Best Patricia Norton Podcasts (2024)

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153. Blessings Whenever You Breathe 17:43

3d ago17:43

17:43

Song: Blessings Whenever You Breathe Music by: Melanie DeMore Notes: Melanie DeMore has probably influenced your singing, whether or not you've had the chance to sing with her in person yet! This week is a chance to spend some time with one of her songs that is a breath blessing -- as we sing, you can notice the breath pouring in, and just to be s…

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152. Ribbon 1: Heartflow 23:54

10d ago23:54

23:54

The Sunday after this episode is released, July 7th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us! Lyrics & Links to the original episodes for the songs in this r…

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151. Deeper 15:19

18d ago15:19

15:19

Song: Deeper Music by: Meg O'Dell Chittenden Notes: I was stymied when I came to the point in the podcast where I explain why I chose this song... because to me it simply is exactly the way I'm trying to live. It's like Meg O'Dell Chittenden went in my brain and named what was happening! Do you find songs like that -- ones that simply speak your t…

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150. The Change with guest Mary Cohen 1:09:51

25d ago1:09:51

1:09:51

Song: The Change Music by: Mary L. Cohen Notes: “My dad played the copper fish mold.” — aren’t you curious now? Listen in as Mary Cohen and I explore family music, personal structures for improvisation, creating connections between incarcerated and not-incarcerated people, and more… We wander a bit through grief and disconnection and finding what …

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149. May My Tears Water a Sapling 19:20

1M ago19:20

19:20

Song: May My Tears Water a Sapling Music by: Mary L. Cohen Notes: Mary Cohen's huge heart and willingness to do big work in the world shines through in this song, with lyrics sparked by the 2020 midwestern derecho with devastated so many trees. When we talk in next week's songwriter conversation, the depth of Mary's passion for how singing can sup…

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148. Oh the Rain 17:05

2M ago17:05

17:05

Song: Oh the Rain Music by: Patricia Norton Notes: Seems like being able to let things fall is my skill-du-jour. Rain, my feelings, other people's experiences... letting it come down and softening around it. I wrote this song during a week of incessant winter rain... and sang it here during a week of hard things to feel. Both times, it helped me b…

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147. Walk On Through 16:16

2M ago16:16

16:16

Song: Walk On Through Music by: Samara Jade Notes: Samara's song sings powerfully inside me about how we accompany each other... and are accompanied by the natural world. It gives me words to say and feel when someone I care for is going through pain and there is nothing I can "do" to help... and that I am not the only source of companionship. Thi…

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146. Begin Again 20:13

2M ago20:13

20:13

Song: Begin Again Music by: Jean Farmer Notes: Jean Farmer's song was just right for me this week, as some old wounds were reopened. I was frustrated with myself -- I didn't want to have to heal again. This song helped me find the kindness and willingness to start over, connecting with this breath and the earth. Jean said I could harmonize at will…

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145. Hold On with guest Aaron Johnson 1:18:36

2M ago1:18:36

1:18:36

Song: Hold On Music by: Rev. Cleophus Robinson, Jr. Composed in: 1980 Notes: Aaron shares his close personal connection with this song: after the horrible accidental death of his father, "“It was the first inkling, the first kind of hint that this kind of grief might be bearable.” We dove into how to bring anti-oppression work right into songcir…

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144. I Hear 16:31

3M ago16:31

16:31

Song: I Hear Music by: Aaron Johnson Notes: What I love about Aaron's song is how it is quick to learn, and then can be taken in many directions -- it can stay simple, giving a chance to listen deeply to one's own voice or the voices of surrounding people. It can be explored in many ways -- growing, soft, harmonies, rhythmic intense or free -- and…

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Podroll: PETALS, Spotify or Atlassian? 2:21

3M ago2:21

2:21

This is a sample (bonus) episode of Si’s latest side project called PETALS. It’s a framework for helping teams continuously improve their health with quick and regular metrics to discuss. To demonstrate the power of PETALS and how to think about the five key factors, Si reflects daily on some tips and advice for other teams to hopefully benefit. Fo…

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143. Love Stays 15:10

3M ago15:10

15:10

Song: Love Stays Music by: Laszlo Slomovits Notes: When Lois Zimmerman, at age 96, moved to a care home, her friends threw her a life transition party (brilliant idea, no?!). They asked Gemini, Lois's favorite group, to come and share a transition song -- so Laszlo Slomovits wrote this song of the constancy of love through change. I'm singing thro…

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142. Roadblock 17:23

3M ago17:23

17:23

Song: Roadblock Music by: Debbie Nargi-Brown Notes: Debbie Nargi-Brown has written a powerhouse of a song, beloved by anyone who has gotten to sing it with her... it builds the energy to get up again, and again, no matter what the fall. Sometimes I need to temper this with the reminder to myself to be attentive to what I need as I'm getting up -- …

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141. Suis ton rêve 15:13

3M ago15:13

15:13

Song: Suis ton rêve Music by: Rafaele Carlier Notes: Rafaele and I struck up a friendship when we were both fortunate enough to spend a week exploring vocal improvisation together at Le Cercle Enchantée in the summer of '23. Now, Rafaele thinks of herself as a visual artist -- but listen to what came through her as she was freely exploring song a …

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140. The Feast with Guest Heidi Wilson 1:03:35

4M ago1:03:35

1:03:35

Song: The Feast Music by: Heidi Wilson Notes: A lively songwriter conversation about gratitude, helping, useful questions, tending a group, getting traction with things we're passionate about, collaboration, caves & crankies and so much more! Heidi shares The Feast -- a gratitude song that intermingles the elements and us, and we get a special gli…

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139. Bend and Rebound 13:26

4M ago13:26

13:26

Song: Bend and Rebound Music by: Heidi Wilson Notes: Heidi is an incredible resource for songs connected with the natural world -- and this one turns to willows, with their ability to give and spring, bend and rebound. Next week, Heidi and I get to talk about how she accesses her own rebound during winter and other times. We ponder the urge to hel…

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138. My Thoughts Make A Difference 14:56

4M ago14:56

14:56

Song: My Thoughts Make A Difference Music by: Chandler Yorkhall Notes: The energy and determination that this song funnels into me can be formidable. It steps from naming that our individual thoughts, feelings, words, and healing matters; next stop is a determination to pay attention to the struggle, because time is short; and then the question -- …

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137. Kick Up Your Heels 14:28

5M ago14:28

14:28

Notes: You know how sometimes happiness just bubbles up inside you and it feels like the world is unbelievably sweet? And then maybe, you get a little voice that says, "If you notice it, it's gonna disappear!" Or, "Don't be too happy, it attracts bad luck!" Or any other little fear message that says it's not okay to be purely happy for a moment? Th…

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136. Breathe Deep 19:29

5M ago19:29

19:29

Notes: I had an early morning voice as I was recording this, full of creaks and gaps -- and it shifts as it goes! I didn't rerecord, partly because, you know, time, and partly because I'm challenging myself to let recordings be human and real, and partly because A Breath of Song is all about turning up with the voices we have... so you're welcome! …

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135. What Would it Take with Guest Meg O'Dell Chittenden 1:19:36

5M ago1:19:36

1:19:36

Notes: Meg tells us where she goes "to integrate, to reorient around what matters most to me, and connect with the world around me and that sense of source within myself." We talk about "the good, the beautiful, and the true," and she doesn't shy away from the awkward questions I have about those words in today's world. Meg and her two children, Cl…

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134. Calling Us In 22:28

5M ago22:28

22:28

Notes: Even though I had a runny nose while recording, I practiced showing up with my voice where it is, feeling into the body, noticing the breath... it felt beautiful to be "calling us in," following Meg O'Dell's guidance "home to ourselves." I love the way this melody rocks and rolls through so many comforting words -- I come away with the sense…

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133. There Is Only Now 22:37

6M ago22:37

22:37

Notes: I love the way Steph Drouin's song reminds me to be right here, right now... which was useful during recording, as my voice is still recovering from a bad cold, and as I sing with it, right here, right now, it feels unpredictable! So I decided to play with range a little -- I teach the four parts of the song in the original key that Steph sh…

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132. Hold Fast the Hope 14:31

6M ago14:31

14:31

Notes: We play a little with the harmonies over and under this very singable melody Paulette wrote to set part of a letter written in 1675 by George Fox (it's been a minute!) He was writing during troubled times to a persecuted people. As I was recording, I kept wondering how it could feel to be both "sure and steadfast" and "float above"... the in…

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131.Be Here Now 14:12

6M ago14:12

14:12

Notes: I've been lucky to have Resa singing with me for the past ten years in various Juneberry Music offerings, and her warm, colorful voice always brings me pleasure to hear. So as I sing this song, it's as though I hear Resa's voice inside mine. There's something wonderful about selecting the voices that are allowed inside your head and the mess…

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130. Ride the Storm with guest Kate Valentine 1:24:57

7M ago1:24:57

1:24:57

Notes: Even though Kate wanted a resolution, the song insisted on being what it is -- a way to stay in the storm. She talks with me about how that felt, and what happened as she kept listening. We explore further -- how do you become a songleader when that's not how you view yourself? How do you write songs, when that feels scary-impossible? What i…

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129. Inner Peace 17:10

7M ago17:10

17:10

Notes: I love the way this song by Kate Valentine has both motion and deep stillness. It carries acceptance and conviction, and I simply love having it in my head. How did she do this??? Next week, in conversation with Kate, she tells how she wrote this specific song, as well as how she managed to convince herself to write music in the first place,…

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128. Prayer for Peace 18:23

7M ago18:23

18:23

Notes: Gitanjali Jain pours heartbreak, tension, anger, confusion all into this prayer for peace, which has some of the scrunchiest harmonies we've ever done on A Breath of Song. And although you could call these stacked harmonies, I decided to call them melodies -- because it's not clear to me that there's a single melodic voice -- to me it is the…

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127. Willing to Receive, Willing to Release 17:05

7M ago17:05

17:05

Notes: A generous song to let us both receive and release -- I deeply respect Lynn O'Brien's way of moving through the world. I love singing this song of hers so these words, this wisdom of taking and dropping, yes and no, can sift into my being and start to feel natural, like something I believe in my very core. Patty says, "I connected this song …

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126. Meditation 16:02

8M ago16:02

16:02

Notes: A vivid reminder of what it's like to drop into hyper-awareness of breath and body... combined with a song that makes me extra aware of breath flow (like, it runs out! 😊) Very satisfying combination. The harmonies also move in intriguing ways -- now close, now far, now drawing back together and intertwining. As often happens, I struggled a b…

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125. Dahil Mahal Kita with Guest Gérone Pascal 1:05:18

8M ago1:05:18

1:05:18

Notes: Gérone explores ways we can give ourselves our full hearts… with words and without words. How songs express and touch emotions, how questions can be a form of self care. Her partner is cooking in the background, so the recording is riddled with the crashes and bangs of everyday life, and our conversation is grounded in here and now. Recorded…

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124. Andito Ngayon 15:55

8M ago15:55

15:55

Notes: It's magic to sing a song of presence in a language unfamiliar to me -- this one from the Phillipines -- it magnifies the focus, the awareness. Also I experience great comfort singing this particular set of sounds. Songwriter Gérone Pascal talks next week about what is special about Tagalog, why song creating feels natural to her, and her #1…

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123. Arms of Love 14:56

9M ago14:56

14:56

Notes: Every time I sing one of Alexa Sunshine Rose's songs with a group, people immediately want to sing it again -- they simply feel that good. I give a little extra help picking out the harmonies that are on the recording of this that Alexa Sunshine Rose released (buying it on Bandcamp is a great way to support her artistry)... and then I play a…

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122. September Moon 21:37

9M ago21:37

21:37

Notes: Chandler Yorkhall has written one of my favorite full moon songs, as I rarely sleep well during a full moon! I am delighted to have gotten to record this with my daughter, Rebecca -- laughter ensues, and we ended up including an "outtakes", where we experiment with rounding the song much more closely than usual... just to see what happens (a…

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121. Make Good Trouble 17:16

9M ago17:16

17:16

Notes: John Lewis says bluntly, "Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part." Elizabeth gives us an equally blunt, strong song inspired by the life and words of John Lewis, reminding us to be unafraid to make the noise that needs to be made -- to stand up, and make good …

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120. Alchemy with Guest Te Martin 1:02:14

9M ago1:02:14

1:02:14

Notes: “I feel inside of myself something expanding when I sing," says Te. They've used song to metabolize experience for as long as they can remember... and as Te shares this song, we get to feel into their experience of trust. Alchemy could be a way of building gold out of fear; something beautiful is uncovered as Te sings and shares about learni…

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119. I Let Go 13:52

10M ago13:52

13:52

Notes: Te Martin describes this song as an exhale... I experience it like that, too... a relaxation, a release. It's so very welcome to me as I'm coming into a busy time of life, with lots of commitments lined up -- I need ways to let go quickly, in the middle of all the flurry. Having this song in my mind lets me do that... and if I happen to be w…

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118. Listen In 20:42

10M ago20:42

20:42

Notes: Trying something different here -- lots of space for you to experiment. Jennie Pearl's song was a technique to help her be more open to listening after she had hurt someone -- a way to change her own patterned response to what to do after realizing you've caused harm. I love this song for that chance to change a pattern by intensely listenin…

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117. September Round 19:05

10M ago19:05

19:05

Notes: Catherine Young, a poet deeply rooted in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, USA, gives us a wistful melody in the ancient Dorian mode -- a minor scale that has a beautiful, lifted sixth degree that gives it a particular flavor you'll come to know well by singing this with me. In the northern hemisphere, fall is upon us -- the equinox approac…

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116. Be Peace 14:35

10M ago14:35

14:35

Notes: This song by Deborah Leeds both challenges and relaxes me-- it has a little "go big or go home" energy -- "Be peace, bring light!" Doesn't feel to me like a small task in today's world! But then it has a sweet, relaxed lilt, and as I sing "this I am," there's a measure of acceptance -- I can only bring me, after all. Then there's an opening …

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115. Reciprocity with guest Pam Blevins Hinkle 59:37

11M ago59:37

59:37

Notes: Hands down favorite moment of this conversation? When I asked Pam a question that made her tense, and she started to sing to help herself through the challenging moment. Pam says she often has to say difficult things to people in power, and this was an example of how she uses improvised song to root and empower herself. We caught Pam at a tr…

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114. All Motion Is Love 14:49

11M ago14:49

14:49

Notes: After singing this song, I keep questioning myself, "What if this is true???" If all motion is love, Patricia, what does that look like, right now? If I follow love, what does that even mean? Do I know what love looks like? I'm so often in unthinking motion — what happens when that motion becomes love? Pam Blevins Hinkle is not messing aroun…

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113. Borrow Trouble with singer Seth Norton 17:07

11M ago17:07

17:07

Notes: Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the thought of death, I think I'm going to precipitate it by forgetting to breathe! And then somehow, something will help me back into the present, alive moment... and this song appeared just after one of those moments. I was absolutely delighted to record it with my son, Seth, who was visiting from Boston…

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112. Let Me Sing 14:45

12M ago14:45

14:45

Notes: A sweet short song like this brings me deep rewards -- the chance to drop into the joy, the preciousness, the abundance of simply being alive. For me to learn it, Jane sent me "a just rough off the looper" recording -- and it was so, so beautiful! Don't miss the links to Jane's recorded music -- her voice is like flavored butter -- smooth wi…

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111. Abundant Lughnasadh 14:52

12M ago14:52

14:52

Notes: Abundance, gratitude -- words that can be so annoying when you're feeling scarcity and lack -- I think part of the reason for traditional festivals was to smush us together with other people who were celebrating so that we can't help but feel a bit of a lift, a bit of a reminder that oh, yes, there is plenitude in the world, and food tastes …

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110. The Crow Calls with guest Maggie Wheeler 58:39

12M ago58:39

58:39

Notes: It's been two years since Maggie Wheeler and I last talked on A Breath of Song. No one doubts these times are difficult. Maggie and I get into the grit here... how do you stave off despair? How do you show up in love? How can we, collectively, change the energy? How do we soothe hearts and souls so we are sustained to do the work? Can we giv…

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109. This Is It 15:40

1y ago15:40

15:40

Notes: This is a prime example of how on this podcast, there's lots of space for YOUR voice! This Is It is a deeply grooved song by Maggie Wheeler, and I did a super simple bass line -- so you could make it more complex -- a light variety of percussion sounds -- so you can add more -- the melody in one voice, so you can make it richer and rounder a…

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108. Can I Stand Here For You? 16:50

1y ago16:50

16:50

Notes: Kate wrote "Can I Stand Here For You" after watching an Oprah show about two injured women Iraq veterans. Juanita Wilson (who had lost her hand) saw Tammy Duckworth come in (she had lost one hand and both feet). Juanita had committed herself to “standing for” any injured female veteran. She asked Tammy "Can I stand here for you?" Then she wa…

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Bonus: Settle Sweetness 22:12

1y ago22:12

22:12

Simply a single, very real human voice (no reverb, no special effects) helping find a cozy, safe space for when you wish to allow your body to rest and restore -- possibly even to sleep. I don't always find it easy to let go, release, float... and this whole episode is how I wish someone would talk to me, helping me transition. No ads, no loud soun…

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107. A Seal Upon Thy Heart 16:21

1y ago16:21

16:21

Notes: Ali Burns gives us a beautiful two-part song that can also be a round... it feels like very exposed singing to me, and there's a way in which committing to what feels vulnerable in my voice, both high and low, also feels powerful and affirming. The ancient words resonate with longing for connection beyond death with those whom we love... and…

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106. Don’t Numb to This 15:13

1y ago15:13

15:13

Notes: Singing this song settles me so deeply, reassuringly, into my body to be able to tolerate the discomfort of big feelings. When I was browsing for links about the Bengsons to share, the video, "My Joy is Heavy", drew my eye. I started it to see what it was about -- and couldn't stop watching. This podcast episode is about a fabulous song... a…

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