higher ground

Friday Five

February 10, 2012 by Melodye Shore

1. Some of my favorite childhood memories come of front-porch conversations and church potlucks, where quiet conversations turned to songfests. Not the auto-tuned, polished and synthesized music you hear today. No, I'm talkin' about that old-time, raise-the-roof, glory-hallelujah gospel singing! Like this, minus any whiff of commercialism:

It's memories like this inspired me to rename this blog Joyful Noise. It's also why I'm taking voice lessons. Slowly but surely, I'm learning to make my own kind of music (thank you, Mama Cass); to sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops, ala Walt Whitman; to embrace the polished and imperfect, equally. Joyfully. And blessed be, all this noise-making is finding its way into WITNESS.

2. Writing (life itself) is all about singing from your heart, isn't it? It's about choosing fresh over stagnant, about translating the tried-and-true into something original. That's the premise of the movie, JOYFUL NOISE, which I saw last weekend with a friend. Even if you're not of a mind to watch the whole movie, I highly recommend this clip (Higher Ground, via YouTube). It's an uplifting medley of contemporary songs*, remastered with gospel stylin's. * "Higher" (Sly & The Family Stone), "Yeah" (Usher), "Forever" (Chris Brown), and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Stevie Wonder).

3. Thich Nhat Han once said, "If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today." I suspect this is why our ears perk and our hearts beat faster, whenever we hear the opening strains to certain songs. For me, it's gospel choruses and spirituals. They reach the very depths of my soul. Old becomes new, and personally meaningful. (Oh my gracious, when Queen Latifah sang Fix Me Jesus, I was wringing tears from my shirt sleeve!)

4 and 5. I want to tell you about SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY, which we also saw last weekend. But I need to declutter the house for a special weekend guest, so I think I'll save that story for next time. I'll leave you instead with these harbingers of spring, joyful noises in their own right.

Climbing again to higher ground

July 5, 2011 by Melodye Shore

Good morning, everyone! I’m so, so glad to be here again! Once again, I must ask your indulgence: My blogging legs are kind of wobbly, and I’m trying to gain traction again with WITNESS. I’m feeling a bit awkward after so much time away from both, so I’ll appreciate any insights or suggestions you’re wiling to offer.

It’s been a frazzling few weeks, I won’t lie. But as with Felix and his Magic Bag of Tricks, I’ve collected a handful of routines that help keep me relatively sane. First, my fitness plan. I’ve made it to the gym several times a week, and I’ve enjoyed an occasional yoga classes, plus horseback riding lessons. FUN! I’m also feeding myself well. It’s no secret that I’m not superwoman. This stuff comes easier for some. But when I falter, I pick myself up and try again. No judgment, just a compassionate reminder to myself that good nutrition (along with regular exercise) helps fuel everything else.

Equally important (at least for me): I’ve not let go of my voice lessons. They helped me stay centered –mind, body, and spirit–even when situations (and people) throw me off-kilter. Again and again, I’m reminded of the power that comes of using one’s voice….the inward strength (peace!) that comes of making a joyful noise, even when the world filled with cacaphonous, ear-splitting noises.

I’ll let Stevie Wonder play me off the LJ stage today, with a soulful rendition of HIGHER GROUND…the song I’m working on now. It harkens me back to Thomas Whitfield’s HIGHER GROUND, a prayerful hymn I loved singing as a child. Then, as now, it lifts my spirits.