Voices, bass and singing bowl for Around the Bend Remix

bass and bowl are C

[b]AROUND THE BEND[/b]

I’m walking a long a dry riverbed
The sky is crystal clear, blue not a cloud
There are embankments to either side
although quite frankly I have no sense of what is to the left of me whatsoever
Just spaciousness and light (spaciousness and light)

In the distance, there’s a bend
I have no idea what’s around the bend
(baby, baby, we don't know)

Along the edge of the embankment to my right,
In the distance, right where there’s the bend
There’s a tree line
The embankment to my right ascends steeply and is
Covered with these white pebbles

It dawns on me that at any moment the river can come rushing around that bend and flood the channel that I’m walking along
I think I’ve better  get out of there fast
So I start scrambling up the embankment
Stumbling on the pebbles
Thinking I”ve got to make my way to that tree line because that’s
 where I’m going to be safe

I’ve been walking along the rivered, exposed
With spaciousness and light (spaciousness and light)
And around the bend I can’t see what’s coming but a flood is bound to arrive 

(baby, baby, we don’t know)

So I scramble 
up
I scramble up
I scramble toward the tree line
Toward life

This tree line is magnificent!
All kinds of trees!
I can see the rich woodiness of their trunks and the different shapes of their leaves and the canopy they make

(to life)

And I scramble
upn(spaciousness and light) 
Because around the bend, I can’t see what’s coming (we don't know)
But there’s bound to be a flood
And on the other side, light and spaciousness 
(baby, baby)Haskel Joseph -- Drum loop, guitars
SackJo22 -- vocals, bass, singing bowl

Thank you Haskel for the fine samples.  I could listen to you play all day.

This is a big dream I had not too long ago that I continue to learn from and is influencing my life in beautiful ways.

AROUND THE BEND

I’m walking a long a dry riverbed
The sky is crystal clear, blue not a cloud
There are embankments to either side
although quite frankly I have no sense of what is to the left of me whatsoever
Just spaciousness and light (spaciousness and light)

In the distance, there’s a bend
I have no idea what’s around the bend
(baby, baby, we don't know)

Along the edge of the embankment to my right,
In the distance, right where there’s the bend
There’s a tree line
The embankment to my right ascends steeply and is
Covered with these white pebbles

It dawns on me that at any moment the river can come rushing around that bend and flood the channel that I’m walking along
I think I’ve better  get out of there fast
So I start scrambling up the embankment
Stumbling on the pebbles
Thinking I”ve got to make my way to that tree line because that’s
 where I’m going to be safe

I’ve been walking along the rivered, exposed
With spaciousness and light (spaciousness and light)
And around the bend I can’t see what’s coming but a flood is bound to arrive 

(baby, baby, we don’t know)

So I scramble 
up
I scramble up
I scramble toward the tree line
Toward life

This tree line is magnificent!
All kinds of trees!
I can see the rich woodiness of their trunks and the different shapes of their leaves and the canopy they make

(to life)

And I scramble
upn(spaciousness and light) 
Because around the bend, I can’t see what’s coming (we don't know)
But there’s bound to be a flood
And on the other side, light and spaciousness 
(baby, baby)Angela Grillo -- Dreamer
Airtone -- Percussion, Keys
Sackjo22 -- Singing Bowls (uploaded separately)

Thank you for sharing. Thank you for listening.
Zip file includes all takes of singing bowls. Bowls are tuned to C, E, G 432 hz.Dreamer -- Walter Berry
Bellkey, Rhodes, Pad -- Speck
Kick -- SackJo22

Thank you all for sharing. Tara O'Grady -- Dreamer
Spinningmerkaba -- Everything Else

Thank you Tara and Jason for sharing great material to work with.  This was fun to put together.  I once spent a summer studying the Italian language. I had a romance with an Italian medical student from southern Italy. He took me to his small village in the hills of Calabria where I stayed for several days. No one there spoke English. He played Simon &  Garfunkle incessantly. We drank thick, dry table wine that was a smooth as glass.  During that period, I dreamed in Italian. Since then, I have forgotten much.

Many thanks to _ghost for sharing such heartbreakingly beautiful music with us.

Separately uploaded is the [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/24518]pell and spoken word[/url]. And the lyrics (in Italian and English):

Mi dispiace
non mi ricordo del tu amore
non so tuo cuore.
Mi sono dimenticato.
Se mi ricordassi, di che cosa vedrebbe.
La bellezza di un sogno
Il senso calmo
Ma quello e tutto i perso a me.

I am sorry.
I don't remember your love.
I don't know your heart.
They are forgotten to me.
If I remembered, what would I see?
The beauty of a dream
The sense of calm
But that is all lost to me.

[i][small](and seeing as I have forgotten much, I must admit I did rely a bit on an on-line translator to assis with some of the verb tenses.  Mi dispiace.)[/small][/i]Anchor is a generous spirit with infinite creative impulses.  He  graciously invited me to sing with him on this beautiful song. The combination of Anchor's poetry with that of Baudelaire creates a world of emotional oceans, stormy, calm, purple and deep.  Thank you Anchor. And special thanks to Briareus for providing us with a gorgeous track to work with. 
[small](The various vocal parts are all on one track -- ready for you to slice, dice and play with)[/small]
 Lyrics:

I travel into realms afar
where others seldom go
To lands of clouds and galaxies 
Wherein strange gardens grow…
Cared for by wide-eyed maidens fair
In golden sandals shod…
The shimmering phoenix spreads its wings
attended by the gods.
As witness to these dazzling sights
I am brought to my knees – my tears are gathered into cups
And my fears are set free.

Music lifts me like a sea towards my planet pale
As through dark fogs of rose brocade
I lift my wandering sail.
with breast advanced , drinking the winds that through the cordage wail
I mount the hurrying waves night hides
beneath her somber veil.

I feel the tremblings of all passions known
to ships before the breeze….
cradled by gentle winds 
in nights on purple seas. . .

I pass abysmal depths that are when calm level and fair
and taste the wine of love and loss
which harbors my despair. . .Amy Lloyd -- Dreamer, Voice
Apoxode -- Drum Loop
SackJo22 -- Bass, KeysWalter Berry -- Dreamer, Vocal
Apoxode -- Instrumental. His remix features Javolenus, airtone, Piero and Speck.  I used the entire remix as is.  It's so good!

I am so grateful to everyone for your generous creativity! Thank you so much for your inspiration and for being part of this special project.This poem was written specifically for "The White Cube" installation taking place at RAM Gallery in Oslo, Norway in commemoration of its 20th anniversary.

Gurdonark and I have been invited to bring the mixters into this exhibition through the creation of a sonic installation revolving around the themes of The White Cube/Winter light.

Please see the detailed description of this project in the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/2070]announcements[/url] and in the related[url=http://thewhitecube.info/]blog[/url].

I do hope you will remix this piece so your work can be included in "The White Cube" installation at RAM Gallery.

THE WHITE CUBE

You set the tea light on the table
its flicker a delicate tease of what you might see
the early shadows barely breathe in that intimacy
as you look, as you reach
recognition bursts!
Its brightness the brightest sun reflected on fields of snow so in that moment the whole room explodes!

We start as a white cube
with a floor and walls
where we put up our ideas
and watch them hang
and then we take them down again.

In this space we speak of the color white
the color of all colors combined
the color of all of our options
the color of our connection that traverses space and time.

December in the north
the darkness lingers
so that even the shade of the moon seems bright.
You reach out and grab that light
the palpable tangible meaning of life.I was graciously invited by Per (St. Paul) to sing this very tender, personal song of transformation.  Per's beautiful music and heartfelt melody encompasses the themes of the lyric which was written for Per by Jurgen Hermann. My thanks to both Per and Jurgen for allowing me to be part of this music. [small][Harmonies are also uploaded in separate files attached hereto.][/small]

[u]The Quiet Hours[/u]

There's a tall man on the shore
There's a shallow wind
A few tracks in the damp sand
They're easy -- lighter than a child

Step by step, stone by stone
Are you searching for ancient treasure
A singing seagull on a cliff
A song without reason

Never ever have you found
No one knows what you are searching for
Are you searching for the hours falsley deducted from the account of your life
The quiet, a gentle wind
Your search seems so vain
Your days are so loud

One day, the wind and the empty beach
A seagull sails high above your head
On the last day you found in the sand the sense of it all
It's been the quiet hours

Never ever have you found
No one knows what you are searching for
Are you searching for the hours falsley deducted from the account of your life
The quiet, a gentle wind
Your search seems so vain
Your days are so loudThis is my first ccmixter upload.  I am interested to see what happens next.

Lyrics:

It's always a question of power in the matters of what you desire
Can you help it to pass on through -- stop it from stopping you
You don't think you're so strong
You don't know how much longer you can go on
Baby, it's not the final hour cuz' you have my love
And love's the power.

I'll give you my heart, give it to you in my laughter
And I give you my heart, it's there in my anger
I swear by the moon and the stars up above
All I want to do to day is make you feel my love
You can call on me at any hour 'cuz you have my love
And love's the power.

You can turn your head baby, it won't go away
It's the light of the north pole lasting all day
It's the depth of the ocean where fish can't see
It's the heat of the desert
The arches of infinity
Baby, honey it's not the final hour
You have my love and love's the power.

I give you my heart, give it to you in my laughter
And I give you my heart, it's there in my anger
And I swear by the moon and the stars above, all I want to do today is make you feel my love
You can call on me at any hour 'cuz you have my love
And love's the power, love's the power.This is a simple song that I have not yet done much with.

[u]No Suprise[/u]

It gets complex when I ask for your opinion
Your disapproval is easy to surmise
Don't stay out of this open invitation, come in through the hesitation in your eyes

There's no surprise, there's no surprise
You get what you see with me
There's no surprise, there's no surprise
I wear my heart on my sleeve

You think I don't know what this is about
But baby, you're awfully transparent
You take my guitar in your hands
I see how you caress it
If this progression was written by you, I'm sure it would be sophisticated
A change of key, a different point of view
Well in my song, we get right to it

There's no surprise, there's no surprise
You get what you see with me
There's no surprise, there's no surprise
I wear my heart on my sleeve

How can I let my heart be true, when all you think is I'm being prentious?
What am I supposed to do when all of this feeling makes you anxious?
The root of pretension is intention, misconstrued its just a narcissitic reflection
So you can call me a pop cliche
I will love you anywhay

There's no surprise, there's no surprise
You get what you see with me
There's no surprise, there's no suprise
I wear my heart on my sleeve
There's no suprise, there's no surprise,
Look me in the eye, there's no surpriseThis is not a true story, albeit sadly inspired by someone I know. I was trying to channel various influences that somehow don't translate well to my soprano, nevertheless turning into something else entirely different.  I find that often happens with influences.

EROS' LIE

I had a lover, he brought me to my knees
I made him love me, until I had to flee

Time, time again, I packed my heart to leave
Time, time again, time again, this love deceived

He gave me his black heart
I gave him fidelity
He tore me apart
I left him empty

Time, time again, I packed my heart to leave
Time, time again, time again, I was deceived

His raised hand met my raised eyes
This kind of love is Eros' lie
His raised hand met my raised eye
This kind of love is Eros' lie

Bitter and broken, shattered from within
Our ardour a poison, our passion was a sin

Time, time again, I packed my heart to leave
Time, time again, Time again, I was deceived

His raised hand met my raised eyes
This kind of love is Eros' lie[i][b]UPDATE:[/b] Thanks to Spinmeister, I am able to provide a cleaned up version of this pell.  He fixed the bpm, cleaned up artifacts, tweaked out of tune bits and turned this pell into something that might actually be useful! So super thanks to Spin's master craftsmanship![/i]  [small](While I replaced the old file with Spin's clean version, I kept the original as an additional file.)[/small]
As I am a girl who just can't say no, I am uploading this track in response to a special request. I could not remove the effects from the source recording and there are other technical issues and imperfections with the track. There is a long break between 2nd and 3rd verses. I also uploaded the background harmonies.  Nevertheless, I aim to please! I am not sure of the bpm -- somewhere around 105 maybe.

[u]MIRROR[/u]

She's a quiet girl, but she has lots to say
Snippets of conversation she has tucked away
Those little scraps she holds onto -- she doesn't give anything away
You wish you could hold onto her
Your eyes were a mirror for hers
But the mirror has broken
You want a second chance to mend what's broken
But all that's left is the shattered glass of what once passed as love
Reflected love

She's a lovely girl who wants to gently sway
On the waves of an adventure that will take her away
The postcard palm trees, well they don't give anything away
You wish you could hold onto her
Your eyes were a mirror for hers
But the mirror has broken
You want a second chance to mend what's broken
But all that's left is the shattered glass of what once passed as love
Reflected love

She's a gentle girl whose heart is full of rage
But you would never know by looking at her sweet face
She saw herself in your eyes like a lake that is frozen and glazed
You wish you could hold onto her
Your eyes were a mirror for hers
But the mirror has broken
You want a second chance to mend what's broken
But all that's left is the shattered glass of what once passed as love
Reflected love[i][b]UPDATE[/b]:  Spinmeister recently remixed the original tracks to this song (check it on myspace if interested) and in the process, repaired the background vocals.  The repaired vox are updated here in case anyone is intersted.[/i]

These are the background harmonies to Mirror, uploaded by special request. I was unable to remove the effects from the source track. All the same caveats apply to this track as noted in the main vocal description. There is a long break between 2nd and 3rd verses. Again, not sure of BPM -- perhaps 105?ccM promo featuring GurdonArk and SackJo22, and grackles galore.One of the basic premises of improvisation is "Yes, and" -- to not only accept the ideas of your partners in play (i.e., "yes"), but to take it to the next place (i.e., "and"). I thought this was a fitting model for ccM. Besides, hearing "yes" can make almost anybody's day.THE HEAT WAVE

We talked about regrets and identity
over tepid cups of milky tea
satiated
this languid afternoon interrupted only by slamming doors.
The children came and the children went unconcerned
their wet hair fragrant with the first chlorinated taste of summer
hints of jasmine lingering in the air every time the door was left ajar.
The cats snaked back into the house flopping sloppily on cool wood floors sobered by the heat that kept us indoors watching with envy as the shadows crept across the law.
We were deceived.
The monarchs in the bushes, the breeze in the trees
There was no comfort in the garden today
Only the heat.This was written for my valentine using a bunch of major 7th chords.

Senseless

Please stay still, so you can feel my heartbeat
It's thunderous and strong as we negotiate the give and take that makes us

Please stay still and you will hear me whisper
I'll tell you everything to scintillate the give and take that makes us

Your love leaves me senseless

Please stay still and you will see me looking 
Straight into your eyes as we integrate the give and take that makes us

Please stay still as you take my breath away
Roses in the air titillate the give and take that makes us

Your love leaves me senseless

See me, hear me, taste me, inhale me
And when you touch me, it leaves me senseless

Please stay still to savor the sweetness of our kisses
As we celebrate the give and take that makes usMr. Anchor Mejans sent to me the lyrics (sans melody)of this song, and invited me to play along. This is the result -- the first Anchor/SackJo collaboration. Thanks Anchor!

Black & White of It

Saw you looking at snapshots
On a rainy Sunday
Saw a tear spill from your eye
As you turned to face me

What was then, what is now
Time and seasons that don't quit
Closed date books and calendars
That's the black and white
That's the black and white of it

Is the person framed in the shot
The same one you once dearly loved
Maybe so, but perhaps not

The camera sits upon the shelf
But you're not here to use it
No more smiles or lovely looks
That's the black and white
That's the black and white of it

Pictures clutter up the drawers
Our life together is tied in bundles
Passing scenes of holidays
Our years together are mixed and jumbled

What was then, what is now
Time, and seasons that don't quit
Closed datebooks and calendars
That's the black and white
That's the black and white of itccMixter promo featuring the voice of SackJo22 and the music of BriareusI spend a lot of time in the car. As I drive, I sing. This song evolved out of my fantasy of having a super cool sports car with jets and other gadgets to get me out of traffic -- kind of like James Bond or Maxwell Smart. Special thanks to Haskel who provided needed inspiration and input on the chorus melody.

[u]Man of the Shadows[/u]

Night wraps its arms around me after you're gone
Our glasses are empty
My head is heavy
And the nightengale sings her lonely song
The moon doesn't shine tonight, nor do the stars
You slipped away with my heart
You're a man of mystery
How could I know
I'd fall for the man of the shadows

A glance, a caress, a whisper
The moments we share
But your charm was a facade
Your passion a charade
The man I love really isn't there
The moon doesn't shine tonight, nor do the stars
You slipped away with my heart
You're a man of mystery
How could I know
I'd fall for the man of the shadows

I was deceived

You're a man of mystery
How could I know
I'd fall for the man of the shadows

You slipped away with my heart[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/21492]A commercial-use license is available for this song at tunetrack.net[/url]. [u][/u]When I first heard Irie Dub by Neurowaxx, I started immediately singing along.  It was not until I heard the recent mixes by Narva9 and  Ciggi Burns that I felt encouraged and empowered to try my hand at a remix.  So here it is -- my first. Substantially helped by terrific guitar parts by The Haskel who played them here just for me! So thanks to Neurowaxx for the inspiration and the fantastically fun vibe, to Haskel for his fine playing and to N9 and CB for setting a fine example!

[u]One for Me[/u]

I was walking down the street
When I saw you look at me
Do you think that you're the one for me, for me

I was dancing at the hall
Saw you watch me from the wall
Do you think that you're the one for me

Kiss me once, kiss me twice
So I can see if it's nice
Do you think that you're the one for me

I was sitting at the bar
Saw you watch me from afar
Do you think that you're the one for me

I think you think you're the man
Catch this girl if you can
Do you think that you're the one for me

Kiss me once, kiss me twice
So I can see if it's nice
Do you think that you're the one for meWhen comfortable, it is easy to take for granted all that is available in this country filled with abundance and options. Through the words of this civil era protest song by J.S. Dwight, I am reminded that peace and tolerance are still ambitions worth striving for.

Many thanks to GurdonArk for inviting me to sing this song in celebration of Independence Day.

[u]God Bless Our Land[/u]

God bless our land
May heaven's protecting hand still guard our shores
May peace her power extend
Foe be transformed to a friend
All our rights depend on war no more

May just and righteous laws uphold the public cause and bless our name
Home of the brave and free
Stronghold of liberty
We pray that still on thee may rest no stain

And not this land alone
But be thy mercies known from shore to shore
Lord make the nations see that men should brothers be
And form one family the wide world o'er

The melody is from “The Italian Hymn” by Felice Giardini.[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/21709]ccPlus Commercial License Available[/url]

These are the things I think about around the time of my birthday.

[u]Choices May Change[/u]

Choices may change but our hearts remain the same
suspended
Between the future's glimmering, shining, blinding hope
and the past's opportunities missed - those lingering shadows that influence.

We no longer assume.
We no longer surmise.
It takes so much more to be surprised so that when delight is ignited 
	it is an event held dear.

Choices may change but our hearts remain the same
caught 
in the frequencies of memory 
rumbling, stumbling, crashing through invited and uninvited
a song stuck in my head, repeating
	the tune inextricable
	a lingering melody that persists until another melody displaces it.

Choices may change, but our hearts remain the same
comforted
by the familiarity of temperament despite the alterations of time.
So that recognition is instant in history and love
that lingers indefinitely in the body’s deepest cavities.

We no longer assume.
We no longer surmise.
It take so much more to be surprised.

Choices may change, but our hearts remain the same.I am fire.  It's a big distraction.

[small][small](I used Billy Ray's Slow Blues in lieu of click track when I recorded this pell. It is listed at 165 bpm)[/small][/small]


[u]On Fire[/u]

I'm on fire, thinking of you
I'm on fire, don't you see what you do to me
I'm on fire, and I can't walk away
My heart is mesmerized by this burning blaze

You took me away, you pulled me apart
You made me love you by igniting my heart
You turned me around like no other man
You made me do things, didn't know that I can

Now I'm on fire, thinking of you
I'm on fire, don't you see what you do to me
I'm on fire, and I can't walk away
My heart is hypnotized by this burning blaze

My momma she warned me, and so did my pa
If I went down with you, my soul would be lost
Well the devil may come, the devil may go
I will follow you down that wretched road

A wild fire can't be contained
A lingering spark bursts into flame
A smouldering shadow that lit up
my love
And left me in ashes when you had enough

Still I'm on fire, thinking of you
I'm on fire, don't you see what you do to me
I'm on fire, and I can't walk away
My heart is consumed by this burning blazeTimberman invited me to collaborate with him.  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Per/34745]This is the result.[/url]

Dry vocal stems for each part uploaded in zip files (mp3 and aiff). They should line up to Timbermans instrumental track. There are lots of tracks, but the chorus tracks are mostly just doubled. 

[b]WHERE DID THE SILENCE START TO GROW[/b]

Is this an unrequited love affair?
Oh baby, is this danger?
Is this a circus?
Is this hopeless?
Is this uncertainty everywhere?

Where did the silence start to grow?
Where did the silence start to grow?
In holding on, baby, when you let me go
Where did the silence, start to grow?

I look for signs, I must assign them.
I ask you questions, even though you're not answereing.
You can put me outside, I'll reach the horizon.
You can put me in the wind, and see which way I bend in it.

Where did the silence start to grow?
Where did the silence, start to grow?
In the words of the songs I sang to you, so long ago.
Where did the silence, start to grow?

My eyes are green, I'm avoiding you.
You're so damn charming, you're snake charming.
Locked out I am, in the passage of time.
Will I ever be let in again?

Where did the silence, start to grow?
Where did the silence start to grow?
Where did the silence start to grow?
In holding on baby, when you let me go.This is a short, cheerful, traditional Chanukah tune sung in Hebrew.  "Sevivon" means dreidle (i.e., "top"), a game that is traditionally played at Chanukah.  Included are files for the separate vocal parts, as well as the scratch guitar.I was really lucky to be assigned J. Lang.  He is an amazing ccMixter particpant.  He and his collaborators have been generous for years, providing an incredible library of tracks that I was lucky enough to play with.  That being said, this is only my second remix ever and, I am afraid, I do not have the technical infrastructure and experience to really do this music justice.  However, I certainly had fun combing through his ccMixter catalogue!  So thank you Mr. Lang for being such a wonderful part of ccM!

(BPM is whatever it is for "Body Bangin' Inst -- no bpm listed on that track)

And for those of you who are uploading, I cannot wait to hear what you did -- although I am going away for a few days and may not get to everyone right away.Encouraged by Snowflake's holiday album project, I wrote this Chanukah-inspired song about the power of light (and all that implies) to see one through adversity. While it borrows liberally from the story of Chanukah, it is my intention that the lyric transcends religious and cultural boundaries just as light makes no distinction about what it illuminates.  

[i]Separate files for each vocal part are also uploaded for easier mixing, slicing, dicing, effecting, correcting, etc. Also included, are two reference tracks: guitar w/vocals and guitar alone.[/i]

[u]The Light[/u]

The light, the light, the light shines

It was your intention to destroy us
Your intention to oppress
You didn't expect that we would be blessed to find our way through the darkness

The light, the light, the light shines

This is what we fight for
This is what we live for
The brightness blinds our enemies eyes
This is how we survive

The light

Offerings and hope and faith
Solace in the shadows illuminate for yet another day, another day

The light shines
The light shines
The lightThis is the story of Sue & Mo, cuttin' loose, whoppin' it up, and rockin' out as only two ladies on the road can do.  Check out their [url=http://theadventuresofsueandmo.blogspot.com/]ride[/url] and learn more about their adventure.

Special thanks to the boys in the band:  Billy Ray smokin' on drums, Haskel jammin' on some burning guitar, and subdes2 on the harp. [small](Not to mention Sue on the bass.)[/small]

And of course, Mo ROCKS!!!! She and I are total partners in this adventure and this song could not have materialized without her words, her voice and her input on the arrangement. (and ya -- this is a loose mix)This song was written by Narva9, who is a wonderful and prolific songwriter, with a generous heart and spirit. I am honored that she invited me to sing this beauty. (I also did a [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/23116]remix[/url] of it.)

Uploaded in a zip file are all the individual vocal parts, dry.

[u]The Colour of Blue[/u]

I painted this room the colour of blue
Just like the ocean to remind me of you
Sometimes late at night when I close my eyes
I feel  you smiling at me holding me tight

I know you never meant to let me go
I miss you more than you will ever know
I know we'll meeet again one day

I know in my heart that I am your girl
And you'll always be with me wherever I go
You're one of the stars that shine deep in the night
Watching from up above brining me light

I know you never meant to let me go
I miss you more than you will ever know
I know we'll meet again one day

It's been a while now since you've been gone
And I'm all grown up the child in me is gone
But I'll always be your girl, forever it is true
'Cuz your love is all around me in this room of blue

I know you never meant to let me go
I miss you more than you will even know
I know we'll meet again one dayNarva9 sent me this [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/23115]lovely song[/url] to sing.  I was compelled to do a remix with it. Remixing is fun.
[small](Even though I am still learning the ropes and have limited technical resources. In this case, I had an issue with mono vs. stereo that I am still trying to figure out. [b]Update:[/b] [i]Thanks to the kind and generous nature of the ccMixter community, I finally learned how to fix this problem.[/i]  [i]I just haven't had a chance to do so yet. Thanks to all who provided some appreciated tips and advice.[/i] )[/small] [b]FURTHER UPDATE[/b]: I remixed the vocals.  They are now in stereo.  Thanks again to everyone who took the time to share their know how. I also uploaded a version as an additional file that does not have the sax part in case anyone is inspired to do a bit of soloing.[small][i]This song features the voices of [b]both[/b] Ciggi Burns and SackJo22 (aka Sue & Mo)[/i][/small]

Sue and Mo are still in [url=http://theadventuresofsueandmo.blogspot.com/]Sweden[/url] with a new car.

[small]Dry vocal stems uploaded in .zip file.[/small]

[u]The Man from The North[/u]

Grey skies, contrasts of light
and water, water everywhere
The sea, a song and lingering night
A smile yearning to appear

The man from the north looked into my eyes
Reflected in his were signs of life
captured deep beneath the ice

In his hands he held my heart and in a storm he disappeared

[i]For purpose of attribution:  Lyrics by SackJo22; Vocals by Ciggi Burns & SackJo22.[/i]I was invited by [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/nando1635]Nando[/url], a You Tube video blogger to create theme songs for several of his video series.  This song was created for Nando's dating tip series "Luv Em or Leave Em."  I put together this little ditty, and Nando luved it!

Meanwhile, Nando has been a great supporter of ccMixter, frequently tapping into the pool for music for his videos.

Thanks to Neurowaxx for sharing his wonderfully fun tracks with us!

The a capella is here too as a separate file.

[u]Luv 'Em or Leave 'Em[/u]

Luv 'em or leave 'em
What should I do?
Luv 'em or leave 'em
I'm so confused

Should I give it my all?
Should I hold something back?
Should we just be friends?
Should I just say yes?
Could be be gay?
Or is it just me?
Am I so in love, that I cannot see?Wow! CDK has been an exemplary member of the ccMixter community since almost the beginning! In Out is based on CDK's first posted remix (from June 2005).  When I was listening to the CDK tracks, I wasn't sure what the f*** I could possibly do -- the music is just already so wonderful (how many ed picks has CDK garnered over the years?  Only more than any other artist at ccM!) and I was totally intimidated by the source.  I actually asked the powers that be to give me some inspiration to deal with CDK's incredible ouvre -- and what emerged was a reworking of a song I wrote many years ago, which is really all about the mercurial nature of inspiration.  

Special thanks to Haskel for helping me out with some tasty guitar to color up the track a bit. Dry vocal parts uploaded as well.  [blue][i]Happy birthday ccM!!![/i][/blue]

[b][u]IN OUT[/u][/b]

This is not what I expected
I thought I'd be a world traveler by now
I thought I was a lucky girl

In out you come to me
In out you're teasing me
Still I keep having faith in this world

This is not what I anticipated
I thought I'd be shining from above
I thought I'd be complete witihin our love

In out you come to me
In out you're teasing me
Still I keep having faith in this world

Stumbling through, acting it out
But I never know what my role's about
Surprise! The light's not blinding when it shines in your eyesThis mix does not reflect my intention, just how I was able to deal with the challenge of making my own [i][url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/2070]White Cube[/url][/i] remix. I am grateful to Gurdonark for providing such wonderful source material to work with.  And after working on this remix, I am even more impressed than usual with the mixters who comprise the ccMixter community and who continue to amaze me with their infinite creativity, imagination, and skill.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/24179]A capella[/url] (including dry vocal stems for all parts) uploaded separately.Vocals to my remix for [i]The White Cube Remix[/i] project called [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/24177]White Out (Shade of the Moon Mix).[/url]

Dry stems for all parts uploaded separately.  [small]Unfortunately, not the best recording quality, but slap on some reverb and it should work.[/small]I had to think about this.

Recently, I visited the Central California Coast -- Cambria, Big Sur -- and I was struck by the beauty of the earth, the majesty of the ocean, the sky, the land. The earth is magnificent.

You can learn more about this project [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/2124#83738]here[/url].

[i]Secial thanks to Spinmeister for cleaning up the file for me and providing the flac file.[/i]

[u][b]All The Time[/b][/u]

You're locked in denial so you can't see
your intentions are tired and you're suffering
from misunderstanding 'bout what you need
you're so comfortable compromising.

You say give me some time
give me some time
give me some time to remember my dreams.
But all the time, all the time in the world
All the time in the world is now.

You dropped your ideals as too heavy to bear
and you married a life that you live without care
Well I'm here to remind you, I breathe the same air
it's not yours alone, it's a burden we share.

You say give me some time, give me some time, give me some time to remember my dreams.
Well all the time, all the time in the  world, all the time in the world is now.

What will it take for you to sustain?
A choice to be made, a choice to change.
And what will it take for us to endure?
A choice to act for the future.

You say give me some time, give me some time, give me some time to remember my dreams.
Well all the time, all the time in the world, all the time in the world is now.I wrote this song may years ago, when romance was still romanticized.  I never did much with it.  It was never arranged for my band. I never recorded it. Recently, St. Paul asked if I had any poetry or lyrics laying around that I could share with him.  I sent him these words.  He created an inimitably beautiful St. Paul composition to go with them.  In a wonderful way, the original melody of the song (more or less) fits as a counter-melody to Per's composition.  I think this is a stunning illustration of something. . .although I am not quite sure of what at this point.

Thank you Per for making music out of this little song. What a wonderful gift! 

And the best of the best holidays to all!

Dry stems are uploaded separately in .zip file (main, harmony1, harmony2).How excited was I to pull Jeris?!!! He is just so incredibly talented, and generous! It was definitely a challenge to select material to work with as Jeris' catalog is not only vast, but of wonderful quality as well.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/39170]Dry vocal stems are uploaded separately.[/url]Dry stems are uploaded in .zip file. BPM based on _ghost's Lullaby.  The remix is [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/24519]here[/url].

Mi dispiace
no mi ricordo del tu amore
non so tu cuore
mi sono dimenticato
se mi ricordassi de che cosa vedrebbe
la bellezza di un sogno
il senso calmo
ma quello e tutto e person a me

I am sorry
I don't remember your love
I don't know your heart
I have forgotten
If I remembered, what would I see?
the beauty of a dream
a sense of calm
but that is all lost to meBlessings blessings one and all
Oh mama how we need them
Pushed and pulled
Scratched and plowed
Oh mama how we need you

Love love love I love you
Oh how I love you all
Morning sunshine breezy shadows
Songbirds and crows

The turning turns The burning burns
Until we die, we breathe
The path is clear in front of you dear
Even when you don’t know the way

Uncertainty is certainly the only thing of which i’m certain

I am here waiting after pulling away the curtain
Sunshine through windows illuminating
What is and isn’t working

Gyres tires spirals tiring
Vehicles of illusion and truth
Creatures swallowing creatures climbing
Evidence that evolution is true

My small life is as big as the ocean
My thoughts as expansive as galaxies
My actions reverberate slowly
This lifetime of energy is the energy of eternity

Blessings blessings one and all
Oh mama how we need them
Pushed and pulled
Scratched and plowed
Oh mama how we need you

* * * *

Thank you Darkroom for the inspiring stems.  Thank you Haskel for generously sharing your inimitable guitar stylings.

I hope you have a safe and healthy New Year, and that together, we can see our way through this collective dark night.

TInfluenced by my studies of radical regeneration, evolutionary mysticism, sacred activism, somatic healing, the IChing, and my dreams.
There was a problem with the tags so I just re-uploaded the pell so it would appear in the Sustainability project playlist.  The original upload with a flac file and lyrics is [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/24527]here[/url].[i][small]dry stems in zip file[/small][/i]

I have been profoundly moved by what the people of Haiti are currently suffering.  Suffering. . .it is embedded in Haitian history. As I read and heard reports on the aftermath of the earthquake and the history of Haiti, the spirit of the Haitians sparkled. One report described how women were clapping and dancing in the street after the earthquake as a form of potest and connection.  Another report described how the Dominican Republic, Haiti's historic adversary, has opened its borders and coffers to assist in relief efforts.

As a people the Haitians have been described as dignified, and clearly there is reslience as the Haitians have survived extreme poverty, natural disaster and political corruption. 

[u]Reslience & Dignity[/u]

Tension lingered deep, lingered for years
corruption and povety
a mother's fear that her child would never have a chance to grow and struggle would be all he'd know
The inevitable release, the seismic event that makes speculation meaningless
The future instantly redefined
as the earthquake changed millions of lives

All seems lost
How do you go on?

As the night falls once again
The sun shall rise again
Resilience and dignity
Again stars shine above
And once again, you'll want to love

Exposed to tremors, exposed to death
chaos and confusion
yet hope persists
The infrastructure shattered
still the women clap and sing
Unimaginable destruction you see
yet the rift has been fused between enemies
The heart of the world is reaching out to you
so let it in to soothe

All seems lost
How do you go on?

As the night shall fall again
The sun shall rise again
Reslience and dignity
Again stars shine above
And once again, you'll want to love


Special thanks to Per and Haskel.I was thrilled to pieces when I first learned that I was assigned Alex.  I love Alex's work. . .and then I started combing through his repetoire and I became incredibly intimidated.  He is a prolific member of the ccMixter community with a wide variety of textures and sounds in his uploads.  Eventually, I had to simply commit to a creative inclination and this is what came out.  After the War -- a song about the repercussions of war, as a gesture for a hope for peace. [i]Special thanks to Haskel for lending me his fine guitar chops, once again.  He's cool.[/i]

[small][url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/25946]Vocals with lyrics here[/url][/small]I originally wrote these lyrics when traveling in Europe.  I was on a train going from Paris to Florence.  As we exited the city, I was struck by the image of the tenements which looked like post WWII construction.

[b]AFTER THE WAR[/b]

After the war
we're gonna build more efficiently
lose the meaning for revival and surviving
We'll find everything we need
After the war

After the war
Foreigners in camoflauge, along our borders define our pardons and our loss
Under the electric moon we'll make love, well make love
After the war

After the war
We're gonna have a cultural exchange so when you threaten us next time, we'll have your strength
We'll find everything we need
After the war

[i]I apologize for the clipping on the vocal mix in the last verse -- I will try to reup something better soon.  Also, I could not, for the life of me, get the effects of the stems -- I hope this does not render these stems totally useless for remixing.[/i][b]5/18/10 Update:  Alternative versions of this pell uploaded containing additional lyrics. Alternative versions recorded at 50bpm.[/b] 

[i]Today marks one year since my first upload to ccMixter.  I can't express how grateful I am to Fourstones for turning me onto this site.  My experience here has been transformative -- my life is forever richer for the relationships and creative opportunities that ccMixter brought into it!  Thank you everyone for sharing your great work, for listening to and remixing my work (even when my work is not so great), for all of the support and encouragement you have given me, and for being part of such a splendid community![/i]

Meanwhile, "With the Light" is the theme song for "Box Window Door" a play currently in development in Los Angeles and for which I serve as the musical director. At the beginning and at the end of the show, this song is sung a capella by the cast.

Music is an intergral part of the production.  In addition to creating original music for the show, I have been curating music from ccMixter to use in the show.  We did a workshop peformance in January, which included a long q&a session afterwards.  The audience was mesmerized, transfixed and impressed by the music, and it became a wonderful opportunity to talk about ccMixter as a rich creative resource.

Remixes of this song will definitely be considered for use in conjunction with the production -- although I am not sure right now how that may be. In the event remixes of this song are considered for use, we will talk further about such usage, licensing, etc. 

[i][Dry stems for each vocal part uploaded separately -- the lead alone, and the harmonies in a .zip file.][/i]

[u]With the Light[/u] 

I didn't see it coming
locked down deep inside
dark in a box of sorrow
far far from the light.

Then a dream, a hope, a glimmer
through the window pane
maybe that's the answer
let the light back in again.

And when that door does open
I'll step right outside
I'll be with my maker
I'll be with the light
I'll be with my maker
I'll be with the light.

Along that road I traveled all day and through the night
Without a map to guide me
searching for the light
Then a dream a hope a glimmer
through the fire and through the rain
Maybe that's the answer let the light back in again
And when that journey's over I'll step right outside
I'll be with my maker I'll be with the light

I had a heart that's broken, bitter and petrified
Locked in a box of sorrow far far from the light
Then a dream a hope a glimmer relieved from that pain
Maybe that's the answer let the light back in again
And when that love does find me my heart shall be bright
I'll be with my maker I'll be with the lightThe rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet and so are you
You are my love and I am thine
I drew thee too my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
and Fortune said it should be you

-- Gammer Gurto's Garland English Nursery Rhymes, 1784

[url=http://ccmixter.org/playlist/browse/9445][i]for the mixin kitchen ep. 42[/i][/url]I've been sitting in the dark. 

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/26741]A capella with dry vocal stems uploaded separately.[/url]

[u]I WILL WRITHE[/u]

Shadows lengthen into the evening
misunderstanding meaning
warped by my warped mind
I can't look you in the eye

I haven't felt this way in a long time
the kind of pain that makes you want to die
I can't look you in the eye
in your light I will writhe

You say you'd like to find a way in
but the way in is cluttered with experience
I can't look you in the eye
I can't let you see inside me

My blood is dark and my heart is black
I can't seem to find my way back
I can't look you in the eye
I will writhe
in your eyes I will writhe
in your light I will writhe

[i]As always, production tips are welcome.[/i]Vocals for remix [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/26739]I Will Writhe[/url]. Dry vocal stems for all parts uploaded in zip file.

[u]I WILL WRITHE[/u]

Shadows lengthen into the evening
misunderstanding meaning
warped by my warped mind
I can't look you in the eye

I haven't felt this way in a long time
the kind of pain that makes you want to die
I can't look you in the eye
in your light I will writhe

You say you'd like to find a way in
but the way in is cluttered with experience
I can't look you in the eye
I can't let you see inside me

My blood is dark and my heart is black
I can't seem to find my way back
I can't look you in the eye
I will writhe
in your eyes I will writhe
in your light I will writheI heard [i]Hidden Blues[/i] by Pitx and was immediately inspired, despite my commitment to remaining focused on a project that is gladly occupying most of my creative time.  This is a quick and sloppy track, headphone mix, and just one of those things that happen sometimes when you let it.  Big thanks to Pitx and rocavaco for sharing such swell music with us!

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27043][i]a capella here[/i][/url]

[b][u]WHISKEY DOWN (The Hidden Blues)[/u][/b]

love so bright it burns your eyes
hungry touch on your thighs
weary worn and confused
'bout the love you just refused

whiskey down until you're lit
convinced love's just a nasty bitch
charms and vows to seduce
what's a dream and what's the truth

give her a moment
give her a day
until you find the right thing to say
all seems lost 
nothing more to lose
you're not sure what path to choose
try walkin' in her shoes
but you won't escape
the hidden bluesI was unexpectedly inspired by Pitx. I couldn't help myself.  I had to do it. This was fast, dirty, and quick -- like slinging back some heavy duty rotgut when trying to sort things out. The remix is [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27041]here[/url]. Vocal stems in .zip file.

[b]WHISKEY DOWN[/b]

love so bright it burns your eyes
hungry touch on your thighs
weary worn and confused
'bout the love you just refused

whiskey down until you're lit
convinced love's just a nasty bitch
charms and vows to seduce
what's a dream and what's the truth

give her a moment
give her a day
until you find the right thing to say
when all seems lost
nothin' more to lose
you're not sure which path to chose
try walkin' in her shoes
but you won't escape
the hidden bluesDebbizo is a wonderful poet who has an uncanny ability of capturing the subtlety of simple moments so that the sublime nature of experience is felt. In addition, she boldy explores her creativity as a mixter which is terrific because her instrumental track formed the basis of my secret mixter submission, flavored with excerpts from a couple of her poems, and featuring the entirety of another. I (predictibly, I suppose) added some backgound vocals, and (perhaps surprisingly) a few guitar parts.

[small][i](At some point I'll upload the original stems.)[/i][/small]Background vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27513]Untethered[/url].[i][b]Dissonance through transition. Nostaligia, and perhaps some hope for release.[/b][/i]

[small][small]This is a most heartfelt creation offered to my friends who are working through painful changes in their lives.[/small][/small]

[i][url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27514]Spoken word[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27512]background vocals[/url] also uploaded separately.  [/i]

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27513][b]UNTETHERED[/b][/url]

Utethered
Your life of comfort and familiarity
shrinking in the distance between where you are now and where you were then
Perspective skewed by atmosphere and shadows
the inception of decisions unclear
so all that remains is the detritus of the years
Packed and secured, the boxes stacked and stored
Proof that you once lived here.

The ground beneath your feet is shaky
each step destroying further the integrity of the world that once supported you
That love
That delight
Those moments of abandon where everything was perfect
Color and shape, oh so satisfying
The place somehow defining the meaning of this life.

You try to breathe deep
You try not to cry
You try to look forward
but there's something wrong with your eyes
so that clarity is compromised.

Still, you see that errant balloon
floating above the rooftops
The air currents lifting it, dropping it, tossing it
At some point it may become trapped
trapped by wires, trapped by time,
trapped by embracing limbs that stop its flight.
Or it may be released,
riding the waves of light through the wind of sighs.[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/27513][b]UNTETHERED[/b][/url]

Utethered
Your life of comfort and familiarity
shrinking in the distance between where you are now and where you were then
Perspective skewed by atmosphere and shadows
the inception of decisions unclear
so all that remains is the detritus of the years
Packed and secured, the boxes stacked and stored
Proof that you once lived here.

The ground beneath your feet is shaky
each step destroying further the integrity of the world that once supported you
That love
That delight
Those moments of abandon where everything was perfect
Color and shape, oh so satisfying
The place somehow defining the meaning of this life.

You try to breathe deep
You try not to cry
You try to look forward
but there's something wrong with your eyes
so that clarity is compromised.

Still, you see that errant balloon
floating above the rooftops
The air currents lifting it, dropping it, tossing it
At some point it may become trapped
trapped by wires, trapped by time,
trapped by embracing limbs that stop its flight.
Or it may be released,
riding the waves of light through the wind of sighs.

________________________

[small][small]This is a most heartfelt creation offered to my friends who are working through painful changes in their lives.[/small][/small]Being part of a community based on sharing music through Creative Commons licenses has changed my life in enormous ways, expanding my world artistically, creatively, socially, professionally. I believe in the strength of our community's voice to get this message across!

I would love to see these words picked up, not only in remixes, but if someone were to cover this track -- that would be fabulous! (I would be thrilled to hear this as a rap.  Originally, I wrote it as a rap but being so far from able to perform rap, you will find I provided something that is more like a chant with some harmonies.)

Not a lot of melody here but recorded with a scratch track chugging along in A. 

All vocal parts uploaded individually (as well as a .zip file containing all for the sake of convenience).

[b]FREEDOM IN MY VOICE[/b]

Pencil pushers pinching dimes
take my words take my rhymes
confuse the left with my right
my right to share or give away
my right to say how I say
it's mine to give my words my art
it's mine to give my songs my heart
not an invite to abuse
just permission to reuse
incorporate or to refine
chop it up and recombine.

These new choices I embrace
don't shut me down this time of change
sing along and rejoice
there's freedom in my voice.

These words are heard
these words are seen
connecting with communities
crossing time zones and vast seas
this is opportunity
a chance for discovery
rewards that rise through open source opening many doors.

This is gain not sacrifice
license as a device to decriminalize
let us realize together we can redefine the line between what's yours and mine.

[i]Special thanks to Echoed whose track Beat_08 was the click for recording.[/i]When Debbizo wrote this, she was not sure she would be able to record it for the Freedom to Share project, and she asked me if I would like to do so.  I understood too well this story of a poem's journey, and told her I would be happy to do so.  Since then, [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/debbizo/27860]she was able to do a recording[/url], but seeing as I had this in the works, I thought I would share my version too.  Here's to Creative Commons licenses -- the license of choice!This was just too delicious to pass up!  Jacinda and Snowflake are just superb artists on all levels and I couldn't resist playing with them. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/jacindae/27941]Jacinda wrote the song.[/url]  [url=http://ccmixter.org/reviews/snowflake/27982]Snowflake added to her arrangment[/url]. And, in the true collaborative spirit of the Freedom to Share project, I sacrificed sleep and other necessities to get this done before the deadline.  I love this place!

[i][b]Special thanks to Snowflake who took the time and trouble to help with the synching issues.  This vocal mix is her great work![/b][/i]

And stems for our individual parts are on our respective upload pages.Anchor's language in [i]Blake's Song Free Speech & Song[/i] is exquisite and inspir[i][/i]ing. I immediately wanted to sing this poetry. Many thanks to St. Paul for adding his luscious voice reciting the words in French.  And of course, to Spinningmerkaba, Colab, Snowflake, Mind Map That, Startaster and Anjibee for sharing their words and music with us so generously.

I've uploaded my [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/28095]pell[/url] separately.I was moved and inspired by [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/anchormejans/27939]Anchor's exquisite language[/url]. Dry stems (mp3 and aiff files) uploaded in zip files.

I sang these words in a Freedom to Share offering [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/28094][i]The Soul Longs[/i][/url].Haskel heard me tracking my cover of Deb's "Life of a Poem" and it just set him off into his own world of memory and association. I volunteered to mix him up if he recorded his story. And here we go -- we're all just inspiring each other.  I love ccMixter!

Not sure about bpm -- based on Fourstone's remix of Gurdonark which doesn't have a bpm tag. But it doesn't matter too much because the track makes a very groovy bed for Haskel's voice and fine guitar stylings.[b]"I love men and women I never met except in song. . ."[/b]

Porchcat's words and sentiment resonated very deeply with me.  It was a pleasure to create this mix using his words, inspired by the generous spirit of his intentions.  Once again, I am ever grateful to the artists who so freely share their work -- Teru rocks hard! And thanks to Haskel for once again lending his fine guitar stylings.

[i]Dry vocal stems and Haskel's Richard Thompson-esq guitar part uploaded as added files.[/i]



Porchcat's Original Lyrics:

I love men and women I've never met,
except in song.
They dance within my sacred spaces,
pairs and crowds,
weaving together a tapestry of humanity;
they reach into the hidden places of my soul,
and whisper to it,
the celestial song.

In turn they listen to the clash,
and jangle,
and scratch,
and hum,
that I use as the brush for my aural canvas;
and they hear me;
they see me.

The hues and shades of a hundred voices,
the delicate color of a thousand sounds,
given to me freely,
to love and enjoy,
to mangle and warp,
and make my own;
so I show my spirit,
in union with other souls.

Brother, sisters, and strangers alike,
we gather in our shared home,
this temple of sound,
this musical holy ground.
We celebrate each other.
We embrace each other.
Here there are always connections,
always interactions,
and no one is alone.

Faces unknown to me,
lives that I have no part in,
become my family and friends.
We are together in this white cube,
waiting for us to share the Muse,
waiting for us to share our hearts,
waiting for us to bring it to life,
with infinite noise and harmony.I can't believe this is my fourth remix for this project -- that's insane.  I'm not really a remix monster like some of our cohorts.  I was just undeniably inspired by the creative energy and potential generated through this project.  This is a quick mix (for me at least), having just started it yesterday afternoon and I'm sure it's sloppier than I would normally be satisfied with. . .I just hope all of you involved in this project (and not just included in this particular mix) know how much I appreciate your words, your music, your generosity and the fact that you are a part of ccMixter![blue][b]C[/b][/blue] - creative community
[blue][b]C[/b][/blue] - caring
[blue][b]M[/b][/blue] - mixters making many magical musical moments
[blue][b]I[/b][/blue] - international interest intriguing inspiring inherantly
[blue][b]X[/b][/blue] - exciting extraordinary excellent
[blue][b]T[/b][/blue] - textures tasty tunes trackbacks
[blue][b]E[/b][/blue] - enjoying everyone enthusiasm
[blue][b]R[/b][/blue] - reaching relishing remixes.
[blue][b].[/b][/blue]
[blue][b]O[/b][/blue] - original offerings
[blue][b]R[/b][/blue] - remade refined renewed
[blue][b]G[/b][/blue] - growth grace gratitude

[small][i](sorry -- I'm a bit stuffed up still from a lingering cold)[/i][/small]I believe anything we create reveals something about ourselves.

This was the most challenging remix I have done to date! GON is such an amazing singer, and has been the focus of so many truly fine remixes, that I was incredibly intimidated to have him as my mixee.  In addition, the past two weeks have been crazy with tons of day-job work (including a business trip out of town) and being down with an upper respiratory infection which cut into my remixing time. 
 
My initial thought was to do a groovy, electronic, dance track.  Of course, I was frustrated because I don't know even where to start with something like that.  As I grappled with how to approach this music,  my inner voice encouraged me to just approach it like it was one of my songs.  I had to face the fact that I am still analogue oriented to a large degree, and discharged my synthesizer dreams in exchange for  my  bass.  As soon as I accepted that this track would sound like something I made, and not like anything else, everything seemed to come together rather easily (Of course, It doesn't hurt that I have Haskel handy to lend his very, very fine guitar stylings!) 
 
So, I hope this track doesn't reveal too much about my musical limitations, but does reveal  my commitment to listening to the inner voice as a guide to inspiration and flow.

[i][b]I look forward to hearing everyone elses secret mixter offering! It may take a few days, but you can count on me to listen![/b][/i]Today is the first day in over a month where I feel myself emerging -- it's been a long haul of overwork and illness, and while still a bit stuffy, I finally feel hopeful as I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Accordingly, I just had to do something as I haven't been able to do much of anything for over a month! So even though my voice is still not quite clear, here's a bit of a By and By offering. . . 

I wrote this a few years ago on New Year's Eve but the cadence and the language still resonates for me.

[u][b]Hope for the Best[/b][/u]

I am not resolute.
I hope for the best.
I linger in the quietness until worry spurs my tightened chest.

I sit among my papers waiting for motivation to rush to me as if I were sorely missed and then, then I could attend to the sorting and the tidying that I glibly declare I shall complete.  What a treat!  To start the new year clean. . .

David cannot wait.
It's just another year for me -- growth and more  maturity.

I need not reflect.
I hope for the best.
I cherish my loves, and their lovliness.

Not at all tired, I spy a satellite, or a star it seems, in the brief visible patch of sky between the window and the window pane, and upon that I medidate until I fall asleep.  These days, they are active, my dreams.

Today is not the head.
'Tis merely the turn of the calendar page and the date of my age. I have no intention to change.

I do not project.
I hope for the best.I'm so pleased to be able to remix Unreal_DM after all the fabulous remixes he's done with my pells.  Thanks for great source! I had Haskel add a bit of solo too. 

In honor of "By and By" I tried to throw in as many cliches about "time" as I could.  Let me know if I forgot one.

[i]pell uploaded separately[/i] 

[b]TIME HAS COME[/b]
Elastic
Stretches
Waits for noone
Curing everying
Telling all

The time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

In a nick
Cut to the chase
It's all we have
What a waste

Time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

All in due
Call it a day
Just a second
A long ways away

Time after time
Time and again
Times they are a changin'

The time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

to love againThis is the pell for my remix of Unreal_DM.  I threw together as many cliches about time that I could come up with figuring "Time" is an apt theme for the passage of time as marked by the new year.

[i]I cleaned up the spaces between lyrics in this preview mp3 but not in the dry files -- sorry. Dry vocal stems are uploaded in a zip file.[/i]

[b]TIME HAS COME[/b]
Elastic
Stretches
Waits for noone
Curing everying
Telling all

The time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

In a nick
Cut to the chase
It's all we have
What a waste

Time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

All in due
Call it a day
Just a second
A long ways away

Time after time
Time and again
Times they are a changin'

The time has come
to move on
make amends
to live and to love again

to love againA variation on a familiar theme balanced on Speck's remarkable foundation comprised of numerous source that is already one of my favorite versions of this traditional song. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne]After doing a bit of research[/url] (because I did not know all the words), I chose to sing excerpts from James Watson's original poem which was later adapted by Robert Burns, eventually turing into the "Auld Lang Syne" many of us are familiar with. Despite some liberties taken with the melody, I did include a lyrical refrain from "Auld Lang Syne" because familiarity is comforting.

Happy New Year! And thanks to Speck and all the musicans he remixed (Unreal_DM, Admiral Bob, Morusque, Clarence Simpson and i2B).

Vocal stems uploaded separately.An interpretive variation of the traditional Auld Lang Syne based on the original poem written by James Watson, later adapted by Robert Burns. (You can learn more [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne]here[/url].) Melodic interpretation inspired by Speck's Nu Lang Syne, which I [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/29802]sang along to[/url].

Stems for each part included in .zip file.Totally a headphone mix -- neighbors have been trimming their trees all morning.  Can barely hear myself think. . . 

It's always fun to see how many mixters I can mix up at once. Special thanks to the lovely SmoJos who is new to ccM (and my progeny).

Happy new year everyone!I think it's pretty nifty that our community was invited to participate in another art gallery event! 

I also dig the various meanings of "emergence" as it applies to systems theory, meterology, physics, relationships and the creative process. 

Recorded to a click at 125 bpm

[b]EMERGE IN LOVE[/b]

As shadows melt when light shines,
we emerge in love.

Snowflake fractal patterns pulsing with meaning
crystallize from chaos into organized forms.
Each random pleasure is a hurricane
encompassing both power and calm.

This synergy is sublime.
When the whole is more than "more than"
different from "the sum of. . ."

It is the emergence of love
rising from the ashes of broken promises, truncated memories dreams
extracted and treated until all parts
meld into this moment
inextricable from temporal markers.

It is your mouth on my mouth as we kiss.

So take this heart, and this sigh
to emerge in love.

Our conjoined melodies that linger
Rhythms that bind
Our sound the song of intentions combined.As soon as samples started coming in for the Emergence project, I started getting inspired. As I started working on this remix, more and more souce was being uploaded and I just wanted to include everything! I suspect this may be just the first Emergence remix I tackle given how much source I've already downloaded.

A big thank you to everyone who so generously shares such splendid samples! I really enjoyed spending this time with you.  And special thanks to HEJ31 for playing for me.

Mastering was a challenge on this track for me.  Tips, hints and suggestions re how to best eq a track like this are welcome.

Samples, including bg vox, [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/30168]uploaded separately[/url] so they can be shared cc-byOriginal samples created for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/30159]Inspiration Ignites[/url], uploaded here cc-by.

125 bpm.  Key of A Major.It all started with Alex.  Then there was Anchor.  Magic Moon's whispers are divine.  And Snowflake added the finishing touch.  The lyrics are an amalgamation of lyrics shared by these artists.

As always, mastering tips are helpful! This track is monstrous with a lot of instrumental and vocal tracks -- I did my best to eq everything, but clearly, I'm still learning.  While the arrangement is pretty simple, this is certainly my most ambitious attempt at mastering so far.

A version of this song mastered by Abstract Audio can be found [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Citizen_X0/30607]here[/url].  

Vocal parts uploaded separately.

[i]Come up for air come up to breathe
You've been submerged for centuries

Let go and rise
Let go and rise
Let go and rise
Rise to the light

I hear your voice calling me

A river of heaven flows through me

Emerge in love[/i]Vocals for my Come Up For Air remix -- essentially lyrical bits and pieces culled from or inspired by Anchor, Snowflake and my Emergence pells.  

There are 10 (or 11) differrent vocal tracks -- some parts are double tracked, some have harmonies.  I uploaded both mp3and flac files. Each part sings a different line:

[i]Come up for air come up to breathe
You've been submerged for centuries

Let go and rise
Let go and rise
Let go and rise
Rise to the light

I hear your voice calling me

A river of heaven flows through me

Emerge in love[/i][url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/30330]cc-plus license available for use outside of cc-by license.[/url]

Stephen Fewell invited me to write some lyrics and melody.  Inspired by the slide guitar in the track, I came up with Slippin' & Slidin'.

Dry vox stems uploaded as mp3 and flac in zip files.

[i][b]UPDATE[/b]:  It was brought to my attention the lead vox in the zip files is not dry.  I am super swamped but will replace all eventually.  If you want dry, clean files in the interim, send me a note.  Meanwhile, I did re-up a dry lead flac. -- [small]020511[/small][/i]


SLIPPIN' & SLIDIN'

Slippin' and slidin'
sliding away
Everything I once knew, crumbles and dissipates
My heart once filled with love, is now filled with shame
'Cuz you don't look back when you walk away.

Slippin' & slidin'
sliding away
What once was a home is now just another space
I gave you all I had to give and you took it without grace
Now you don't look back when you walk away.

I reach for you
You don't extend
time and time and time again
You say to me, I'm your only woman
You say to me, I'm your heaven

I reach for you
You don't extend
Time and time and time again
Well what you don't say, I can see
The words, the love, the disparity

Slippin' & slidin'
Sliding away
I should have known I'd see this day
Glimmer shadows into grey
What we need is not the same
And you don't look back when you walk awayThe rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet and so are you
You are my love and I am thine
I drew thee too my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
and Fortune said it should be you

-- Gammer Gurto's Garland English Nursery Rhymes, 1784

[url=http://ccmixter.org/playlist/browse/9445][i]for the mixin kitchen ep. 42[/i][/url]

eventually I will upload pell as stemsI created this track for a dance solo that occurs during the climax of the theatrical production [url=http://www.indiegogo.com/BWD]Box, Window, Door[/url] which is set to start a 12-day run (over a three-week period) in Los Angeles next week.

I am the music director for this play, and am essentially remixing the music live during the show, except for a couple of moments in which the music is set (such as this).  All of the music and sound I use during the show is liberally licensed, sourced from ccMixter and Freesound.

As always, mixing/mastering tips are helpful.I created this piece to accompany a video projected during [url=http://tolucantimes.info/section/theatre_review/to-dream-perchance-to-awaken/]Box, Window, Door[/url], a play that incorporates ghosts of the Holocaust.  The video is a shot of a cathedral that runs as the protagonist in the play explores further her relationship with her mother who was a survivor. I was asked to consider [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht]Kristallnacht[/url], which I did.Vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/39181]You Made Me Believe[/url], my September Blues secret mixter offering remixing Jeris. I'd love to hear what you can do with this!

Dry stems uploaded separately (mp3 and wav):

Lead
Harmony 1
Harmony 1 double
Harmony 2
Harmony 2 double


[u]YOU MADE ME BELIEVE[/u]

You made me believe that you love me
You made me believe that you love me

I was afraid to say it out loud
I was afraid to let it be
Then you made me believe
You made me believe
You made me believe that you love me
I know you that you love me
'Cuz you made me believe

They say you get what you give
So you'll get more love now than you can live with
Since you made me believe
You made me believe
You made me believe that you love me
I know that you love me
I can feel that you love me
The way that you love meVidian is adorable! And I was so grateful that he had a sample pack to work with!

A portion of the lyric is comprised of Vidian's song titles (in italics below). And thanks to Haskel for lending his fine guitar stylins.

[small][i]([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31152]Pell stems uploaded separated[/url].)[/i] And this is just a headphone mix -- my speakers are not connected right now.[/small]

[u][b]THE BOY LOVES[/b][/u]
the boy loves
the boy loves
walking the fine line between
what he knows, what he believes
the stars in his eyes are dreams

the boy loves
the boy loves
freely shared his soul with another
who broke under its weight
alone again, the boy suffers
to deeply relate

the boy loves
the boy loves

he'll dance to relieve the shame
he'll dance to shed his sin
he'll dance to free the pain
he'll dance to love again

the boy loves
the boy loves

[i]I see you, insatiable
hold on for a little while
a thousand mistakes -- stop
nobody forgot about you
these things. . . rock hard
I don't know
wait
grow
dream of sun
dreams[/i]The vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31132]The Boy Loves[/url], my secret mixter remix of Vidian.

Vocal parts uploaded separately in zip files (one for mp3 and one for flac).  Parts are essentially doubled so there are eight individual stems (lead, mid harmony, low harmony, high harmony).

A portion of the lyric is comprised of Vidian's song titles (in italics below).

[u][b]THE BOY LOVES[/b][/u]
the boy loves
the boy loves
walking the fine line between
what he knows, what he believes
the stars in his eyes are dreams

the boy loves
the boy loves
freely shared his soul with another
who broke under its weight
alone again, the boy suffers
to deeply relate

the boy loves
the boy loves

he'll dance to relieve the shame
he'll dance to shed his sin
he'll dance to free the pain
he'll dance to love again

the boy loves
the boy loves

[i]I see you, insatiable
hold on for a little while
a thousand mistakes -- stop
nobody forgot about you
these things. . . rock hard
I don't know
wait
grow
dream of sun
dreams[/i]Well, MC Jack beat me to the "no mixter left behind punch" but I just really wanted to do this.  I love Bigbonobo who not only shares great music with us at ccMixter, but is an active advocate for sharing culture in his part of the world.

This is a fast and dirty mix put together in record time (for me) -- about four hours, which also includes learning to speak French. :)  (I wonder how many times I'll end up replacing the file. . . should I take bets?)  But if I were to do this song live, this is likely how I would do it -- a bit bare, a bit raw, and somewhat imperfect.

I want to give special thanks to Admiral Bob who helped me with the French translation of the lyric.  And while I do apologize for my pronunciation, my intent is sincere.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31172]Vocals uploaded separately.[/url]

[u][b]LOVE & REMEMBER[/b][/u]

You will not be forgotten
to be remembered is to be loved
to remember is to love
love and remember
remember love

Tu ne sera pas oublié
Quand nous sommes souvenu, nous sommes aimée
Souvenir, c'est aimer
Alors aimons et souvenons
Et souvenons l'amour[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31172]cc-plus license available for other use[/url]


Special thanks to Admiral Bob for providing the French translation (and apologiesfor any  accent butchering that may have occurred in the making of this song).

Dry stems uploaded as additional files (mp3 and flac).

[i]NOTE:  I unpublished the remix until I have a chance to fix it.  I was too rushed and don't feel it is quite ready for sharing.[/i]
[u][b]LOVE & REMEMBER[/b][/u]

You will not be forgotten
to be remembered is to be loved
to remember is to love
love and remember
remember love

Tu ne sera pas oublié
Quand nous sommes souvenu, nous sommes aimée
Souvenir, c'est aimer
Alors aimons et souvenons
Et souvenons l'amourI was asked by  Copperhead to contribute background vocals to his gorgeous remix of Snowflake's Seed.  I was happy to.

Dry individual stems (I recorded an insance amount of parts) are uploaded in zip files (flac & mp3 formats)This started out as an acoustic demo -- one lead vocal, one harmony vocal.  That didn't last long. 

I couldn't have done it without Haskel.  He gives me hope.

So special thanks once again to Haskel for his fine guitar stylins. Thanks to Admiral Bob on drums, Fireproof Babies and Peter A for sharing wonderful samples. [small](. . . in case you're wondering that's me on the bass.)[/small]

I wish I had better production skills.  My hat is off to those of you who do.


[url]Vocal stems uploaded separately.[/url]

[b]LOVE A MAN[/b]
I love a man
he has no idea what he does to me
to be loved I acquiesce
all my dreams, they are his
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves me

I love a man
he has no idea what he does to me
the hollow space behind our kiss
where I glimpse how we used to be
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves me

[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
love is a compromise
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
love is a sacrifice
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
sublimation, negotiation
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
to keep the peace, I don't resist
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
all my strength shall be his
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]

I love a man
he has no idea what he does to me
to share a life. . . a life with him
I succomb, I cede
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves me

love me
love me
love me
all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31790]cc-plus commercial licensing available for this track[/url]

Vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31787]Love a Man[/url]. Crazy amount of vocal parts. Dry stems uploaded separately (mp3 & flac).  

Haskel tells me this song is in Gmin with a key change somewhere. Not sure what chords were played except the chorus is F/G -- that I know for sure.

[b]LOVE A MAN[/b]
I love a man
he has no idea what he does to me
to be loved I acquiesce
all my dreams, they are his
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves m

I love a man
he had no idea what he does to me
the hollow space behind our kiss
where I glimpse how we used to be
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves me

[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
love is a compromise
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
love is a sacrifice
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
sublimation, negotiation
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
to keep the peace, I don't resist
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]
all my strength shall be his
[small][i]all I ever wanted was his sweet kiss[/i][/small]

I love a man
he has no idea what he does to me
to share a life. . . a life with him
I succomb, I cede
it's not that he's unkind
I believe that he loves me

love me
love me
love me
all I ever wanted was his sweet kissI love this song.  I just wanted to sing along.From the play [url=http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/463][i]BoxWindowDoor[/i][/url] for which I am the music director.  This music plays at the end of the first act, and marks the descent of Margaret, the protagonist, further into the world of dreams where ultimately she will experience liberating transformation. All of the action of the play takes place in Margaret's dreamworld which is accentuated through the music.

I have been working on this theatrical production for a while.  It has evolved over time.  If you are interested in knowing more you can visit us [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH8cWUP6vgs]here[/url], [url=https://www.fracturedatlas.org/s/campaign/336]here[/url], or[url=http://www.boxwindowdoor.com/]here[/url].  Or just ask, and I'll be happy to tell you about it.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, we would love to see you at our upcoming performances June 26 (1:00pm and 5:00pm) as part of the [url=http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/]Hollywood Fringe Festival[/url].

I also used the following sources from freesound.org:

[url=http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=85804]sandyrb tubular bells 10[/url]
[url=http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=18037]WIM grandfather clock[/url]

[b]MARGARET'S LULLABY[/b]
[i]words by Evelyn Stettin[/i]

[i]she can't tell[/i]
She can't tell us where she's going to be
[i]she can't tell[/i]
She can't tell us how to set her free
[i]she can't tell[/i]
She can't tell us any little thing
[i]she can't tell[/i]
She can't tell us how badly she wants to sing

It's time for Margaret's coffin dreams
It's time for Margaret's coffin dreams
It's time for Margaret's coffin dreams
The dreams we hope will set her freeWhat is a beach blanket party without pop-driven boy/girl angst?  

Stellarartwars' has a lot of material to choose from.  And while most of his catalogue is fully produced remixes, there are a handful of songs he shared with us -- stems and all -- that have not been remixed.  4 Real is one of those songs.

I tried to capture the spirit of Frankie & Annette (and perhaps a bit of Phil) adding some timpani, bells, claps and strings to enhance the tracks already laid down by Stellarartwars and to perhaps expoloit the retro-pop feel he intended.  All the lyrics are Stellarartwars, except for the bridge.

Timpani is from [url=http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=24798
]spt3125[/url] over at Freesound. (Our form links are not working right now).These are the things I think about around the time of my birthday, still. 

A special nod to Abstract Audio who said something that inspired me to create this follow up to [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/21709]Choices May Change[/url]. 

Many thanks to all the mixters who so generously share their source material as incorporated herein:  Audiotechnica, Abstract Audio, Morgantj, VPD Music and PetarA.  I added bass, some guitar bits, and of course, the vocals.  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/32702]Lead vox[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/32703]background vocals[/url] uploaded separately.

[u][b]INDELIBLE CHOICES: CHOICES MAY CHANGE PART II[/b][/u]
Choices may change
though indelible they remain
Like ink to skin
Worn  in expressions stained by experience reflecting  what you did and what you chose not to do
Worn in brief side eyed glances as you cross thresholds escorted by the ghosts of your decisions
Worn in distractions crystalized like breath on frozen window glass 
where you pause to peer as you pass

As you pass there is no time
no time for regret.

My regrets are few, but deep
They are the gollum in my dreams and the clocks collected by my father
as if by surrounding himself by minutes and hours he will somehow linger longer.

I  have neither a clock nor a mirror.
My life's reflection transitory
Puddles
Rear views
Your eyes
Facebook
Poetry.

Choices may change but indelible they remain
so that experience is this experience.
Setting up decisions like destiny
Benchmarking probability
If these choices were odds
And I were a bookie placing bets
You could make a million bucks
Guessing what happens next.

Choices may change but indelible they remain
The dna of action
Infusing each  reach with a legacy of intention
At times  unrecognizable, 
So that even soma’s  messages cannot elucidate the options.
And other times
Clear, inspired, focused, righteous
Toched by divinity
So that those choices are delicate habingers of hope in a life of crises

Choices may change
Though indelible they remain
Link ink to skin
Coloring  history with the hues of your decisions.These are the things I think about around the time of my birthday, still. 

A special nod to Abstract Audio who said something that inspired me to create this follow up to [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/21709]Choices May Change[/url]. 

Dry vocals uploaded as additional files (mp# and flac).

[u][b]INDELIBLE CHOICES: CHOICES MAY CHANGE PART II[/b][/u]
Choices may change
though indelible they remain
Like ink to skin
Worn  in expressions stained by experience reflecting  what you did and what you chose not to do
Worn in brief side eyed glances as you cross thresholds escorted by the ghosts of your decisions
Worn in distractions crystalized like breath on frozen window glass 
where you pause to peer as you pass

As you pass there is no time
no time for regret.

My regrets are few, but deep
They are the gollum in my dreams and the clocks collected by my father
as if by surrounding himself by minutes and hours he will somehow linger longer.

I  have neither a clock nor a mirror.
My life's reflection transitory
Puddles
Rear views
Your eyes
Facebook
Poetry.

Choices may change but indelible they remain
so that experience is this experience.
Setting up decisions like destiny
Benchmarking probability
If these choices were odds
And I were a bookie placing bets
You could make a million bucks
Guessing what happens next.

Choices may change but indelible they remain
The dna of action
Infusing each  reach with a legacy of intention
At times  unrecognizable, 
So that even soma’s  messages cannot elucidate the options.
And other times
Clear, inspired, focused, righteous
Toched by divinity
So that those choices are delicate habingers of hope in a life of crises

Choices may change
Though indelible they remain
Link ink to skin
Coloring  history with the hues of your decisions.Background vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/32701]Indelible Choices remix.[/url]

Dry vocal stems uploaded in mp3 and flac formats.I may be  bold to attempt operatic-style bits (especially since I am pretty much just a folk singer) but what the hay? Music is meant to be fun!

I'm singing my own made up Italiante gibberish language.  Can you guess what I'm singing about?

[i][blue]Special thanks to Borja, Air_Lomeg and Smojos (who happens to be my daughter) for sharing so freely.[/blue][/i]

[i]Dry guitar and bass stems in zip file.  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/33441]Vocal stems are uploaded separately.[/url][/i]Vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/33440]Lamadia Tiado remix[/url].

I may be bold to attempt operatic bits (as I am pretty much just a folk singer), but music is meant to be fun, right?!

The language is a made up Italianate gibberish sung with intent.  Can you guess what I'm saying?

Here are the lyrics (each word translates):

ah  lamadio tiado
tiado tu fa tramla
lamadio mifa

tiado tu fa tramla
fa tramla
ah lamadio tiado
fa tramla

Dry vocal stems that line up are in the .zip file.I was very sad to learn today that our friend Joe Lincoln, who shared music with us as Fireproof Babies died. 

Joe's music was a pure expression of who he was with no pretense whatsoever.  I always appreciated how he could conjur up associations -- mostly of the punk clubs I frequented as a youngster -- he had a knack for tapping into the sounds of my Hollywood club scene past.  His music could alternately express his delight in silliness or the planets, as well as the pathos of his complicated emotional life. 

I will miss seeing him 'round the mixter where he was not only a prolific contributor (over 300 uploads), but a supporter of other mixter artists, and a vibrant member of our community.

This track is dedicated to Joe, created quickly, lo fi, with the crickets in the studio making an appearance, and with the utmost appreciation for what he shared with us.[u][b]THE RIGHT VOICE[/b][/u]

chosen we wander in a web of derision until we are lost
in a wind of decision, like dust we are tossed
it's a storm of choice
which is the right voice to follow?
which is the voice?

the light filters gently through the glass of shrines
the men, they pray gently, their words being mine
arcs of a culture embrace me within as the year ends and begins again

today you are sleeping in your childhood bed while I try to recall the words I read
"you shall not have idols. . . ."
we are free to assume the shape of knowledge through time's vacuum
the chosen being free to choose
the way I choose to look at you

today, you're at your father's house worshipping his god
I sit there quietly, the prayer surrounding me
thinking what you mean to me
wondering about destiny
listening for the voice to free me

__________________________

[small][i]This is a very personal song that I wrote quite a long time ago.  I recorded and released it (on vinyl, no less) with my band at that time. This is a very different version. Not sure that I'm satisfied, but not sure I can do any better right now.  It has been my goal to re-record and share this song at this time of year for over two years.  At least I accomplished that much.[/i][/small]

Thanks to Gurdonark, Dimitri Artimenko, William Berry and Jovica for freely sharing their music with us.  [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/Jovica/sounds/15060/]Jovice's tubular bell samples[/url] are from Freesound.
Special thanks to [url=http://www.helenmoney.com/launch.html]Helen Money[/url] who plays cello on this track.  If she gives me permission, I will upload her cello parts for remixing.

Vocal stems uploaded as additional files hereto.Couldn't let the funk bandwagon pass by without jumpin' on. . . .


[small][i]dry vocal stems uploaded in zip -- performances are a bit sloppy but started this a few weeks back and got sidetracked with other things. . . sure you know how that is. . .and probably could have continued tweaking the mix ad infinitum. . . .you probably know how that is too. . . .[i][/small]When I learned I was assigned Snowflake, I was completely overwhelmed.  She is undeniably one the most accomplshed artists on the site, with the voice of an angel.  She has been remixed over 700 times by the best of the best. . .I actually almost bailed because I was not sure I could come up with anything, let alone anything I would not be mortified to post  -- but then I got an idea, and went with it.  So here it is -- a track that I hope captures Snowflake's inimitable spiritual generosity. Happy Holidays to All!

I uploaded my vocal parts separately [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/34454]here[/url]. (The choir is equal parts Snowflake and Sackjo.)

[I think I may need to adust the level of the bells a bit. .  .but that will have to wai. . . ]These are the parts I sang in my secret mixter remix of Snowflake, [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/34412]Winter Sol Cathedral Mix[/url].  There are three parts that are sung throughout, and two that come only at the end (they should all line up).  Stems are dry.  At the end, I hit a very high note (E I believe).

Email me directly if you want lossless files.Did you know that Jingle Bells was originally written as a Thanksgiving song?  I love that! Especially as Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I also learned as I researched this song that the original lyrics are a tad naughty especially for 1857 when the song was originaly written.  Jingle Bells happens to be the first song to be broadcast from outer space.  I sing the original lyric here in a rather straight forward manner albeit with some melodic/harmonic liberties.  I would love to hear this remixed in a dubstep track with a heavy drop -- That would be amazing!(I actually recorded with a pretty nifty hip hop beat as a click track).

Key of D I believe. Preview and stems are all dry. If you want lossless files before I can get to uploading them, send me an email.

[u][b]JINGLE BELLS (ORIGINAL LYRIC)[/b][/u]

Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh O'er the hills we go Laughing all the way. Bells on bobtail ring Making spirits bright Oh what sport to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight. |: chorus :| Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way! O what joy it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh. A day or two ago I thought I'd take a ride And soon Miss Fannie Bright Was seated by my side The horse was lean and lank Misfortune seemed his lot He got into a drifted bank And we - we got upsot |: chorus :| A day or two ago The story I must tell I went out on the snow And on my back I fell A gent was riding by In a one-horse open sleigh He laughed as there I sprawling lie But quickly drove away |: chorus :| Now the ground is white Go it while you're young Take the girls tonight And sing this sleighing song Just get a bobtailed bay Two forty is his speed Hitch him to an open sleigh And crack! You'll take the lead. |: chorus :|I couldn't help myself. 

[big][big][red]Merry merry to all![/red][/big][/big][url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/35060]cc-plus commercial license available for this song.[/url]


[blue][big]This really happened, except the gun is a metaphor.[/big][/blue]

I had to get it out of my system somehow as I have a tendency to hold a grudge, and I prefer to start the new year fresh.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/35071]Vocals uploaded separately -- here.[/url]

Special thanks to Audiotechnica for capturing the absolutely right feel for this track with his post-punk bass part, and to Haskel (aka HEJ31) for his inimitably expressive guitar playing.

And if anyone ever wants to help me with production (because seriously, I recognize that I need help), I would be ever so grateful, and I would even bake a pie for you. (For that reason I uploaded dry stems as I cut them for this track.)

[u]LOADED WITH VITRIOL[/u]

you made me feel special
like we were one
you made me feel special
like I could do anything
then you got your gun
you got a gun
you got a gun
now I'm the lonely one

loaded with vitriol
triggered by rage
you spit then kicked me out -- out of the way
you got your gun
you got your gun
you got your gun
now I'm the lonely one

I cried hot tears of surprise
shocked and alarmed that I could give rise to such anger, just trying to surmise where the road lies

you made me believe that you loved me
I was naive to ask you anything
you attempted rapproachment -- I recognize it as such
but I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love[blue][big]This really happened, except the gun is a metaphor.[/big][/blue]

I had to get it out of my system somehow as I have a tendency to hold a grudge, and I prefer to start the new year fresh.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/35060]Remix featuring Audiotechnica and HEJ31 here.[/url]

[u]LOADED WITH VITRIOL[/u]

you made me feel special
like we were one
you made me feel special
like I could do anything
then you got your gun
you got a gun
you got a gun
now I'm the lonely one

loaded with vitriol
triggered by rage
you spit then kicked me out -- out of the way
you got your gun
you got your gun
you got your gun
now I'm the lonely one

I cried hot tears of surprise
shocked and alarmed that I could give rise to such anger, just trying to surmise where the road lies

you made me believe that you loved me
I was naive to ask you anything
you attempted rapproachment -- I recognize it as such
but I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love
I won't give you any more of my love[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/35405#/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/35405]A commercial license for this track is available through ccPlus.[/url]

I was invited by Ghost Kollective to write some lyrics and sing along.  Which I did.  

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHt_aoptypY]They posted a video[/url] previewing the song which will be included on their upcoming album scAtT3rbRa1Nz! 

Dry vocal stems uploaded in zip file (line up to each other and original instrumental track sent to me).

[u][b]LONELY MAN[/b][/u]

running from the future
running from the past
can’t be in the moment
it happens so fast
you're a lonely man
broken bonds of courage
broken family
broken resolutions
brand you bitterly
you're a lonely man

ride the roads you have nowhere to be
(you like to think that you are free)
earth and sky and wind are everything
(but you are just empty)


you're a lonely man
oh if you were here with me
you could be loved by me
then you might find some peace
then you might finde some peace

put on your black leather
hide behind your shades
leave it all behind you for regrets and rage
you're a lonely man
still I reach for your arms
I just want your touch
I  want your love
but your heart is rough
you're a lonely man

ride the roads you have nowhere to be
you like to think that you are free)
earth and sky and wind are everything
(but you are just empty)

you're a lonely man
oh if you were here with me
you could be loved by me
then you might find some peace
then you might find some peaceSteve  Bryant invited me to sing this tender story of struggle and hope from the perspective of a young runaway. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/stevieb357/35759]He remixed it here.[/url] Thanks Steve.

The track was recorded to For the Morning by  Admiral Bob at 125 bpm.  Thanks Admiral!

FOR HEAVEN SAKE
[u]by  Steve Bryant[/u]

Catch me if you can I'm gone again
I'm a runaway not a single friend
I've been doing this on and off forever
And I know this aint the way
Sooner or later I"ll have to pay 
But mom and I just can't live together
She's always drunk and popping pills
And anything else that makes her chill
I dont know how much more I can take
I could use a friend I need a break
Someone please help me  for heaven sake

This is no life for a girl
Its just me against the world
Thanks to  mom I'm so prepared
Sometimes its Hard at night
The pimps have me in their sights
I'm 14 but I'm never scared
I was raped when I was twelve
My life's a living hell
A nightmare not a fairytale
I'll end up dead or in jail
But I keep praying for my prince
I know this doesnt make much sense
I'll never have the fairytale
I could use a friend I need a break
Someone please help me  for heaven sakeSpinningmerkaba is a super-mixter sharing loads of stems and pells and remixes, all of a high quality with clear themes of hope, social responsibility, spirit and love.

I have no idea really how this track emerged, but somehow it did.  As always, production pointers are welcome -- this one defintely presented some mixing challenges.

Lyrics are an amalgamation of Spinningmerkaba lyrics. Track includes his drone/drums, pad/guitar, muted trumpet and vocals.  Additional percussion/drums courtesy of Abstract Audio.  I added bass and vocals.

[b]FOLLOW MY FOOTSTEPS
[u]a song collage)[/u][/b]

Whisper the words we choose to say before the dreams fade away

Remember when time stood still and every wish was fulfilled
Now the sun has turned to rain and now the laughter has turned to pain

Whisper the words we choose to say before the dreams fade away
Expand your horizon

Tree limbs srech crazed over my path
The night sky seems a roof over the asylum of love where heart is a temple of the spirit pounding reckless mad, I ride on 
Eyes unseen watch as I enter her secret kingdom bliss

Expand your horizon

When you go away I feel like the sun won’t shine
When you go away darkness surrounds  me

I love my family
I love my family
Whisper the words we choose to say before the dreams fade away
I love my family
When you go away the darkness surrounds me
I love my family
I love my family
Whisper the dreams we choose to say before the dreams fade away
I love my family
I love my family
When you go away
Whisper the words we choose to say before the dreams fade away
When you go away, when you go away
I love my family
I love my family
Expand your horizons in all directions at once
I love my family
I love my family

I know I cannot go back
You can follow my footsteps
They lead into the lightThese vocals were cut for Copperhead's swell "no mixter left behind" remix of Sturzstrom [url=http://ccmixter.org/reviews/copperhead/35892]Red Light Images[/url].  I essentially had an hour to learn the song, create the vocal lines, record, bounce and send my parts.  Thus -- these parts have some imperfections -- but may be useful for someone else someday.  There are two sections to the pell: 1) "love" 2) angelic choir + "emerge in love".

Thanks Greg for the invite to sing along!

Dry stems available in zip files.Not really trying to be something I'm not.

Rick Novak properly engineered and mixed this track which you can find [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/RickNovak/36443]here[/url]. If you would like to use this song for any reason, I recomment using Rick's version because it sounds better.

Thanks to Jeris for a fab remix of Unreal_DM which provided the bed for this song. 

Dry vocal stems uploaded separately
 -- [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/36193]here.[/url]

[u][b]A PRAYER[/b][/u]

Going through a dark place
give me patience
give me grace to see this through
open arms to carry me to the light
between yours and mine 
shall shine bright

Silenced by shame
psyche's divide
seeking solace in the dark
We meet then avert our eyes as we rise

Going through a dark place
give me patience
give me strength
to see it through
open arms to carry me too

Going to a dark place
give me patience
give me grace
to see this through
open arms to carry me to
the light between yours and mine
shall shine bright[url=http://tunetrack.net/licenseccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/36193#/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/36193]Commercial licensing is available through ccPlus.[/url]

The mp3 stems are the original vox as I recorded them.  The flac stems are vox stems cleaned up by Rick Novak who was kind enough to send them to me.  They are dry but have some compression and eq.  


[u][b]A PRAYER[/b][/u]

Going through a dark place
give me patience
give me grace to see this through
open arms to carry me to the light
between yours and mine 
shall shine bright

Silenced by shame
psyche's divide
seeking solace in the dark
We meet then avert our eyes as we rise

Going through a dark place
give me patience
give me strength
to see it through
open arms to carry me too

Going to a dark place
give me patience
give me grace
to see this through
open arms to carry me to
the light between yours and mine
shall shine bright

Let me know if you want lossless files.61 Moons speaks of travel to galaxies and spaces beyond our imagination.  But what of those the traveler leaves behind?  This song is written from her perspective.

If I have time, I hope to make some additional adustments to the mix -- but I've been pretty sick the past couple of weeks, which means the next couple of weeks will be spent catching up. . . .

[i]Vocal stems uploaded as additional files hereto. All bounced to line up from beginning of the song. Apologies for imperfections in the stems -- much of the vocals were recorded quickly when I had a momentary medicinally-created reprieve from a sinus infection.[/i]

[u][b]ANGELS FLYING[/b][/u]

You say look up
the light absorbed by the depth of the night
sky surrounding as heaven curves
unchanged since the beginning of time
suspended while dreaming
touch is remembered
You say meteorites are angels flying

This is bigger than you or me
elemental and heavy
the arc of the galaxies
dendrites into infinity
the waters of Europa hidden and deep
our breath is our humanity
you say let’s breathe

a journey out
a trip within
the light absorbed by the depth of night
only a pinpoint shines
the glitter I recall in your eyes

You say meteorites are angels flying

spinning into gravity
pulled within range
flares burst to illuminate
I watch for you in the dark

will you be a comet 
racing in the heavens
or will you be a star
or will you be the black hole in my heart[url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/37086]This track is available under a cc-plus license for commercial use.[/url]

Copperhead remixed Jeris and came up with a really cool, really [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/copperhead/35987]jazzy track[/url].  And then he invited me to sing on it.  And then I got inspired by my dreams and their significance.  This song is from my dreams.

[i]The vocal preview is from Copperhead's mix.  The dry stems are what I sent to him originally and are the files included in the downloads (mp3 and wav).[/i]

[blue][b]BREATHe[/b][/blue]

This sensing vessel longs to be seen among the shadows I hide behind

Take it in let it out
Take it in let it out

Breathe
Take it in let it out
Take it in let it out

Drive is a speedboat
Drive is desire
Drive is my heart holding the fire
The dream starts and the dream stops

Moments by moments distant and dreamy
faded from mem'ry
trapped in my body

Breathe
Take it in let it out
Take it in let it out

Instincts in the wake lead the way  purpose emerging from the water
Dream starts and dream stops

Until I feel ya' 
I'm tied up in knots inside

Breathe
Take it in let it out
Take it in let it out

Water in sunlight
water in shade
crystal clear blue deep dream
starts and dream stops
just breathe

I just want to feel you

Breathe
Dream starts and dream stops
Dream starts and dream stops
Take it in let it out
Take it in let it outI was excited to further explore Melody's vast catalog.  What a voice and what a talent!  Her work as Calling Sister Midnight is filled with intention, artistry and a great appreciation for a wealth of styles and sounds.  I didn't want to give myself away as I listened to her uploads but it was a challenge to refrain from hitting the recommend button or leaving reviews on tracks I hadn't done so previously because she has shared a lot of really great uploads! 

Special thanks to Haskel for lending his guitar talents.  My [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/37773]spoken word[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/37771]backing vocals (ooos)[/url] are uploaded separately.Harmony "ooos" for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/37762]Eye of the Owl (Waylaid Mix)[/url].  A high part.  A lower part.Spoken word from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/37762]Eye of the Owl (Waylaid Mix)[/url]. I  have been working on this image of the owl which has a lot of symbolic meaning including being a source of wisdom, a sister of the moon, a seer of souls.  As a Native American totem, the owl is a keeper of sacred knowledge. http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-owl.html  The owl somehow seemed fitting for this track.

the eye of the owl is wise
the moon watching where the shadows hide
day and night
peace and strife
life and alive!
 
She is the song
the lullaby
the secret shared in twilight
the warning screech to hunter's descent
the watchful breath of the observant
 
the eye of the owl is open at night
 
keeper of secrets
singer of souls
listen to the wisdom her song hold

the eye of the owl is open at night[big]breathe the sun
arms of light reach heaven
night watches dreams
the universe listens[/big]

[url=http://solar-center.stanford.edu/singing/SOUNDS/]Solar song courtesy of Stanford[/url]
[url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/sounds2/index-nasa.html]Intergalactic plasma and helium whistle from deep space courtesy of NASA[/url]
[url=http://www.freesound.org/people/sandyrb/sounds/84337/]Additional timpani courtesy of Sandyrb at freesound.org[/url] [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/Erratic/sounds/234/]and Erratic at freesound.org[/url]
[url=http://www.freesound.org/people/bulbastre/sounds/127025/]Cricket courtesy of Bulbastre at freesound.org[/url]

[i]I think it is amazing that we can play with sounds recorded from deep space.  Simply amazing.[/i]

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38078]Spoken word[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38077]backing vocals[/url] are uploaded separately.[b]LENSES OF SHADOWS[/b]

Afore the mirror, reflected back, lenses of shadows in golden glass.
The eyes of night stare from within.
I am frightened now.  I want to take them out.


I look for you, but you’re not there. I can feel the secrets stalking me, deep within the night.
The shadows teach and the shadows bare my wanton heart of yearning for the other side of light.

Grace is within.  It doesn’t share. I cannot feel the space it holds deep within my heart.
 Something’s hidden, but something sure is there. Walk the bridge of paradox through the light and through the dark.


[big]********[/big]

This song is inspired by a dream I had in 2012 which is when I wrote and recorded this track.


The instrumental stems are from Apophysia.  I don't see the track here on ccM. So I tagged another one of their tracks, a remix of my song The Eye of the Owl.  The Eye of the Owl is based on the same dream that this song is inspired by.

The dream:

 [i][green]I am getting ready to go out with my husband to an event.  I look at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall above my dresser in the bedroom.  One of my eyes is the eye of an owl.  The other eye is the eye of a panther.  

I am intrigued, but uncomfortable.  I know I cannot wear these eyes to the event I am preparing to go to.  They are too intense. I take them out, plopping them into a glass of water on the small chest of drawers next to my dresser.  The water starts fizzing, as if the eyes were Alka Seltzer tablets making the water effervescent.  I know the eyes will be safe there until I am ready to put them back in.[/green][/i]

Dry vocal stems attached.
Background vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38006]Breathe the Sun.[/url]  Includes seven individual files as most parts doubled.  Dry and effected mp3 stems uploaded here (at least until I get a functioning flac converter).  If you would like wav files, send me an email.Breathe the sun
Arms of light reach Heaven
Night watches dreams
The universe listens

Spoken word from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38006]Breathe the Sun[/url]. Voice tripled.  Dry mp3s uploaded here.  Send me an email if you would like wav.Admiral Bob invited me to sing along on his burning Free Music Free Beer track.  Somehow, I believe I channeled the Andrews Sisters -- it's that boogey woogey feeling, I guess.

Dry stems in zip file.  Preview is just the part from the last verse.Feel like I'm running out of time -- so not sure if this is the ultimate mix but don't know how my week will unfold so just putting it up for now because I really want to be part of the Freedom & Free Beer project. As always, production tips are appreciated.

Special thanks to George Ellinas for liberally sharing such kicking music with us! And to Snowflake for her infinite talent and generous spirit!

Dry vocal stems attached hereto. If you would like lossless files before I get a chance to upload them, send me an email and I will be happy to forward them to you.

[u][b]LET'S SING[/b][/u]

Drunk on the bitter flavor of pride as you try to take away what's mine
but it's just a little song and the melody belongs to all of us

So raise your glass let's have a toast let our voices ring and let's sing, sing, sing

Lighten up a heavy heart float above the crowd you can't really own a song it's like capturing a cloud

Lingering in your thoughts humming in the street haunted by a harmony a song like birds flies freeVocals from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38362]Let's Sing[/url].  This was hastily thrown together as my time is quite limited these days which means there are certainly some less than ideal moments in these vocals but I really, really, really wanted to participate in this event -- hopefully it can all be fixed in the mix! and I would love to hear what you can do with them! ;>)

There is only a lead vocal and a harmony vocal but each part is doubled.  Oh, and there is a bit of an (optional) tag.  Dry stems uploaded.

[i]When I have a moment, I will try to load lossless stems as well.[/i]

[u][b]LET'S SING[/b][/u]

Drunk on the bitter flavor of pride as you try to take away what's mine
but it's just a little song and the melody belongs to all of us

So raise your glass let's have a toast let our voices ring and let's sing, sing, sing

Lighten up a heavy heart float above the crowd you can't really own a song it's like capturing a cloud

Lingering in your thoughts humming in the street haunted by a harmony a song like birds flies freeThese are my vocals from the great collab/remix orchestrated by Copperhead who remixed Snowflake's remix of him, adding many voices, including mine to the mix!There was a reflection I didn't like to see.  This was written in response. Late at night. Quickly.

Thanks to Javolenus for generously sharing his wonderful work with us.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38682]Vocal stems uploaded separately[/url].

[b]I WANT TO LOVE YOU[/b]

I want to love you
I wish you wanted to love me too
Oh God I do

My heart is broken
I wish your heart was broken too
Oh God I do

The path is cluttered with too many choices
I can't be certain the voices are true
I wish you wanted to love me too
Oh God it's trueVocals from my remix of Javolenus [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/38681]I Want to Love You.[/url]

Key -- c#min

Dry vocal stems and dry preview included as separate files. Until I get a flac converter, if you want lossless files send me an email and I'll get them to you directly.

There was a reflection I didn't like to see.  This was written in response. Late at night. Quickly.

[b]I WANT TO LOVE YOU[/b]

I want to love you
I wish you wanted to love me too
Oh God I do

My heart is broken
I wish your heart was broken too
Oh God I do

The path is cluttered with too many choices
I can't be certain the voices are true
I wish you wanted to love me too
Oh God it's trueThe ocean often emerges as an element of dreams -- waves, shorelines, horizons, tsunamis, tides. In Jungian psychology, the ocean as a symbol is associated with the unconscious.  Its depth and breadth, its global nature suggests further associations of collective connectedness. The ocean’s salty water suggests tears.  Its ancient depths suggest mysteries and origins lost over years.

This guided meditation is intended to bring you deeper into the liminal realm, to seed a dream or a dreamy experience.

In this preview mix, the pacing may be a bit compressed. Remixes with more time to sense into the suggestions of the text may facilitate a deeper experience.  

I recorded with my crystal singing bowls (also included).  The bowls are tuned to 432hz, primarily a drone based on “D” which resonates with the sacral chakra,which is associated with the element of water, and “B” signifying the crown chakra, associated with expansion, with some “G” (throat chakra -- the voice), and “F” (heart chakra).  I did not play each bowl separately in this practice. I recorded the bowls with two mics.

[green][i]Special Thanks to Kara Square for cleaning up the stems.[/i][/green]

As a nod to Brian Eno’s Julie With, one of the ultimate floaty songs, BPM is set to 98.


[b]DREAMING OCEANS[/b]

Be with me by the ocean
The edge of the shore
The horizon is barely noticeable
Sense what you are looking for

Notice the water meeting the land
Feel your feet
Held by the sand

Listen
Waves and wind
Songs from 
Under the water
Where life begins

Let's step into the water
Waves soft like a kiss
Upon the skin
Adjusting to the difference
Between out and in

Slowly we’ll go deeper
Toward where it all begins

Float with me on the water
Let’s not resist 
This moment of movement 
It's for us to experience

Buoyant

Weightless

Filled with breath

Let's dive down deeper 
Down 
Towards the depth
When there is nothing more we recognize
We will know that we reached it

The realm of the mysterious


Be with me in this vast darkness

Sense your heartbeat
Sense your breath

Adjust to being in the depths


Ancient waters with their secrets surround us
With mysteries that connect us
Primordial
Deeply generous

In this vast darkness

The deep is quiet but not silent

What do you notice? What do you see?

Lives illuminated by their own energy
Treasure to discover after eternity

sense your heart
sense your breath

Adjust to being in the depths

Floating sinking
Into the deep
Dreaming oceans 
Ocean dreams
I was inspired by turning the clock back and the transition that represents.  And it's about time! (for inspiration that is).

Many thanks to CDK for generously sharing his talents -- great foundation for this track.  And much gratitude to Haskel who lights up my musical world with his fine guitar stylin's.

This is strictly a headphone mix (short in the monitor cords. . . ) As always, helpful production tips are welcome. (I really battled with settings and levels on this one.)

Pella uploaded separately (at least it will be once I'm done bouncing the stems).

[u][b]DEEPER NIGHTS DEEPER DREAMS[/b][/u]

Spring ahead but don't leave me behind
as I fall back, it seems to be time
reset clocks and reframe thoughts
discern what may be right or may be fraught with concern and burdened with care
mixed disappointment and mixed with pride
a season of change as day's light becomes thin
and the reach of night lengthens again. 

Is it a song?
Is it a dream?
Is it an intricate harmony?
It's waiting. It's wanting.
The phantom of longing.
It's the love between you and me.

Summer left us dry and used
left the earth hard and broken
Still late season perennials bloom prove new growth always harkens 
promise of relationship  promise of love
promise to challenge what is true
turning back to what's unspoken
the love between me and you

So turn the clock, turn the tide
as arms of eons extend through night
cradling what you aspire
finger snap starting desire’s fire
daylight shortens illumination's reach
deeper nights bring deeper dreams.Vocals for my remix Deeper Nights Deeper Dreams.

Wet preview, but stems are dry.  Lots of parts as I doubled all the harmony parts.  Also uploaded a dry vocal preview with all parts centered.  Uploaded mp3 and flac files.

I would love to hear how someone else might use them.

[u][b]DEEPER NIGHTS DEEPER DREAMS[/b][/u]

Spring ahead but don't leave me behind
as I fall back, it seems to be time
reset clocks and reframe thoughts
discern what may be right or may be fraught with concern and burdened with care
mixed disappointment and mixed with pride
a season of change as day's light becomes thin
and the reach of night lengthens again. 

Is it a song?
Is it a dream?
Is it an intricate harmony?
It's waiting. It's wanting.
The phantom of longing.
It's the love between you and me.

Summer left us dry and used
left the earth hard and broken
Still late season perennials bloom prove new growth always harkens 
promise of relationship  promise of love
promise to challenge what is true
turning back to what's unspoken
the love between me and you

So turn the clock, turn the tide
as arms of eons extend through night
cradling what you aspire
finger snap starting desire’s fire
daylight shortens illumination's reach
deeper nights bring deeper dreams.I love Thanksgiving. Last year I recorded [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/34652]Jingle Bells[/url], which was actually penned as a Thanksgiving song.  This piece emerged as I was contemplating the fullness in my heart that comes with conscious gratitude. I may get grumpy tomorrow, but today. . . today, I am feeling full of thanks.

Interestingly enough, as I was sourcing an instrumental track for the purpose of recording the pell, I came upon Timberman's "Give me Some Words."  How fitting for a piece called "Words of Gratitude."  Thank you Per!  I wasn't going to upload it as a remix but I did anyway since I got a bit carried away with the background vocals (as I tend to do. . . )

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/40015]A capella uploaded separately.[/url]

[u][b]words of gratitude[/b][/u]

I will give you delicacies
and a loving embrace
as candlelights flickr
warmth permeates
doors will be open
and laughter ensues
on the day we 
fill up on our gratitude

it's the first light on a rainy day
right after sleep
still warm
your breath soothing next to me
pull apart the curtains
the illumination’s gentle
a quiet awakening
to a new day

it's feeling safe
despite turmoil and changes
and rockets and threats
and anger
and dismay
and fear
it's the trust that 
together we will stay
to make our way
through
layers of experience
the patina of pleasure and shame
there is grace
in surrender
and grace in faith
a giving of thanksI love Thanksgiving. Last year I recorded [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/34652]Jingle Bells[/url], which was actually penned as a Thanksgiving song.  This piece emerged as I was contemplating the fullness in my heart that comes with conscious gratitude. I may get grumpy tomorrow, but today. . . today, I am feeling full of thanks.

Interestingly enough, as I was sourcing an instrumental track for the purpose of recording the pell, I came upon Timberman's "Give me Some Words."  How fitting for a piece called "Words of Gratitude."  Thank you Per!


[u][b]words of gratitude[/b][/u]

I will give you delicacies
and a loving embrace
as candlelights flickr
warmth permeates
doors will be open
and laughter ensues
on the day we 
fill up on our gratitude

it's the first light on a rainy day
right after sleep
still warm
your breath soothing next to me
pull apart the curtains
the illumination’s gentle
a quiet awakening
to a new day

it's feeling safe
despite turmoil and changes
and rockets and threats
and anger
and dismay
and fear
it's the trust that 
together we will stay
to make our way
through
layers of experience
a patina of pleasure and shame
mellow with age
there is grace
in surrender
and grace in faith
a giving of thanksPella from Twinkle Twinkle remix featuring urmymuse.  I would love to hear this with different voices singing the different parts, but I didn't have a chorus handy when recording. . . 

dry stems in the zip file

[u][b]TWINKLE TWINKLE[/b][/u]

twinkle twinkle
cheery bright
love and spice
silent nights
miracles
gifts and hope
eggnog chestnuts
ho ho ho
carols candles family
tinsel sparkle fragrant tree
charity and largess
giving receiving
now we are blesssed[red][big]M[/big]e[green]rr[/green]y [b]M[/b]e[blue]Rr[/blue]y![/red]

Many thanks to urmymuse for inspiring me!

Pella uploaded separately.

[u][b]TWINKLE TWINKLE[/b][/u]

twinkle twinkle
cheery bright
love and spice
silent nights
miracles
gifts and hope
eggnog chestnuts
ho ho ho
carols candles family
tinsel sparkle fragrant tree
charity and largess
giving receiving
now we are blesssed[b][red]As we approach the end of the year, and seemed to have survived the anticipated apocolypse, I want to wish you a blessed winter and an illuminated new year.  I am so grateful that we are together in music.[/red][/b]

I started writing this song at Hanukkah which observes the miracle of light during a time of persecution, seduction and violence. At that time, negotiations were being made.  Since that time, we have seen heartbreaking tragedy.  This is my prayer for peace and healing in the new year.


[i]Typically, I would have tried to create a remix, but I am busy at work on my first solo release and am committed to not getting too distracted from that project (which will include many of our ccMixter community members who have so graciously shared source material with us all. I've included the acoustic and bass guitars that I relied on when recording.  I did not include the drum loop (which is just an out of the box loop from my software), but if you want it for any reason -- just holler.  Drums are definitely not my strong suit. Also, below I noted the chord changes (not terribly challenging -- primarily a three-chord riff) Stems are dry except for last high harmony for which I cannot seem to remove the effects for some reason. . . hmmmm. 
[/i]

[i]update: I revised vox2 and uploaded the new file individually.[/i]


[blue][u][b]THE SAME LIGHT SHINES[/b][/u][/blue]

the same light shines on all off us after the darkness falls
illuminates the choices we made
as we follow fate's treacherous and sensuous road

we face battles in our gardens 
we face battles in our hearts
as the new year starts
but let's face each other in peace now

throw your stones and I'll throw mine
grappling with the force of our wills to see who will survive
the first to surrender through eons of pride
to face each other in peace now

simple words for simple wishes
simply stated simply sung out
to face each other in peace now

we face battles in our gardens 
we face battles in our hearts
as the new year starts
we face battles in our gardens 
we face battles in our hearts
as the new year starts

The same land grounds our shared dreams
while mistrust across divides
make a vow as the fires cease
to face each other in peace now
let’s face each other in peace in peace now
face each other in peace

we face battles in our gardens 
we face battles in our hearts
as the new year starts
but let's face each other in peace now

verse1/2:	Bm/G/Bm/G/Bm/G/A/G
battles1:	Bm/A/G/Bm/A/G
bridge:	A/G-D/Bm/G/A/G/A/G
battles2:	Bm/A/G/Bm/A/G
solo:		A/G/A/G

verse3:	Bm/G/Bm/G/Bm/G/A/G/A/G
battles vamp out: Bm/A/G etc.So far, 2013 has been a crazy year for me filled with danger, disease and disaster.  I have been on four business trips in a month which has most certainly cut into my music time (both making music and listening to music in a meaningful way).  This also means I did not have the creative space and time to really do this mix justice.  I apologize to Coruscate because as a prodigious contributor to ccMixter he certainly deserves more!  However, all this travel did provide fodder and inspiration -- like the story of the haunted hotel.

I don't have the lyrics written down as I recorded this extemporaneously.  Attached as additional files are dry stems for the guitars, bass, melodica and vocal stems if anyone wants them. If for any reason you want effected files or my cuts of Coruscate, hit me up -- I'm happy to share.  

For now, I'm happy to upload this little track and move on to listening to all the super secret mixter delights I am sure await me![url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42137#/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42137]This track is available for commercial us with a cc-plus license.[/url]


I wrote this song for my brother, the fabulous [url=https://www.facebook.com/ava.stclaire.1?fref=ts]Ava St. Claire[/url].  The Music & Identity remix event is a divine setting to debut this ode to Ava's unique positive vibe and drag queen power. (You can see [url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AvaStClaire/videos?view=0&flow=grid]more of Ava[/url] on her YouTube channel as well.)

Special thanks to Vidian whose Roomtown set the stage. (As soon as I started incepting the song, I knew Vidian would be the perfect mixter to look to for a fabulous backing track -- and I wasn't wrong!) And  to Haskel who always provides the most stellar guitar stylin's.

Stems for my bass and effected acoustic hits are uploaded herein.  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42138]Vocal stems are uploaded separately.[/url]  

As always, any helpful production tips are welcome.

[big][red][b]SuperSTARS![/b][/red]
[/big]

Put on my face my lashes my jewels
Put on my heels my gloves and stole
Purse my lips and blow you a kiss

Now smile!

Life is beautiful when you're with me
I will light you up before we party
Arm in arm we'll dance and sing

We're superstars! Darling!
We're superstars! Now smile!

I am the solar system and you're a galaxy
In a crazy orbit that brings you closer to me
my joi de vivre babe it's gravity

We're supertars! Darling!
Now smile!

It's all about love and letting be
Abolish notions preconceived
Our lights shine infinitely

We're superstars darling. . .
Now smile!

Live and love
Love and dance
Dance and kiss
Kiss kiss

Life is beautiful when you're with me I'll light you up before we party arm in arm we'll dance and sing

We're superstars! Darling!
(I'llpurse my lips -- I'm gonna blow you a kiss)
Now smile
(I love you)I wrote [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42137]this song[/url] for my brother, the fabulous [url=https://www.facebook.com/ava.stclaire.1?fref=ts]Ava St. Claire[/url].  The Music & Identity remix event is a divine setting to debut this ode to Ava's unique positive vibe and drag queen power. (You can see [url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AvaStClaire/videos?view=0&flow=grid]more of Ava[/url] on her YouTube channel as well.)

Dry vocal stems (flac) uploaded in zip.  Also uploaded is a dry preview mix (mp3). 


[big][red][b]SuperSTARS![/b][/red]
[/big]

Put on my face my lashes my jewels
Put on my heels my gloves and stole
Purse my lips and blow you a kiss

Now smile!

Life is beautiful when you're with me
I will light you up before we party
Arm in arm we'll dance and sing

We're superstars! Darling!
We're superstars! Now smile!

I am the solar system and you're a galaxy
In a crazy orbit that brings you closer to me
my joi de vivre babe it's gravity

We're supertars! Darling!
Now smile!

It's all about love and letting be
Abolish notions preconceived
Our lights shine infinitely

We're superstars darling. . .
Now smile!

Live and love
Love and dance
Dance and kiss
Kiss kiss

Life is beautiful when you're with me I'll light you up before we party arm in arm we'll dance and sing

We're superstars! Darling!
(I'llpurse my lips -- I'm gonna blow you a kiss)
Now smile
(I love you)No easier way to get out of yourself than to dig someone else.  I love Carosone.  I always think of him as "Caro Carosone" because he is such a dear.  

Anyway, I have been kind of struggling a bit with the project, and have a number of half-started songs going. It's not that I haven't been inspired.  It's just that I've been tired.  And I've become somewhat inert as I contemplate the theme.  Identity.  It's so easy to get lost in that great big morass of perception.  Isn't that what it is ultimately about?  How we see and how we are seen?

In the end, I found it easier to treat myself to remixing someone else than trying to finish something I started.  But who knows which way the wind will blow, and maybe some of these other tunes that have been simmering may finish cooking up, eventually.

[i]This was a very quick mix.  The challenge was to beat the inertia and just get something done.  So it's imperfect.  But then, so am I.  Imperfection is a cornerstone of my identity.[/i]

[i]Carosone's song
he plays piano and sings
I play bass and sing
Spinningmerkaba plays trumpet[/i]

[i]if you want stems, let me know -- happy to share just too lazy to bounce right now[/i][big][b][blue]You can't escape your heritage baby -- it's in your DNA.[/blue][/b][/big]

[i]This song is rather personal reaching into some of my cellular ideas about identity. I don't think my skill set has evolved to really get the mix I hear in my head. [small](In the back of my mind were "The Gift" by the Velvet Underground and Patti Smith.)[/small]  I could have messed with levels and panning and whatnot ad infinitum but there are other songs lurking. . . .(But as always, helpful production hints are always welcome -- like how can I minimize the hiss sound from Haskel's amp?)

Special thanks to Audiotechnica for generously sharing great source material.  His deep bass groove inspired the entire feel of this song.  And of course, Haskel made it happen for me with his fine guitar stylin's.

Stems uploaded soon (gotta bounce them first).[/i]

[u][b]SHE WEARS MY SHADOW[/b][/u]

everyday She breaks my heart 
cuz she just wants to go
everyday she breaks my heart
I just want to keep her close
everyday she breaks my heart
as I watch her go
I love her so

she's getting ready to launch
but her feet are heavy
she keeps forgetting
promises she made
despite her dreams
she questions if she's ready
unless that reticence
is really coming from me

she'll sing on the street but she won't sing for us
though I thought I understood her more than anybody else
Understanding or projection or just maternal expectation
I recognize her harmony and her timing
in the pictures sometimes
you can't even tell us apart

She grabs my shadow from the closet
puts it on
pausing by the mirror as she gets ready to leave
what she doesn't know when she looks at her reflection
is that she is wearing my history

everyday she breaks my heart 


I've given her my blessing
I've given her my trust
I've given her my gold
and I've given her my sleep
I've given her my faith
I've given her the clothes I wore
when I was seventeen

everyday she breaks my heart 
she really wants to go
I just want to keep her close[blue][url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42572]cc-plus commercial use license available by clicking here.[/url][/blue]

[i][big]New l[red]o[/red]ve is a splendid thing![/big][/i]

For Snowflake and Patronski.  Mazal Tov!

[blue][i]Many special thanks to Copperhead who sent me the music to start with and contributed some great harmonic ideas and worked his ears off making adjustments. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/copperhead/42577]His production is awesome![/url][/i][/blue]  

[i]I've uploaded the dry stems as produced by Copperhead. If you use these stems, please include him in any attribution/credit. I also have uploaded the original stems that I sent to him during the course of this project. There a sickening amount of parts. . . .[/i]

[red][u][b]THE WIND OF LOVE[/b][/u][/red]

Lift me up, rise like a kite
in the sweet sunshine, in the morning light
pick me up, my heart soars above
on the wind of love

This ain't no hurricane
it's a zephyr of pleasure, a sweet refrain
a breezy sonnet  sung from above
oh wind of love
gliding on the wind of love
the wind of love
the wind of love

a tempest a breeze a gale a gust you lift me up on the wind of love
jetstream airstream sighs of love free my heart so it soars above

suddenly you blew into town
raisin' me up, tossin' me around
you swept up my heart with the wing of a dove
lifting me up on the wind of love


blowin' around
heads in the clouds
my feet are off the ground

Mistral mister you kissed me sweet
whisking me off my grounded feet
the fresh air of a new beloved
the whirlywind of the wind of loveI look away so I won't see your head in your hands
You turn away so you won't see how I'm afraid
We look away

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42650]Remix over here[/url][big]I look away so I won't see your head in your hands
You turn away so you won't see how I'm afraid
We look away[/big]

[i]Special thanks to Audiotechnica who shares the most delicious source material that always seems to fit the space I'm in at the time.  Also, to William Berry whose Windish sample has made its way into a number of my pieces.  And of course vo1k1 whose work is always elegant. I also used [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/inchadney/sounds/48418/]Inchadney's helicopter field recording[/url] and [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/juskiddink/sounds/108749/]rainstick sample by juskiddink[/url] at freesound.org.

dry vocal stems uploaded separately[/i]Vocals from The Queen of Wands.

[i]For M.[/i]

[red][u][b]THE QUEEN OF WANDS[/b][/u][/red]

the queen of wands is broken
she didn't see it coming
her strength
she took for granted
her light never ending
The queen of wands is regal
her dignity supports her
as she calls up her armies
to help her face the forces
of unwanted intruders
crossing her borders

I will follow her in battle
she is my sister

she has a deep heart
and deep hurt
a deep wish for forgiveness
skin pale and tender
inviting  caresses
brilliant in the darkness
the bright side of disaster
I want to help her face
unprecedented danger

I will follow her in battle
she is my sister[big][b]Sometimes you hear better when you listen softly.

For M.[/b][/big]

[i]Special thanks to Javolenus (guitar) and Audiotechnica (piano) for once again providing the sonic inspiration and support.  Their source material is stunning.  Also, thanks to Smojos for hitting the drum a bit for me.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/42793]Vocal stems uploaded separately[/url].[/i]

[red][u][b]THE QUEEN OF WANDS[/b][/u][/red]

the queen of wands is broken
she didn't see it coming
her strength
she took for granted
her light never ending
The queen of wands is regal
her dignity supports her
as she calls up her armies
to help her face the forces
of unwanted intruders
crossing her borders

I will follow her in battle
she is my sister

she has a deep heart
and deep hurt
a deep wish for forgiveness
skin pale and tender
inviting  caresses
brilliant in the darkness
the bright side of disaster
I want to help her face
unprecedented danger

I will follow her in battle
she is my sisterThis track turned into an exploration of contrasts as I took ABN's upbeat dance madness and used it as a bed to explore the theme de jour (pretty obviously laid out in the lyrics). I didn't know much about Analog by Nature, and still don't really -- except that they have a sense of humor, and CDK is part of the ABN crew.  Needless to say, going through the ABN catalog was fun.  I am not even sick of the source tracks that I used for this remix even though I must have listened to them 40,000 times by now. 

Ultimately, for me this track became all about the feel which is completely grounded in ABN's powerful grooves.

Once again, I am so very grateful to Haskel (aka HEJ31) for sharing his fine guitar stylins' with me.  As far as I'm concerned, he just makes this track go in the best possible way (he plays an extended solo at the end if you listen that long).  

[small][i]Can you guess who my sonic influence was while making this song?[/i][/small]

I'll get the vocal stems uploaded soon, and Haskel's guitar too.

[u][b]TURNING INTO NORMAL (WHAT ONCE FELT STRANGE)[/b][/u]

Are your ready? Are you ready baby?

I saw the signs before I knew what they mean
fires and storms  -- dead birds in the street
towers falling and shining stars
telling me how we were -- showing me how we are
filled with promise, filled with fear
this has got to be one of the hardest years
changes profound in the world and in our home
releasing restless spirits that venture forth to roam
into realms of fancy -- into dreamy caves
turning into normal what once felt strange

Are you ready to know
ready to see
ready to let go
ready to love me
Are you ready to show up
ready to man up
ready to let me beat you way up
I'll give you my heart
I'll give you my soul
You will be the man if you make me feel whole
Ready to be kind
Be kind to me
I'll try to open my mind
so my heart will be ready

Are you ready? Are you ready baby?

Progress perspective possibility
filter through like dust shook from memory
visible in light ephemeral as sound
while rusted chains emerge from roots
that serve to link and ground
Run along the road dark dreamy freeways
turning into normal what once felt strange
can we cross the threshold
what truth can we obtain
turning into normal  what once felt strange[b]For cc-plus commercial use license click [url=http://tunetrack.net/license/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/43551]here[/url].[/b]

[big][red][u][b]URGENCY[/b][/u]

As critical mass weighs heavy, I am reminded that hope is cupped in an illuminated hand.

The garden smells of jasmine.
The dog smells of rosemary.
My guitar smells of warm wood.
I am trying to find peace in the face of fear.

The world is shaking, trembling with acceleration.
Urgency -- it has become the song of the nation.

I hear the crickets
and traffic
and power. . .
I hear the forceful flight of the helicopter.
Urgency.

I have also been shown that cacophony will turn into harmony even when faced with immutable forces --
the mountain
the traffic
the desire to dream. . .

Urgency.

Being stopped is not stillness.

Retreat.

Breathe.[/red][/big]


[i]Dry vocal uploaded as flac.[/i][u][b]URGENCY[/b][/u]

As critical mass weighs heavy, I am reminded that hope is cupped in an illuminated hand.

The garden smells of jasmine.
The dog smells of rosemary.
My guitar smells of warm wood.
I am trying to find peace in the face of fear.

The world is shaking, trembling with acceleration.
Urgency -- it has become the song of the nation.

I hear the crickets
and traffic
and power. . .
I hear the forceful flight of the helicopter.
Urgency.

I have also been shown that cacophony will turn into harmony even when faced with immutable forces --
the mountain
the traffic
the desire to dream. . .

Urgency.

Being stopped is not stillness.

Retreat.

Breathe.



Special thanks to Victor (Ass Over Tea Kettle) and Haskel (HEJ31).  Also used source from Freesound:

[url=http://freesound.org/people/inchadney/sounds/124925/]Crow by Inchandy[/url]
[url=http://freesound.org/people/cs272/sounds/77034/]Cricket by cs272[/url]

Vocal uploaded separately.Vocals from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/edit/SackJo22/43036]TURNING INTO NORMAL (WHAT ONCE FELT STRANGE)[/url].  Lots of parts, but mostly doubled.  Pretty simple song structure.

[u][b]TURNING INTO NORMAL (WHAT ONCE FELT STRANGE)[/b][/u]

Are your ready? Are you ready baby?

I saw the signs before I knew what they mean
fires and storms  -- dead birds in the street
towers falling and shining stars
telling me how we were -- showing me how we are
filled with promise, filled with fear
this has got to be one of the hardest years
changes profound in the world and in our home
releasing restless spirits that venture forth to roam
into realms of fancy -- into dreamy caves
turning into normal what once felt strange

Are you ready to know
ready to see
ready to let go
ready to love me
Are you ready to show up
ready to man up
ready to let me beat you way up
I'll give you my heart
I'll give you my soul
You will be the man if you make me feel whole
Ready to be kind
Be kind to me
I'll try to open my mind
so my heart will be ready

Are you ready? Are you ready baby?

Progress perspective possibility
filter through like dust shook from memory
visible in light ephemeral as sound
while rusted chains emerge from roots
that serve to link and ground
Run along the road dark dreamy freeways
turning into normal what once felt strange
can we cross the threshold
what truth can we obtain
turning into normal  what once felt strange[red][big]I love Snowflake.[/big][/red]

[i](And this was the most challenging remix I have ever done in my life. Everything other than the beat is her voice except for a bit of her piano.)[/i]I am looking for remixes to be part of a new, original theatrical production I am working on called [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3068]PRAYER[/url].  With my collaborators, Evelyn Stettin and Angela Grillo, we are working on a multi-media performance that explores art as prayer through the character of Dorothy Vogel, based in part, on the famed art collector Dorothy Vogel (of "[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_and_Dorothy_Vogel]Herb and Dorothy Vogel[/url]").

This piece is quite conceptual (for the record, the Vogels favored conceptual art), and experimental -- more performance art/art songs than anything else. At the performance, most of the music will be pre-recorded, although vocals, guitar and certain percussion will be performed live. 

One of the many themes we hope to incorporate into the experience of PRAYER, is the idea of the collective -- the collective ego, the collective unconscious, the cosmic collective.  I thought bringing ccMixter into the mix is a beautiful way to do that.

PATH OF GLASS  is a refrain that will be repeated three times during the course of the performance.  We would love to hear what you do with it! (I am still working on a version based on [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/doxent/43570]Doxent's Minimal Bass[/url] which was the beat we relied on for the purpose of recording the pells and which you can hear a bit of as an additional file. If you incorporate into a remix please attribute Doxent accordingly.) 

We will be presenting the remixes created for this piece as an interactive element at any performances or workshops we may conduct related to this work. 

At this time, PRAYER is slated to be previewed in Los Angeles prior to being presented at the historic [url=http://chapelspace.blogspot.com/2006/12/general-information.html]Good Shepard Chapel[/url] in Seattle, WA as part of The [url=http://www.fisherensemble.org/]Garret Fisher Ensemble[/url] Guest Artist Series in February 2014. 

Any remixes uploaded by the end of January will be included in the playlist that we will share everywhere.

I hope you will join us on this journey!  

. . .and I am happy to answer any questions you may have about this project.  Thanks.

Upload includes additional vocal stems not included in the preview mix.


[u][b]PATH OF GLASS[/b][/u]

by SackJo22 & Evelyn Stettin

a shattered mirror
the path of glass glistens
the shards are piercing

a shattered mirror
the path of glass glistens
broken reflections

a shattered mirror
the path of glass glistens
follow and listen


glass glistens
shattered reflections
broken path

sun glistens
on shattered shards
mirror reflections

shards glisten
broken path of reflections
pierced mirrorThis song is one of the prayers for transformation from the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3068]PRAYER[/url] song cycle.  I was moved to tears by the horror of a 12-year old child going on a shooting rampage at his school. And all I could do in response was hold that pain and pray.  Through prayer, grief can be transformed.  Here, it became a song.

Special thanks to Haskel for playing guitar so beautifully.

I will feature all remixes of this song on [url=http://ccmixter.org/playlist/browse/15390]the PRAYER playlist[/url] which will be available for streaming at the live performances, and on my (under construction and soon to be unveiled) website. 


[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Haskel/44691]The guitar stems are available for download from Haskel's page.[/url]

[u][b]MY HEART IS HOLDING[/b][/u]

How can the babies be so broken
How can they feel such rage
My heart is holding, praying for grace
My heart is holding

Our shattered dreams say it all
Nightmares bring transformation
Still our children bleed from their worldly wounds
Still we battle while we're praying

My heart is holding, holding
My heart is holding

The earth trembled and she sent a wave
[i](We didn't want to see what needed to be seen)[/i]
The earth trembled and she sent a wave
[i](We didn't want to see, cause we thought we were safe)[/i]
The earth trembled and she sent a wave
[i](We didn't want to see what needed to be seen)[/i]
The earth trembled and she sent a wave
Now is the time for awakening
Now is the time....

My heart is holding, praying for grace
My heart is holding
My heart is holding, praying for grace
My heart is holding[small][i]UPDATE: I re-recorded the main vocal, and Haskel added a slide guitar part. (Stem will be uploaded soon on his page.)[/i][/small]

My Open Heart, a prayer of gratitude, is the closing song from the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3068]PRAYER[/url] song cycle.  [url=http://www.sackjo22.com/prayer/](You can learn more about PRAYER here.)[/url]

While the song is essentially in a two-part harmony, there are a ton of parts at the tag as I sang each part three times -- my interpretation of a campfire sing along! Haskel's guitar stems are uploaded on his page.

All of the PRAYER remixes will be collected in a [url=http://www.sackjo22.com/music/]playlist that will be featured on my website[/url], and in our social media.  At our preview performance in LA on February 8, we will have the playlist streaming for a good part of the evening as it will be a big ol' party (and you, of course, are welcome to join us!).

[u][b]MY OPEN HEART[/b][/u]

Yes, there is grace when you have an open heart
when you let yourself be moved by the world around you
I give you my open heart

When I am faced with darkness and disaster
When everything I knew seemed to slip away
I give you my open heart

Oh fill me up
Oh fill me up
Let me see the beauty in the light and in the pain
I give you my open heart
Fill me up again

Basically: C/Am/G/F in various combinationsThis is third song from the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3068]PRAYER[/url] song cycle. A prayer for comfort.

All remixes of this song will be included in a playlist to be featured at our live performances (2/8 in Los Angeles and 2/15 in Seattle).  

Thanks again to Haskel Joseph for his amazing guitar playing.  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Haskel/44833]Guitar stems are uploaded on his page here.[/url]  We tried playing with a click, but ended up abandoning the click for feel -- bpm is where we had the click when we started.

[u][b]HOLD MY HEART[/b][/u]

Hold, hold my heart
cradle me so I can rest
let me be the babe upon her mama's breast
hold, hold my heart
hold my heart

I shall sing
I shall pray
I shall disavow myself of what's untrue
Embrace my darkness, oh won't you be my cave
Hold my heart

Hold my heart
Wrap me up in bolts of grace
Through the wind keep me safe
Hold my heart

[let us know if you need chords][green][b]Rest in the Garden[/b][/green]

[b][green]Hey

I can see the sun
That way is light
I cannot see a barrier
That way is Light
That way is Home

[i]Find your way home my darling
Find your way home
You can rest in my garden
The journey is long[/i][/green][/b]

* * *

I am delighted to mix Duckett for the Pollinators Secret Mixter. He is a great playmate with a vast catalogue of all kinds of sounds to play with.  I really dig his vibe! Thank you Duckett for being such a swell ccMixter buddy! You are groovy and I love the tone of your voice.


 The theme of this event is dear to my heart.  Pollinators -- the bees, butterflies and other insects that seed the flora of our earth are critical to the health of our biosphere.  Sadly, many of these creatures are endangered, some species even facing extinction.

Monarch Butterflies are one of our valued pollinator species that faces challenges to their populations due to the decimation of their only food source -- milkweed.  Milkweed grows like a weed, and has been treated as such by farmers, ranchers, developers to the extent that its vast removal has impacted monarch populations to the point of being on the brink of extinction.

I started growing milkweed in my garden several years ago to see if I could entice a monarch butterfly to lay her eggs.  It worked.  Over the course of a few years, one potted milkweed plant has turned into a small-scale but fully operational butterfly husbandry operation.  Right now, we have close to two dozen chrysalids, several of which may emerge today!

Fortunately, through the efforts of many, including fellow backyard butterfly conservationists, monarch butterfly populations are beginning to show signs of growth!  

* * *

Duckett  drums, percussion, vocals
SackJo22 bass, keyboard, vocals
Sax and trombone via looperman

stems and vocals to be uploaded separately
[i]Transitions may not always be smooth...[/i]

This is ultimately a headphone mix finished while sitting in the dark in a motel room while my companion sleeps near me.  It's past midnight. I've been on the road all day, and soon I hope to hear the sound of my dreams.

Thanks to Stefan for being so inspiring! Stefan has been a splendid contributor to ccmixter sharing some truly fantastic material.  His catalog is overwhelming -- but when I found this song I couldn't resist. I added beats and a [url=http://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/74242/]helicopter[/url] but all of the other sounds are from the samples uploaded by Stefan as part of this song.Absolutely Clear.  I was inpsired by the title of this deeply groovin' blues track put together by Jeris featuring Goldfish's burning guitar. It is pretty apt for some things that have been on my mind lately (i.e., seeing things for how they really are versus how I wish they were).  I wrote and recorded the lyric/vocals pretty quickly so that Jeris would have it for the secret mixter but I wasn't completely happy with my performance so I re-did it.  I realized I am very rarely satisfied with my own work -- which is to say, I wouldn't be surprised after a day or two I want to re-do it again -- especially in light of the fact that this is a fairly heavy traditional blues jam and I am still trying to figure out how my particular voice fits in such a setting.  (still just growing up in public. . . ) But at some point I have to stop the re-do in order to have time for a new-do.  

Anyway -- thanks Goldfish and Jeris for providing the inspiration.

Dry vocal stems uploaded herein.

[u][b]ABSOLUTELY CLEAR[/b][/u]

Let me tell you darlin'
there's not much that I really know
but it's true -- it's absolutely clear
you're in my heart and you'll always have a home

You can muddy the waters with your aspirations
I can cloud up the air with all of my fears
As we dance around our expectations
it's clear -- absolutely clear

Clear as day
Clear as a mirror
Absolutely clear

You've turned your head
You've moved far away
I'm listening now though I don't want to hear
but it's clear - absolutely clear

Clear as day
Clear as a mirror
Absolutely clear

(there's not much that I really know)I put together this quick mix for a performance on [url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1422045811378396/]Sunday 4/13/14 at Catsby[/url] by [url=https://www.facebook.com/ImprovDanceCompany]IDC (Improv Dance Company)[/url] in Los Angeles. When the project started it was all about spring break at the beach then it broadened to focus just on spring break and then it expanded further to include Japanese elements (the event is titled "Japanese Spring Festival").  Accordingly, this mash up includes some music inspired by Frankie & Annette beach blanket bingo fun, a nod to the party sounds of reggae and  Euro disco, and the incorporation of Japanese Taiko drums.  All of this for fun, of course!

Thank you IDC for inviting me to play along!

Thanks also to Robinhood at Freesound who so graciously shared the sound of [url=http://freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/83519/]radio-tuning[/url] I incorporated in the track.

I also included a couple of my remixes:  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/32470]For Real[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/21492]One for Me[/url].Vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/45827]On the Threshold.[/url]  Preview is pretty wet, coming right out of my Protools session.  There is an alt preview that is semi-sweet (took of most effects but still has eq, compression and maybe a bit here or there on a track or two).  All the stems are dry -- no effects, no automation, no panning.

Also, there are a ton of vocal tracks as I doubled all the parts. I don't blame you if you don't wanna touch it (but if you do, I will be so grateful!).

[green][b]ON THE THRESHOLD (WHERE YA' GOIN')[/b][/green] 

I'm a middle class woman with white trash woes 
worried that my daughter's gonna end up like a ho'
worried that my son is gonna end up in the clink
worried 'bout my man 'cuz all he wanna do is drink
I work my finger to the bone to try to make this house a home
still I have another one who only wants to roam
it don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya' goin'
the road to hell is paved with good intentions all gone wrong

I'm a crazy crazy mama who just loves you so
I want to keep you close to me while I let you go
I want to see your spirit free -- I wanna watch it soar
I want to feel you next to me, next to me once more

(Woah. . . woah. . . woah. . . )

It don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya going
the road to hell is paved with good intentions all gone wrong
it don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya goin'
where ya goin'?
(SPOKEN)

It appeared after you left
almost as big as my hand
a moth
brown velvet with tapestry wings
for three days it lingered on the threshold

basically a three chord riff starting with C major.[blue]Some of this is true, and some of it isn't.[/blue]

[green][b]ON THE THRESHOLD(Where Ya' Goin?)[/b][/green] 

I'm a middle class woman with white trash woes 
worried that my daughter's gonna end up like a ho'
worried that my son is gonna end up in the clink
worried 'bout my man 'cuz all he wanna do is drink
I work my finger to the bone to try to make this house a home
still I have another one who only wants to roam
it don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya' goin'
the road to hell is paved with good intentions all gone wrong

I'm a crazy crazy mama who just loves you so
I want to keep you close to me while I let you go
I want to see your spirit free -- I wanna watch it soar
I want to feel you next to me, next to me once more

(Woah. . . woah. . . woah. . . )

It don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya going
the road to hell is paved with good intentions all gone wrong
it don't matter where you come from -- it just matters where ya goin'
where ya goin'?
(SPOKEN)

It appeared after you left
almost as big as my hand
a moth
brown velvet with tapestry wings
for three days it lingered on the threshold


[i]This is a pretty basic track -- drums, bass, guitar and vocals.  It could possibly use an accent -- horns, keys, strings. . .proper production. I simply had to stop working on this song because every time I made an adjustment, that generated several other adjustments. . . etc. I did experiment with production techniques I learned on the internet. That was fun.[/i] 

Dry vocal stems are uploaded separately ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/45826]here[/url]).  Bass stem is uploaded hereto.[b]cc-plus license available for commercial use -- [url=http://tunetrack.net/license/checkout/ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46095]click here[/url].[/b]

[b]TraLA[/b]

The mockingbird in our garden dances in front of me singing his song, I sing along -- TraLa. TraLa.

When, my dear one, you're aching, oh how it worries me. 
I want to be strong, to keep you aloft -- TraLa. TraLa.

Oh! The wind will blow again, raising up dust and clearing the skies. 
We won't recognize where we have been. 
Let's hold each other tight. 
Let's be each other's light.

The contrails and the stars, Venus and Mars. . . 
Let's never be far from each others' arms -- TraLa. TraLa.
Let's never be far, from each others' hearts -- TraLa. TraLa.

[i]Dry vocal and guitar stems include two guitar takes. Song is structured with a solo section beckoning some instrumental sweetness. Harmonies come in at the bridge. Also included is a preview mix with the 3-part harmony.

Recently, I have really been struggling with so many things. Was thinking something traditional.  Don't know if that comes across.[/i]I just saw Hall & Oates perform on a tv broadcast of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  I've never really been into Hall & Oates even though their music was ubiquitous during my growing up.  But as I watched, I was kind of blown away by their vocals -- these really tight back to back harmonies among all sorts of other great vocal things they did.  So when I heard Emily's great song I thought it would be fun to sing along.  I make no representation that I or we sound anything like Hall & Oates (nor would I want to).  It's just interesting to see how inspiration can be a jumping off point for an idea.

Great work by Snowflake & the good Admiral.  This is really just like adding another piece of the band to the mix -- not really a true remix.   Which makes me thinks of the E-Street  Band which was also inducted the same night as Hall & Oates.  I've never been a big fan of Bruce & the EStreet Band -- not that I disklike them just never bought a record or anything like that.  But as I watched the presentation, I was really moved by how the band was built and worked together.  That was inspiring too as that band really is all about how the sum of the parts is so much greater than any individual part.  I like that too.

Anyway -- there are two file formats of my pell (flac and mp3) as well as an alternate take (which could always be used for doubling or comping, or whatever).

Groovy baby.This song is a new song for the [url=http://bit.ly/1hJPlFQ]PRAYER song cycle[/url] which will be presented for an all new 3-week run in Los Angeles starting June 27!

In addition to being an offering for the BIG Summer Music Fest (which is rocking it so far! wow!), all remixes will be included in the [url=http://www.sackjo22.com/prayer/]PRAYER[/url] [url=http://www.sackjo22.com/music/]playlist that gets posted and shared on line[/url], as well as being shared with the audience at live performances.

Song is in D (open turning on guitar). All stems are dry.  Guitar is doubled (Guitar 1 and Guitar 2), but only Guitar 2 was recorded both direct and with the mic. Preview is a really rough mix. [i]Haskel prefers it without the harmonies but of course, I include them because no life is complete without harmony.  This version is just a rough demo to get the guitar and vocal stems out there for remixing.  I am working still working on the final track and am happy to report that Haskel will be a part of it which means his guitar parts will soon be available for remixing too![/i]

[u][b]RETURN[/b][/u]

To and fro go the way
my dreams are waiting in the wings
when we are ready we will return

the stream of time has carried me away
but friends are waiting -- this is not a mistake
when we are ready we will return

the cart stops
the road's blocked
I stand in the rain, with my head down, and my arms up
when we are ready we will return
return, return
when we are ready we will return


This run of [url=http://www.sackjo22.com/prayer/]PRAYER[/url] is being produced by [url=http://eclecticcompanytheatre.org/]The Eclectic Theater Company in North Hollywood, California.[/url]  I look forward to  sharing more information as the opening gets closer.Vocals for "Now We Are One"
written extemporaneously with one listening of the backing track.

Dry vocals stems -- flac and mp3 in zip file.

[u][b]NOW WE ARE ONE[/b][/u]

The song I'm meant to be singing is a quiet one
I don't know where it's going, but it's already begun
In the dusk and in the dawn the harmony is strong as the mockingbirds keep going on
they're going on 
You hear it when you feel it and you feel it when you need it
It's already begun
Emerging when the fire, emerging when the wood realize that they are one
Now we are oneThanks Texasradiofish for the great inspiration! 


[u][b]NOW WE ARE ONE[/b][/u]

The song I'm meant to be singing is a quiet one
I don't know where it's going, but it's already begun
In the dusk and in the dawn the harmony is strong as the mockingbirds keep going on
they're going on 
You hear it when you feel it and you feel it when you need it
It's already begun
Emerging when the fire, emerging when the wood realize that they are one
Now we are one

[i]
This song was written extemporaneously with the first listen. I haven't had time for full production so I only worked with the fully mixed track instead of with stems.  In any event, the lyrics mean a lot to me right now.[/i]


Vocal stems uploaded separately ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46364]here[/url]).Jeris' absolutely delicious Jazzy Piano Tune inspired this  version of TraLa which is completely different from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46095]the original[/url].  His track  is just so outstanding! Thank  you Jeris. 

[u][b]TRALA[/b][/u]

mockingbird in our garden dancing in front of me
singing your song
I sing along
trala

when my dear one, you're aching
oh how it worries me
I want to be strong to keep you aloft
trala, trala

the wind will blow again
raisin' up dust clearin' the skies
we won't recognize where we have been
let's hold each other tight
let's be each other's light

the contrails and the stars
venus and mars
let's never be far from each other's arms
trala  trala
let's never be far from each other's hearts
trala trala

[small][i]There are elements of this track that I would eventually like to improve.  I would like to mix the sax and clarinet separately especially as I really tried to sing along/harmonize with those parts (on the trala sections in particular).  Also, I'm still wrangling with the de-esser.  But I am particularly fond of the end.

Dry vocal stems uploaded hereto and include cc-plus license. I did a lot of production work so if you want those vox vs dry vox, hit me up.[/i][/small]My ideas exceed my skill.

[i]In my dream, all those vocal parts would be sung by different voices.  There would be a kicking, grooving, moving rhythm track, maybe some electric guitar. . . what else might go into the pot?[/i]

Thanks so much to Javolenus and Martijn for such great source material! Also thank you to [url=http://freesound.org/people/cs272/sounds/77034/]cs272[/url] over at freesound.org for the cricket field recording.

vocals uploaded separately:  [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46573]background vox[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46574]poem[/url].

[u][b]TAKE IT IN[/b][/u]

Our mouths are full of words that we feel but are left unspoken
Your head is filled with spirits while the tiger's mouth is open
Doves in the garden are nesting anew
You help me take it in
They come in pairs, the white butterflies dusted with blue
The hawk was there too
These are my ambassadors of transformation
There was peace in the garden today
You helped me take it in
You helped me take it in

[small]This song was inspired by the iChing heagram -- Nourishing (27) to Biting Through (21)[/small]Background vocals from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46567]Take it In[/url]. 

There are five parts. Bounce starts from where vocals start so does not line up with original track but vox should line up with each other.  There is a big gap in the middle before the second section comes in.
Stems are dry as a bone.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46574][url]Spoken word portion uploaded separately.[/url][/url]

[u][b]TAKE IT IN[/b][/u]

Our mouths are full of words that we feel but are left unspoken
Your head is filled with spirits while the tiger's mouth is open
Doves in the garden are nesting anew
You help me take it in
They come in pairs, the white butterflies dusted with blue
The hawk was there too
These are my ambassadors of transformation
There was peace in the garden today
You helped me take it in
You helped me take it in

[small]This song was inspired by the iChing hesagram -- Nourishing (27) to Biting Through (21)[/small]This is the spoken word portion from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46567]Take it In[/url].  Dry as a bone stem. Flac file uploaded as additional format. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46573]Background vox uploaded separately[/url].

[u][b]TAKE IT IN[/b][/u]

Our mouths are full of words that we feel but are left unspoken
Your head is filled with spirits while the tiger's mouth is open
Doves in the garden are nesting anew
You help me take it in
They come in pairs, the white butterflies dusted with blue
The hawk was there too
These are my ambassadors of transformation
There was peace in the garden today
You helped me take it in
You helped me take it in

[small]This song was inspired by the iChing hesagram -- Nourishing (27) to Biting Through (21)[/small]Vocals for History and Chemistry.  This song is old already.  Thought I'd finish it.

Vocal preview is quite processed. Stems are dry and should be lined up with each other.  I used the "lead double" vocal only to add a bit of richness (by mixing way, way down so that it is barely perceptible). 

[u][b]HISTORY & CHEMISTRY[/b][/u]

I don't like when you don't talk to me when I am here with you
After all I let you see, after you're inside of me
You don't give me anything after that we've been through
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

Break it down to the nth degree
history and chemistry

You are here and I am there the bed's the only thing we share
I give up I don't dare hope that you will come to me with follow up inquiry -- don't you care what I mean?
I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

Break it down to the nth degree
history and chemistry

Still you want my approval 
you want my best wishes
you want me to listen to you 
you want my kisses

I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

history and chemistry

Break it down to the nth degree
I know you and you know me
Nothing is as comforting as history and chemistry

Break it down to the nth degree
I know you and you know me
Nothing is as comforting as history and chemistry

Still you want my approval 
you want my best wishes
you want me to listen to you 
you want my kisses

I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

history and chemistry

* * *This is an old song.  Thought I'd try to finish it (...or at least get to some semblance of finished. . . )  

This version started with Bill Ray's drum sample -- the man rocks!

Then Jeris stepped in creating all these amazing stems for this song! He's wild!

ccMixter is the best band in the world!

[i][url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46704]Vocals uploaded separately[/url].  I played bass and guitar -- dry stems shared here.[/i]

[u][b]HISTORY & CHEMISTRY[/b][/u]

I don't like when you don't talk to me when I am here with you
After all I let you see, after you're inside of me
You don't give me anything after that we've been through
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

Break it down to the nth degree
history and chemistry

You are here and I am there the bed's the only thing we share
I give up I don't dare hope that you will come to me with follow up inquiry -- don't you care what I mean?
I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

Break it down to the nth degree
history and chemistry

Still you want my approval 
you want my best wishes
you want me to listen to you 
you want my kisses

I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

history and chemistry

Break it down to the nth degree
I know you and you know me
Nothing is as comforting as history and chemistry

Break it down to the nth degree
I know you and you know me
Nothing is as comforting as history and chemistry

Still you want my approval 
you want my best wishes
you want me to listen to you 
you want my kisses

I don't know 
I don't know
I don't know why I'm with you

history and chemistry

* * *Vocal from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46772]Growth in the Garden (1)[/url].  An alternative (melodic) take is also available as I couldn't make a final decision about what to do.

[b]GROWTH IN THE GARDEN[/b]

It's battered but things still grow I see blossoms sneaking out of the shadows I see our spirits sinking as the water's getting low still there's growth in the garden

You say you're trying to be true to what you see 
Well come on baby -- take a look at me!
I'm trying to be true as true as I can be
I just need you to believe in me

Concentrate! it's an auspicious day
what's been lost is just an offering
the wind is soft
the moon is sweet
here is decay nourishing peace
there's growth in the garden
growth in the garden

Despite the drought,despite the need
there are butterflies and birds and bees there are fruits and buds and hope and seeds and there's always a little bit of crap to clean

there's growth in the garden
growth in the gardenMelodic (sung) vocal from [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46770]Growth in the Garden (2)[/url]. There are two vocals -- same part.  Mostly in unison -- although there is one line with a bit of harmony. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46769]An alternative (spoken word) take is also available as I couldn't make a final decision about what to do.[/url]

[b]GROWTH IN THE GARDEN[/b]

It's battered but things still grow I see blossoms sneaking out of the shadows I see our spirits sinking as the water's getting low still there's growth in the garden

You say you're trying to be true to what you see 
Well come on baby -- take a look at me!
I'm trying to be true as true as I can be
I just need you to believe in me

Concentrate! it's an auspicious day
what's been lost is just an offering
the wind is soft
the moon is sweet
here is decay nourishing peace
there's growth in the garden
growth in the garden

Despite the drought,despite the need
there are butterflies and birds and bees there are fruits and buds and hope and seeds and there's always a little bit of crap to clean

there's growth in the garden
growth in the gardenSpecial thanks to Darkroom, Rocavaco and Haskel for the great source material.  This track started Darkroom's beat and then I had Haskel play -- his musical sensibility completely set the tone for this track.  I then worked from there, trying to make space for all the fabulous sounds that became part of this song. I added bass.

I was inspired by the hexagram "correcting causes of decay." Reminds me of compost.

[i]I did two versions of this track -- one with [url]vocals spoken[/url] and one with [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46770]vocals sung[/url]. I couldn't decide which version of this track I preferred so I am sharing both versions. (I tried putting them together at one point and quickly moved on.) This is the spoken word version.[/i]

[b]GROWTH IN THE GARDEN[/b]

It's battered but things still grow I see blossoms sneaking out of the shadows I see our spirits sinking as the water's getting low still there's growth in the garden

You say you're trying to be true to what you see 
Well come on baby -- take a look at me!
I'm trying to be true as true as I can be
I just need you to believe in me

Concentrate! it's an auspicious day
what's been lost is just an offering
the wind is soft
the moon is sweet
here is decay nourishing peace
there's growth in the garden
growth in the garden

Despite the drought,despite the need
there are butterflies and birds and bees there are fruits and buds and hope and seeds and there's always a little bit of crap to clean

there's growth in the garden
growth in the gardenSpecial thanks to Darkroom, Rocavaco and Haskel for the great source material.  This track started Darkroom's beat and then I had Haskel play -- his musical sensibility completely set the tone for this track.  I then worked from there, trying to make space for all the fabulous sounds that became part of this song. I added bass.

I was inspired by the hexagram "correcting causes of decay." Reminds me of compost.

[i]I did two versions of this track -- one with [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46769]vocals spoken[/url] and one with [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/46770]vocals sung[/url]. I couldn't decide which version of this track I preferred so I am sharing both versions. (I tried putting them together at one point and quickly moved on.) This is the melodic vocal version.[/i]

[b]GROWTH IN THE GARDEN[/b]

It's battered but things still grow I see blossoms sneaking out of the shadows I see our spirits sinking as the water's getting low still there's growth in the garden

You say you're trying to be true to what you see 
Well come on baby -- take a look at me!
I'm trying to be true as true as I can be
I just need you to believe in me

Concentrate! it's an auspicious day
what's been lost is just an offering
the wind is soft
the moon is sweet
here is decay nourishing peace
there's growth in the garden
growth in the garden

Despite the drought,despite the need
there are butterflies and birds and bees there are fruits and buds and hope and seeds and there's always a little bit of crap to clean

there's growth in the garden
growth in the garden[big][i]I just had to do it.[/i][/big]


[u][b]THE ANT AND THE FEATHER[/b][/u]

I went to a desert rave in the Mojave.  I arrived just before dusk, as the light started to soften and the intense heat of the day started letting up.  The rave had already been going on for over 24 hours.  The thump thump thump of the subwoofer reverberated.  It was incessant.  I walked away from the camp  in an attempt to find a moment of peace before nightfall.  

As I walked into the desert, I was hoping to experience the expansiveness of the environment -- the plane of earth that stretched forever until it became mountains so far off into the distance their height was diminished by the scope of the sky.  The sky was infinite.  While there was an abundance of shrubby growth, I was struck by the complete absence of animal life.  No lizards.  No flying insects. No birds.   And even though I was on a tortoise preserve, there was no sign of any tortoises.  There were burrows that evidenced life, and I was afraid that I may come across a rattlesnake as I made walked farther away from the camp.  But there was no evidence of such life.  This surprised me, as any other time I had been in the desert, I had seen so many different creatures.

As I walked, I couldn't help but look at the rocks and pebbles on the ground.  Beautiful bits of marbled quartz lined the desert floor.  I was torn between wanting to look at all the sparkling rocks embedded in sand, and wanting to experience the vastness of the landscape I was now a part of.  My internal dialogue was directing me to look up, to look out.  So I started walking with my gaze deliberately forward.

I do not know how my attention was drawn back to the ground after my conscientous attempt to connect with the infinite that the desert landscape promised, but suddenly, I somehow noticed an ant freeway on the desert floor.  There were two lanes of black ants, going in opposite directions.  It was rush hour with multitudes of ants scurrying one way or the other in singular formation.  This was the first sign of animal life I had seen since I arrived.

Before I could redirect my attention back to the panorama, I noticed an ant carrying a minute feather.  The feather was at nearly as long as the ant itself.  It held the feather afore and aloft like a prideful prize.  It hustled along the desert floor that was littered with pebbles, negotiating the ant traffic with what appeared to be a purposeful commitment  -- take the feather home!

I was transfixed! I didn't want to take my eyes off the ant.  I followed it as it hurried along.  I watched it climb over pebbles that must have felt like enormous boulders to the ant.  I watched it as it collided with other ants.  I watched it scurry without once stopping.  At some point, it travelled so far, I found that I had taken several steps to stay with it.  Not once did it drop its prize.
I followed the ant as it made its way back to the ant hill -- a burrow in the ground that swallowed and spewed ants like a whirpool.  It disappeared into the entrance, carrying its precious feather cargo.

I walked back to the camp, and rejoined the rave.


You can see pictures [url=http://bit.ly/1pAXLRr]here[/url].

If you want the pella for remixing -- let me know and I'll upload it.I love ccMixter! It feels like home.Thanks to Chandubaba for sharing a sexy dubstep.  Thanks to Haskel for playing sexy guitar.  He is a sexy man.

Vocal stems included as additional files. 

[b]WE ARE ELECTRIC (A SEXY DUBSTEP)[/b]

this is a sexy dubstep
where you will get you. . . feet. . .wet
we are all charged up
we are electric
this is a sexy dubstep

your touch is the connection to my transformation
the current makes me wide open

this is a sexy dubstep
we are. . . we are electric

let's drop

if you get me wet
i'll explode
i'm a live wire
you got me charged up
oh baby, i'm on fire
we're the universe
we're the nucleus
we're pure energy
we're protons
we're magma
we're infinity

this is a sexy dubstep
we are -- we are elecctricI could not say this better than Emily said it.  

In taking up [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3188#207335]Snowflake's  remix challenge[/url], as well as thinking about [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3196]some of my favorite songs at ccMixter[/url], I was brought back to her song Straight to the Light which has deep personal meaning for me.  I don't yet have the skill set to really remix a melodic vocal, so it was simpler to cover it, giving me the opportunity to get inside some truly beautiful lyrics.  

I was having a hard time sharing this because, quite frankly, I am intimidated by Snowflake.  She is an extraordinarily gifted singer and an accomplished musician.  But she has inspired me a lot.  And she has taught me a lot.  And she has been a really good friend to me as I have been going through some hard times in the past year or so.  

I kept Snowflake's chord progression in mind, although I did some interpreting (i.e., changing an Am to a Cmaj7 in places).

[i][small]Included are dry guitar and vocal stems. Guitar stems line up with each other.  Vocal stems line up with each other. But guitars and vocals may not line up with each other (badly bounced -- sorry).  I processed the heck out of all of my stems in order to minimize flaws -- if for any reason you want the processed stems, hit me up.[/small][/i]Copperhead suggested I play with The Language of Love.  So I did, mixing it up with one of my favorite Copperhead uploads, Badabing Badaboom.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3188]Challenge met.[/url]

Dry vocal stems uploaded.  If you want the wet version, hit me up.Nicola and I support trauma healing trainings together as teaching assistants. We met at a training held in the mountains of Southern California in a little town called Idylwild where the mayor of the town is a golden retriever (yes a dog -- look up Mayor Max).  Her poem reflects the environment we worked in -- dappled sunlight through the trees and warm California sun.  Thank you Airtone for what you share with us in the Mixterverse -- your music is a perfect fit for this sweet contemplation.  I added bass and vocals.

Help Me by Nicola Ranson

I walked to the edge of the wood where oak leaves were dappled by a shaft of sunlight
"Help me," I said to the trees.
"Help me," the trees replied.
"Help me," I said.
Again they replied, "Help me," closer this time
Until moments later, the voices came together in my heart which yielded as they merged.

My vocals from Copperheads remix [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/copperhead/47975]We're Stronger As a Whole, Luv[/url].   

Thanks Copperhead for putting this together,and inviting me to play along!  Snowflake wrote the chorus.


I get inspired, I write a song,
When it gets remixed, inspiration goes on,
It's a stream of energy that freely flows,
and where it ends up you just never know.
It may come from the birds, it may come from the dreams,it may transform to a beat or a drone or the seed of something else entirely.

This is the way that we meet at the mixter where the music is always free.
The joy of expressing openly, as part of a musical family,
A total recognition that point of connection, music is the nexus, music connects us.[blue][b]HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY ccMIXTER!!![/b][/blue]

State Shirt's source material is fantastic -- clean, varied and well produced.  As I went through his catalog, I stopped combing once I found Chemma Chi -- the atmosphere and sounds he created for that song resonated with me.  So I downloaded  those stems, with no real direction or idea of what would happen.  

As I started the track, I was mindful that this is the "music connects us" secret mixter in honor of ccMixter's 10 year anniversary, so it was not surprising to me that the lyrical theme that emerged as I built the track is consistent with that idea.  I intended to use Anjibee's "We are Connected" -- a simple vocal snippet that is thematically perfect -- but it was not the right key.  Given my technical limitations, it was simpler for me to re-sing the lines.  Speck's Roll Call was a super way to bring in voices of ccMixter. Also fitting is Porchcat's "Sacred Cube Family" which touches on some of what makes ccMixter such a special place ("I love men and women I never met, except in song").  I think it is also fitting to include Porchcat as I believe it was his inspiration to start the secret mixter event which has become one of my favorite ccMixter events.  I look forward to the secret mixter every time!

Special thanks to Haskel for lending his splendid guitar stylings.  I will get the stems up soon.

[b][u]WE ARE CONNECTED[/u][/b]

[i][I love men and women I have never met except in song][/i]

We are connected

We are connected in ways that we could not ever have imagined
We are connected by filaments of inspiration
We are connected by the pain and love of aspiration
We are connected by a web of shared experience

We are connected

Music connects us
It is the fascia in the body of the spirit dancer

[i][I love men and women I've never met except in song.
They dance within my sacred spaces,
pairs and crowds,
weaving together a tapestry of humanity;
they reach into the hidden places of my soul,
and whisper to it the celestial song.][/i]

We are connected

We are connected by melodies freely emerging
We are connected by surprises in harmony
We are connected by feeling oh so strongly
We are connected by a common creative longing

We are connected
Music connects us
It is the fascia in the body of the spirit dancer


The band:

Beat box, shimmery guitar, electronica pad with shadow voice -- State Shirt
Groovy electric guitar -- Haskel
Bass -- SackJo22 (uploaded here)
Male spoken word -- Porchcat
Female vocals -- SackJo22 ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/48273]uploaded separately[/url])  [red][i](Note: I will donate $5 to ccMixter for every remix of the vocals from this song until I can no longer do it.[/i][/red])Vocal stems from my secret mixter [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/48168]remix of State Shirt[/url].  I wrote these lyrics in honor of ccMixter's 10th anniversary, but that the feeling behind it expands beyond the ccMixter community.  Music is such a powerful force.  It has motivated, inspired, and comforted me throughout my life.  Through music, I have connected with others in profoundly moving ways.

[red]Because I love ccMixter, and until I can't do it anymore, I will continue the [url=http://ccmixter.org/keep-ccmixter-open-and-free]remix challenge[/url] in support of ccMixter so that I will donate $5 to ccMixter anytime this track is remixed -- even beyond the end date of the fundraiser[/red].

There are a dozen vocal tracks because I doubled each part. It's kind of a crazy amount.  Oh well -- that's how I roll. Stems are dry. And I apologize for some clunky cuts in the comped parts.

Thanks again too to [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/anjibee/27913]Anjibee[/url] for her inspiration.


[b][u]WE ARE CONNECTED[/u][/b]


We are connected

We are connected in ways that we could not ever have imagined
We are connected by filaments of inspiration
We are connected by the pain and love of aspiration
We are connected by a web of shared experience

We are connected

Music connects us
It is the fascia in the body of the spirit dancer

We are connected

We are connected by melodies freely emerging
We are connected by surprises in harmony
We are connected by feeling oh so strongly
We are connected by a common creative longing

We are connected
Music connects us
It is the fascia in the body of the spirit dancer[url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ccmixter-open-music-for-the-world]Thanking some of those who contributed $25 or more during ccMixter's first fundraiser[/url]:

[b][blue]@nop, Admiral Bob, Alesia McManus, Braam Nel, Carla J Bloch, Deeplastick, Clarence Soimpson, Debbizo, Manny Arquette, Eric Sauve, Frank Somer, Gershon Sharanga, go1dfish, Copperhead, Gurdonark, HigherandAbove, Ivan Chew, Jai Rangantathan Jeris, Patronski, urmymuse, spinmeister, My Free Mickey, Fourstones[/blue][/b]

If you don't hear your name in here, check out [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/48439]Snowflake[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/mindmapthat/48418]Kara Square[/url]'s thank yous -- there were so many generous donors, that we split the list between us. (You can see the entire list of donors [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3182]here[/url].)

[url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3224]The breadth of support for ccMixter during the fundraiser is inspiring.  I look forward to what we will do next as a community.[/url]

Thanks to Duckett too for this groovy music!

[i]And apologies for the delay in getting this recorded and uploaded. (I was sick and unable to record for a couple of weeks.)[/i][b]WAITING (to feel what I know)[/b]

Looking for the bright side of this long cold night, as the stars shine bright, like the light in your eyes.

Sitting in the darkness even though it's uncomfortable, waiting for you to show me how it's all so simple.

I'm waiting.
I'm waiting.
I'm waiting to feel what I know.

It's that time of year. There's stillness everywhere. You know it's there, even though you don't see it -- the flow that's under the ice that shimmers with all the promise of the love that binds us.

I'm waiting.
I'm waiting.
I'm waiting to feel what I know.

Limitless reach of light -- sun and moon and memory -- the dream that binds lovers tight through time and space and history.

I'm waiting.

Facing what's been lost while hope glitters and it gleams. Sipping sacraments of love, sweet while they sting. Wishing you were here with me as bells of salvation ring. Letting go of what was then to welcome what the new year brings.

I'm waiting.
I'm waiting.
I'm waiting to feel what I know.

Limitless reach of light
the dream that binds lovers tight

verse: F/Eb/Dm/Db
chorus: F/Dm/Db/Eb
break: Db/Bb


Thank you Haskel for helping to give this song some form. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Haskel/48654]His stems are uploaded separately[/url].  Dry bass and vocal stems (flac) shared here as additional files.

[red][i]2014 was mostly a very challenging year for me, and for many of those who are close to me.  Here's to an improved new year in 2015![/i][/red]I spend a lot of time at the Sepulveda Dam which is a local wildlife preserve in the middle of the city.  The LA river runs through the preserve.  There is a field of native shrubs and trees.  There is the dam.  Canadian Geese stop there during migration. There is a year-round population of herons and egrets that live on the preserve.  There are mockingbirds, hummingbirds, finches, starlings, sandpipers, hawks, kestrals, osprey, crows, sparrows and black birds with orange epaulets. I find the environment particularly soothing despite being frequently trashed by gangsters, partiers, and transients.

Attached are some field recordings from the dam including the sound of the river water flowing, birds, a jogger along the dirt path.  As I frequent the dam with my dog, the sound of her dog tags sometimes makes its way into the soundscape.  As this is an urban setting, the sound of planes sometimes appears.  And the sound of traffic which I often find similar to the sound of running water, or the waves meeting the shore.  
The voice from my [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/49330]remix of Jeris called On the Earth (and of the Tree)[/url].  The effected vocal is the preview, but I have also uploaded the dry stem.  Unfortunately, the recording volume is a little low as I jumped right in without checking my settings, and recorded the vocal extemporaneously, in one take, with no comping. I captured a moment so I did not re-do it.

[b]ON THE EARTH (of the Trees, a Grounding Meditation)[/b]

[i]feel the breath come up from the earth
feel your feet on the earth
you are supported
take it in
hold
and when you're ready
release

feel your feet on the ground
you are supported
breathe
feel the breath come up from the ground through your legs up your spine your neck through your head so your thoughts are released to the breeze

feel your feet on the earth
you are supported 
breathe
take it in
hold
release

breathe
feel your feet on the earth
you are supported

feel your breath fill the space
hold
and when you're ready
release

breathe

feel your feet on the earth
you are supported

you may sway
you may bend
you are supported

feel your feet on the earth
take it in
hold
feel your feet on the earth
release

take it in
hold
and when you're ready
release


[/i]Jeris created a beautiful soundtrack from which emerged this grounding meditation.  I imagined the tree, firmly rooted, yet able to move in the wind.  A powerful image.

The vocals were recorded in one-take, extemporaneously, and are [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/49329]uploaded separately.[/url]

[b]ON THE EARTH (AND OF THE TREE -- A HEALING MEDITATION)
[/b]

[i]feel the breath come up from the earth
feel your feet on the earth
you are supported
take it in
hold
and when you're ready
release

feel your feet on the ground
you are supported
breathe
feel the breath come up from the ground through your legs up your spine your neck through your head so your thoughts are released to the breeze

feel your feet on the earth
you are supported 
breathe
take it in
hold
release

breathe
feel your feet on the earth
you are supported

feel your breath fill the space
hold
and when you're ready
release

breathe

feel your feet on the earth
you are supported

you may sway
you may bend
you are supported

feel your feet on the earth
take it in
hold
feel your feet on the earth
release

take it in
hold
and when you're ready
release

[/i]A variation of one of my favorite [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Pretty_Little_Horses_(lullaby)]lullabies[/url].  

Not sure of bpm -- could be around 70.  The click track for recording was the sound of crickets that seemed to make their way onto the mic. Also Am.The intention with the piece was to create music that someone could play just as s/he got into bed.  A piece that would accompany that state of getting settled in before sleep, and the moment between being awake and asleep when thoughts drift from those we control to those that wander as the sleep state starts to take over the waking state. I started with Delta waves; per Jeris' research Delta waves can be used to facilitate a deep sleep state.  I learned that, on average, it takes someone 7-10 minutes to fall asleep.  This fact informed the length and pacing of this track.  Ambient sounds have proven to be useful in helping sleep -- so I included a number of ambient sounds, starting with the sound of water.  Not only is the sound of water (waves, rain, streams, etc.) soothing, it is also a symbol of the unconscious; thus, I included the sound of water at the beginning of the lullaby as an invitation to the listener to enter the depths of his or her unconscious through the sleep state.  For this piece, I chose sounds that would be heard at night - crickets, nightingale, wind, purring. Other sounds include sounds of a star recorded by the Kepler spacecraft ([url=http://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds/index.html#.VPyzLfnF9Oi]sound courtesy of NASA[/url]).  Pretty Little Horses has always been one of my favorite lullabies.  ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/49522]A capella uploaded separately[/url] -- it includes harmonies not included here.)

Other off-site samples used include the sound of [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/xserra/sounds/161699/]the ocean[/url] and [url=http://www.freesound.org/people/cs272/sounds/77034/]the sound of crickets[/url], both from freesound.org.

[i]if you sleep on it -- I'd be interested to know how it goes[/i]The imagery in this meditation is taken from my experience visiting the [url=http://sepulvedabasinwildlife.org/sbwr.html]Los Angeles River at the Sepulveda Dam which has been designated as an urban wildlife preserve.[/url]  

Water is a powerful image, rife with collective and personal meaning.  It is the unconscious.  It is emotion.  It is feeling.  River water has the quality of continual flow despite unseen obstacles that may alter its course, albeit ever so slightly -- rocks and other sunken treasure sometimes, but not always, visible under the current.

Each image anchor was chosen with care.  I hope the image anchors help guide your meditation without imposing on your journey to the river, and any insight that may be gleaned from this contemplative practice.  If you think more space between anchors would be useful, please let me know and I will do an alternate mix,

The foundation of this piece are theta waves.  As [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/49218]Jeris explained[/url], theta waves are helpful for eliciting a state of open consciousness where dreams, insight and inspiration are born. Theta brain waves are present during deep meditation and light sleep.

Thank you to TheVillain, Subliminal, Jeris, and Gordon Rosenberg for sharing such beautiful samples. I also incorporated [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/49274]field recordings I made at the Los Angeles river[/url].

[i]Also, lossless version is to large to upload here.  If you want an alternate file format, just let me know and I will get it to you some other way.[/i]

[u][b]RESURRECTION (At the River)[/b][/u]

This is the dream.

You are going to the river.
To reach the river, you walk along a dirt path that runs through a meadow.
The meadow is resplendent.
The sun is shining.
The slightest of breezes kisses your cheek as you walk.
Birds are everywhere.
The path curves. You are not sure what you will see as you continue.
You cross a bridge.

You are at the river.
At the river, you breathe in the smell of the water. You hold it in until you can hold it in no longer. . .then, release.
You feel your feet on the ground.
You touch the river, the bring your finger to your lips as if to kiss the promise of the flow.

You watch the sunlight on the surface of the water, both opaque and clear.
You watch the water flow.

You return.
You cross a bridge.
The path curves.
You walk through the meadow that is resplendent.

In the meadow, there is both life and death.

A harbinger of resurrection scurries across the path.
A beetle, black as ink.
There are hummingbirds and carpenter bees.
There is the gentle kiss of barest breeze.
It will comfort you upon awakening.










The voice of [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/49666]RESURRECTION (At the River)[/url] -- a guided meditation.

A version of the processed vocal is also available as an additional file.


[u][b]RESURRECTION (At the River)[/b][/u]

This is the dream.

You are going to the river.
To reach the river, you walk along a dirt path that runs through a meadow.
The meadow is resplendent.
The sun is shining.
The slightest of breezes kisses your cheek as you walk.
Birds are everywhere.
The path curves. You are not sure what you will see as you continue.
You cross a bridge.

You are at the river.
At the river, you breathe in the smell of the water. You hold it in until you can hold it in no longer. . .then, release.
You feel your feet on the ground.
You touch the river, the bring your finger to your lips as if to kiss the promise of the flow.

You watch the sunlight on the surface of the water, both opaque and clear.
You watch the water flow.

You return.
You cross a bridge.
The path curves.
You walk through the meadow that is resplendent.

In the meadow, there is both life and death.

A harbinger of resurrection scurries across the path.
A beetle, black as ink.
There are hummingbirds and carpenter bees.
There is the gentle kiss of barest breeze.
It will comfort you upon awakening.








[url=http://ccmixter.org/reviews/VJ_Memes/49663]Jeris asked Haskel to play guitar[/url]. I put it together, although I did not work with the separate stems. Their work, and Emily's work on this song is simply stellar.  There were gusts of wind up to 50 miles per hour last night. The dog and I went into the garden to watch the trees sway in the early evening against a shadowy sky. They were dancing. The dog went crazy as the wind caused all the familiar scents to become dispersed, or corrupted with scents from other gardens carried over walls by the force of the wind. 

The recordings capture the wind from various spots in the garden:  on the patio under the chimes; under the trees where the leaves rustle; and out in the yard where the big blasts of air almost caused me to topple while recording.Vocal stems for The Wolf.

My friend thought that this song was written about her ex.  What do you think this song is about?

I shared it as part of the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3256]Music for Healing[/url] project because this song is an affirmation.

[i]Dry stems shared in flac format.  If you want an alternate format, let me know.[/i]

[u][b]THE WOLF[/b][/u]

You can have him, but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's bigger than you'll imagine
So you can have him
I am done
I know all about his seductions
Oh you can him
I'm gonna run
He's nothing more than a distraction

So you can have him but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's the wolf knocking at the door

Sometimes I wonder, can I really let him go?
I feel like he's tied to my essence
I say to myself
I say myself
I say to myself -- no --  I need my independence

So you can have him but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's the wolf knocking at my door

You can have him, but take him away
You can have him, but take him away
You can have him, but take him away

My friend thought that this song was written about her ex.  What do you think it's about?

Haskel and I added some parts to Jeris' incredibly cool Funky Bits (that includes Martijn de  Boer on bass) and this is what we came up with.  I shared it as part of the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/3256]Music for Healing[/url] project because it is an affirmation.

[i][url=http://ccmixter.org/files/edit/SackJo22/49789]Dry vocal stems shared separately.[/url][/i]

[u][b]THE WOLF[/b][/u]

You can have him, but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's bigger than you'll imagine
So you can have him
I am done
I know all about his seductions
Oh you can him
I'm gonna run
He's nothing more than a distraction

So you can have him but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's the wolf knocking at the door

Sometimes I wonder, can I really let him go?
I feel like he's tied to my essence
I say to myself
I say myself
I say to myself -- no --  I need my independence

So you can have him but take him away
I don't want to see him anymore
He's malevolent -- he always gets his own way
He's the wolf knocking at my door

You can have him, but take him away
You can have him, but take him away
You can have him, but take him away
This is a work in progress.  Feel free to join in the fun.  I am still trying to figure things out.  

Basically a jam in E, I think

If you are interested in using the beat in your remix of this song, let me know.


[b]HOW LOVE BEGINS[/b]

Letting go of the ghost, shedding its skin
saying no to the devil without while letting the angels in
it's been about expectation
that was the start of the end
it's been about separation
I'm just so glad to see you again

Come to me baby, so I can take you in
I will take you in
that's how love begins

It's a time of temptation -- that's the devil again
enticing you to new situations that bring  you back to where you began
it's been about transformation
that's when the start is an end
it's been a negotiation
oh I'm just so glad to see you again

Come to me baby, so I can take you in
I will take you in
that's how love begins
show it to me so I can take it in
so I can take it in that's how love begins

come to me so I can take you
so I can take you in
that's how love begins


Vocal from The Daisy Bell Suite -- chorus and vocalese of the traditional melody of Daisy Bell.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell]Daisy Bell[/url] was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.  I can never remember the words to the verses.

Preview has effects.  Vocal stems are dry.  Vocal from The Daisy Bell Suite -- this is the interpretive version.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell]Daisy Bell[/url] was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.  I sing the original lyrics, with a reinterpretation of the melody.

Preview has effects.  Vocal stems are dry.  

Many many thanks to Jeris for providing the music that is the foundation for this melody and vocal arrangement.



Daisy, Daisy give me an answer do
I'm half crazy -- oh for the love of you!
He loves me, he loves me not
There is a flower within my heart
Planted one day by a glancing dart
Whether he loves me or loves me not
Sometimes it's hard to tell
Yet I am longing to share the lot
Of beautiful Daisy Bell

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you

I will stand by you in wheel or woe
Daisy, Daisy,
You'll be the bell which I'll ring you know
Sweet little Daisy Bell
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you

The "old timey" section from The Daisy Bell Suite built on Jeris' fantastic music, uploaded separately here in case this stand-alone version is useful to someone.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell]Daisy Bell[/url] was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.  This song also includes audio from an 1894 was cylinder recording of Edward Favor singing this song.

This is one of those songs where everyone seems to know the chorus, but no one seems to remember the verse.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50205]vocal stems uploaded separately[/url]



The re-imagined section of The Daisy Bell Suite built on Jeris' fantastic music.  Uploaded separately here in case this stand-alone version is useful to someone.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell]Daisy Bell[/url] was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.  This song reimagines his lyrics.  





Daisy, Daisy give me an answer do
I'm half crazy -- oh for the love of you!
He loves me, he loves me not
There is a flower within my heart
Planted one day by a glancing dart
Whether he loves me or loves me not
Sometimes it's hard to tell
Yet I am longing to share the lot
Of beautiful Daisy Bell

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you

I will stand by you in wheel or woe
Daisy, Daisy,
You'll be the bell which I'll ring you know
Sweet little Daisy Bell
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you

This piece explores what I imagine it must be like to be on the edges of the type of cognitive dysfunction that comes with dementia or traumatic brain injury.  Like voices that are heard, but not always understood, memories come flooding in bits and pieces, clear but not quite complete.  It's the feeling when you remember the chorus, but can't remember the words to the verse.

Music has been shown to help us connect with our memories, sometimes transforming them into something else entirely. 

This song is dedicated to my mother-in-law who loves to sing. This is one of the songs she would sing with her friends while they partied in 1940's  Burma, where a favorite pastime was to spend the evening drinking cocktails and singing.

I incorporated an [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell]1894 recording of  Edward M. Favor performing "Daisy Bell"[/url] that was recorded by the Edison Phonograph Company on brown wax cylinder .  The song itself was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.

Thanks to Speck for bringing to my attention the fantastic voices (shared by [url]unfa[/url] at freesound.org) that appear as the din of thought and memory from which clarity emerges.  And much gratitude to Jeris who kindly created the music for this project, taking a broad concept and helping to turn it into something more than I could have possibly imagined.

Vocal stems uploaded separately ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50205]old time version[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50206]interpretive version[/url]).  I also shared the two different versions as separate uploads in the event someone finds that format more useful. ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50207]old time version[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50208]interpretive version[/url])


DAISY BELL originally by Harry Dacre


Daisy, Daisy give me an answer do
I'm half crazy -- oh for the love of you!

He loves me, he loves me not
There is a flower within my heart
Planted one day by a glancing dart
Whether he loves me or loves me not
Sometimes it's hard to tell
Yet I am longing to share the lot
Of beautiful Daisy Bell

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you

I will stand by you in wheel or woe
Daisy, Daisy,
You'll be the bell which I'll ring you know
Sweet little Daisy Bell
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you
Delving into Jeris' catalog is always a journey, that will often reveal secrets.  Thanks Jeris for sharing such amazing source material.

When I pulled Jeris I was surprisingly flummoxed, despite working with Jeris' material pretty much all the time. I didn't know what to do and I had all these big conceptual ideas about secret journeys and transformation. .  I worked on the track for more than a week, when the file became corrupted and I had to start all over again. 

The fresh start was exactly what I needed for this track to emerge. I tossed out all my complicated intentions and this is what happened. 

Special thanks to Haskel for being a sport and spending last night recording for me. It's probably a good thing too that I ran out of time, because I could keep tweaking this track ad infinitum, I am sure.ccMixter is a rare and extraordinary platform for artist development.  Since I arrived in 2009, I have seen: remixers become composers; producers become vocalists; vocalists become producers; luddites become technicians; singers become instrumentalists. [17 secs]

I don't think my experience is unique in that since finding ccMixter, my ability to express myself through music and sound has been enchanced in ways I could not have previously imagined. [10 secs] 

The amazing content freely shared by members of the ccMixter community is a well of infinite inspiration. [6 secs]


It was really hard to reduce what I would like to say about ccMixter into a 15-second soundbite -- so I ended up doing three.  Preview is all three.  Additional files include a separate flac file for each soundbite and a flac file for the preview.  
 

[i]I apologize for the stuffy voice (cold or allergies) and noise (air conditioning -- it is 105 degrees out right now)[/i]Thanks to Haskel for playing guitar.  

Dry stems for vocals, bass and acoustic rhythm attached.  Haskel's guitar parts can be found on his page.

V: A9/Am (or C6)/D (or Bm)
CH: Cmaj7/D/Am/C


[u][b]YOU'RE WHO I NEED[/b][/u]

I know I kept you hanging -- seems infinitely
You wait for me -- so patiently
But there's this interloper, I'm sure that you see, how he gets in between -- between you and me

He's just some Rumplestiltskin playing with me
But you're who I need
Please help me secede from his psychodrama
You help me breathe
You're who I need

Soften the hold he has on me by being here with me

He's always been here
He hides in my dreams
He's who I see in the mirror glistening
But it don't matter much when you're here with me
When it's about how we feel and not how we see

The heart is the root of the feeling in my bones
(Oh the body knows)
Watch what he says -- words can be so false
(Oh baby, please stay close)

Next time I see him, I'll just say "No!"
It won't be for show -- he's been exposed to be a trickster, shyster, clouds clarity
Trust that I see how you're here with me

You soften the hold he has on me by being here with me
This version of Change includes all of the original content only, with dry stems shared as additional files.  Haskel's guitar parts are shared separately on his page [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Haskel/51833]here[/url].

Shared here are:

Rhythm/Percussion Track
Bass
Telecaster Rhythm Guitar
Acoustic Rhythm Guitar
Vocal Pad (Introduction)
Vocals (Lead and Harmonies)
Vocal Preview
Instrumental Only Mix

The full remix version is available [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/51844]here[/url].

[b]CHANGE[/b]

You showed up, in a most unexpected way
Don't ask me to explain -- you've changed

We saw some amazing things;
there was death, and there were offerings;
beautiful colored birds on the wing. . .
We've changed

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close

When I needed you the most, you courted me with hope
You helped me face the ghost of change

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close

You showed up in the most unexpected way
A flock of swifts circles around me
Don't ask me to explain
You made it clear I was not alone as I walked along this empty road of shame
Then change

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close
You held me close
When I needed you the most

v.   C/F
ch. G/F/C/Am/F
bk. C/F/Am/F
[b][i]An expression of gratitude for those who have been supporting me during this time.[/i][/b]


Many thanks to the  following contributors who made their source material freely available. I really appreciate that you shared.

Haskel Joseph: Electric Guitars and solo production
GeeArtriasRose:  Crystal_Bowls
Speck: vibraphones

from Freesound.org:

Wisslgisse:  [url=http://freesound.org/people/wisslgisse/sounds/52648/]Hawk Call[/url]  
Juskkiddink  [url=http://freesound.org/people/juskiddink/sounds/131979/]Chimes[/url]  

Vocal and instrumental stems for the original content created by Haskel and me for this song is uploaded separately ([url=http://bit.ly/1WVvjIF]here[/url]), and available with a cc-plus license,   


[u][b]CHANGE[/b][/u]

You showed up, in a most unexpected way
Don't ask me to explain -- you've changed

We saw some amazing things;
there was death, and there were offerings;
beautiful colored birds on the wing. . .
We've changed

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close

When I needed you the most, you courted me with hope
You helped me face the ghost of change

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close

You showed up in the most unexpected way
A flock of swifts circles around me
Don't ask me to explain
You made it clear I was not alone as I walked along this empty road of shame
Then change

Just when I thought I was about to explode you held me close
You held me close
When I needed you the most

I wrote [url=http://bit.ly/1HBIYA5]a little blog post[/url] about the swifts.

v.   C/F
ch. G/F/C/Am/F
bk. C/F/Am/F[u][b]COME AGAIN IT'S HALLOWEEN[/b][/u]

Come again, it's Halloween
A time of ghosts and scary things
of promises
secret screams
When things are as horrifying as they seem
When you wish it was just a dream

October's time of transformation
When winds rise and leaves fall
We're preparing for a dire prediction
while harvesting the latest growth

There's a ring around the autumn moon
its light is soft among the sound 
of cars and planes and media
crickets pulsing in surround
I take a breath
I hear a song
Feeling what's right when so much is wrong


[i]Working on a little remix that I hope to share soon -- just waiting for Haskel to do his thing.[/i]


Thank you Abstract Audio, Haskel and Jay Umphres.

[small][i]An illustrated little bit more about what inspired this poem [url=http://bit.ly/1kXGN0E]here[/url].[/small][/i]

Come again, it's Halloween
a time of ghosts and scary things
of broken promises -- secret screams
When things are as horrifying as they seem
When you wish it was just a dream

October's time of transformation
When winds rise and leaves fall
We're preparing for dire predictions
While harvesting the latest growth

There's a ring around the autumn moon.
Its light is soft among the sound
of cars and planes and media
crickets pulsing in surround.
I take a break.
I hear a song
feeling what's right when so much is wrong.

[blue][i]release is required for all creation

. . . joy. . . 

Release from the old 
Makes way for the new
Allows the innovation
To arise from necessity[/i][/blue]

*  *  *

When I learned I was assigned essesq to remix I was delighted! I find her writing to be warm and direct, and resonant.  And I was pleased to discover that she has shared some really great samples as well.

I was not at all sure where I would go with an essesq remix, but I knew, given her body of work, it would be someplace worth visiting.  I was struck by the message and tenor of both poems, A Gift Unwrapped and Joy, and felt they worked well together.  

The music started with essesq's loop, and the rest of the rhythm track else emerged from that in a most unexpected way.  I love what Haskel plays on this track -- I am so grateful that he is willing to play with me.

Thanks essesq for sharing such great material with us!

[url=https://teespring.com/windfall-secret-mixter]Happy birthday ccMixter![/url]

Stems, including Haskel's guitar parts will be uploaded soon. (Tomorrow)

Shared as an additional file is an alternative mix instrumental mix  features Haskel's uncut guitar parts.The original content created for my secret mixter remix of Essesq including the prhythm track, bass and my vocals. Haskel's guitar stems are uploaded separately ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/Haskel/52204]here[/url]).  

I am not sure what the rules are regarding release content using loops from my daw -- if anybody has more info about that, much appreciated.  If I reassemble and produce the loops, am I able to release them or are there copyright restrictions? (I checked my library disk and the license language was not clear) I finally finished this song.  The lyrics were sent to me by Marla many years ago.  Marla is very dear to me.  She was a close  childhood friend.  A cohort in crime. My co-misadventurer. A creative collaborator.  She was the maid of honor at my wedding. Marla was an excellent writer with a fine and unique intelligence.  Every so often, she would send me some lyrics and ask me to write a song with them. Marla died almost two years ago.

Marla was uniquely supportive of my creative endeavors in a way that no one else has ever been. She helped make me feel that my expression is meaningful. I am sorry I was not able to share this with her while she was still around.  I am glad that I am finally able to get this version to this point. 

Thanks to Haskel (guitars) and Smojos (djembe) for helping out.  Their stems are available on their pages. I included an instrumental mix in case anyone is inspired to sing this song.

Key of C Major


LOOKING BEHIND
Lyrics by Marla Smith

You've been looking behind you looking for the memory that used to be you
You've been puzzling the pieces of broken love's traces

Love isn't always pretty
Your memories are always pretty

Baby, the past's the past
Keep looking behind and you'll never see what's in front of you

Lately you've been gone
Where have you gone to?
Life's not as bad as they say. . .
though people do die every day

Love isn't always pretty
Your memories are always pretty

Baby the past's the past keep looking behind and you'll never see what's in front of you

I see your eyes
I see it in your eyes
Looking for the memory behind you

Baby the past's the past keep looking behind and you will never see me in front of you


A (verse): G/F/Am/F/F/Am/F
B (pre chorus): F/G-Am/F/Am-F
C (chorus): C/F/Am/F
D (bridge): Am/F/Am/F/F/Am/F/Am

I also shared a voice memo about something that happened while I was in the process of making this song. [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/52815]Attaining Clarity[/url]I pay a lot of attention to the details of my environment. These observations make their way into the things I make. I believe what we observe in our environment is significant.

I found this voice memo that I recorded on October 31, 2015. It was just before Haskel's birthday celebration. I was walking the dog. This was around the time that I started working on [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/52799]Looking Behind[/url]. 

I think it's a good story.

[i]This is a field recording, taken with my iphone voice memo app  -- just converted the file format.[/i]
STARS

Season of the stars
The dark is deep

In my town only one star shines
Piercing the suburban sky
Neutralised by civilised light

This star -- oh so bright!
Shines beyond our imagination
Can you sense it?

Connection to essence

Some skies adorned their stars are sequins
Glimmering the atmosphere soft like velvet
Some skies constellations are clear
Some skies the stars are  breathing
Pulsing expansion into the darkness
Some skies the stars feel quite near

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Gaseous flames amid cosmic freeze
Burning for eternity
Lights that guide
Lights we trust
We are made of the same stuff

Stars our ancestors
Shining through darkness
A connection to essence 
Can you sense it

Season of the stars
The dark is deep
Patterns emerge as constellations
Season the stars
Starlight relief
Points of luminescence 

connected to essence
Can you sense it?

Lights that guide
Lights we trust
We are made of the same stuff
My intention was to do an instrumental for Dig the Soundtrack, but as I started combing through source material, opening myself up to inspiration, this song emerged.  It is a re-working of a song I wrote several years ago, but the sentiment feels even more urgent now, as the multi-level crisises in which we find ourselves seem  to be accelerating.

Over the past year or so, there have been times when I have been literally flattened by what is going on in the world around me:  the corruption, destruction, and unconscious way in which so many people interact with each other and the world has impacted me in profoundly, often leaving me despondent and confused.  I have chosen to deal with my feelings of despair and futility by turning outside of myself, and finding ways to be of service.  I have started small, but am finding the more I make myself available to new practices that nurture rather than harm my environment (here I am using the term "environment" broadly to encompass the physical, psychological, and spiritual, the collective, the earth, and the small space that my personal and professional life inhabits).  

My teachers have encouraged me to "be the change."  I am trying.  And  I hope I can offer that same encouragement to others.  

ALL THE TIME

You're locked in denial so you can't see your intentions are tired and you're suffering from misunderstanding about what you need -- you're just so comfortable compromising

You say, "Give me some time, give me some time, give me some time to remember my dreams"

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

You dropped your ideals as to heavy to bear
You married a life you life without care

But we're here to remind you,
We breathe the same air -- it's not yours along, it's a burden we share

You say, "Give me some time -- give me some time to remember my dreams"

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

This is not what I was looking for, but this is what I found
I was looking up, but my body was feeling down
I was called to the river -- feeling was the sound
This is not what I was looking for, but this is what I found

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

You can start small -- as long as you start something
You can stand tall - as long as you start something
Open your heart to know how the world is -- don't be dissuaded by imposters and cynics
The world you aspire to -- be the change, live it
Now is the time to rearrange it -- schema, structure, the misuse of power
Now is the time, the day, the hour
Start it up with kindness, love, compassion -- the integration of sacred action

Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time, all the time in the world

Vocals uploaded separately.
Vocals for All the Time remix. Stems are dry.

My intention was to do an instrumental for Dig the Soundtrack, but as I started combing through source material, opening myself up to inspiration, this song emerged.  It is a re-working of a song I wrote several years ago, but the sentiment feels even more urgent now, as the multi-level crisises in which we find ourselves seem  to be accelerating.

Over the past year or so, there have been times when I have been literally flattened by what is going on in the world around me:  the corruption, destruction, and unconscious way in which so many people interact with each other and the world has impacted me in profoundly, often leaving me despondent and confused.  I have chosen to deal with my feelings of despair and futility by turning outside of myself, and finding ways to be of service.  I have started small, but am finding the more I make myself available to new practices that nurture rather than harm my environment (here I am using the term "environment" broadly to encompass the physical, psychological, and spiritual, the collective, the earth, and the small space that my personal and professional life inhabits).  

My teachers have encouraged me to "be the change."  I am trying.  And  I hope I can offer that same encouragement to others.  

ALL THE TIME

You're locked in denial so you can't see your intentions are tired and you're suffering from misunderstanding about what you need -- you're just so comfortable compromising

You say, "Give me some time, give me some time, give me some time to remember my dreams"

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

You dropped your ideals as to heavy to bear
You married a life you life without care

But we're here to remind you,
We breathe the same air -- it's not yours along, it's a burden we share

You say, "Give me some time -- give me some time to remember my dreams"

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

This is not what I was looking for, but this is what I found
I was looking up, but my body was feeling down
I was called to the river -- feeling was the sound
This is not what I was looking for, but this is what I found

All the time
All the time in the world
All the time in the world is now

You can start small -- as long as you start something
You can stand tall - as long as you start something
Open your heart to know how the world is -- don't be dissuaded by imposters and cynics
The world you aspire to -- be the change, live it
Now is the time to rearrange it -- schema, structure, the misuse of power
Now is the time, the day, the hour
Start it up with kindness, love, compassion -- the integration of sacred action

Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time, all the time in the world
[url=http://ccmixter.org/reviews/F_Fact/53360]Platinum Butterfly challenged me[/url] to upload some spoken snippets. Not sure what exactly to say, I thought I would recite the names of the 64 hexagrams of the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching]IChing[/url].


[b]THE HEXAGRAMS[/b][u][/u]

The Creative
Nature
Beginning
Youthful Folly
Waiting
Conflict
The Army
Holding Together
Small Accumulating
Conduct
Peace
Stagnation
Fellowship
Possession in Great Measure
Modesty
Enthusiasm
Following
Correcting What Has Been Spoiled
Approach
Seeing
Biting Through
Grace
Splitting Apart
Return
Innocence
Potential Energy
Nourishing
Critical Mass
The Abyss
The Clinging Fire
Influence
Duration
Retreat
The Power of the Great
Progress
Darkening of the Light
Family
Polarising Opposition
Obstruction
Untangled
Decrease
Increase
Resolute
Meeting
Gathering Together
Ascend
Oppression
The Well
Revolution
Holding
Arousing Thunder Shock
Keep Still
Development
The Marrying Maiden
Abundance
Wander
The Penetrating Wind
Open
Disperse
Limitation Moderation Articulation
Inner Truth
Small Surpassing
After Completion
Before Completion





 Andy from Stellarartwars writes some wonderful pop songs.  This song struck me as particularly sweet -- and, quite frankly, I totally relate to the lyric.

Special thanks to Haskel who made this song happen with his fine guitar stylings.  I certainly am a lucky party to have him around!

[i]I am away from home on Secret Mixter upload day, but I look forward to catching up when I return. I am sure the offerings will be delicious![/i]This is the third version of "All the Time" that I have shared at ccMixter. I keep coming back to this song, especially now as we face unprecedented divisiveness, upheaval, the threat of imminent climate collapse.  Certain lyrics have been adjusted for this moment, and for this mix.
This music is particularly dramatic, which resulted in a dramatic song.

Thanks to [blue]Blue[/blue] Wave Theory for offering up great stems!


The sample pack includes 44 individual stems.  I did not remix the stems.  I worked with the preview mix because, quite frankly, I couldn't deal with 44 tracks.  

[b]ALL THE TIME: The Hayburner Mix[/b]

We're lost in denial so we can't see
Our intentions are tired
We're suffering
Misunderstanding what we need
We're just so comfortable compromising

We say give me some time to remember my dreams

All the time in the world is now

We dropped our ideals as too heavy to bear
We married a life that we live without care
We're being reminded we breathe the same air
It's not ours alone
It's a burden we share

We say give me some time to remember my dreams

What will it take?
How will we sustain?
There's a choice to me made.
What will it take?
What will we endure?
There's a choice to be made.

Give me some time to remember my dreams
All the time in the world is now


Prior versions include the [url=http://beta.ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/53353]All the Time (the DJ Vadim mix)[/url] and the folk version that I hid from view because I intend to re-do it.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/54458]Vocals uploaded separately.[/url]These are the vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/54441]"All the Time: The Hayburner Mix (ft Blue Wave Theory)"[/url]

There are a lot of files -- mostly bits that are doubled at the chorus and tag. And apologies for the pitchy parts.

[b]ALL THE TIME: The Hayburner Mix[/b]

We're lost in denial so we can't see
Our intentions are tired
We're suffering
Misunderstanding what we need
We're just so comfortable compromising

We say give me some time to remember my dreams

All the time in the world is now

We dropped our ideals as too heavy to bear
We married a life that we live without care
We're being reminded we breathe the same air
It's not ours alone
It's a burden we share

We say give me some time to remember my dreams

What will it take?
How will we sustain?
There's a choice to me made.
What will it take?
What will we endure?
There's a choice to be made.

Give me some time to remember my dreams
All the time in the world is now


Prior versions include the [url=http://beta.ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/53353]All the Time (the DJ Vadim mix)[/url] and the folk version that I hid from view because I intend to re-do it.
This past June, I went to Juneau, Alaska which was a powerfully moving journey.  I have been immersed in studying climate change. It is horrifying. When the opportunity to go to Juneau presented itself, I immediately said yes -- I wanted to visit the glaciers while they still exist.

Many thanks to the artists, musicians and contributors included in this piece:

Jeris -- Binaural beat, chimes
Haskel -- slide guitar
Smojos -- djembe
Juskidink -- chimes ([url=http://www.freesound.org/people/juskiddink/sounds/131979/]@freesound.org[/url])
Davidou -- whales ([url=http://www.freesound.org/people/davidou/sounds/88449/]@freesound.org[/url])
Benmaesound -- eagle ([url=http://www.freesound.org/people/Benmaessound/sounds/201059/]@freesound.org[/url])
Sackjo22 -- bass, field recording of Mendenhall Glacier Melt, and vocals (uploaded separately)

This work is more fully explored with video and additional text at [url=http://www.theimaginalcell.com/]The Imaginal Cell[/url] which is my latest project.   


ALASKA

I was called to Alaska where I was sent to grieve
In the majesty of light and land, 
Of infinity
To the heart of the mother, the font of seed
Where it feels like life was incepted
I was called to grieve.

So many shades of green, 
We sailed a sequined sea where
Even the whales seemed small against the backdrop of trees reflected in the water
. . . softly shimmering
.  .the light. . . the water
. .  ..the calf her mother.   .
The show off breaching
The land stretching farther than I could imagine
I want to go there to breathe in the clean air

We heard the eagles sing 
Then we saw them by the dozens a pile of abundance 
embodying how we've been
Eagles by the dozen a pile of abundance
Feasting on what's rotten
Embodying how we've succumbed 
Eagles by the dozen 

The water meets the land where the earth has been cleaved by glaciers migrating
This water is your dream
This water it will kill you if you go in fast or deep

I was called to Alaska where I was sent to grieve
Faces in the forest accompanied me
A dog for protection howled for me
Berries and glacier water nurtured me
Life growing abundantly

This past June, I went to Juneau, Alaska which was a powerfully moving journey.  I have been immersed in studying climate change. It is horrifying. When the opportunity to go to Juneau presented itself, I immediately said yes -- I wanted to visit the glaciers while they still exist.

This work is more fully explored with video and additional text at [url=http://www.theimaginalcell.com/]The Imaginal Cell[/url] which is my latest project.

Thank you to my teachers and guides who made this journey possible.

[i]Stems are dry.[/i]

ALASKA

I was called to Alaska where I was sent to grieve
In the majesty of light and land, 
Of infinity
To the heart of the mother, the font of seed
Where it feels like life was incepted
I was called to grieve.

So many shades of green, 
We sailed a sequined sea where
Even the whales seemed small against the backdrop of trees reflected in the water
. . . softly shimmering
.  .the light. . . the water
. .  ..the calf her mother.   .
The show off breaching
The land stretching farther than I could imagine
I want to go there to breathe in the clean air

We heard the eagles sing 
Then we saw them by the dozens a pile of abundance 
embodying how we've been
Eagles by the dozen a pile of abundance
Feasting on what's rotten
Embodying how we've succumbed 
Eagles by the dozen 

The water meets the land where the earth has been cleaved by glaciers migrating
This water is your dream
This water it will kill you if you go in fast or deep

I was called to Alaska where I was sent to grieve
Faces in the forest accompanied me
A dog for protection howled for me
Berries and glacier water nurtured me
Life growing abundantly



Bluemillenium is a robust contributor to ccMixter with a vast and eclectic library of remixes and samples.  I had started in an entirely different direction that involved cutting and splicing and making all kinds of loops. I was getting frustrated by my limitations, but foraged on.  As I continued to peruse Blue's uploads looking for what might fit, I came across this piece and it made everything I was doing sound awful.  This lush dreamy music swept me away and inspired me anew.  

Thank you Bluemillenium for sharing your talents so freely.

This is a recent poem that felt like a gift. It was written while I took my dog for a walk in my neighborhood.  I have been negotiating the effects of being a world citizen in a time of chaos, degradation, violence and dissolution.  But amid all of that, beauty and peace still exist -- sometimes in the simplest of ways. 

[i]I added vocals and bird song from my neighborhood.  Everything else is Bluemillenium's track, otherwise structurally untouched.[/i]


SONG OF SHABBAT

There were butterflies
and dragonflies
and the shadows of the birds that fly above.

We smiled, and we said hello
fueled by grace, our hearts were full.
The breeze was soft.
Ozmanta waft.
Songbirds sang the song of shabbat.

We passed two black crows --
an ominous sign? 
or the reflection of an opening into the wisdom that the shadow brings?

Listening.  . 

We were not alone.
There were families.
An audible hum of copious bees enjoying a surfeit of blossoming trees
reminding me to get busy.

Songbirds sing the song of shabbat
a day of rest from what is wrong.

("Shabbat" means "sabbath)

stems will be uploaded separately soon
This is a revisiting of an older song of mine, [i]The Same Light Shines[/i].   
I have completely re-interpreted the lyric, turning this song from a folk song to an experimental and mournful prayer that explores the use of field recordings in a musical fashion. 

I'm working on a video for this track. I intended to share this track as part of of the Across the Border event, but the deadline crept upon me quickly.

This track uses multiple field recordings including:

[url=https://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds/index.html]Kepler star pulse from NASA[/url] [i](This is what sounds like a bass in the beginning)[/i]
[url=https://www.freesound.org/people/davidou/sounds/88449/]Whales by davidou[/url]
[url=https://www.freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/74242/]Military Helicopter by benboncan[/url]
[url=https://www.freesound.org/people/lavatorius/sounds/91234/]oceansound from lavatorius[/url]
[url=https://www.freesound.org/people/netaj/sounds/193170/]thunder from netaj[/url]
Windchimes and storm from my patio during recent rains
Rain


It also features a binaural beat from Jeris.  A splendid (and perfect for the occasion) trumpet sample from Speck.  Chimes from GeeAtriasRose.  I played a little bass.  And of course, once again, some brilliant guitar stylings from Haskel.

My computer died before I could bounce stems.  If you really want any of them, let me know, and I will be happy to dig them out.

Thank you to everyone who contributed such splendid source.  Thank you too to Kara and Jason for helping to make this event happen -- even if I am late to the party.

It's a long song. And a heartfelt expression.  Thank you for listening.

[b]THE SAME LIGHT SHINES[/b]

The same light shines on all of us after the darkness falls
illuminates choices we made
as we follow fate's treacherous and sensuous road

We face battles in our garden
We face battles in our heart
Can we face each other in peace?

Throw your stones and I'll throw mine
grappling with the force of our wills to see who will survive
the first to surrender through eons of pride
to face each other in peace

The same land grounds our shared dreams of peace while mistrust across divides
let's make a vow so the fires cease to face each other in peaceSEEDS OF LONGING

ft Etja Ruth -- Dreamer
Aunt Beast -- Harp, Voice
SackJo22 -- Bowls, Bass

Thank you Etja and Aunt Beast for sharing.

Little girl sees a fairy
She sitting at the dining room table
 I am trying to talk to her or want to talk to her
She turns away from me and holds this rectangular-ish thing up on the table
The fairy appears as a slyph - tiny form of grayish moving energy

I am disappointed because I wanted to talk to her but she wants to see or commune with the fairy. When I see the fairy, we’re all looking at her. I do understand when I see her (the fairy)

Nicole h walks by at the end
There’s an interview.
I’m lying on the couch/divan
I understand that my story is about longing
That’s what I will write about
Now I know
in the dream I become lucid
I’ve been searching all this time and this is the dream I’ve been waiting for
When the interviewer asks me for my story, I have a hard time putting it into words
Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth

"You owe me."

Look
What happens
With a love like that,
it lights the
Whole sky.

[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez]Hafez, Persia 1350-1390[/url]


Thank you Madame Snowflake for inviting me to participate in your secret mixter creation by reciting this poem by Hafez. I did not know about his work, or his life until now. 

This is a field recording as I am  technically incapacitated for now  (updates, windows 10, protools 12, focusrite interface -- need I say more?). 

I recorded the vocal on my phone while sitting in the garden in the early evening; the air had finally cooled after the heatwave, and the garden was quiet except for the incessant crickets, which I have basically accepted as a binaural beat. Because I recorded this vocal without hearing the tone, rhythm or feel of Snowflake's mix, I did three takes, no breaks -- just to hopefully provide something she could work with. I am happy it fits, and I cannot wait to hear it.
[blue][b]BLESSINGS[/b][/blue]

Blessings blessings one and all
Oh mama how we need them
Pushed and pulled
Scratched and plowed
Oh mama how we need you

Love love love I love you
Oh how I love you all
Morning sunshine breezy shadows
Songbirds and crows

The turning turns The burning burns
Until we die, we breathe
The path is clear in front of you dear
Even when you don’t know the way

Uncertainty is certainly the only thing of which i’m certain

I am here waiting after pulling away the curtain
Sunshine through windows illuminating
What is and isn’t working

Gyres tires spirals tiring
Vehicles of illusion and truth
Creatures swallowing creatures climbing
Evidence that evolution is true

My small life is as big as the ocean
My thoughts as expansive as galaxies
My actions reverberate slowly
This lifetime of energy is the energy of eternity


Blessings blessings one and all
Oh mama how we need them
Pushed and pulled
Scratched and plowed
Oh mama how we need you

[i][small]Influenced by my studies of radical regeneration, evolutionary mysticism, sacred activism, somatic healing, the IChing, and my dreams.[/small][/i]
Thank you Spinningmerkaba for sharing your inspiring lyric and vocal.  Thank you Zep for setting Spinningmerkaba up so beautifully.  

This track inspired me like fire! And helped me ease my way back to making music.

Dry vocal stems shared as additional files.


[b]ADAPTION IS HOW WE SURVIVE[/b]

Adaptation is how we survive.  How we adapt is how we thrive.

Adaptations express cellular choices made
	When what we need is denied or repressed
Adaptations externalize
	Changes seeded deep inside

Adaptation comes from  adaptability
	Resilience when obstructed
	Resourceful flexibility
	Seeing what is real and responding appropriately

It makes no sense to linger in how it was before
The intruder is nostalgia
This is more than a war
	Of constructs ideology religion or belief
Adaptation is Existential strategy

Adaptation - Transformation - Evolution

Adaptation is how we survive.How we adapt is how we thrive.

Transformations bursts as truth revealed
In water fire wind and sand
We are witnesses to this process
Let us dispel that which stops us
Take things in and provide what is needed
You see what is needed
You feel what is needed
Retreat
Repair
Rest
Reseeding

[blue][big][b][i]There is no denying, there is just choosing.[/i][/b][/big][/blue]

Inspired by Calyman's splendid Menthol tracks (the bass and synth in particular), this extemporaneous rant is set up with Haskel's great extemporaneous guitar stylings, additional loops, and some field recordings.  

My chops may be rusty, but inspiration is an infinite resource when we're ready.  

I couldn't be more ready.  My mind is blown by current events.  I can only do so much and it is not enough.  Diving into this track so there would be no mixter left behind, was a gift by giving me a chance to just express some of this.  I can only make so many calls, do so many clean ups, and make so many donations.

Working on this track, I reminded myself I am not alone in this.  I am not alone with this. None of us is.

Thanks again to everyone at ccM who continues to nurture this place where we can be together in expression.

vocals uploaded separately under cc-by license. ([url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/58015?prompt=str_file_changed]here[/url])[big][blue][i]There is no denying.  There is just choosing.
[/i][/blue][/big]

Vocals for [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/57924]now[/url].

I hope they are useful. I am having issues with my tech, and there is a lot of bleed through on the vocal track.  
I got the luck of the draw this time when I was assigned Reiswerk who is a prodigious contributor to ccMIxter.  I had no trouble finding source material to work with; his catalog is vast and  inspiring.  The problem I had (as many of us seem to have experienced), was culling the source material I had curated.  In fact, I had so much going on in the mix I was working on that my DAW crashed, the session became corrupt and I had to start all over again -- Sunday morning!

So I apologize to Reiswerk for this late submission.  It was my intention to be on time -- but this seems to happen to me again and again.  It's kind of like everything I offer.  Well intentioned, but a little shabby -- kind of like me. I try to make up for the lack of finesse with heart.

I am excited to share this track.  It is a spontaneous holiday carol that I had so much fun making.  

Thank you Reiswerk and Apoxode for your great samples. Synths, percussion and trumpet are Resiwerk.  Bells are Apoxode.  

Vocals are uploaded separately ([url=COME SING ALONG Come sing along so we can carry on Let’s bring in the year with song and good cheer With love in our hearts So we can carry on Come sing along Come sing along Come sing along So we can carry on When it’s hard to see When the darkness comes Listen to the hum of the stars above Feel it in your heart your belly in your lungs That’s how to find the song so you can carry on Down on your luck or lucky as a duck Do you feel rested when you wake up Good or bad times right or wrong When we sing along we can carry on]here[/url]). I will upload other stems soon (bass, finger cymbal, koshi chime).

I hope everyone has a peaceful and healthy winter season.


[b]COME SING ALONG[/b]

Come sing along so we can carry on

Let’s bring in the year with song and good cheer
With love in our hearts
So we can carry on
Come sing along  Come sing along Come sing along 
So we can carry on

When it’s hard to see
When the darkness comes
Listen to the hum of the stars above
Feel it in your heart your belly in your lungs
That’s how to find the song so you can carry on

Down on your luck or lucky as a duck
Do you feel rested when you wake up
Good or bad times right or wrong
When we sing along we can carry on

Grass on scorched lands grows so fast
Look at what we have instead of what we lack
There is love if you don’t turn your back
When we sing along we can carry on

Inhale the light express the night
Until you find the feel that feels just right
When we feel the tone of the internal gong
We start the song that carries us along


Knowing when it’s time to rest
Relieve the pressure of being best
Seasonal regional short or long
Let’s listen for the song to carry us along

Hymn Prayer Harmony
Carole Soliloquy
Aria Binaural Beats

Let us start the song that carries us along

Built on a bed of "C".  

[i]What I lack in technical acumen and pitch control I hope to make up for with heart and intention.[/i]


[b]COME SING ALONG[/b]

Come sing along so we can carry on

Let’s bring in the year with song and good cheer
With love in our hearts
So we can carry on
Come sing along  Come sing along Come sing along 
So we can carry on

When it’s hard to see
When the darkness comes
Listen to the hum of the stars above
Feel it in your heart your belly in your lungs
That’s how to find the song so you can carry on

Down on your luck or lucky as a duck
Do you feel rested when you wake up
Good or bad times right or wrong
When we sing along we can carry on
I could not help but sing along.

Thank you Radioontheshelf for sharing this great story, and for the invitation to join the fun.

Happy new year.  I hope we all have many opportunities to sing along in the coming year.

Vocal stems uploaded separately.These are the background vocals for the [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/58971]remix I did of Mona Lisa Smiles[/url] by Radioontheshelf.  If you remix these vocals, particularly if you include the chorus, please attribute Radiontheshelf as the author of this song.

This is one of those songs that just had to be sung. 

Dry stems for each part are shared. They include a lot of ohhhhhs and ooooooos, and a bit of vocalese.  I did not clean up the stems so there is a lot of my breath on them.

[b][i]COMING HOME[/i][/b]

I'm coming home.
I'm just so tired of roaming, roaming alone.

Oh, mama. I'm coming home.
I'm coming home.
Letting the bones guide me.

Oh, mama.  I know you're arms are open.
It's just been so long, my heart is frozen.

Oh, mama.  I'm coming home.
I've been traveling so long,
and I'm ready to come home.

[b]
* * * * *[/b] 

This song emerged from my morning practice which typically includes a turn around the garden with the koshi chimes.

This song emerged as I was preparing for a integrative creative and healing arts workshop I offer called "Gifts of the Mother:  Mother as Resource." 

This song also reflects perfectly how I feel about sharing this song at ccMixter; I feel like I'm coming home.

I came to ccMixter 10 years ago.  Those first years I was active at ccM were magical for me.  This community helped me discover a voice I did not know I had. 
 
Our community embodies the healing practice of listening.  Of allowing space for whatever is calling to be expressed.  Together, we created a safe space for a DIY-neophytes to share. To practice. Before ccM, I never could imagine myself making music the way I learned to do by part of this community.  So many of you have helped me by literally tutoring me on production techniques.  Thank you. 


The love, appreciation and support I received from each and every one who has ever interacted with my voice and music let me know that what I have to share is beneficial. Thank you.  I mean it when I say it is an honor to be part of your creative world.




I am so grateful for this event -- grateful to return, reflect, revisit and remix!  


The song was originally recorded extemporaneously on my iphone which I held in one hand -- koshi chimes in the other.  

The additional vocal parts and koshi chime part were recorded in my studio.  Everything is recorded using a low level Seinheiser dynamic mic; my other instrument became irreparably damaged a few years ago. 

This song, the original recording and all of the subsequent parts are raw reflecting exactly where I am in the moment.

I did the best I could to clean things up.  I intend to update cleaner stems as I make progress. (These have a long silence tag at the end that I am working on trimming).


[b]* * * *[/b]



I think I am really lucky that my good intentions seem to be trusted, and my imperfections are tolerated.

 

I have another track I intend to share as part of this special event.  It's a little something I started working on at least two remix events ago.  I'm hoping this time around I actually can see these intentions through. 

[small][i]I love you.[/i][small][/small][/small]This song was intentionally written for the Amplify remix event. . . but due to certain limitations, I was not able to complete it at that time.

I intended to finish it with the Starfosch event -- the lyrics and melody written for the Amplify event fit right on top of this track.  But once again, due to certain limitations, I was not able to complete the track at that time.

This time -- the third time, I was determined!!

Much thanks to Haskel for contributing his inimitable guitar stylings; he makes everything more delicious. His unedited stems will be uploaded separately soon.

Thanks to ccM/Amplifiers and Starfrosch/KO for the inspiration.

Vocal stems are uploaded separately.

[b]BEEN LIKE THAT TOO[/b]

I've been like that too
quiet when I saw what's true
I've been like that too
stuck when I wanted to move
I've been like that too
my broken heart not knowing what to do
I've been like that too

I've been like that too
shocked when I heard the news
I've been like that too
Not know what I did or how to make it up to you
I've been like that too
Quiet when I saw what's true
I've been like that too
I've been like that too

Grief, love it's the same
Dark, like a familiar refrain
To end again is to being again
Let's return to love again
Where there is love, there is resiliance

I've been like that too
waiting to know how to choose
I've been like that too
confused by the words that were used
I've been like that time
out of time with the groove
I've been like that too
I've been like that too

We breath we sleep we eat we breed
You must see what I see
The shots that shatter
The shots that fracture
The gasp of disaster
The horror thereafter
The resilience required to face the danger
The love that's needed to silence the anger

When you correct the dwelling you make the whole world rightVocal stems for "Been Like That Too."  

Dry flac stems uploaded as directed. :-)
[blue]
* * * * * * * *[/blue]

This song was intentionally written for the Amplifiers remix event. . .but due to certain limitations, I was not able to complete it at that time.

I intended to finish it with the Starfosch event — the lyrics and melody written for the Amplifiers event fit right on top of this track. But once again, I was not able to complete this track at that time due to certain limitations.

This time -- the third time, I was determined! 


Much thanks to Haskel for playing some really amazing guitar parts. His unedited stems will be uploaded separately soon. 


[b]BEEN LIKE THAT TOO[/b]

I’ve been like that too
quiet when I saw what’s true
I’ve been like that too
stuck when I wanted to move
I’ve been like that too
my broken heart not knowing what to do
I’ve been like that too

I’ve been like that too
shocked when I heard the news
I’ve been like that too
Not know what I did or how to make it up to you
I’ve been like that too
Quiet when I saw what’s true
I’ve been like that too
I’ve been like that too

Grief, love it’s the same
Dark, like a familiar refrain
To end again is to being again
Let’s return to love again
Where there is love, there is resiliance

I’ve been like that too
waiting to know how to choose
I’ve been like that too
confused by the words that were used
I’ve been like that time
out of time with the groove
I’ve been like that too
I’ve been like that too

We breath we sleep we eat we breed
You must see what I see
The shots that shatter
The shots that fracture
The gasp of disaster
The horror thereafter
The resilience required to face the danger
The love that’s needed to silence the anger

When you correct the dwelling you make the whole world right
It's Not Silly by Speck inspired me the moment I heard it approximately six months ago.

Thank you Speck for being being who you are and sharing with us the way you do.

The lyrics relate to my emerging work as an integrative creative/healing arts practitioner.  

[b]IT IS[/b]

It is what it is
it is not silly
though it may tickle

it is what it is
it is not silly
complex or simple

whatever it is 
it is not silly

Sinking reeling tingling
sensations we are feeling are real
and what is real is not silly


vocal stem uploaded separatelyIncorporating ideas upon which my emerging work as an integrative creative/healing arts practitioner.

Includes body-part rhythms and sounds.

IT IS

It is what it is
it is not silly
thought it may tickle

It is what it is
it is not silly
complex or simple

It is what it is
sometime's it's clear
sometime's pretty

It is what it is
sometime's is dark
sometime's a pity

Whatever it is
it is not silly

Sinking reeling tingling
sensations we are feeling are real
and what is real is not sillyI'm a wanderer -- that's just how I'm made
I'm a wanderer -- that's just how I'm made
One day's I'm gonna' leave you alone
but right now I'm here to stay

When you open your heart, I'm going to jump right in.
When you open your heart, I'm going to jump right in.
I'm going to get so close to you darlin,
I'm gonna get under your skin.

I'm a wanderer -- I'm on my way.
I'm a wanderer -- I'm on my way.
It's gonna' suprise me too love, when I'm gone, cuz' I thought I was gonna stay.

Thanks for the inspiration Admiral Bob.Thank you Admiral Bob for the inspiration.

The household enjoyed your delicious guitar tone as I was mixing.  At one point, my [url=http://ccmixter.org/people/Haskel]husband[/url] popped his head into the studio, smile on his face, "Admiral Bob is it on guitar?" 

"Yep," I said.

He said, "Yeah. . . I recognize his tone."  I considered that a compliment. 

[i]Vocal stems [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/60079]uploaded separately[/url].[/i]Perspective is a HUGE topic! It's nearly everything.

This offering is a sampling on perspective.  It includes a variety of thoughts recorded with a variety of tones and rhythms. 

Inspiration for this work comes from the teachings of Thor Phillipsen (he explains life through the lens of neuroanatomy) the Sage of the IChing as taught by Anthony/Moog, Brian Walker, Stephen Karcher, the authors of the Toltec IChing, and the great Dr. Seuss.


I am excited to see where these ideas may go next. 

[big][blue][b]PERSPECTIVES[/b][/blue]
[/big]

Perspective
It's more than belief
It is whether when we feel in our heart love or grief
Perspective
It's more than what we see
It's what we do with what we see

It's the color of our vision
The light of reception
The shadow of rejection
The result of introspection
A blessing or transgression

What you see is what you get
Perspective is what you do with it

[blue][i]Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees.[/i][/blue] - Rumi

Half full half empty
What do you see?
When you see
What do you believe?
Is what you believe
Based on what you see?
Or is What you believe
Based on what you perceive?

What we do how we act
All reflects where we're at
Regardless of what we believe
We act in accordance with how we perceive

Input. Output. Process
Is it safe or it is it dangerous?
Do I have what I need?
Depends in part on what I perceive

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.  Henry David Thereau

That experience is this experience

Wisdom accumulates while knowledge is cheap
Responsibility is its currency
Is your perspective one that allows you to see?
Is it expansive or is it blinding?

To know if your perception is in the right direction
Notice how you feel when you see something real
Is the feeling appropriate even when it feels bad
Or is it just the easiest feeling in the moment to be had?

[red]If you perceive fear you will feel fear
Even when there is nothing to fear
If you see love you can feel love[/red]
[red]Love is everywhere
Love is an infinite resource
Where there is love
we can endure changes beyond us (2x)[/red]

Changes in front of us

(laughter)

You may think you're lucky because you're comfortable 
with with a point of view that suits you
But after a while you may be surprised 
what a dose of perspective can do for you

"If I knew then what I know now" is luckily just an adage
The journey from there to here is all about perspective

It takes courage to see the truth
Love is true and so is pain
Truth is within and around us
Life is a creative process


* * * *

While I could not recite the texts due to copyright restrictions, I can quote them here to share these  beautiful teaching on perspective:

[i]In the search for enlightenment, there is an ever present certainty that there is more to do, someone else who holds the secret, another state to attain.

In the finding of it, there is the comical revelation that not one of those things was ever true.[/i] -- Wei Wu Wei Ching via Brian Walker: Hexagram 55 Abundance


[i]You will hear your inner voice when you shift your perspective from what you should think to what you perceive through your senses.[/i]  -The Cosmic Way (Anthony/Moog): Hexagram 21 Biting Through

Thank you Speck for showing up as a muse during a time when I've been musing about [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect]the butterfly effect[/url]  

Thank you Apoxode, Haskel, Snowflake and Panu for sharing your gifts so generously.



[red][u][b]BE BRAVE BABY[/b][/u][/red]

[blue][i]Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it[/i][/blue] [small][small](Mark Twain)[/small][/small]

When I was told I couldn'T sing, my heart began to atrophy
When I was told I shouldn'T sing, I sought harmony

With my breath I shall connect (3x)

The clutter in my head is clear
Does anybody  else see what I'm seeing
Anybody else hear what I'm hearing
Anybody  else feel what I’m feeling (2x)

[blue]Time might be running out and it looks like evil might win
what we really need are more righteous warriors willing to slaughter your sin
You’re wrong when you think there’s[/blue] [blue]nothing wrong with the way things were yesterday
Open your eyes and look around The earth’s got plenty to say[/blue]

[green][i]What new form will you take? Will you take?[/green]

[blue]Everything is extraordinary[/i]
[/blue]
You never know the influence
The meaning of an utterance
Tolerance or Kindness
The butterfly in the butterfly effect (2x)

[i]One little apparently innocuous action can have significant reverberations down the line; that the life or death of one butterfly can impact whole course of evolution. . . .[/i]

Go away with your fear and go away with your hate
I’m gonna be right here Hoping love will win and willing to wait
Go So go away with your fear and go away with your hate
I'm gonna be right here Living in love and not taking the bait (3x)

[i][green]The mystery of endings and beginnings transforms through perspective[/green][/i]

Be brave baby, the situation’s changing
Be brave baby, the situation’s changing
Be brave baby, it’s already changing
Be brave baby, it’s always changing

[i]Great effort great attention that’s what these times call for
Concentration focus[/i]

Emerge into the light

Be brave baby, it’s already changing
Be brave baby, it’s always changing





I've been raising monarch butterflies as a citizen activist. I believe in the butterfly effect.

[red][u][b]BE BRAVE BABY[/b][/u][/red]

[blue][i]Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it[/i][/blue] [small][small](Mark Twain)[/small][/small]

When I was told I couldn'T sing, my heart began to atrophy
When I was told I shouldn'T sing, I sought harmony

With my breath I shall connect (3x)

The clutter in my head is clear
Does anybody  else see what I'm seeing
Anybody else hear what I'm hearing
Anybody  else feel what I’m feeling (2x)

[blue]Time might be running out and it looks like evil might win
what we really need are more righteous warriors willing to slaughter your sin
You’re wrong when you think there’s[/blue] [blue]nothing wrong with the way things were yesterday
Open your eyes and look around The earth’s got plenty to say[/blue]

[green][i]What new form will you take? Will you take?[/green]

[blue]Everything is extraordinary[/i]
[/blue]
You never know the influence
The meaning of an utterance
Tolerance or Kindness
The butterfly in the butterfly effect (2x)

[i]One little apparently innocuous action can have significant reverberations down the line; that the life or death of one butterfly can impact whole course of evolution. . . .[/i]

Go away with your fear and go away with your hate
I’m gonna be right here Hoping love will win and willing to wait
Go So go away with your fear and go away with your hate
I'm gonna be right here Living in love and not taking the bait (3x)

[i][green]The mystery of endings and beginnings transforms through perspective[/green][/i]

Be brave baby, the situation’s changing
Be brave baby, the situation’s changing
Be brave baby, it’s already changing
Be brave baby, it’s always changing

[i]Great effort great attention that’s what these times call for
Concentration focus[/i]

Emerge into the light

Be brave baby, it’s already changing
Be brave baby, it’s always changing





The Black Velvet Ribbon is a classic scary story for kids that has been told for decades at sleepovers and around camp fires. Like many children’s stories, the tale of the black velvet ribbon is rife with images and allegories.  A simple internet search results is some eruidite analysis of this tale of secrets, trust and regret.

Thank you Cyba for creating the sonic space for the retelling of this tale.  Thank you Haskel for sharing your inimitable guitar stylings.



[big][b]THE BLACK VELVET RIBBON[/b][/big]

 I loved her as soon as I saw her.
 Warmth and intelligence radiating from her eyes, a smile, a song as expansive as rays of light on the horizon.

 I knew the moment I saw her — I was smitten. 

Around her slender neck she wore a black velvet ribbon.

She wore the ribbon all the time.
 At first I thought it affectation. 
But “no” she assured me “there’s a reason why.
But the reason is a secret.”

Whispering in my ear
She said “Let us just love each other.
We were brought together to be each other’s lover.
Let the past remain where it is hidden.”
She kissed me and we spoke no more of the black velvet ribbon.


Time passed. Our love deepen’d.
We made vows to be together
She was mine. I was hers.
For now. For forever.


I thought that I let it go — 
The desire to see her completely naked
For our life together did indeed grow
I thought I loved her with the ribbon

Her grace, her charm, her care
Should have been enough for me.
But the secret of the ribbon still haunted me.
“You’ll be sorry” she softly warned if the ribbon became untied.
“You’ll be sorry”
She said, “Trust me.” I tried.


One night, when my love was asleep
In a sleep as deep as deep as can be
Moonlight bathing illuminating
Her slender neck under the ribbon pulsating
What, I wondered, what would I see
If I untied the ribbon what would be freed?
Gently I reached holding my breath
I loosened the black velvet ribbon from
Around her slender neck

A choice I will always regret

Her eyes popped open afraid and far
Her head tumbling to the floor
Her voice wailing like never before
No
No
No
No
You’ll be sorry she wailed
Head on the floor

Before she would say nothing more
She said “Let us just love each other.
We were brought together to be each other’s lover.
Let the past remain where it is hidden.”


In my fingers I held the ribbon, aghast
As I watched my beloved breathe her last breath
Wishing I listened to her admonition
To never remove the black velvet ribbon

A choice I will always regret
When no means no; it doesn’t mean yes

A secret held like a scorpion sting
The nature of what trauma can bring
Some things we need to leave unseen



Three promos from the script.

ccMixter has been my musical home for 10 years.  Its ability to endure as a creative community speaks to the value the space holds for artists such as myself.

I am infinitely grateful to EVERYONE who contributes to the magic that is ccmixter.


Vocal only stem uploaded as well.
Background track is [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/50511]DREAMt[/url] -- a remix I did of Jeris that Haskel plays on.I had a great time remixing Scomber; he truly is a terrific songwriter.  

While I was prepared to go deep into the archive (Scomber has 582 pages of content that he has shared at ccMixter!), I landed on Black to the Night early in my research of his catalog. The existential longing of the lyric resonated.

The song itself was a journey; starting out as a tribal EDM track.  This is where it ended up.

Thanks Scomber for being such a swell ccMixter citizen!

Source material includes recording of the Kepler Star from [url=https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-321_NASA_Sounds.html]NASA[/url], as well as crickets and a whale from [url=https://freesound.org/]freesound[/url].

I'll upload vocals and bass stems uploaded separately.The instrumental bed from Black to the Night (1000 Ways Mix).

Dry vocal and bass stems attached.  The rest of the track are loops and field recordings from [url=https://freesound.org/]Freesound[/url] and [url=https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-321_NASA_Sounds.html]NASA[/url].A quiet reading of a holiday classic.


[b]A Visit from St. Nicholas[/b]
[i]BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE[/i]
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
y teachers share that the act of noticing our sensations enriches our hearts and facilitates healing.



[b][green]NOTICE[/green][/b]

The first breath is a grounding breath
Take a moment
Notice

The next breath is a grounding breath
Notice what feels supportive

The next breath is a sounding breath
Allow the voice to open

The next breath
Inspiration
Exhalation dispersing violations
resonance alchemizes transformation

Notice

What are the sensations of resonance
How far does that sensation reach
Notice
These words were written in support of the [url=http://ccmixter.org/thread/4206]Rise from the Ashes Event[/url].

As a Southern Californian native and resident, I know about fire, albeit nothing as disastrous as our friends and loved ones are witnessing in Australia. 

I recorded these vocals over Stefan Kartenberg's work [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61012]Schwingungen[/url].

[red][b]THE SONG OF THE PHOENIX[/b][/red]

Listen for the sound of your heart opening. 
There are times when there are no words. Times when no words are at all  needed
These are the times, if we listen with our hearts we can hear the song of the phoenix

We sense what we know -- We sing it in song
As the phoenix sings, let’s sing along

She sings of transformation -- Transformation through fire
Through the pain of grief, sacrifice, the ache of desire
a light refrain as fresh as rain over drought parched land Or smoldering ash
The song of the phoenix as she rises again Is a soft song of deliverance

There may be shock with thunder and lightning. Towers will fall -- It will be frightening
Some will be lost  -- the collateral damage of a civilization built with bricks of hubris

Darkness reigns in parts of the world now. Find your resource hold onto that light.
The truth dissolves everything over time.
Think of mountains becoming sand. Think of deep water carved canyons.

The truth is infinite. Expressed as life. It is green grass softening scorched hillsides.
It is leaves growing on blasted oak -- Growth on the part that still survives.

As light darkens  brightness will hide. Embody brightness as a mythical creature
A dragon, a gryffin or as the alchemical fire embodied as the phoenix

We will return. That’s the nature of life. 
Our bodies dissolve to essence whether through biological process or scattered ashes.
Some say we  return to ephemeral energy. The essence of creative possibility.
During this lifetime life’s life-long mystery

The phoenix is the calling bird emerging from shadows of fear
Can we sing along as the smoke clears
 A song of redemption, resilience, rage, truth
A song to celebrate making it through

* * * *

[blue]The images and lyrics for this piece are inspired by an IChing consultation.  I specifically sought inspiration for this project.

The hexagrams received were 36 changing to 24.  In traditional interpretations, these hexagrams are known as [i]Darkening of the Light[/i] and Return respectively.  In other texts I study, 36 is also known as [i]Brightness Hiding[/i] and [i]the Calling Bird[/i].[/blue]These words were written in support of the Rise from the Ashes Event.

As a Southern Californian native and resident, I know about fire, albeit nothing as disastrous as our friends and loved ones are witnessing in Australia. Prayers to everyone impacted. 

Thank you Stefan for the instrumental.  I did not alter the arrangement at all.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/61034]Vocal stems and the singing bowl stem are uploaded separately[/url]

[red][b]THE SONG OF THE PHOENIX[/b][/red]

Listen for the sound of your heart opening.
There are times when there are no words. Times when no words are at all needed
These are the times, if we listen with our hearts we can hear the song of the phoenix

We sense what we know — We sing it in song
As the phoenix sings, let’s sing along

She sings of transformation — Transformation through fire
Through the pain of grief, sacrifice, the ache of desire
a light refrain as fresh as rain over drought parched land Or smoldering ash
The song of the phoenix as she rises again Is a soft song of deliverance

There may be shock with thunder and lightning. Towers will fall — It will be frightening
Some will be lost — the collateral damage of a civilization built with bricks of hubris

Darkness reigns in parts of the world now. Find your resource hold onto that light.
The truth dissolves everything over time.
Think of mountains becoming sand. Think of deep water carved canyons.

The truth is infinite. Expressed as life. It is green grass softening scorched hillsides.
It is leaves growing on blasted oak — Growth on the part that still survives.

As light darkens brightness will hide. Embody brightness as a mythical creature
A dragon, a gryffin or as the alchemical fire embodied as the phoenix

We will return. That’s the nature of life.
Our bodies dissolve to essence whether through biological process or scattered ashes.
Some say we return to ephemeral energy. The essence of creative possibility.
During this lifetime life’s life-long mystery

The phoenix is the calling bird emerging from shadows of fear
Can we sing along as the smoke clears
A song of redemption, resilience, rage, truth
A song to celebrate making it through

* * * *

[blue]The images and lyrics for this piece are inspired by an IChing consultation. I specifically sought inspiration for this project.

The hexagrams received were 36 changing to 24. In traditional interpretations, these hexagrams are known as Darkening of the Light and Return respectively. In other texts I study, 36 is also known as Brightness Hiding and the Calling Bird.[/blue]

ps.  [i]the Vu sound sung at the chorus and tag, as well as the Vu-Rawr are interpretations of a somatic release technique from Dr. Peter A. Levine (founder of Somatic Experience) that can facilitate nervous system release and restoration.

Notice what it feels like if you sing along.[/i] [b][green]I was assigned My Free Mickey which was quite a blessing indeed.  I did not have to look far into this generous library to find inspiring material to work with. Thank you MFM for being such a super ccM citizen![/green][/b]

[big][b][blue]*   *   *   *   *[/blue]
[/b][/big]
I hope you and yours are faring well during this turbulent time. That we can be here together is a resource for which I am infinitely grateful. 

I have not had much time or space for creativity these days. I am still working my day job, serving my community, and taking care of my household. I am happy to have this opportunity to make something. 

Being in creative process is as good for regulating the nervous system as certain prescriptive somatic techniques.  Thank you everyone who is ccMixter. Thank you for being a healing space through support and creativity.

[red]* * * * * * * *[/red]  

The lyrics/images for this work come from my esoteric practice, including a consultation with the Sage of the IChing Saturday 4/4/2020.  I drew Hexagram 3:  New Beginning, also known as Difficulty at the Beginning, Beginning, Sprouting/The World Tree.  In a “modern” Toltec  interpretation, this hexagram is known as Uprooting Fear.  My question was, “what do I need to know?”.

I look forward to listening to everyone’s offerings over the next days. Stay safe my friends. 

[u][b][big]Gravity and Grace[/big][/b][/u]

The crow came to me in the morning  Heralding the change
He and his partner are nesting  In the palm tree two houses away
I feel safe when he is watching  He protects us all from prey
Though sometimes he’s mistaken  About what he chases away

(If we could be together
We would dance under the stars
Within each others arms. . . .)


We are witnesses you and me  Difficulty at the beginning
As the towers fall and all that we thought we knew Crumbles as it’s ending
Some of us have little choice   Doing what we must
Others are still afraid  Despite a life of abundance
Our choices matter in the end   We are all the same
Flesh and breath  Life and death Gravity and grace  

For some of us this is the end  The end of everything
For each of us that still exists  This is a beginning
There is a place for you  Make an offering  You will succeed 
This is the world  The world for us There is a place for me
Our choices matter in the end   We are all the same
Flesh and breath  Life and death Gravity and grace  

Be not afraid when it’s dangerous Trust your courage Trust your trust
Uproot fear among our companions Be like a jaguar among rabbits

Our choices matter in the end   We are all the same
Flesh and breath  Life and death Gravity and grace  
[blue][u][b]STAY CALM[/b][/u][/blue]


Stay calm  x 3

When viral load is about to explode
As pressure mounts insurmountable
Lines connecting  lines dissecting
Graphs of progress lines of promise
Looking for anchor staying grounded even when surrounded
Speed of light fearful flickers
Visualize being better

Even when I feel like I want to kill my neighbor
Even when I feel like I could be the danger
jumping at the sound of the alarm now
skin is  feeling raw now
Not knowing how I can face it
Things changing on a daily basis
looking for what’s right when so much is wrong
Looking for a song to sing along

Stay calm x 4

Find the light to help you through
Find the light that is the truth
Shining brighter than the news
Trust you know what’s absolute
Hold what’s right when much is wrong
Find a song to sing along
Find a song to sing along
Stay calm
Stay calm

What can I do? What can I offer?
So much loss so much suffering
What is my limit? What is my shame?
How deep is my courage? Can I be brave?

The truth is needed now no matter what it costs
Truth remains obscured  everything is lost
recapture our vision a new way to see
Uniting uniting uniting uniting
A new song to sing in harmony
A new way to say goodbye at the end
A new way to continue as we begin again

Find the light to help you through
Find the light that is the truth
Shining brighter than the news
Trust you know what’s absolute

Stay calm x 3
[big][blue][u][b]STAY CALM[/b][/u][/blue][/big]

Stay calm  x 3

When viral load is about to explode
As pressure mounts insurmountable
Lines connecting  lines dissecting
Graphs of progress lines of promise
Looking for anchor staying grounded even when surrounded
Speed of light fearful flickers
Visualize being better

Even when I feel like I want to kill my neighbor
Even when I feel like I could be the danger
jumping at the sound of the alarm now
skin is  feeling raw now
Not knowing how I can face it
Things changing on a daily basis
looking for what’s right when so much is wrong
Looking for a song to sing along

Stay calm x 4

Find the light to help you through
Find the light that is the truth
Shining brighter than the news
Trust you know what’s absolute
Hold what’s right when much is wrong
Find a song to sing along
Find a song to sing along
Stay calm
Stay calm

What can I do? What can I offer?
So much loss so much suffering
What is my limit? What is my shame?
How deep is my courage? Can I be brave?

The truth is needed now no matter what it costs
Truth remains obscured  everything is lost
recapture our vision a new way to see
Uniting uniting uniting uniting
A new song to sing in harmony
A new way to say goodbye at the end
A new way to continue as we begin again

Find the light to help you through
Find the light that is the truth
Shining brighter than the news
Trust you know what’s absolute

Stay calm x 3

*******

[i]Thanks you Analog by Nature for sharing inspiring quality content. Thank you Haskel for playing along.  

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/61526]Vocal stems uploaded separately[/url].[/i]I haven’t written a pop song in a long time, but Stefan set it up so sweetly.  The song structure and melodic base is his.  Haskel added some of his inimitable guitar stylings to sweeten up the mix.  I played bass and sang. Drums are courtesy of loops supplied with my DAW.

This song is inspired by the Catalyst project, but I missed the deadline because there is an army of vocals that needed to be wrangled into position and that took some time.  There is no lead vocal.  There is a melodic line sung by three voices that break into harmony during the choruses.  The choruses are supported by a choir of additional voices. I was thinking about the choir as a representation of a cosmic army.  



[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/61729]Vocal stems are uploaded separately.[/url]

Also shared as an additional file is an instrumental version.
[green][u]
[b]BE HERE WITH ME[/b][/u][/green]

More than amends
Time to transcend
Where there is truth
Glory and darkness.

Trust when it ends
It begins again
Ready or not
With or without us

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me

I’m not grieving aspirations
They’re just songbirds escaping cages
Of projection expectation
Flying winds of transformation.

Beautiful and dangerous
Different for each of us
That we got this far says so much
About what endures or is tenuous

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me
  
This song is inspired by the Catalyst project, but I missed the deadline because there is an army of vocals that needed to be wrangled into position and that took some time.  There is no lead vocal.  There is a melodic line sung by three voices that break into harmony during the choruses.  The choruses are supported by a choir of additional voices. I was thinking about the choir as a representation of a cosmic army.

Melodies and harmonies are based on Stephen Kartenberg's work that is the core of the remix.

I’m not always as hopeful as this song sounds.  But sometimes I am.

*   *   *  

BE HERE WITH ME

More than amends
Time to transcend
Where there is truth
Glory and darkness.

Trust when it ends
It begins again
Ready or not
With or without us

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me

I’m not grieving aspirations
They’re just songbirds escaping cages
Of projection expectation
Flying winds of transformation.

Beautiful and dangerous
Different for each of us
That we got this far says so much
About what endures or is tenuous

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me



BE HERE WITH ME

More than amends
Time to transcend
Where there is truth
Glory and darkness.

Trust when it ends
It begins again
Ready or not
With or without us

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me

I’m not grieving aspirations
They’re just songbirds escaping cages
Of projection expectation
Flying winds of transformation.

Beautiful and dangerous
Different for each of us
That we got this far says so much
About what endures or is tenuous

Be here with me

After we emerge from the shock
I’ll follow limits set by love
I’ll share as I can even if it’s not enough
Doing what I can to lift us up

Be here with me
 I am inspired by the outpouring of expression in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. I understand that the transformations called for requires more than turning on the light of consciousness; it requires consistent action and enduring reformation of belief systems that led us to this collective point in our history.

Each one of us who takes action in support of justice for all takes valuable action.  

Perhaps we shall overcome, someday. 

[green][big][big]*  *  *[/big][/big][/green]

Thank you Mr. Burnz for sharing your voice. 

Thank you Haskel for lending your inimitable guitar stylings.  Like a little bit of salt, you make everything taste better.

[i]Rhythm section is courtesy of loops provided with my DAW.  I play bass. If anyone wants stems or an instrumental version, hit me up.[/i]  

I am inspired by the outpouring of expression in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. I understand that the transformations called for require more than turning on the light of consciousness; it requires consistent action and enduring reformation of belief systems that led us to this collective point in our history.

Each one of us who takes action in support of justice for all takes valuable action.  

Perhaps we shall overcome, someday. 

[green][big][big]*  *  *[/big][/big][/green]

Thank you Mr. Burnz for sharing your voice. 

Thank you Haskel for lending your inimitable guitar stylings.  Like a little bit of salt, you make everything taste better.

[i]Rhythm section is courtesy of loops provided with my DAW.  I play bass. If anyone wants stems or an instrumental version, hit me up.[/i]  To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night


* * *


Thank you J Lang, Kcentric, Snowflake and Haskel for sharing your talents so generously.

Music video created with Kara Square [url=https://youtu.be/ev42SoxNsTw]here[/url].



[i]instrumental and vocals to be uploaded separately in a bit[/i]

[i]Thank you Jay for sharing your gifts so generously with us at ccMixter. I appreciate you.[/i]

[green][small]The backing track with its fabulous feel is all DJ Lang untouched except for some eq and compression for the purpose of the remix.[/small][/green]


[big][b]Say their names : Love and remember[/b][/big]


Love and remember 
Say their name
So many loves So many loves
So many loves come and gone

So many loves come and gone
Taken away by secret storms
Swept away by influence
Shot down when innocent
So many loves come and gone

More than wrong place wrong time
Guilty charge for just being alive
So many loves
So many loves come and gone

Heavy regret crystalized silence
Wrecking havoc fueling violence
Humanity’s endangered by irrevocable anger

I am sorry I hurt you. How can I atone?
To transform remorse that is marrow in our bones
I am safer with you than when I am alone.

My shadow your shadow -- Our shadows are long
Now is the time for our shadows to evolve
In the shadows hope hides In our hearts that beat 
The rhythm of our vitality

We are but a flickering light
a firefly on a summer’s night
A gentle glow the light of compassion
Together to illuminate love through action

We must never forget what we have done

Love and remember
Say their names


George Floyd,
Breonna Taylor, 
Ahmaud Taylor, 
Sean Read
Tony McDay
Philando Castile, 
Brent Thompson, 
Lorne Ahrens,
Michael Smith. 
Travon Martin, 
Eric Garner, 
Terence Crutcher, 
Tamir Rice, 
Mike Brown 
Freddie Gray
Antonio Martin
Walter Scott
Jamar Clark
Sandra Bland

So many loves come and gone
Don’t forget

******


This is the second track I produced with this vocal.  The first track, Say Their Names : Break the Silence was made into a video with Kara's support.  You can see it [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev42SoxNsTw]here[/url].  It's powerful.

This is not the first time I have played with the phrase "[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/31172]love and remember[/url]."

The Black Lives Matter movement has asked us to examine our personal history and relationship to systemic racism.  How am I, as a middle class educated white woman (ie privileged) complicit? 

This is not a simple contemplation.  Gratefully, I have been finding solace in my Jewish heritage.  


The theme of "never forget" IS Judaism.  Teachings, prayers and rituals are imbued with historical references to persecution, bondage and challenges from being slaves in Egypt, the destruction of the temple(s), and in modern Judaism, The Holocaust in WWII.

Even though we were not a religious family, Jewish identity is strong. I am grateful that my parents, like many of their peers, were vocal supporters of civil rights efforts of the 1960's. I am fortunate that I was raised in a progressive, liberal, household, and in a community with diversity. 

Still, I recognize that I can do more to embody the equality I believe, and to support those who are on the front lines taking action for change.

 "Love and Remember" is prayer for these moments. 

Say their names : Love and remember


Love and remember 
Say their name
So may loves So many loves
So may loves come and gone

So many loves come and gone
Taken away by secret storms
Swept away by influence
Shot down when innocent
So many loves come and gone

More than wrong place wrong time
Guilty charge for just being alive
So many loves
So many loves come and gone

Heavy regret crystalized silence
Wrecking havoc fueling violence
Humanity’s endangered by irrevocable anger

I am sorry I hurt you. How can I atone?
To transform remorse that is marrow in our bones
I am safer with you than when I am alone.

My shadow your shadow -- Our shadows are long
Now is the time for our shadows to evolve
In the shadows hope hides In our hearts that beat 
The rhythm of our vitality

We are but a flickering light
a firefly on a summer’s night
A gentle glow the light of compassion
Together to illuminate love through action

We must never forget what we have done

Love and remember



[blue][b]A BILLION STARS[/b][/blue]

Barely there in the city sky, the stars that shine are awfully bright
Aligning points along celestial lines.
Sometimes mistaken for satellites, the strongest stars in the city skies twinkle twinkle promise of surprise.

Grounded by planetary light, solidly illuminated
Some stars in city skies remain obfuscated.
That doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.
Untangle the negatives.
Stars are there.
Stars are there even when you can’t see them.

In darker  places you can see all the stars to infinity
The tapestry of eternity. .

What are stars to you my dear?
Do you wish upon them?
Are they angels or merely gaseous spheres?
Did  you know that you are one?


Twinkle twinkle sparkling twinkle
Sparkling twinkling light
Twinkle twinkle sparkling twinkle
Promise of surprise

A billion stars a billion stars just as we were promised
A billion stars a billion stars 

As I reach a place I have never been distant and alarming
The stars above in their celestial dance are always there to remind me
I am here 
Here I am
 dark light matter spirit forming
Spiral galaxies within  without
there are no boundaries

A billion stars we’re a billion stars just as we were promised
A billion stars a billion stars

Little light little light little light that shines
If you were closer you would blind me
Star light sweetly bright 
I trust  you to guide me

In darker  places you can see all the stars to infinity
The tapestry of eternity. 

A billion stars we’re a billion stars just as we were promised
A billion stars a billion stars

[i]recorded at 70 bpm[/i]


[big]_______________
[/big]
Inspired in part by [url=https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2474599/p/1/jewish/Lech-Lecha-Torah-Reading.htm]Parashat Leich Lecha[/url] in which God says to Abraham his descendants will be like the stars in the sky.

Inspired in part by [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah]Chanhukah.[/url]

Inspired in part by the work of Sri [url=https://archive.org/details/mindofcells00satp]Aurobindo/Mother/Satprem.
[/url]
Inspired in part by [url=http://beta.ccmixter.org/people/snowflake]Madame Snowflake[/url].

May we all have peace, health and safety during this profound time we live in, and find the lights that guide us.





Momma, Here I am again
waiting to  return again
I stayed with the moon as she swell’d with light
Watching the stars cross the sky
Waiting

Momma, Here I am again
spinning with the world on the axis of change
Learning how love and grief are the same
Transforming scars borne of shame
waiting to  return again

The way is a river that always flows
The way is a highway, the way is a road
The way is a way for us to know
Whether traveling  light or traveling shadow’d
The way is breath and blood and bones
The way is clear when the  heart atones
The way is lined but not etched in stone
The way is journey I travel alone

Momma, Here I am again
waiting to  return again
I stayed with the moon as she swell’d with light
Watching the stars cross the sky
Waiting to return


* * *

Inspired the moonlight, and by Hexagrams 5 and 24 from the Iching.  Waiting and Return.

Thank you Admiral Bob for great stems.  Thank you Haskel for inimitable guitar stylings.

[i]If you want vocals ask.  I'm not particularly upload them.[/i][i]Gravity is the root of lightness; stillness the ruler of movement. -- Laotzu[/i]


I loved Dub Junkie the first time I heard what Bangcorrupt created remixing Mana Junkie for a prior Secret Mixter event.  

The feel of the original track is incredible. It immediately got me singing and moving along.  Music that does that for me is the most healing music of all.


In terms of remixing, it took me a while to figure things out.   It wasn't only until I attended a couple of sound healing webinars this morning that things started coming together and I realized I was making a track that I can use as part of my somatic release and regulation practice.

I reduced the tempo of the fully mixed track, and then played along on crystal singing bowl notes C, G, A, D. According to many systems, the resonance of these tones correlate to root, throat, third eye, and sacral chakras respectively.

My teachers share that the act of noticing our sensations enriches our hearts and facilitates healing.



[b][green]NOTICE[/green][/b]

The first breath is a grounding breath
Take a moment
Notice

The next breath is a grounding breath
Notice what feels supportive

The next breath is a sounding breath
Allow the voice to open

The next breath
Inspiration
Exhalation dispersing violations
resonance alchemizes transformation

Notice

What are the sensations of resonance
How far does that sensation reach
Notice

[i]I will upload stems for bowls and vocals separately soon.[/i]
Answering the siren's call.


Sounds like love.


[i]lyrics[/i]

Answering the siren's call
is it my beloved
sounds so sweet to me
sounds like love

alluring me with promises
sounds like love

answering the siren's call
she's calling me closer
her voice is so resonant
she sound's like love

She's calling me closer
her song is so resonant
I wonder if she's dangerous

she sounds like love


sounds like love

sounds like love


*********************

Thank you Emily for bringing Oscar and the whales to ccMixter.  To make music with the whales is a blessing and a prayer.

Thank you Kara for sending out the siren's call and Snowflake for answering.  Thank you Jason for the inspiration.

I added beats, bass. Whales sing some bass and sing along as and with Kara and Snowflake, my beloved sirens. <3   


[i]stems and flac yet to be uploaded separately -- it takes me a while to get that stuff together :)[/i] 
Singing bowls from [url=http://http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64540]Shimmer (The Light)[/url].  Tuned to 432 hz. Preview vocal.  Dry stems shared.

[big][blue][b]Shimmering (The Light)[/b][/blue][/big]

Light

Shine gleam sparkle glimmer
Twinkle pulse blinding shimmer
Sparkle glint glisten flare
Flicker flash glow everywhere

Light is lost when there’s too much light
New moon’s silver slicing through the  night
In the dark the smallest light is bright 

The full moon mother shines her blessing
My heart is full with noticing
The relief of seasons changing

Light

Light is a prayer we seek with our senses
Within without there is no difference
The pull of gravity the lift of transcendence
Feet on the ground while effervescent

Shine gleam sparkle glimmer
Twinkle pulse blinding shimmer
Sparkle glint glisten flare
Flicker flash glow everywhere

Light

There may be clouds outside
There may be a storm
We’ll be busy staying warm
When I’m with you I’m home

Shimmering glimmering pulsing spark
Enduring light of twinkling stars


90 bpm.  Sung to a backing track A = 432 hz.  

Remix here.
[big][blue][b]Shimmer (The Light)[/b][/blue]
[/big]

Light

Shine gleam sparkle glimmer
Twinkle pulse blinding shimmer
Sparkle glint glisten flare
Flicker flash glow everywhere

Light is lost when there’s too much light
New moon’s silver slicing through the  night
In the dark the smallest light is bright 

The full moon mother shines her blessing
My heart is full with noticing
The relief of seasons changing

Light

Light is a prayer we seek with our senses
Within without there is no difference
The pull of gravity the lift of transcendence
Feet on the ground while effervescent

Shine gleam sparkle glimmer
Twinkle pulse blinding shimmer
Sparkle glint glisten flare
Flicker flash glow everywhere

Light

There may be clouds outside
There may be a storm
We’ll be busy staying warm
When I’m with you I’m home

Shimmering glimmering pulsing spark
Enduring light of twinkling stars


90 bpm.  Backing track A = 432 hz.  





Thank you Liquid Tribal for a great groove.  Thank you Haskel for sharing your inimitable guitar stylings.  Your sound is so good!

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64534]Singing bowl[/url] and [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64539]vocal stems[/url] uploaded separately.  Working on an instrumental mix to upload separately too.This is an instrumental mix of Shimmer (The Light).

It started with the choice groove offered up by Liquid Tribal.  I played singing bowls (with a nod to "Come All Ye Faithful") tuned A=432hz. Then I added bass.  I sent this to Haskel (with a scratch spoken word vocal).  He added the guitars that make everything sound great.

Bass stem attached.
[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64534]Singing bowl stems here.[/url]
[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64540]Full mix with vocals here.[/url]
[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64539]Vocal stems here.[/url]Crystal singing bowls 432 hz tuned to notes B (crown chakra), D (sacral chakra) and F (heart chakra). Each bowl was recorded separately using two mics. 

and Bass part from Stars (Glimmering Mix).STARS

Season of the stars
The dark is deeep

In my town only one star shines
Piercing the suburban sky
Neutralised by civilised light

This star — oh so bright!
Shines beyond our imagination

Can you sense it?
Connection to essence


Some skies adorned their stars are sequins
Glimmering the atmosphere soft like velvet
Some skies constellations are clear
Some skies the stars are  breathing
Pulsing expansion into the darkness
Some skies the stars feel quite near

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Gaseous flames amid cosmic freeze
Burning for eternity
Lights that guide
Lights we trust
We are made of the same stuff

Stars our ancestors
Shining through darkness
A connection to essence 
Can you sense it

Season of the stars
The dark is deep
Patterns emerge as constellations
Season the stars
Starlight relief
Points of luminescence 

connected to essence
Can you sense it?

Lights that guide
Lights we trust
We are made of the same stuff

* * *

Lyrics submitted separately, in case you're inspired.









Things change. As certain as anything, things change.

Sure, I could be blue with the best of them, but how does that make things better?

[big][b][green]*    *    *[/green][/b][/big]

Thanks to the best band ever for lending your chops to this groove:


[u]Admiral Bob[/u]: drums, bass, organ, clear guitar
[u]Haskel Joseph[/u]: gritty guitar
[u]Bluemillenium[/u]: harmonica
[u]Speck[/u]: rap vocal
[u]Periel Stanfield[/u]: female chorus
[u]Sackjo22[/u]: female chorusMana Junkie has a lot of material to sort through.  I listened to pretty much everything he uploaded since he started at ccMixter.  I downloaded at least a dozen tracks.

Then I had to figure out what to do with all that material! I was stumped until yesterday.

A few days ago I wrote some words inspired by our theme of imaginal cells, and the poetic suggestion of regeneration, rebirth and transformation that I associate with the image of imaginal cells.

Then the war started.

That changed everything.  

More lyrics came. I played the singing bowls, and then played them some more. I added rainstick and the sound of a wooden frog. The background vocals include somatic release exercise I use to regulate the nervous system.  If you sing along your nervous system may regulate too.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64781]VOCAL, SINGING BOWL & PERCUSSION STEMS UPLOADED SEPARATELY.[/url]

[green]IMAGINING IMAGINAL[/green]



The war has started 

(Forget the past. Forget the future. Tonight, just live for the present.)

Scorpion in the sky
I hear the falcon nearby
Thunder and fire Radiance and rouser
Receiving wisdom from the symbolic life

Birds sing even louder after the helicopter passed
The relief we all felt once it left

Using my senses to take in the moment
Releasing, resting to notice
A great renewal, circle of meaning
Seed the new by careful preparing 
Abounding and sojourning Connecting while wandering
Imaginal imagining

The war has started
We’re in the abyss
A primal site of transformation
Explosive negotiation
Toward regeneration (reparation?)

It is not peaceful the process is painful Imagining imaginal

Be small be careful Be not afraid to stand alone
In soft darkness we shall atone
To sense again what we’ve always known

Open the heart to receive love Receive love to be love

Is there a place we can be still to recharge while enervating
To be grounded while activating
To support strength while evading
The onslaught of force with aims to diminish
What will we endure? How will this finish?
Let’s show up this time the way we wished
When this happened before
Let’s not repeat the past
Let’s make this war short don’t let this last
Let’s come together to be a whole
Imagining imaginal
A few days ago I wrote some words inspired by our theme of imaginal cells, and the poetic suggestion of regeneration, rebirth and transformation that I associate with the image of imaginal cells.

Then the war started.

That changed everything.

More lyrics came. I played the singing bowls, and then played them some more. I added rainstick and the sound of a wooden frog. The background vocals include somatic release exercise I use to regulate the nervous system. If you sing along your nervous system may regulate too.

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/64762][i]Full mix here[/i][i][/i]
[/url]
IMAGINING IMAGINAL



The war has started

(Forget the past. Forget the future. Tonight, just live for the present.)

Scorpion in the sky
I hear the falcon nearby
Thunder and fire Radiance and rouser
Receiving wisdom from the symbolic life

Birds sing even louder after the helicopter passed
The relief we all felt once it left

Using my senses to take in the moment
Releasing, resting to notice
A great renewal, circle of meaning
Seed the new by careful preparing
Abounding and sojourning Connecting while wandering
Imaginal imagining

The war has started
We’re in the abyss
A primal site of transformation
Explosive negotiation
Toward regeneration (reparation?)

It is not peaceful the process is painful Imagining imaginal

Be small be careful Be not afraid to stand alone
In soft darkness we shall atone
To sense again what we’ve always known

Open the heart to receive love Receive love to be love

Is there a place we can be still to recharge while enervating
To be grounded while activating
To support strength while evading
The onslaught of force with aims to diminish
What will we endure? How will this finish?
Let’s show up this time the way we wished
When this happened before
Let’s not repeat the past
Let’s make this war short don’t let this last
Let’s come together to be a whole
Imagining imaginal

open the heart to receive love
receive love to be love

*
  I am deep in the ocean
deep in the ocean
I'm  so deep in the ocean

and I can breathe in the ocean

and I can breathe in the ocean

There are layers that I pass through. There are seven layers. I am like a fish. 

And it's not about getting through the layers.  It's about the layers themselves, actually penetrating them.

And the effort of that is what it's all about.  I keep going deeper and deeper and deeper and that is what is important is that I pass through each of these barriers and how it effects me and it effects me greatly.  I have no idea why. But it is. . .is wonderful feels that go deeper and deeper and darker and darker.

Deeper and deeper and darker and darker


* * * *

Walter Berry Voice and Words
Apoxode Ocean Ambiance
Zenboy Electronic Elements
Kara Square Binaural Beats
Whalewizard Whales

Congas are old loops I had laying around. Synth bass is me.

I'm really excited to hear this in the exhibition space at the [url=https://iasdconferences.org/2022/]IASD dream conference[/url]!Haskel uploaded this track which fit perfectly with the tempo, timbre and timing of Jeri's delicious recitation of her dream The Bungalow by the Sea.

Thank you Haskel and Jeri for the source material.



THE BUNGALOW BY THE SEA
Dream No. 187
from Jeri Staley

[i]I find myself in a long, narrow, white wooden bungalow that is rustic and homey. It feels like a vacation cottage.
“This place would be perfect,” I say, “if only it were right on the beach.”
Then I open the front door to look out and am surprised to see sand and water just beyond the doorstep. I realize that the bungalow is, in fact, right on the beach. The water beyond is not unfettered, wild ocean, but rather a busy little port or bay — however, it’s still the sea, and the boats and activity make the whole scene very charming and picturesque. Far out to sea, I see a small dinghy and I wave to the people in it, who wave back.
Then for a moment I think I see a dolphin leaping out of the water. Suddenly I realize that there are actually lots of sea creatures leaping out of the water and cavorting in various ways – both far out in the bay and close up near the shore, both in and out of the water. It’s a beautiful sight and it thrills me to the core of my being. As I walk toward the water, I can see several creatures just below the surface – a seal, a dolphin, a whale and even a narwhal.
“I’ve read that it’s important to pet and stroke them when they come ashore like this,” I say, “and it doesn’t hurt them at all.” And then I walk to the water’s edge to pet them.

As I awaken from the dream, I think immediately of the African shaman who told me that he saw dolphins and whales swimming all around me. He told me that they are my people and my tribe. That is how it feels when I am on the shore petting the creatures who have come near – it feels like I have come home.
[/i]
Bambi Corso Voice, Words
Martijn de Boer Drums, Bass, Piano
Whalewizard WhalesThanks everyone for the source material.

SkyeJordan celeste, glokenspiel, instrumental arrangement

Apoxode ocean ambience

Amy Lloyd voice, words

SackJo22 synth bass, background whisper. My stems uploaded separately.


*****

Wading In the clear water, held by a former love, I looked up and saw that I was underneath a tree of very colorful exotic birds, dozens of them; red, orange, blue bright but quiet. My eyes stayed on the birds. II felt happy to be there, I felt the cool water, warm sand- and noticed sea animals about.

I accepted the invitation to explore with a young girl at my side- there were 3 places to go here as shown by the red directional arrows.

First stop, A village, store, full of local artifacts and people- I selected a few things-and felt at home in this hut in touch with the locals and their culture.
The second arrow took us walking along the road, the natural objects and scenes were lush and new; strangely shaped fruit trees, soft rolling landscapes of various green patterns. I wondered if everybody knew this was there.
The next passages were to the water, a touristic location- I thought it would be too noisy, there were party platforms floating on the water, with lively all-too-real music but it didn’t seem noisy at all- it was inviting bright and open, the water held us. A vessel took us places and I met us with my former love and we walked along the shore and then up the mountain. 2 girls were with me, and a man came by to sell us colorful cloth fabrics and he charged 20 something for them. The girls just paid him without bargaining, I told them that they should have bargained with the seller- it’s just a piece of thin fabric with a little bit of lining. The fabrics were white with drawings of the people on them, a little bit of red, different sizes and the people doing different things, I realized the depth of the materials. The girls were very happy and the man was happy that he sold it to them.
I went back to the village to explain to people what was out there and how it was very fulfilling and colorful, I hoped that they all had a chance to venture out.[i]"The faithful beauty of the stars. . . "[/i]

My vocal adds from the remix I did of Kara Square with DJLang -- Winter Stars (Faithful Beauty Mix). The words are from [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Teasdale]Sara Teasdale's[/url] 1920 poem Winter Stars, introduced to us by Kara (thank you Kara).

I double a lot of parts which is why there are so many stems.

[i]from Winter Stars by Sara Teasdale

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,
The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars,
All things are changed, save in the east
The faithful beauty of the stars.

[/i][blue][i]". . .the faithful beauty of the stars. . . "[/i][/blue] -- [small]Sara Teasedale Winter Stars, 1920[/small][small][/small]


Thank you Kara for introducing me to Sara Teasdale, and for your recitation of this moving poem.  Thank you DJ Lang for your fine stems -- I didn't touch the arrangement.

I uploaded my vocal parts separately [url=https://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/69275](here)[/url].


Winter Stars by Sara Teasdale (1920)

I went out at night alone;
The young blood flowing beyond the sea
Seemed to have drenched my spirit’s wings—
I bore my sorrow heavily.

But when I lifted up my head
From shadows shaken on the snow,
I saw Orion in the east
Burn steadily as long ago.

From windows in my father’s house,
Dreaming my dreams on winter nights,
I watched Orion as a girl
Above another city’s lights.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,
The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars,
All things are changed, save in the east
The faithful beauty of the stars.[b][i][blue]DRAGONFLY[/blue][/i][/b]

I step outside toward the sun
Blue flame buzzes in my face
Then Darts away Along sun’s light ray

Dragonfly

Dragonfly  came 
Greeting me Teasing me
Showing me The way

Later as I sit outside
In patio shade shadowed light
The blue dragonfly again darts by 
Under the portico then near my face
Then Out toward the trees
As if to say
Follow me 
I’ll show you the way

What do I see? What do I see?
This is real Seems like  a dream
What does it mean?Everything is more than it seems

Dragonfly

creature of light Lover of water
Color that flies sunbeam’s daughter
Taking time to realize what you offer


What do I see? What do I see?
This is real Seems like  a dream
What does it mean? What does it mean?
Everything is more than it seems
Everything is more than it seems

creature of light Lover of water
Color that flies sunbeam’s daughter
Taking space to realize what you offer
Shimmer glimmer life in light
Breathe to concentrate the mind
Transformations in due time
Delight ever so sublime

[b][blue]*   *   *[/blue][/b]



This song is based on a true story -- a real life waking dream encounter with a blue dragonfly.  We typically don't get blue dragonflies where I live.  When we do get them, we get the big red ones with unmistakable faces who hang out by the fish pond over the summer. This year however, the drought really seems to have an impact on the dragonflies.  I have seen only one red dragonfly in the garden the entire summer.  

This is a headphone mix because I live with Haskel and I didn't want him to hear what I did with his Shimmer guitars which include chopping them up, reversing things here an there, and moving things around a bit. (Not surprisingly, he was assigned me last secret mixter.  You can't make these things up.)  

I added drum loops, singing bowls, bass and vocals. Instruments are tuned to A=432hz to match the singing bowls.

[i]updated file adjusts overall balance.[/i]Beats : Apoxode
Guitars : Haskel Joseph (aka Ezra Skull)
Bass, Bowls, Vocals : SackJo22
(my stems are uploaded separately)



Thank you Ivan Chew! 

What a treat to be with Ivan's music.  He is a generous ccMixter contributor with a vast library.  I wish I had more time and better chops to play with his offerings. I am grateful he had this amazing instrumental track to sing along to. I struggled with the writing and only finished the lyrics the morning of upload day which left me little time to record, clean up, and mix the track.  Thus, I offer this heartfelt but incomplete track as a work in progress.

The lyrics are inspired by consultation with the Tarot and IChing, including The Tower card, hexagram 29 (The Abyss), hexagram 20 (Viewing/Contemplating), hexagram 44 (Coming to Meet).

[blue][b]IT'S DEEP[/b]


It's deep 
Can't see
It's dark 
still we breathe
We brace We freeze
We don't know what we need
What's next unseen
Rumble of fracturing
It's deep beliefs
so dark still we breathe

(The stars at night are like fairy dust)
Same stars same sky
Same dark same light
(The stars at night are like fairy dust)
Guiding time

(The stars at night are like fairy dust)
Same stars same sky Guiding time

We saw the tower fall before the lightning strike
Fires foretold through visionary eyes 
Here is shock but really no surprise
We know what's true we see  the lies

Here is shock but really no surprise
The stars are guiding time
I'll hold your heart. Can you hold mine?
Our beating hearts are the light

Come with me to  meet
what's Shown to  us in  our dreams
What we sense we need to see
What is there among the grief
Tears flow to the deep
Be here with me
still we breathe
[/blue]What is the solstice but the edge
When light or darkness deepens
A filament of boundary between seasons

What it means when it occurs
The stretch of dark or illumination
Depends Entirely where in the world
You are when the moment happens
The shifting of the seasons
 
shifting seasons
flavor of the light 
clarity of stars 
Shining  through the night

Let’s take it in together
What is dark
What is bright

Take the time to sense
What may be wrong
And what is right

What is dark
What is bright

Take the time to sense your heart 
It Beats with life 

Sense our hearts beat with lifeOriginal stems from [i]The Solstice is an Edge[/i] including two bass parts, a crystal singing bowl (B more or less), a metal singing bowl (G/D more or less), background vocals (four parts)Thank you

Speck : bells
Kara : binaural beat
Haskel : guitars
[url=https://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds/index.html]NASA[/url] : the first sounds recorded on mars and for the sound of plasma in space
Jay Umphries : cricket field recording
[url=https://www.looperman.com/loops/detail/307580/clams-casino-type-drum-loop-free-105bpm-ambient-drum-loop]Clam Casino Type Drum Loop[/url] from Looperman
[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/65745]Vocals[/url], [url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/65746]bass and bowls[/url], uploaded separately

This track truly is a collective effort.


[u][b]The Solstice is an Edge[/b][/u]

What is the solstice but the edge
When light or darkness deepens
A filament of boundary between seasons

What it means when it occurs
The stretch of dark or illumination
Depends Entirely where in the world
You are when the moment happens
The shifting of the seasons
 
shifting seasons
flavor of the light 
clarity of stars 
Shining  through the night

Let’s take it in together
What is dark
What is bright

Take the time to sense
What may be wrong
And what is right

What is dark
What is bright

Take the time to sense your heart 
It Beats with life 

Sense our hearts beat with life[u][i][b]The Light Shines[/b][/i][/u]

The light shines

It’s not so dark Lights are out
In places perhaps in small amounts
Brilliance emerges As It compounds

The light shines

Keeps us safe Keep us warm
Helps us see what may be harmful
Sense  of change Seed to transform

The light shines

Guiding us through the dark
Through space through time
The light’s a promise from afar

Through space through time

The light shines

Flickering twinkling pulsing bright
The light’s a promise from afar
Gas and gravity moon star
The light’s a promise from afar[green][big]I hope you have a healthy, safe, peaceful season wherever you are in the world or on the celebratory spectrum![/big][/green]

Darkroom's groovy chill-hop mix of Apoxode and Admiral Bob made it easy for me to play along. Thank y'all for sharing!

[url=http://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/65872]vocal for spoken word uploaded separately[/url]


* * *
[b]
The Lights Shines[/b]

The light shines

It’s not so dark Lights are out
In places perhaps in small amounts
Brilliance emerges As It compounds

The light shines

Keeps us safe Keep us warm
Helps us see what may be harmful
Sense  of change Seed to transform

The light shines

Guiding us through the dark
Through space through time
The light’s a promise from afar

Through space through time

The light shines

Flickering twinkling pulsing bright
The light’s a promise from afar
Gas and gravity moon star
The light’s a promise from afarSinging bowls tunes to 432hz notes played:  E, G, B

Associated with solar plex, throat and crown chakras

Zip incudes multiple takes of bowls being playedNot yet crossing
Use your head and neck and eyes to surmise where you've been and what you're heading toward

Gather energy for a new move
There's progress to be made
Not yet crossing
We're waiting on the edge

* * *

Inspired by IChing hexagram 64.  Before Complete[i]Not yet crossing
Use your neck and head and eyes to surmise where you've been and where you're headed toward

Gather energy for a new move
There's progress to me made

Not yet crossing
We're waiting on the edge[/i]

 -- Hexagram 64 Before Completion

* * * 

Thank you RizKey G's for this glorious funk rhythm section from Lucid.  I have listened to it thousands of times between including Lucid in a [url=http://beta.ccmixter.org/playlist/browse/57468]podcast[/url] and trying to mix it into something for months.

Thank you Haskel for sharing your fine guitar stylings.  

Vocals and singing bowls uploaded separatelyThank you Darkroom for your splendid and generous uploads at ccMixter! Delving into your catalog for inspiration is a pleasure!

Thank you Haskel (Ezra Skull) for playing guitar for me.  You make everything taste better.

This is a headphone mix (I'm on the road right now), so it is not be as refined as I would like.


*  *  *

For days the falcon has visited in the tree
Today the dove  is there with me.
Singing a song of love.

The sky is soft today.
Clouds like wisps of memory
Defuse the light.
Then shift to clarity

Oh my love come to me
I sing to thee
I wait for you to return to me
My love


The breeze barely discernible.
The quiet is tangible.
Colors are remarkable.
There are no shadows

* * *
[i]
[small]Darkroom : Beats, Pad
Haskel : Guitars
SackJo : Bass, Vocals[/small][/i]Thank you 7OOP3D for the treasure trove of amazing source material to work with! First it took me a while to go through the catalog.  I downloaded four sets of samples. Each sample set had at least a dozen stems if not two dozen!! It was a surfeit of sonic riches!

I spent a lot of time working with one set of stems, but was not feeling it. At the last minute I started all over. I wish I had more time to work on this track before upload day.   

Did that last minute switch take me in a different direction or a parallel path? It doesn't really matter as I arrived at my destination.  :-)

Thank you Haskel for sharing your fine guitar stylings. I added singing bowls and background vocals.  The rest is from 7OOP3D.




[b]SEPARATE BUT RELATED[/b]

We are each a wanderer on their own way
Le us be companions
Until the turn causes us to separate
Our lives divergent

Destiny and will desire and fate are lines we constantly negotiate
The road may bend it may be straight
We are headed the same way

Spokes in a wheel
Tracks of the train
The destination is the same

Parallel aligned related but separate
Continuing until the intersection
Continuing until the connection

 A short friendly etude on the glockenspiel with its bell like tones in four parts (1 and 2 nearly doubled, 3 and 4 different/harmonizing parts).A prayer for the mourning.  A prayer for peace.

Featuring the voice of Aunt Beast
Singing bowls tuned to 432hz tones: B (crown for the collective), D (sacral for our life force), F (heart for our hearts), G (throat for our voices)
I prayed too
Please add your voice to our prayer

This is an acoustic track -- while tones were processed with plug-ins, no electronic instrumentation was used. (need to fix the tag)My mind's eye sees flight, flow, release, light -- perhaps balloons or butterflies, pronking gazelles or whales.  

Belugaten's sweeping Meadow Strings sets the scene for this uplifting bit of music, while Apoxode's low fi beats create an alt/indie tone.  Is that tension or balance between the sway of the bass and the syncopation of the glockenspiel bells? Kara's voice grounds the choir, exhalting. I played bass and added some vocals.

I've been working with this little ditty for a while now and know it could still use improvements in tone and balance. Production tips are welcome!

I will upload bass and vocal stems separately.The Chanukah story deconstructed.  Many parts. Spoken Word and vocalese.<br />
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Light<br />
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Bright<br />
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Fight<br />
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Light<br />
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Light<br />
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Invite<br />
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Ignite<br />
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Light<br />
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INspire<br />
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Dire<br />
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Fire<br />
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Light<br />
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Flight<br />
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Night<br />
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Bright<br />
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Light<br />
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 I'm thinking about Chanukah -- the fight and the light of this holiday.  While bagpipes and Chanukah are not a traditional pairing, the energy of this track feels like a good fit for this deconstructed retelling of the Chanukah story.  Thank you Stefan for the inspiration!

Light
Bright
Fight
Light
Light
Invite
Ignite
Light
Inspire
Dire
Fire
Light
Flight
Night
Bright
LightMy contributions to the Mixterverse version of Auld Lang Syne including vocal takes (melody and harmony) and glockenspiel.  Some vocal parts doubled.  <br />
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Thank you everyone involved in this stupendous collaboration!  What a treat to sing along.  Thank you Snowflake for arranging, directing and guiding us into harmony.  Thank you John Jones for the final mix us.  And thank you to everyone who participated.  When I hear us singing together on the chorus something powerful happens inside.  <br />
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Happy new year to all.  May this new year bring health, peace, inspiration, expansion, love, light and laughter.Vocals and original stems for Hexagram 29 : Dark Waters featuring Stefan Kartenberg and Haskel Joseph.<br />
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Parts:<br />
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Tongue Drum<br />
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Bass<br />
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Vocal : Spoken Word<br />
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Background Vocal Layers <br />
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Also uploaded here are Haskel's guitar parts.Hexagram 29 : Dark Waters (The Abyss)

Don’t be afraid of the dark
The dark is the realm of change
The depth of the abyss
The expanse of space
The stillness of winter
A birthing cave
Let’s be together to be with change

Light comes in subtle ways, reflecting shadows
Illuminating grace
The life it sparks
Your expressive face
Let’s be together to be with change

I don’t know what to do with mistakes I made
The effects of this time of danger are great
Defy uncertainty by being brave
Let’s be together to be with change

*******

Inspired by a reading of the IChing, Hexagram 29, traditionally known as The Abyss. 
The IChing is an oracular system developed in ancient China based on symbols called hexagrams.  There are 64 hexagrams in this system.

The advice of Hexagram 29 is to be courageous, to take action, even if fear is present.  It teaches us to embody the quality of water that flows uninterrupted toward its goal. It is related to winter. It reminds us that everything will change. There will be an opportunity to do it differently. The ancient myths say the Sun Tree and the Moon Tree drink the dark waters rushing under the Earth’s altar -- the font of the abyss where the springs flow. The source from which all life grows.

**********

Drums : Stefan Kartenberg
Acoustic Guitars : Stefan Kartenberg
Electric Guitars : Haskel Joseph
Bass, Tongue Drum, Vocals : SackJo22

Thank you Stefan Kartenberg for being so inspiring! Thank you Haskel Joseph for adding your fine guitar stylings.  My stems and Haskel's stems are uploaded separately.
Vocals and instrumental stems from SackJo22 and Haskel for Hexagram 29 : Dark Waters (The Abyss)<br />
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This is the second time in a row I was lucky enough to be assigned 7OOP3D.  Their expansive library is a delight to visit and revisit.  They are generous mixters indeed with extensive sounds samples and full stem packs in their library.

This mix uses many, but not all of the stems from Miracles (Doped) and retains the structure of 7OOP3D's arrangement.  I added vocals and singing bowl. The lyrics express the teachings of a recent IChing reading of Hexagram 46 (Pushing Upward) changing to Hexagram 7 (The Cosmic Army) and related dreams.

[b]ASCENDING[/b]

I’ve been waiting for this time
The time when the time is right
To push to grow to hit the road
I’m not alone as I’m climbing

Armies of ancestors before me have made this ascent
Step by step from the abyss
Join flow push upward grow
I’m not alone

Join flow push upward grow ascending
Join flow push upward grow ascending

How do I know? Sensing
This is the time
Ascending

I once dreamed of a while castle high upon a hill filled with people and terraced fountains
That dream is this mountain

Join flow push upward grow ascending
Join flow push upward grow ascending

Fear not 
It brings blessings
How do I know? Sensing
This is the time
Ascending

This is what I offer
When you embody your true self you become the jaguar
Nigtingale song recorded on my iphone in the parking lot of the Palm Springs Vagabond Inn at around 10:00 pm. <br />
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Thank you Kara for cleaning up the audio.  I appreciate you!You Left (Lyrics by Javolenus and SackJo22)

What got inside your head
Maybe something I said
Cuz you left, yes you left without saying goodbye

So you think me unkind?
If I could read your mind, I would know why you left

Communications down
I guess you're headed to town
You left, without saying goodbye

Maybe we'll meet up again
Hope we're speaking by then
though you left, you left without saying goodbye

Sorry to be that way
Hope you'll forgive me one day thought I left

I had no words -- I was hurt
Me or you, who was worse?
I left

Communication down
When I left town, I was doing my best

If we ever meet up again,
I hope we can be friends though I left without saying goodbye

****************

This track should be in much better shape given how many hours I put into it.  In addition to my limitations, there are performance flubs.  I am thankful to Snowflake for some very useful production tips when it came time to mix the vocals. It started with Zenboy1955's upbeat popilicious backing track.  Then I discovered Javolenus' lyrics, written from the perspective of someone left-behind, I added some lyrics from the perspective of the person leaving.  Then I invited Haskel to add some tasty guitar stylings.  

There were so many different sonic influences that visited while I was putting this together -- influences in ways you may or may not hear in the track including David Bowie, The Roches, Roy Orbinson, and Trio (Dolly Parton/Emily Lou Harris/Linda Rondstadt). 

The Band:

Drums, Bass, Acoustic, Keboard : Zenboy1955
Acoustic and Electric Guitars : Haskel Joseph (Ezra Skull)
Lyrics : Javolenus, SackJo22
Vocals : SackJo22
Songbird : Nightengale[blue][i]The wind moves above earth revealing all things.[/i][/blue] -- Hexagram 20, Viewing/Contemplating

* * *

What a delight to play with Spinningmerkaba!  His catalog is diverse and vast.  His talent is inspiring!  

* * *

[i]Viewing (Hexagram 20)[/i]

Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons
See your reflection in each and everyone

Pause
Look, but don’t act, to find the right perspective
To keep going like this is dangerous
See how heaven moves through spirit
In all directions at one

Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons

Bird signs and omens are there to see
Receive the ancestors in your dream
Pause

See your reflection in each and every one

This is a tower initiation
Accept the transition
Notice without judging
See your reflection in each and everyone

Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons

* * *

I started with Sun Says Yes which is a fully mixed track produced by Spinningmerkaba that features Siobhan Dakay.  I added a couple of Jason's trumpet stems, and his vocals from Horizons (which I have used before because I love them!).  

Jason's lyric, "expand your horizons", fit with a hexagram that appeared in my daily IChing practice -- Hexagram 20, Viewing/Contemplating.

The lyrics mix Jason's lyrics with my spoken word (teachings from the IChing) and backing vocals.


  

The World Tree sprouts at the beginning --  new shoots emerging, roots deepening -- at the source of the dark waters, the portal of creation  -- IChing (Karcher)

My dreams were showing me I am moving, with uncertainty, toward something new.  I used the IChing to deepen my understanding, the hexagrams providing guidance as to how to navigate the discomfort of this movement. Hexagram 3, Difficulty at the Beginning, speaks of the sprouting of the World Tree.  Hexagram 29, The Abyss/Dark Waters, gives guidance about navigating the edge of growth; be courageous with that darkness.  

 I created this digital collage image with an AI generated image provided by Jeff Grant using Stable Diffusion remixed with a photograph of deep roots by FelixMittermeier (Pixabay) and a photograph of the night sky by RezaAskarii (Pixabay).  I used Leapfox for editing.
[i]Viewing (Hexagram 20)[/i]

Pause
Look, but don't act, to find the right perspective
To keep going like this is dangerous
See how heaven moves through spirit
In all directions at one

The wind moves above the earth revealing all things
Give things space on inner ground by yielding
Insight arrives by contemplating

Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons

Bird signs and omens are there to see
Receive the ancestors in your dream
Pause

See your reflection in each and every one

This is a tower initiation
Accept the transition
Notice without judging
See your reflection in each and everyone

Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons
Expand your horizons


Vocals from [url=https://ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/68088]Viewing Hexagram 20[/url] remix of Spinningmerkaba

Inspired by the Sage of the IChing and Spinningmerkaba's HorizonWalter Berry's Withered Roots dream set to Rewob's downtempo bed featuring mysterious vocals from Admiral Bob.Spoken word vocal
3 background parts / each part doubled
Bass
Crystal Singing Bowls take 1 (B, D, G 432 hz)
Crystal Singing Bowls take 2 (B, D, G 432 hz)

[b]THE PUSH THE PULL[/b]


[i]The Dream[/i]

I see the shore through the window
The sky the sea
It could be dusk, but it’s dawn
The receding tide a context clue

A man lifts empty lobster cages made of bamboo
A boy picks up and drops crabs — one, then two
Pebbles and shells shimmer as waves return to the sea
None else is there with me

[i]Gifts from the Dream[/i]

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The ocean is my mother
Where the primordial ancestor was born
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

My dreams gestate under the water
Among whales and microscopic matter
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

Soft sand settles on the semblance of bottoms
Still there are deep crevasses
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

All this matter all this form
Continually transforming
It’s not a secret
It’s there to see
The push the pull the harmony

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

What’s revealed by the receding sea
Luminescent waters tease
Gifts gleam
I enter the dream to receive
Meanings to make what do I see

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The reflection of water on all that I grasp
No separation between this and that
The edge is where we connect

The shore the skin the lip the top
The bottom the horizon the pulsing aura
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The push the pull the rhythm of it all


[i]Resources for working this dream include being with the ocean, and the IChing, particularly Hexagram 2 — the yielding/receptive/nature. Hexagram 2 came up repeatedly for a while in my daily readings.[/i]

Thank you Javolenus and Apoxode for setting the groove.  Thank you Haskel for adding your fine guitar stylings. 

Vocals, bass and bowl stems uploaded separately.

[i]The Dream[/i]

I see the shore through the window
The sky the sea
It could be dusk, but it’s dawn
The receding tide a context clue

A man lifts empty lobster cages made of bamboo
A boy picks up and drops crabs -- one, then two
Pebbles and shells shimmer as waves return to the sea
None else is there with me

[i]Gifts from the Dream[/i]

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The ocean is my mother
Where the primordial ancestor was born
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

My dreams gestate under the water
Among whales and microscopic matter
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

Soft sand settles on the semblance of bottoms
Still there are deep crevasses
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

All this matter all this form
Continually transforming
It's not a  secret
It's there to see
The push the pull the harmony

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

What's revealed by the receding sea
Luminescent waters tease
Gifts gleam
I enter the dream to receive
Meanings to make what do I see

The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The reflection of water on all that I grasp
No separation between this and that
The edge is where we connect

The shore the skin the lip the top
The bottom the horizon the pulsing aura
The push the pull the rhythm of it all

The push the pull the rhythm of it all


[i]Resources for working this dream include being with the ocean, and the  IChing, particularly Hexagram 2 -- the yielding/receptive/nature.  Hexagram 2 came up repeatedly for a while in my daily readings.[/i]
Stephanie Burns shares the story of Gondwana, and the deepest southern roots.

This mix is merely a sketch or an arrangement, a beginning.  If I had more time I would spend more time tweaking and layering.  I would love additional sounds in the mix -- maybe some percussion here and there, atmospheric tones tastefully places. Thank you Haskel for the fine guitar stylings.  You added a lot!. . . .  My stems -- bass and singing bowls uploaded separately.  

Time is shifting – Gondwana Story
Dream Story
Dr. Stephanie R. Burns

Enters the Room

She entered the waking dream space. The wind moved like sashaying hips, and her tree-curved
arms accentuated her waist. She is more than an ancestor; she is an ancient wisdom keeper.

The mother of Deep Southern Roots. She introduced herself as Gondwana, and this is her story.


180 million years ago – hear me, see me, understand me – Deep Southern Roots

Before I start, make sure you ground yourself and stay present. It's easier to go back in time if you
imagine you're watching it on TV. Picture the richness of Africa, the sassiness of South America, the
diversity of Madagascar, the place you call the land down under (Australia), and Antarctica all
connected. All of the land spaces were just one supercontinent - with tropical lush rainforests,
segmented worms, round creatures that looked like jellyfish, and a warm climate.

The Separation

I know you're wondering what happened – what caused this separation? We were already separated
from Laurasia – the Northern part of Pangea. Pangea was the supercontinent that existed over 250
million years ago. Laurasia was in the North, and I was in the South. You see, the South was colorful
and had a flavor like your Gumbo, unlike the North, which wanted to disconnect. We were different,
but we were also fun and enjoyed being together.

Eventually, Laurasia separated from us. Drifted North and gradually split into Europe, North
America, and Asia.

What Happened?

So, why did we split? The Earth was grieving/changing – the core was finding herself, and as a result,
we began to move. You all know about tectonic plates - what lies beyond the core and causes a
shift. “They” wanted their independence/separation – we wanted community. But Africa and South
America were the first to go. They had their own plans to do their own thing. But when they did split,
they created the South Atlantic Ocean, with so many beautiful and new creatures. We understood
and forgave them. The other continents stayed for a while. They hung out. They vowed to be there
for each other. Eventually, Madagascar split from India, and that left Australia and Antarctica. I
know it may be hard to understand, but Antarctica was more like Australia than what you know of
her today.

Antarctica – you rarely talk about her – a frozen piece of ice – but back then she was life. She was
warm like your Southern climates – she, too, was made of lush rainforests. She and Australia were
the best of friends.

They stayed together for as long as they could, even after Africa, South America, India, and
Madagascar had split and moved on. Yet, the inevitable happened. Australia decided it was time to
leave. Can you imagine being part of a community for so long and then suddenly being alone? As
Australia shifted northward, catching up with India, and gained independence, Antarctica felt sad
and lonely.

Where did the ice come from on this Earth? There are always two sides to every story. No one
considers that the shadow of the fire is ice—the coldness of what they call snow. The evidence of
the "Snowball Earth" still remains in Antarctica.

Antarctica Story

Antarctica enters. I can feel her sadness. speaking – I am frozen – no one comes to see me. I am not
visited as much as Australia. I am the distant cousin, the cold part of the family. But they say time is
shifting. There will be a time when we will all come back together and I will be back with Australia
and with my family. The question is how much has everyone changed? Will we recognize each
other? I long for those lush rainforests and milder, warmer temperatures. I long for the time when
there was no ice, and we were all side by side, and what we gave to each other. We were the
rainbow tribe. We were the heart, sacral, solar plexus, and purification chakras of the Earth - we
were Gondwana - we were Deep Southern Roots. Gondwana – Deep Southern Roots – know your
power and don’t let anyone tell you what you are not capable of doing.Bass and crystal singing bowls played for my remix of Stephanie Burns, Time is Shifting.  The bowls are recorded with one take and two mics placed in different points of the bowl array. Bowls played are G, D, B 432 hz tuning.[i]Planting the Magical Sky Tree[/i]


I‘m standing in the woods, in a circle of people near a cabin where we’ve gathered. We’re in a clearing, surrounded by tall, swaying trees. Up in the sky I see a surreal, magical tree, floating, shaped like an hourglass, flat on the bottom and the top, with branches and flowers sprouting from the inside. Other people see it too, watching me as I reach up and take hold of the tree around the center of its trunk, pulling until I feel it loosen and give way. It loosens and gives way.

I bring it down to the ground and now it’s 12 inches tall. Holding it in both hands, I close my eyes, waiting, hoping, and it begins to sprout roots. I feel it, alive and wiggling in my hands. It’s alive, wiggling in my hands. Looking down, I see two pieces of bark that have fallen from the large trees around us, lying at my feet in the shape of an X, and I know this is where I need to plant the magical sky tree. I pick up one piece of bark, curved like a garden trowel, and begin digging a hole to plant it in the center of the circle. I plant the magical sky tree in the center of our circle. 

It occurred to me, very late in the game, that the description of this event would make a lovely spoken word.  Thank you Stefan Kartenberg for this fully mixed instrumental track that is beautiful to work with.

The spoken word is shared as an additional file.

DEEP ROOTS

The World Tree sprouts at the beginning --  new shoots emerging, roots deepening -- at the source of the dark waters, the portal of creation  -- IChing (Karcher)

The World Tree sprouts at the beginning --  new shoots emerging, roots deepening -- at the source of the dark waters, the portal of creation
Roots are not in landscape or a country, or a people, they are inside you.  — Isabel Allende

Like the roots of a tree, our roots connect us to what nurtures and grounds us, providing foundational support for growth and expansion. 

What we are rooted to emerges in our dreams.   Dreams of people, places and things that form us.  The wisdom of elders passed down in liminal narratives.Transcendent dreams that illuminate connections with clarity.

Deep roots are the ancestors. They are with us, carried in our bodies, our beliefs. Our ancestors expand beyond our familial lineage into the lineage of our communities, our nations, our humanity.  

Our deepest roots are an ephemeral umbilicus that connect us to the  great mothers, Earth and her oceans, her lands, deserts and mountains, streams and lakes, plains and canyons. Our deep roots are dendrites — limbs of extension, expansion and connection that connect us to the universe.

Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world. …The source they come from is eternal, growing, Branching out, giving new life and new joy. Why do you weep? The source is within you And this whole world is springing up from it. -- Rumi
Kara's All Life is Love is a moving folk anthem for our time that inspires singing along! I was excited to attempt to arrange and produce this moving track.  I cannot express how delicious it was to spend time with this rousing energy. Also the warm richness of Kara's voice is like a soft blanket -- very comforting.  Specific engineering/production tips that could enhance how the track sounds are welcome. With 43 tracks (including bus channels) this was a challenge to mix. I put a request in the workshop  Thanks.

FILE UPDATED AFTER GETTING FEEDBACK FROM BEN B.  THANK YOU BEN!You Left



lyrics by Javolenus and SackJo22



melody, arrangement performance by SackJo22







Parts:







Lead



Lead doubled



Background 1



Background 2



Background 3My stems from Uplifting Ending include bass, glockenspiel and several vocal parts (mostly stacked unison).  I am uploading my edits to the samples I used separately in the workshop for anyone who may be interested in working with all of it.There are ALL the stems I used for my remix Uplifting Ending, including my own (bass, glockenspiel and several layers of vocals) and those from Kara, BelugaTen and Apoxode arranged as I used them in my remix Uplifting Ending.  I'm sharing them here as Ben asked for them.  I also uploaded my stems separately (check my artist page).ELEVATE YOUR HEART

Reach up breath love
Elevate your heart to rise above
The ache within being human
Together we can get through it
Express yourself joyously
Binds from the past loosening
Return as fear departs
Breathe love elevate your heart

Grow grasp ascend lift
Come on baby give me a kiss
Reach up breathe love
Elevate your heart to rise above
The fray the muck the dark abyss
Come on baby give me a kiss
Reach up breathe love
Elevate your heart to rise above 

Being here with my heart
Noticing as I pause
Something deepens softens something blossoms
Being here with my heart

* * *

Drums : Apoxode.  Thank you for sharing Apoxode!
Guitars : Haskel Joseph. Thank you for your fine guitar stylings Haskel!
Everything else (bowls, bass, vocals, lyrics, production) : SackJo22

* * *
I started this track months ago.   Then I got really busy with work and then I came down with a very nasty sinus infection which kept me away from all my favorite extra-curricular activities for quite some time.  Finally, I was able to manage some semblance of completion.  Nonetheless, I recognize I could tweak this track ad infinitum.  [u][b]Sense[/b][/u]

Feel how it is right now even though it may be hard to do
It will change -- things always do

Life moves you -- moves through you

Taking time to sense
Cuz we are sentient
And knowing is a sense we can sense into

Sense into

Feel what it is right now that doesn’t hurt so bad
Perhaps a bit less sad
And let that soothe you

Feel what it is right now that doesn’t hurt so bad
Perhaps a bit less sad
And let that soothe you

Taking time to sense
Cuz we are sentient
And knowing is a sense we can sense into

Life moves you


* * *
also included is Haskel's guitar part
[big][b][blue]H[/blue][green]a[/green][i]pp[/i][big]y[/big] [red]B[/red][i]irthday[/i] cc[big][blue]Mixter[/blue][/big]!!!!![/b][/big]

[i]Thank you Ben for your rich and inspiring catalog. Thank you Haskel for the dusting of fine guitar stylings you added to the mix. This track is built on Ben's gorgeous remix of JansMusic's Brooklyn.[/i]  

[u][i][b]SENSE[/b][/i][/u]

Feel how it is right now even though it may be hard to do
It will change -- things always do

Life moves you -- moves through you

Taking time to sense
Cuz we are sentient
And knowing is a sense we can sense into

Sense into

Feel what it is right now that doesn't hurt so bad
Perhaps a bit less sad
And let that soothe you

Feel what it is right now that doesn't hurt so bad
Perhaps a bit less sad
And let that soothe you

Taking time to sense
Cuz we are sentient
And knowing is a sense we can sense into

Life moves you

***

[small]Thank you to everyone at ccMixter who has created and sustains this special space on the internet.  Since I started sharing music at ccMixter 15 years ago, my world has expanded exponentially - musically and personally.  Being part of this community enriches creativity, expression and heart as deep and enduring connections are made.

It was my intention to make an upbeat, celebratory track for our 20th anniversary! But the muse did not lead me there at all.  I have been having writer's block and this event came during the Jewish High Holidays while I was contemplating tsheuva -- the practice of atonement and forgiveness.  Then I spent a weekend at trauma camp (that’s my endearment for the trauma healing trainings I regularly support as a teaching assistant).  Then there is the state of the world. . . Ben's sensitive and moving remix Brooklyn provided the perfect feel for what I was feeling and quickly became the ambience for the song to emerge.


While I was wrestling with my creative process, I repeatedly received Hexagram 52 during my daily IChing practice.  Hexagram 52 represents meditation/stillness and the binding/completion of a chapter.  It teaches the time of meditation is a time for contemplating how we arrived where we are at, appreciating the lessons and preparing for the next chapter.  It asks us to sense into the matter to receive enlightenment.

This track was created by sensing into it -- the feel, the rhythm.  The subject matter reflects how deep I am in the world of trauma healing as I continue to study and work in that field.  

When there are a lot of challenging or conflicting feelings, particularly when there are hard circumstances, acknowledging reality and then finding a "pocket of peace" through the senses enhances our capacity to be with whatever is happening so that even when external circumstances remain the same, we can experience a shift internally.
[/small]