Catholic Church Choir for 15.

She traces the start of the Repairers Choir to an appearance by her church choir in the shelter on a cold night around Christmastime, roughly three years ago.

The shelter kept its doors open late that night to give the homeless respite from the cold, and many of them joined the All Saints Choir in song. MacCanon Brown, who runs Repairers of the Breach, suggested Skwierawski start a choir featuring those who visit the shelter.

Skwierawski was unable to say anything but yes to the people curled up in blankets on the floor.

She thought: "How can you say no when you're looking at people who are that down and are still willing to sing?"

The singers, bolstered by members of the Milwaukee Public Schools Alumni Choir, meet in a tightly packed practice room that doubles as a storage area for the daytime shelter. A stack of crutches leans in a corner, paint peels from the ceiling, a portable heater hums against the chill, and boxes of food surround the singers in their chairs.

Skwierawski leads them with an electric piano and a pounding enthusiasm for the rhythm of southern gospel music.

Helped by her former student, Williams, she impresses a level of musical discipline on the singers, arranging them into sopranos, altos, tenors and basses and directing them to sing their parts.

Some mouth the words quietly at first, hiding their voices from themselves and the others. Eventually, their eyes brighten and their voices gain strength, melding with the others.

"We found all kinds of marvelous singers," Skwierawski said.

Support and change

One of them is Odell White, a 58-year-old who traveled to Milwaukee from Louisiana in 2006, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

White learned gospel music listening to his mother sing in the kitchen during his boyhood days. But he strayed from that music and that message for much of his adult life, time -- by his telling -- spent "rippin' and runnin', clownin' and drinkin'."

He continued with that wayward life in Milwaukee, and was living in and out of shelters when he followed directions to Repairers.

"My thinking ability, my mentality, my morals and everything seemed to go by the wayside," White said. "I knew one way, but that wasn't the right way."

White was overwhelmed by the support he received from his fellow strugglers at the shelter, and by the chance to sing.

During rehearsals, his feet are the first to stomp in time. He quickly stands, and taps into his background in gospel quartets to help direct others singers, encouraging them to give power to their voices and their feelings.

He turns his lean body to those singing near him, smiling and nodding in an angular rhythm.

"The choir is inspirational to me," White said. "It's positive. I'm doing it for a good reason, a good cause -- that's the Lord Jesus Christ."

'Make a little noise'

During rehearsals, the choir members nurture each other. During the performances, roughly one time per month, they drink in the positive response from worshippers whose lives are so far from their own.

Walking toward the exit, one of the Unity Church worshippers commented to a friend: "They woke up the congregation. We should do that more often. Make a little noise."

In the fellowship hall, Pastor Amy Becker smiled at the spark the choir brought to her church and its members.

"It was fun to see people engaged through music," Becker said. "There was definitely more movement than there usually is.

"Beyond the energy, it was experiencing how God works outside of our own system, our own lives."

Linda Orr, 52, sought help from the Repairers shelter when she became homeless, and joined the choir to be "uplifted" even when her life circumstances began to improve.

She relishes the quiet in the church settings, as the congregants take their seats, and the choir members wait before them, dressed in their best clothes. She watches for the "little old ladies" to begin clapping, to share the lift that she feels, the positiveness and hopefulness of the music and her voice.

It confirms her belief that "If you got nothing else, at least you can sing."

The Messy Buddha

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Dancing on the Soul's Growing Edge
via PR.com

In February of 1999, “the poster child of clean and healthy living” was blind-sided with a leukemia diagnosis. Already on a spiritual path and listening deeply for the still small voice, Rev. Dr. Kate McLennan began to ponder these questions: Why do bad things happen when you know you’re doing all the right things? Is illness merely a wakeup call, or is there a deeper spiritual meaning? How does one find meaning when life deals a difficult hand? A long time Buddhist practitioner and dharma teacher, her training taught her that being a Buddha means being awake—and sometimes that means being awake to live the questions.

Honoring both her Christian roots and Buddhist practices, McLennan offers an interfaith approach to spirituality, which she defines as “deepening our connection with Spirit and … awakening to live life fully in the moment.” And awakening to life’s sumptuous and messy fullness is her destiny after her harrowing bout with cancer, a near death experience, and the struggles and gifts inherent in returning to tell the story.

Part spiritual memoir, part instruction manual, her new book, The Messy Buddha: Dancing on the Soul’s Growing Edge, published by Outskirts Press, is a unique and soulful guide to approaching life and art as spiritual practice. Weaving insights, music, and spiritual guidance into an inspiring story, McLennan dares her readers to dance on the soul’s growing edge—leaving our safety zones, risking falling into the abyss, and trusting that we will fly. Why the Messy Buddha?

“My life partner, Sharon, named me ‘the messy Buddha’ when I was in the hospital for months with leukemia. She said that most of the time I was calm, peaceful, and Buddha-like with my beautiful bald head. Then there were times when I would totally lose it... Why couldn’t I be more sage-like and accepting? Living authentically in the moment is sometimes messy. Certainly being a Buddha—which means being awake—is messy business. The art of being alive is the ability to breathe and live each messy moment.”

Empowering individuals to deepen into their own spirituality and the messiness of their own lives, The Messy Buddha appeals to spiritual seekers—beginning and experienced. Speaking compassionately to people whose lives are touched by serious illness, McLennan invites readers to creatively search for meaning in these painful rites of passage. An accomplished singer/songwriter, she encourages creativity as a spiritual path through mindful awareness and intention. This 200-page retreat in skillful living teaches meditation, body prayer techniques, and explores the way of the mystic, artist, and prophet as a roadmap for spiritual living. In her own words: “I invite you to dance on your soul’s growing edge. Your guide is messy, imperfect, and not the greatest dancer. But I am willing, and offering my hand and my heart.”

About the Author: Rev. Dr. Kate McLennan is an interfaith minister with a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Creation Spirituality, a dharma teacher in the Vipassana lineage, and a captivating performing artist. Her leukemia survival story was filmed for the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s website. Kate lives in the Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin with her beloved partner of several decades, five dogs, and one ancient cat who actually sleeps on a hot tin roof.

For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/MessyBuddha or www.MessyBuddha.com.

New Podcast, New Format

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

This week's podcast, out today, has been reformatted with a new intro, new features and a longer playing time. On this week's episode:

  • Memphis soul-singer Susan Marshall shares about the power in soul music, her song "Oh My Soul" and more
  • Songwriter Scott Valentine reflects on his song "Sweet Freedom"
  • Remembering the life of NBA star and jazz recording artist, Wayman Tisdale

Swing over to the podcast page to download this episode individually or to subscribe to all future podcasts with iTunes or any other podcatching software.

Sweet Freedom

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Scott Valentine song of the week - Week 9: "Sweet Freedom"



Click to Play (stream)

Click to download (right-click, "Save As...")

"We shouldn't be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas." -Noam Chomsky

It gets thrown around with increasingly contagious fervour. Above all other ideological human constructs, it seems the one most often abused. The path of human history is littered with the remains of this seven-letter word. Countless lives have been destroyed by those united in the belief that they were acting in its defense – as if they alone held the knowledge of how every life should be lived.

Generation after generation, we hitch our cultural and spiritual wagons to this word as “proof” of the validity of our own philosophical perspective and imperial intent. In an increasingly crowded world of extreme views and values, it has become an evermore-ruthless ally; we don’t have to look too hard or too far to witness it’s unbearable consequences.

The word I’m talking about is freedom.

Extremists, fanatics, zealots – whatever you want to call us – that’s what we’re all becoming because of the symbolic power of this word. Every leader of every country is convinced that he or she has the best interests of true freedom at heart and yet one man’s freedom undoubtedly becomes another man’s captivity.

Every day hundreds of armies of men, women and children across the planet force the will of their own values upon someone else. Each year millions of families are torn apart by conflicting visions of liberty. Endless communities are razed and ravaged and, in the smoldering aftermath, another generation will rise to seek its revenge while yet another lives beneath the hammer of fear, left to tremble and ponder under the weight of that age-old question, “Why should they hate us so?”

It’s not the word I’m so cautious to embrace but the ideal it represents. Every community around the world faces innumerous challenges and struggles. No matter where we live we each require a healthy meal, fresh air to breathe, clean drinking water and a safe place to lay our bodies to rest at night. We seek the companionship of others who share our values and support our dreams and hopes that we might somehow provide future generations of our families with an even richer and more joyous experience than our own.

Why then are we so obsessed – so frantically consumed with how other people outside of our own direct sphere of influence are living? When so many of our own countrymen are without these absolute essentials, how can we even consider barging into another man’s community and telling him and his neighbours how they ought to live? Without definitive evidence to clearly illustrate our own national success, how did we ever become so arrogant?

You might be wondering at this point what any of this has to do with this week’s song? Well, I’ll tell you.

We have this civilization that we have stocked full of technological marvels, plastic doohickeys, bright shiny trinkets and a myriad of other creative masterpieces but it won’t amount to a hill of beans if we destroy ourselves in the end. I’m not trying to be alarmist here or hold you captive with my newsletter; I’m simply attempting to bring my own reflections to light in hopes that the ideas behind my songs might possess even the slightest glimpse of insight whilst at the same time hoping to inspire a little greater sense of urgency in our actions. Whether you live across the street from me or on the other side of the earth, there is a need for ignited spirits and hopeful action and as my Seasons album now moves from “Spring” into “Summer”, these ideas begin to move closer and closer into the forefront. This week’s song is a heartfelt transition from the saturating sensation of love and optimism into the hot-blooded frustration and face-paced resonations of my youthful spirit.

I’m going to now step out over the edge of my polite interaction with you too bare my very soul and if our musical journey together should end now because of that then I wish you well and thank you for your time. We’re going into greater depth from here on in and I appreciate that not everyone is at that place in their life where they feel comfortable having these types of conversations; particularly with a stranger.

But for those of you for whom such thoughts, ideas, words and melodies should still resonate I say, “Let’s go dig into it together.” So here it is; here is where this journey is going as we roll into summer.

I believe that we are all connected; that each living thing is woven together endlessly into this web of life. I believe that it’s best for each of us to start in our own houses and in our own backyards; that we should face the challenges in our own neighbourhoods before distracting ourselves with the problems in someone else’s. I believe that we have a responsibility to live up to the expectations of our species to survive in balance with the earth and with each other. I believe it’s one thing to have a vision for our “civilized” global culture but quite another to live a life in balance with our essential needs.

A house of cards and a castle made of sand; these metaphors represent the foundation of our way of life and although I admire all of the greatness it has given us I believe, like so many of you, that there’s a wind of change blowing in and feel the tides shifting dramatically. I believe it’s time to write a new story for ourselves, a story free from patriotic and religious rhetoric.

I believe it’s time to achieve our greatest glory and that with a new story to be in we might actually understand what it means for people to be free.

From Here To There,

Scott Valentine

PS- It is my sincere hope that you might visit my site each Tuesday to experience the new weekly video I have produced. It contains a unique live performance of the weekly "Free Song" as well as a fun little outro sequence which I really enjoy putting together for you. Also, for those of you who have only recently signed up to receive the weekly release and would like to experience the previous weeks songs, you will find the downloads available by visiting the archive page of my website: www.scottvalentinepresents.com

This song and post are part of Scott Valentine's song a week presentation entitled Seasons. Click here for more information.