175. One Foot/Lead with Love with guest Melanie DeMore

Song: One Foot/Lead with Love Music by: Melanie DeMore Notes: Melanie DeMore both entrances and intimidates people -- she is direct, funny, a fabulous story-teller, and fierce and broad in her love. I have to apologize to listeners for the sound quality of this interview -- we had some microphone glitches on both sides that means despite the best sound studio wizardry I could come up with, there's some distortion, and it's not the usual quality of sound. But the quality of content -- where it counts -- is top-notch. Melanie shares One Foot/Lead with Love, including the story of what sparked its creation. She talks about her family, and how the wisdom and experiences of her parents shaped the way she approaches people who hold different world views. We talk about coyotes, kids, accolades, how she takes care of herself on tour as a "4-star, card-carrying introvert". She sends us out with a charge: “Here’s what you need to do, people out there: keep your head up. Keep your heart wide open. Remember to breathe, and keep doing the work. Sing on.”   Songwriter Info: Melanie DeMore is a 3 time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks and will be touring with the company to South Africa. She is a charter member of Threshold Choir founded by Kate Munger, a mentor to the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: "A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you."   Sharing Info: The song is free to share in oral tradition groups, but please contact Melanie for recording and/or performing permission.   Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:56 Start time of reprise: 01:12:05   Links: Lady of Peace – written by Melanie for her mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Clq6DHpNA  Threshold Choir: https://thresholdchoir.org/  Children’s Music Network: https://childrensmusic.org/  Bessie Jones: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BUnRZrkCS0NoTiXefkW6U  Ella Jenkins: https://ellajenkins.com/  Oakland Youth Chorus: https://www.oigc.org/oyc  Obeah Opera (South African/Toronto) – about Tituba: https://obeahopera.com/  All One Tribe collective album: https://open.spotify.com/album/1EEVSonqRIjEB0DapNIRs8  Melanie's GoFundMe for a home in Taos, NM: https://gofund.me/6be198cb  Taos pueblo – Tewa people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewa  Bebe & Cece Winans – gospel singers: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WNUkxJcJeliFx9KXWXMgs  John Lewis: https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/rep-john-lewis/  Margaret Nes - visual artist: https://www.ventanafineart.com/margaret-nes  Something Moving by Mary Watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RTzI4-j64  Whirimako Black: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dzCFvKwiJQ4w9ViwLzs49  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.demore/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butchyg3/  Melanie's email: melaniedemore(at)earthlink.net   Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, call & echo, chorus & verse, 3-part harmony on chorus   Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share   Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html