A Dream Set Free 

Saturday Evening

Thank you for letting me share this wonderful experience with you!

I hope you enjoyed this series about songwriting.

Now for the performance!

It was Saturday, at twilight, at Taproot, I couldn't ask for a better place or audience of friends.

Looking out at everyone's faces was the best. I am so glad that I can finally look out and see love instead of fear.

For so many years, I used to stand in front of audiences so scared of what they where thinking about me.

It was so hard to look out at people and not be scared, scared that I would make mistakes, or look bad, or get upset with how they were reacting to my most vulnerable self.

I am super sensitive, I was that little girl who was always way too shy to speak. It was painfully hard for me to talk to people, even as a teen.

So for me to be able to finally stand in front of an audience and share my music that lives in me and in the heart of my friends, was just so transforming.

To be...

A Dream Set Free 

Saturday Afternoon

Let your dreams become reality!

On this day, August 8, I witnessed a dream of mine, set free ~ writing a song with friends.

I was surrounded by love, beauty, freedom, friends, as time stood still long enough to write this song.

We hope you enjoy it!

Here is the moment we completed the song and we captured our practice performance.

The plan was to sing it for everyone that evening at the Saturday Night Sharing.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Check out Part 5 Now

A Dream Set Free 

The Essence of Taproot

 Part 1 was brainstorming and coming up with verse 1

Part 2 was coming up with verse 2 the next day out in nature

This is Part 3 the essence of Taproot Teacher Training

[Me, Jodie Mesler and Jean Miller]

In this blog post, I want give you a feel of A Dream Set Free, which is a very important part of songwriting. What is the collective feeling of this time together?

[Our small group, moms with kids 1st-3rd grade]

Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education, states,

"We look at a painting and see beauty, with music we become beauty...

in the sculptural and pictorial realm we look at beauty, and we live it;

in the musical realm we ourselves become beauty...but in music humans themselves are the creators.

What they create does not come from what is already there, but lays the foundation and firm ground for what is to arise in the future."

The songwriting vision I had before I got to Taproot was...

A Dream Set Free

Part 2 of my songwriting experience at this year's Taproot Teacher Training, hosted by Jean Miller and Barbara Dewey.

Saturday morning, August, 6, I sat under a tree as I witnessed God Manifested beauty.

In front of me was 

a beautiful lake,

with a vacant canoe,

beside me was rolling grassy hills,

and above me where blue skies with white puffy clouds.

I took in the sounds all around me, the buzzes and hums of summertime.

The warm wind gently blowing in my hair.

The peace.

The oneness.

The calm.

The love.

I sat with my guitar and just played with no singing, taking in this feeling.

Planting this feeling in the song.

Finally, when the time was right, I tried out our lyrics from yesterday.

"A dream is just a simple thing,

It starts as a seed.

A wish deep within your heart,

That longs to be freed. 

Planted deep, and still asleep,

Don't hold it in, let it out." 

Then, new lyrics for verse 2 came to me as I rested in this...

A Dream Set Free

Check out this clip that I caught on my Voice Memos App on my iPhone and some video footage of the campground.

How many times have you had your dream set free? Here is one of my dreams being set free and I want to share it with you.

A Dream Set Free is a beautiful new song written by me and my friends at the 16th annual Taproot Teacher Training, hosted by Jean Miller, of Art of Homeschooling and Barbara Dewey of Waldorf Without Walls.

Over 30 amazing friends came together for this training and retreat from all over the USA to Camp Asbury in Ohio. These incredible parents and teachers are changing the world on breath of love at a time. 

It was an inward and outward, playful and collaborative project that was so amazing!

Guess who was in this session?

Amber Hellewell of Hearth Magic and published author of the new book, A Summer's Call: A Michigan Day.

What a great start to our session, having her with us.

In the water with my mermaid friends

...

A DAY IN THE LIFE

I just want to continue to encourage you to continue to pour creativity and arts into your children. I am amazed at the rewards that continue to happen now that my children are growing up.

I want to share one of the best days of my life.

My biggest dream came true~ playing in a family band, just this past Saturday.

All the years of raising my kids and teaching music lessons, I find myself standing beside my husband, 17-year old daughter, Bella, and my brother and we are performing for all her friends and our family.

It is so fun to dream and then watch the dream unfold in front of your eyes.

Bella played her flute, played her bass guitar, her electric guitar and she sang with us.

We have been practicing our songs for the past year every Friday night at my brother's house, and we finally performed for everyone in his backyard on this beautiful March day for Bella's 17th birthday.

If you are a student of mine, or you are enrolled in any of my...

Do you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day like we do?

We have enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day ever since our first son was born on March 16, 2001.

Turning 21, is quite a milestone, so I asked him if he wanted to go to an Irish Pub for his birthday, he said that would be awful!

Instead of going to a bar, he asked us all to go to Pine Mountain and go hiking with him. I guess all those daily walks during our homeschool days paid off, even in the cold, icy, and wet days.

When my kids were little, we always celebrated by wearing green, hunting for 4-leafed clovers, and making a festive snack. 

Here is Bella when she was in 3rd grade.

Wanna do this with your family? Just take a piece of bread, spread some peanut butter on it, then take a banana and cut 4 coin slices. Now stick the bananas on the bread to make a 4 leaf clover, then sprinkle with green sugar. Repeat ever year, lol! 

What are you and your kids doing for this festive green week? I would love to hear...