Singing Dojos, Healing Carnivals
and the Sowing of Harmony
An Invitation
 
"I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success.  I am for those tiny, invisible, loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets or the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest monuments of pride." 
—William James
 
I, Craig Green, age 45, being as sound of mind and body as I might ever be, knowing that life is short and the world is perilous, do offer this songbook as a First Will and Testament. It’s also a call to Cultural Revolution. Sowing Seeds of Harmony is a Hymnal, Seed Bank, Tool Box and Pleasure Palace all rolled up in one. These rounds, chants, anthems and freedom songs are suitable for sowing vibrant harmony in schools and workplaces, at weddings, rallies, funerals and hootenannies. Whether or not I'm still alive when you read these words, these pages are a standing invitation to join in an ancient conspiracy that goes by many names. My friends and I call it the Healing Carnival. With a variety of means and media Healing Carnivals propagate cultures of contagious health and wisdom: Singing, juggling, drumming, gardening, cooking, making murals… These are some of my favorite disciplines to weave into a Healing Carnival.  A Healing Carnival is an aggregate of dojos. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First I’d better explain the songbook a little.   
 
This draft of Seeds of Harmony is a base camp, a trail blaze, a toe hold. With any luck, it will go through further revisions and expansions. I have deep faith in the Folk Process: the amending and recasting of songs (and traditions) over generations by a musical community. Many of these songs have been adapted to give them stronger harmonies or sharper relevance for our times. Some songs are included as sturdy foundations for future remodeling. The innovative musical notation used in this book (I call it Numerical Notation) is designed to raise the Folk Process to new heights. More about that in the next section: “The Magic of Numerical Notation”.
 
The Singing Dojo: A Cultural Incubator
 
Dojo is a term from Japanese martial arts. A dojo is the room—the gym—in which a martial art is practiced. A dojo is also a center for learning and a community of learners (e.g., “the Denver Aikido Dojo”). A great dojo is a blend of gymnasium, laboratory and church. I use the term “dojo” in a generic sense. Any community that practices a discipline towards the aim of human liberation is a dojo! In this sense one can speak of gardening dojos, archery dojos, publishing dojos, rock climbing dojos, juggling dojos, union organizing dojos….
 
A singing dojo raises spirits, builds community and cultivates character through song. There are many sorts of singing dojos in the world: choirs, Barbershop choruses, doo wop serenaders, church congregations…. Such dojos have long knitted communities together, nourishing faith and esprit de corps. 
 
Sowing Seeds of Harmony grows out of a grassroots approach to building singing dojos. For 25 years I’ve been a student and researcher in the art of growing dojos from the ground up. I’ve been on a quest to discover/create forms of convivial play that can be used to spark epidemics of love and courage. My research and education has been illuminating, inspiring, dismaying, bewildering, heart breaking and heart mending. Here’s the gist of the lessons I’ve learned and the ethics and strategies I’ve claimed.  
 
The Marriage of Vision and Practice
“We need to nurture the embryo of a vibrant and life-affirming society within the dying and death-driven husk of the obsolete existing order.”  -Mark Sommer
 
In younger days I passionately studied philosophies and radical visions of how to unlock our human potential. While many of these visions still warm my heart and guide my choices, I no longer have much appetite for philosophizing. I concur with Mark Sommer’s manifesto on “Global Village Gatherings”(quoted above). Sommer writes that what our times most call for is “not theory, rhetoric, ideology or critique but empirical experiments, demonstration lots at ground level, where the seeds meet the soil.”
 
Thus a lucid introduction to the Healing Carnival should include directions to the singing or juggling dojo that’s closest to your neighborhood. (If you live in the vicinity of Charlottesville, Va., I can! Drop me a line.) Short of that, this book needs an accompanying CD or DVD that conveys something of the vital pulse of a working dojo. A music CD that blends performance with instruction is in the works. For now we’ll have to make do here with a summary tour of the vision and ethics of the grassroots singing dojo. And while my creative passion is for the embodied life of the dojo, I still believe that few things are so practical as a good theory.
 
As a cultural activist I’ve come to see that my skill in the craft of invitation is pivotal to my success or failure in proliferating dojos. The world has become so noisy with come-ons, sales pitches and sermons. In such an environment, how do I skillfully make invitations to the beautiful, difficult play of the dojo? This craft of invitation offers a special challenge for me since I grew up as an outsider/misfit. I am averse to promoting or drawing attention to myself. My childhood motto was “leave me be,” more than “come join the adventure!” It’s been an uphill struggle becoming a founder of dojos, developing the confidence and resilience needed to sow heartfelt invitations day after day. But Eleanor Roosevelt spoke to my soul when she said: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Thankfully, a song is one of the most natural invitations one can make to the world.
 
A potent invitation to a dojo is concise yet vivid, provocative but not overbearing. A good invitation clearly lays out the costs, benefits and risks of participation. In addition, a skillful dojo invitation screens out players who aren’t ready or willing to adhere to the dojo’s ground rules.
 
Here’s a whirlwind tour of the essential vision of grassroots dojos and the Healing Carnival, along with some tips for aspiring dojo builders and carnival crafters. Hold onto your hats.
 
Cultivating Character: the Heart of the Dojo
 
2500 years ago Heraclitus observed: “Character is Destiny”. 100 years ago psychologist William James elaborated on Heraclitus:
 
“Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
 
I’ve long endeavored to cultivate this progression from my smallest actions to my/our ultimate destiny. I’ve studied and practiced diverse approaches to the nurturing of both individual and national character. The other day I was surfing the internet, researching the renowned Suzuki method of music education. On one web site I found this pithy statement:
 
Dr. Suzuki did not develop his method in order to produce professional musicians but to help children fulfill their capabilities as human beings. As he has said, “Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth, and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart.” (suzukistatecollege.org/mission.htm)
 
Similarly, Gaku Homma, founder of the Denver Aikido Dojo has said: “I believe that learning how to share, understand, help, trust, forgive, and learn from each other is the original educational ideal for the martial arts.”
 
What is the character of  a "Noble Human Being"?  Each culture has its own answer to that question. For this context I'll define a Noble Human Being as a person brimming with generosity, creativity, courage and compassion.  A noble human being has clear priorities and can stay true to them even in difficult circumstances (with a little help from our friends….) 
 
Is this description too lofty? Each individual has their own way of living nobly. To my mind, some exemplary noble human beings include: Pete Seeger, Ursula LeGuin, Nelson Mandela, Joanna Macy, Gary Snyder, Carl Sagan, Michael Franti, my neighbors Dan and Karen Kartheiser…
 
In his essay "To Be Able", Bo Lozoff (founder of the Human Kindness Foundation) gives a down-to-earth description of a Noble Human Being:
 
[In one of his discourses] the Buddha listed fifteen qualities which are essential for a good life. At the very top of the list is "To Be Able." To be a capable person, to have a variety of skills that come in handy, give us self-respect, and which provide various honorable ways to make a living. The Jewish culture has a well-known word for such a person: Mensch. A mensch is someone whom you can loan your car to without worrying about it; someone who can figure out how to get the crumbly piece of toast out of the toaster without electrocuting anybody; someone whom you would like to work with, or have next to you in a fire, or a stuck elevator, or an earthquake or hurricane.
 
What does it take to be able, to be a mensch? It seems to me that it takes three things which should be the framework of any educational system or model of child raising:
-Learning the classic spiritual and moral values which are common to any civilization— mercy, kindness, justice, courage, etc.
 
-Learning practical skills relevant to the basics—food, shelter, warmth, health. Such self-reliance is the core of self-respect and common sense.
 
-Developing self-discipline and adaptability so one doesn’t fall apart in hard times. Not needing to be pampered. Not being so touchy or needy.
 
Every society has dojos for cultivating Noble Human Beings: athletic leagues, religious orders, boots camps, schools…. I differ with many of the aims and methods of our predominant dojos. They can be ineffectual or harmful, even on their own terms. While I respect and learn from established dojos (in both their success and failure) I perceive that the human family is suffering a dangerous shortage of highly effective, user-friendly, planet- friendly dojos.
 
Since dojos are the primary shapers of a society’s character, we could say: our dojos determine our destiny. The world is crying out for a transformation of character: from greed, fear and competition to generosity, courage and collaboration. We need dojos that support/provoke us towards realizing that shift. Insuring that such dojos are available to all is actually a simple matter of public health. We are called to undertake a grassroots “Manhattan Project” of dojo building. In this sense, think of the Healing Carnival as a multi-disciplinary r and d project. Our goal is to master the art and science of propagating dojos that function as wisdom incubators. In my own dojo building research, I've gained precious insight through my practice with choirs, Buddhist sanghas, Sufi caravans, African marimba ensembles, communes and juggling troupes. My education gained from these traditions inform the theory and practice of the singing dojo.
 
Dojo Ethics/Aesthetics
Ethics and Aesthetics are one and the same.  —Ludwig Wittgenstein
I agree with Ludwig and use the two terms interchangeably here. Each person’s choices and priorities in life are shaped by their aesthetics/ethics. What are your priorities in life, day by day, moment by moment? How do you seek to realize and enjoy the Good, the True, the Beautiful and the Worthwhile in your life? Your answers will reflect your ethics/aesthetics. Alan Watts wisely observed: All questions of religion and ethics are really questions as to what are optimal game rules. A coherent culture is made up of people “playing” their lives by a common aesthetic. (Michael Ventura: “By a culture I mean a living web of thought that contains, rather than is contained by the particulars of the environment.”)
Every dojo has both an outer and inner aspect, a What and a How: What you do and How you do it. The What—the outward form of a discipline—is most obvious, but it’s the more subtle How—the ethic and spirit—that determines a dojo's true character.
 
Here are some foundation principles that guide my dojo building experiments. (This is only a sketch of the dojo builder’s craft. For more in-depth writing, please check out the essays and articles on my website: twinoaks.org/carnival.)
 
Simple in Means, Rich in Ends
An accessible and widely useful Dojo practice needs to be simple in means, rich in ends. The world’s most enduring dojo forms have all embodied this principle: Buddhist meditation, tai chi, gymnastics, juggling, Gregorian chant, Hatha Yoga… By cultivating awareness, strength and finesse thru the cultivation simple activities, these dojos can nourish well being, and ripen character. A dojo form that’s simple in means, rich in ends can be practiced in solitude or with a troupe, in a castle or a slum. 
 
Of course, simple does not mean easy. Cultivating one’s higher potential thru simple means can seem too demanding when compared to the widely marketed games of high stimulation and easy gratification. A dojo’s membership gives mutual aid in traveling the sweet and difficult path of self-mastery.
 
Singing is quintessentially simple in means, rich in ends: We all are born singers. We sing before we talk! (If you doubt this is true, spend some time with a toddler.) Shivon Robinsong, founder of the Gettin’ Higher Choir in Vancouver B.C. writes: Traditional cultures have always known that group singing has a power unlike any other to bind people together. The ability to join in this essential communal activity is recognized as the birthright of every member of the community. In today’s North American society, however, music has become largely commercially oriented toward performance by the few for the many. Thus, the deeper promise of music for all has been forgotten.
 
In our media saturated world, we have largely lost our voices. Music has become a fashion statement more than a soulful discipline. Grassroots singing dojos re-ignite the joy and connection that comes when we raise voices together in song.
 
A form that is simple in means and rich in ends encourages participation by any and all. You can practice such a form in diverse circumstances: classrooms, prisons, barrios, picket lines, monasteries, parks, TV Studios… Start where you are!
 
Sow Good Flow
We all love our "flow" experiences: times when we are whole-heartedly joined with the current of life. When we’re “in the flow”, the shackles of anxiety, boredom, and self-preoccupation drop away. We become one with what we’re doing, be it making love, playing checkers, or watching a movie. These are our moments of greatest aliveness and engagement with the world. People find flow in diverse ways: thru the arts, sports, craft, work, thru games and dramas, conversation… (The role of flow in shaping both our daily lives and the course of history is brilliantly illuminated by Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi in his book The Evolving Self.)  We hunger for flow like we hunger for food. As with food, we can satisfy that appetite in healthy or unhealthy ways. While flow  “feels good”, it is an amoral force, like fire or electricity. There is a flow to house burglary, and a flow to cutting down rain forests. Becoming a Noble Human Being is a matter of generating and directing your inherent talents into a flow that benefits all beings! A Buddhist Bodhisattva prayer evokes this endeavor:
 
May I be the doctor and the medicine. And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world until Everyone is healed.
 
May a rain of food and drink descend to clear away the pain of thirst and hunger
And during the eon of famine may I myself change into food and drink
 
May I become an inexhaustible treasure for those who are poor and destitute
May I turn into all things they could need and may these be placed close beside them.
 -Shantideva
 
The dojo can offer precious encouragement and instruction in this practice of flowing towards a world that works for everyone. A dojo cannot “give” anyone a Noble Character. Rather: the dojo is a gymnasium for body, heart and mind.  A Healing Carnival is an interplay of dojos: music dojos, circus dojos, kitchen dojos, garden dojos, improv theatre dojos, martial arts dojos….

Commit
Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the choice to draw back, always ineffectiveness.. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred…. I have learned a great respect for one of Goethe's couplets:  "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”  --W.H. Murray  The Scottish Himalayan Expedition  
 
A dojo thrives when all members are committed to a common What and How. (“Commitment?,” you think. “OK, here’s the catch...”) There are many seasons of commitment. Sometimes to fully commit to a practice, we need to set aside objections and doubts, immersing ourselves in the practice. This is playing “the believing game”.(It’s easy enough to discern whether a dojo is worthy of your belief. Observe the teachers and senior practitioners. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”) Other times commitment entails speaking out and critiquing a dojo’s culture. If you’re entering an established dojo, it’s sensible to give its culture a wholehearted trial period of a few months or years before you wholeheartedly critique! When creating a dojo from scratch with friends, walk a mile in each other’s visions and practices before assessing them.
 
The world needs a diversity of vibrant dojos. Different strokes for different folks! We each need to find/create/adapt the dojo that excites and nourishes our deepest gifts and aesthetics. When we attain that ethical consensus, our roots dive deep and our branches rise high.
 
It’s not necessary to make a lifetime commitment to a dojo (though this is wonderful when possible!). Commitment means: when you’re in the dojo, you’re 100% there!
 
What Goes Around Comes Around :  Enlightened Self Interest.
"We work on ourselves in order to help others. And we help others as a vehicle for working on ourselves."
-Ram Dass
In order to ripen my gifts, I need to aid you in realizing your full gifts. The better passes I give to my juggling partner, the better her passes are to me. To manifest the magic of vocal harmony I need to practice with other capable singers. Thus, a healthy Dojo is generous in passing its tools and insights on to others, assuring that the pool of co-conspirators will be plentiful and diverse. And whether or not you belong to a dojo, bear in mind that in today’s world there’s no longer such a thing as minding your own business. As Dr. King observed: We are tied in a single garment of destiny.
 
Be Catchy
The grassroots singing dojo aims to proliferate an epidemic of harmonious communities. To do so it needs to be catchy, to manifest a delicious and wholesome aroma that draws hungry hearts towards it.  Optimally, participants leave the dojo happily singing and dancing Whats and Hows that they can pass on to friends and neighbors. The songs included here are among the most catchy and inspiring that I've discovered in many years of song gathering. They are musical jewels and sonic mangos. Pass them on!
 
Let Every Voice Be Heard, Each in its Own Way.
An optimal dojo balances group coherence with individual expression. In this spirit, try this singing experiment: arrange a group of singers into two lines facing each other (Line A and Line B), just a couple feet apart, (similar to a contra dance line).  With guitar accompaniment sing a simple, playful round together, like this rewrite I did on “Frere Jacques” (the Notational System is explained later in the book):
 
(Line A will start the round, with B following two measures behind. Include guitar or piano accompaniment if possible. )
 
1           2            3      1   /  1          2            3      1       /  3       4   5—     /  3      4     5—   /
You      can’t    catch me.   You    can’t      catch me. * Catch  me now!   Catch me  now!*
 
-5    -6  -5   -4    3      1    / -5    -6  -5   -4    3      1     /   1        5   1—   / 1         5    1—  /
Here I come to catch you! Here I come to catch you! *Catch you now!  Catch you now!*
 
After a few rounds, each singer can play with different ways of singing the song. One singer might stay with one segment: “Here I come to catch you…”, cascading over and over, playing with variations of phrasing for a while and then moving on in the song. One voice might start scatting the melody. Another makes up a walking bass line. Some singers might take turns singing phrases is a call and response fashion. Yet another may stop singing for a while and wholeheartedly listen to the overall sound. This exercise could last for a minute or an hour. Give time afterwards for the group to evaluate the experience.
 
Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi writes: The ideal social unit is a group small enough to allow intense face to face interaction, one in which members participate voluntarily, and in which each person can contribute to a common goal by doing what he or she does best. What great elements to build into a healthy dojo!
 
Cultivate the interplay of unity and diversity in all aspects of dojo life!
 
Maintain Boundaries/Limits
A healthy dojo realizes it cannot sing every song or right every wrong. It defines and sustains its size and focus for maximum creativity and healing. Things flow best in a dojo when new participants are oriented to these parameters at the outset. This clarity of form is necessary to sustain whole-hearted participation.
 
Maintaining healthy boundaries is a balancing act. Boundaries can drift or veer into various extremes: overly rigid or too slack, too dogmatic or too wishy-washy. The optimal balance between polarities is always evolving. The key is stay connected with our priorities. “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Remembering this, we can make the necessary course corrections along the way.
 
Be Inclusive  and Accessible
The ethic of including complements the ethic of maintaining boundaries. A grassroots dojo is an equal opportunity dojo. Anyone who can agree to uphold the ethics and practices of the dojo is given the opportunity to participate. You don't have to be a strong singer to be a member of a great singing dojo. You do need to intend to be a strong singer! If that motivation is shared among all participants, the dojo flourishes. (From the Suzuki web site again: Dr. Suzuki referred to his approach as the 'Mother Tongue' method, patterning musical training after the way a child learns a language…A child learns to speak in an environment which exhibits full confidence in his/her potential to acquire language. Every child can learn, and the rate of development depends upon creating an environment of full commitment and confidence in his/her development.)
 
A grassroots dojo has no steep admission fees or exclusive campus. Everyone needs to pay their dues, but no one is turned away for lack of a specific currency. For example, in our juggling dojo, a new member needs to acquire a set of our custom made juggling bags. We sell them 3 for $10. Not too costly, but still, some folks, especially kids, can’t easily part with $10. They are given the option of earning their 3 bags by teaching 3 people to juggle in the next month! Members can also contribute their dues by doing juggle bag production in our community based “no-sweat shop”!
 
Accessibility is another dimension of the “Simple in Means, Rich in Ends” ethic.  To practice Tai Chi (for instance) all one needs is a body, a bit of space and time, guidance and perseverance! The same is true with singing. Trapeze or skydiving, in contrast, may serve as transforming dojos for a few, but they are inaccessible for most of us due to the specialized equipment and financial expense they involve.
 
For further envisioning of the structure of an inclusive Carnival/Dojo, read Mark Sommer’s essay: “Global Village Gatherings” on page 167 of this book.
 
Go Forth Unto the World
The place where God calls you is the place where the world's deepest hunger and your greatest gladness meet.  Without both, you fail.     - Frederick Buechner 
 
The ethic of including implies an ethic of growth and dissemination. An effective dojo is able to multiply itself. Each offspring dojo adapts to a new context while remaining true to a core vision (if all goes well…). Go forth and meet the world on its turf, sing your heart’s song in the town square, extend a caring hand and voice to those lost and mesmerized in the maze of Babylon. This is an essential test and tempering of character. Public practice keeps a dojo robust, and dispels insular tendencies. When a dojo “goes public”, it is able to join with other dojos to precipitate a full blown Healing Carnival.
 
Make Beautiful Discord
Harmony is richest when it includes dissonance. The dance between tension and resolution makes for beautiful music! As we practice singing and living in harmony we learn to make room in our ears and hearts for accidental discord and unexpected beauty. Some cultures develop a strong aversion to dissonance and conflict, choosing a stifling “non-disharmony” over the risk and clash that comes with exploration. To my ears, even voluptuous harmony becomes dull without the contrast and spice of dissonance. Open discord in relationships can help us grow into greater harmony. And remember this fact: You can’t have conflict resolution without conflict!
 
Shared Leadership/Followership Training.
In a potent grassroots dojo, every member develops the skills and character needed to foster new dojos. The disciplines of Peer Mentoring and Co-coaching empower a "people's dojo" to nurture leaders, even if a "natural" leader is not present at the outset! Friends of mine are developing a course that teaches the art of “co-empowerment”! That handy coinage names a key practice in the craft of grassroots dojo propagation.
 
While the importance of effective leadership is widely trumpeted in today’s world, there is also a craft of “followership”: offering encouragement and constructive feedback to our comrades who step up to the challenge of leadership. Pithy insights into grassroots leadership/followership are illuminated in Angeles Arrien’s short and pithy essay “Lessons from Geese”. I’ve reprinted in  the resources section of this book.
 
The Healing Carnival Revolution:
Sowing New Ways of Making Love
Let's meet at the confluence where you flow into me and one breath swirls between our lungs. -Drew Dellinger
 
So yes, I am devoted to an outlandish idea: a cultural revolution can be effected by ordinary people learning to have a blast singing in harmony, juggling, drumming, and dancing in harmony…gardening, cooking and eating in harmony...  Thus can we navigate the Great Turning.
 
One morning a few years ago, my wife Cleo and I were practicing our juggling routine on the open air mall in downtown Charlottesville. We were dancing through our choreography of passing patterns synchronized to music. We weren’t performing, we were warming up for a workshop we would be offering that day at the annual Vegetarian Festival. When we finished the routine, with our juggling bags scattered in disarray on the ground, we hugged and laughed. An on-looking woman exclaimed: “That’s like a new way of making love!”
 
By proliferating new ways of making love, the Healing Carnival is playing towards a world that works for everyone. Join us in this essential adventure, and let us know about your dojos.
 
We are just now beginning to learn how to bring large numbers of people together to strengthen their sense of self-worth and their confidence in their capacity to influence events, and at the same time to give them a tangible sense of connection with one another as coequal creators of a common future.  Mark Sommer “Global Village Gatherings”
 
"The most important thing is to get together ... It's this word ‘share’ I keep coming back to in my concerts all the time; I think it's more important than `love'  Love has been so misused and so misunderstood—but 'share' is a much more simple and direct word… And right now it's very easy to point out to anybody that the resources of the world are not being shared… I have the feeling that music is able to do something that prose and pictures haven't been able to do." -Pete Seeger
 
 
Sowing Your Seeds of Harmony
—Some Cultivation Tips
Here are some more specific suggestions to play with as you sing with friends and fellow travelers:
 
Lead by Modeling. Set the tone by singing and teaching in a way that embodies the heart of the dojo. It’s more important to be authentic and whole-hearted than technically perfect. Start with songs that are both accessible and compelling: “This Little Light of Mine”, “Down by the Riverside”,  “We Will Rock You”…
 
Share songs with Conviction. Steep yourself in the songs you want to propagate. Be confident of the key and tempo you want to share the song in. Know harmony lines by heart, etc. “A song has to become a part of you. It’s something in you that you’ll have for the rest of your life.” --Martha Reeves
 
Cultivate Beginner’s Mind. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki. There are countless ways to breathe life into each song in this songbook. If you have a negative association with a song that someone else is eager to sing, imagine yourself as a musicologist from Mars, eager to apprehend the sacred spark that burns within each song. Free yourself from the shackles of your opinions and reactions! In Worship in Song, a Quaker Hymnal, the editors wisely suggest: “If you are troubled by some text [i.e. lyrics], ask yourself how each of these songs might meet a spiritual need of another person in your meeting, thus enriching the meeting community as a whole.”
 
Blend. In choral singing, “blend” describes the wonderful quality of voices joining in seamless harmony. Developing a strong vocal blend takes a lot of practice and humility. Can we each listen intently to the sound of the whole as we’re each singing our own part? To develop vocal blend, it’s often helpful to reduce our own volume to more clearly hear other voices. Stand as closely as possible to your fellow singers for optimal learning.
 
Beyond the craft of vocal blending, there are many other blends to attain in a fruitful singing dojo. Blending visions, blending personalities, blending gifts and resources… These are essential life skills.
 
Beware of Songbooks! Songbooks like this one or Rise Up Singing are great teaching/learning resources. However, in a singing dojo, songbooks can be a distraction to the group’s focus, feeding a “channel surfing” mentality. I’ve been in song circles where folks page thru songbooks looking for the “next” song while the “last” song is still being sung. Of course, songbooks can facilitate the learning and remembering of songs. Here’s a compromise: when I convene a Singing Dojo, I’ll often print up song sheets with a focused array of suitable songs. This minimizes browsing!
 
There’s another pitfall to printed music and lyrics: singers tend to lock their attention onto the paper. This can undercut awareness of the overall sound and interaction of the group. Encourage folks to set aside sheet music as soon as possible. One last tactic: teach all the songs in a session by ear, and then pass out song sheets at the end!
 
Study the Craft of Round Singing  Seeds of Harmony began as a collection of rounds. Though the scope of this book has expanded beyond that form, rounds still strikes me as the quintessential seeds of Harmony. They are the most potent way to introduce new singers to the magic of vocal harmony and blend. Joanne Hammil is one of the preeminent composer and propagators of the round form. She gives great suggestions for facilitating round singing in the foreword to her Rounds & Partner Songs. Joanne has  generously put the entire forward on her web site: www.joannehammil.com/forward.html. 
 
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
The songbook is not for sale, due to copyright restrictions.  I am sharing it with you for purposes of education and critical review. I offer a deep bow of gratitude to the myriad songwriters, known and unknown, whose work is featured here. I am working to track down composers and owners of the songs herein and seeking permission to reprint their works in a “Legal” edition of this songbook. For now, thanks to John Krumm, Bob Lucas, Joanne Hammil, Marilyn Scott Powers, Tim Hartnett, Jayd, Becky Reardon, Patricia McKernon, Kate Munger, Sue Ribaudo and Nancy Rose Meeker for kindly granting permission to include their works. Also thanks to Mark Sommer for letting me reprint “Global Village Gatherings.” Please contact me if any omissions or misappropriations have been made.
 
Thanks to Melissa Luce for the artwork on the cover. Thanks to the extended family of singers too numerous to mention here who’ve shared songs and explored harmonies with me. A big thanks to my wife Cleo and son Adrian for their patience and support as I’ve cobbled these pages together over many moons.
 
It's been said to writers: If you steal from one person, it's plagiarism; if you steal from 10 it’s scholarship; and if you steal from 100 it's original research. May this original research prove useful to present and future sowers of Harmony! If these words and songs galvanize, stimulate and/or provoke you, please dig into the larger body of reflections on my web site.


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