The French word Cour-age means “with heart”.
 
Fear can feel like a limitation, and I’d say it’s purpose is to notify us that we are at the edge of our comfort zone, and perhaps towards a choice that changes our lives.
 
Elaine Aron Ph.D, in her book “The Highly Sensitive Person” talks about how there are those who are highly sensitive and generally on the introverted side and those who are high sensation seekers who tend to be bold and risk taking, but still highly sensitive.
 
In the test, I found myself right down the middle. My life is a dance of acts of exposure as a performer, teacher, and in my intimate relations. I like to call this risky remedy because each step into that creates the fullness that I am, along with occasional tormenting messages from fear of doing “it” wrong, or possibly causing someone pain.
 
As I observe people, I see how many of us carry trauma in our bodies. I have judged fear in myself and others, and come to talk to the one in the mirror. I do not subscribe to the dualistic notion that fear is the absence of love. I can feel both in the same breath. Like animals, I respect fear as it arises to care for my best interest. If I don’t listen, it becomes panic.
 
I don’t have many answers for resolving these states. Many things help, but I know this medicine is golden:
 
COMPASSION
 
The other thing I know is that a plane needs a runway to take off. A pianist lays down foundation for years before playing complex pieces. An improvisor studies scales in order to fly into the unknown. And people who don’t study music, can find their way to sing together with a little foundational safety and a whole lot of permission to play!
 
C’mon now. It’s the month of your affirmation. Metaphorically and literally.
 
You give me the words, we will create the song. If you bring your animal and your heart, perhaps we can create the song of your life.
 
See you there,
 
Renée
 

The experience of singing among the trees is one that has the potential to deepen our connection to the land, and also to ourselves, since much of nature is a mirror of us.
 
How so?
 
It’s easy to think of forests as pacific, beautiful, expansive, and awesome, since they often elicit those states in us. Just like humans, plants and trees have that potential for beauty, gentleness, creativity, and must also be aware of their survival. Plants must defend against potential predators, such as beetles, worms and other insects.
 
Plants are equipped with immune systems that produce chemicals to defend against pathogens, some have spiky thistles and needles along their stems and branches, or take shapes, in order to make them unappealing or inedible to prey.
 
In their quiet way, they say yes or no.
 
In each one of us, is the potential for tenderness and bad-assery, to be un-defended and to protect.
 
In these times where we need to stay woke, we sing to honor all available apt responses within us. Sometimes, “no” is the deepest kind of love.
 
 
 
 

​Greetings,
 
Abby Lincoln said: “The music is the magic of a secret world, it’s a world that is always within”. Aaaahhh yes…I notice I feel more overwhelm than usual lately, and I have shared before how my treatment for overwhelm is to sing for 5 minutes, so I’ve been popping that pill several times a day.
 
Ani DiFranco said “If more people were screaming than I could relax”. Do you ever feel other’s unexpressed material inside them? I do. I am almost relieved, even if a bit shocked when someone lets out the kind of scream that helps them release. It always makes me laugh, and I feel inspired and amazed. I ain’t talkin’ about people screaming at others, we can work our anger out on our own, I am talking about the kind of expressions that we feel welling up in us at times, and we are taught to be polite in the company of others so we dare not…skip down the street, sing, talk out loud alone…
 
In line with this, I find how music can be soothing and also invigorating – both listening and making, depending on what you’re looking to shift or express. Do you need to receive or release? You can use music and singing to get you there.
 
Let’s create the container, then you can bring it home into your life, because its your little secret pocket medicine of joy, your own friend, lover, muse…dare to dare, cos there ain't no voice police out there. The space is all yours if you take it.
 
“How can I live one day without music?”
 
                                     - India.Arie
 
As always, looking forward to our time together!
 
René

Happy Summer!
 
I am honored to have just had the opportunity to facilitate a Vocal Improv session at The Brain Fitness Forum at the JCCSF.
 
It happens that just prior to this event I became aware of Dr. Robert Lustig’s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig) new book, “The Hacking of the American Mind”, which I strongly recommend reading! I have been following Dr. Lustig’s work around sugar intake and metabolic disorders for a decade or so now, and am always roused by his truth telling mission to heal our culture from addiction.
 
In his latest book, he makes the distinction between foods and activities that elicit the dopamine .vs. the serotonin response in human beings. The dopamine response will bring pleasure, whereas the serotonin response will bring happiness. A hit of dopamine is likely to elicit an addictive response. We can get this hit by eating sugar or unhealthy foods, ingesting caffeine, attempting to create connection on social media, engaging in high risk activities, doing drugs, etc…
 
A hit of serotonin is likely to elicit a feeling of contentment, such as when we exercise, engage in authentic connection, sing, dance, create, engage in life affirming activities, feel love, touch others, eat well, connect with nature, etc…
 
These are only a few examples of each, but the idea is that searching for a dopamine hit feels good right now, but it overexcites the cells, ultimately causing cell death. When we engage in serotonin increasing activities, we actually feel a longer sense of contentment and happiness, without building a tolerance for higher amounts.
 
Although music infuses my heart, body, mind, and spirit, and I often feel high when I make music, especially with others, there is a steady progression of joy in my heart in anticipation, during, and after the experience. This has me thinking that making music is a serotonin producing activity, and its no wonder because I am often thrilled to let go of the technical toys in my life, or even conversation, and dwell in the land of music with my instruments, my voice, and with you.
 
I can’t wait until the next time we can be together!
 
René