Welcome...
... to Notes from the Center for Belonging Folk School, our new Substack newsletter!
Hello to You, Community of Singers, Friends!
Even in this terribly hard time in our world, the autumn leaves still shine in this beauty, red, bronze, gold. How can we keep from singing?
Here’s a little update from the Center from Belonging, and below that are invitations to some upcoming events.
Recently I had the great pleasure and honor of going to the John C Campbell Folk School in North Carolina, the oldest folk school in the country at almost 100 years. I was invited there as part of a project through the Folk School Alliance, which seeks to introduce more community singing into American folk schools. This coming year I’ll be a guest artist at a number of folk schools, bringing songs to twine into the culture and also offering trainings for emerging songleaders. If there’s a folk school near you, let me know! I hope you can come and help raise up the songs in these places.
‘Community Singing’--what IS it anyway? I was asked to try to describe this living, evolving term, and gave it my best attempt. If you want to read it and see what you think, here it is. All comments welcome!
Earlier this month I was invited by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement to bring some singing to a forum they held on affordable housing in Dubuque, Iowa. You bet I said yes! I have so much respect for this organization, whose issues include racial justice, healthcare, farming and the environment, immigrant rights and dignity, climate justice, and more. Gosh, we’ve been waiting a long time for songs to be once again seen as an expected and respected part of community organizing! And goodness there are so many songs to serve such spaces. I group-sourced this list of possibilities which might be helpful for your community someday too.
Last week we hosted 7 students from Thoreau College in Viroqua for a campout, singing, and explorations around the topics of neighboring, connecting with elders, learning co-ops, making ritual, and solidarity economics. If you or anyone you know is of college-ish age, I highly recommend taking a look at their semester program or their summer program. It is truly schooling for life.
~ Liz Rog
Speaking of delicious topics, did you know that I’ve written a few chapbooks, also known as zines? ‘We are all Enough: One Mother’s Thoughts on Parenting’ is about exactly that, and ‘We Belong’ is a book of short writings about building community.
If you would like me to send you either or both, you can send $5-$15 each (pay as you’re able) to 1591 Manawa Trail, Decorah IA 52101, or use paypal here. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch about larger orders of my chapbooks, please email: centerforbelongingfolkschool@gmail.com.
Come Sing in Viroqua!
November 1st and 2nd, at The Driftless Folk School
I’ll have the pleasure of sharing songs with the singing people of SW Wisconsin at this, the first in a 5-part community singing series that’s bringing in songleaders from the Midwest for 2-day residencies during fall of this year and spring of next year. Stay tuned to the Driftless Folk School for announcements of the dates for Sarina Partridge, Annie Schlaefer and Linnea Champ, Lyndsey Scott, and Barbara McAfee!
Wednesday-Community Sing at the Ancestor Altar Youth Initiative High School with Driftless Folk School 6:30-8 (6 to socialize). November 1st, Tickets
Thursday-Community Sing/Old Main Building 321 East Decker St./ Hosted by Driftless Folk School 6:30-8 (6 to socialize). November 2nd, Tickets
This Series is sponsored by the Driftless Folk School, Youth Initiative High School, and Thoreau College. Come to any or all of these events.
A Weekend Retreat at Our Lady of the Prairie
November 3rd — 5th, in East Central Iowa
I’ll be leading this retreat and teaching simple songs for comfort, healing, and courage, and I'll offer some tools to help you bring them home in service to your community. Registration is open at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center in East Central Iowa for this cozy retreat on the prairie. The residential part of this event is now full, but commuters can still register.
Leading and Listening: A Weekend of Learning for Emerging Community Songleaders
January 27th — 28th, at The Driftless Folk School
We can learn to serve in brave, humble, and collaborative leadership. Here’s a place to begin, using the simple tools of song, conversation, slow-time, and good food. I have something to offer: how do I prepare myself to hold space? What practical and spiritual tools do I need? How can my leadership empower others? How do I listen well to the voices around me even as I am asking for their listening? When is it time to rest?
A Proclamation for Peace
Kim Stafford
Whereas the world is a house on fire;
Whereas the nations are filled with shouting;
Whereas hope seems small, sometimes
a single bird on a wire
left by migration behind.
Whereas kindness is seldom in the news
and peace an abstraction
while war is real;
Whereas words are all I have;
Whereas my life is short;
Whereas I am afraid;
Whereas I am free—despite all
fire and anger and fear;
Be it therefore resolved a song
shall be my calling—a song
not yet made shall be vocation
and peaceful words the work
of my remaining days.