Song of the Soul

Stuart Stotts  is a powerful singer/songwriter, storyteller, & writer. Although he's made a living for around 30 years focusing mostly on youth & schools, many of his most popular and requested songs are targeted at grown-up audiences. Present for the founding of the  Children's Music Network , Stuart also played for a stretch as part of the social change rock group,  Tongue...

David Van Dyke  is deeply passionate about the music he writes & plays, even more so than the science he teaches to middle school students. Obsessive about chord progressions, authors, and Evel Knievel, his songs reverberate with the rich & varied inputs of his passions. David sometimes performs solo, sometimes with his father as  The Backsliders , and sometimes with the full ban...

A retrospective of many, but not all, of the Minnesota-based Song of the Soul guests of 2018. There's gospel, folk/Americana, country, blues, rock, and more from:  Mother Banjo (Ellen Stanley) ,  Sarah Morris ,  Charlie Parr ,  Annie Fitzgerald ,  Braden Canfield ,  Joyann Parker ,  Kristin Lems . Click on the date to listen to the full interview.

For great folk music north-of-the-border,  Dawud Wharnsby  is the one. Homeboy of Kitchener, Ontario, with roots also in Syria and Pakistan, Dawud weaves nature, vulnerability, faith, truth, and universality into song, integrally linked to the Islamic path he walks. Occasionally he performs as part of the  Abraham Jam , a Jewish-Christian-Muslim collaboration trio.

Laura Joy  won the Songwriter Contest at the  Great River Folk Fest 2017 , and it's no mystery why. The young Phoenix-to-Chicago transplant has talent far beyond her actual miles. And what's more, "Laura Joy has been known to quell dark, angry bars full of ornery old Irishmen".

Barb Tilsen  became a devotee of folk music in the early '60s, and has spent a life mixing music, activism, and enrichment of children. Her circles of music & work have included the  People's Music Network , the Midwest People's Music Network, and the  Children's Music Network (CMN) -  watch the video of Let The World Be Well  - and she was the founder/early curator of...

Vicky Emerson  touches the heart with Americana-rooted music with country tinges telling stories of relationship & connection. A mentor in the  Minnesota Music Coalition  and a touring partner of  Sarah Morris  as  The Home Fires , Vicky has lived on both coasts and is now happily at home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Launa Schweizer is lead voice & writer for New Yeller, based in Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY, dazzling musically through indie pop, prog rock, folk-rock, bluesy and jamband sounds. Previously with  Bliss Point , Launa's gift with words & people is exercised in her day-job teaching English/humanities to middle schoolers at  Brooklyn Heights Montessori School . Find New Yeller on Bandcamp...

Unfortunately,  Tracy Newman  has far less renown for her music than her other work, but that's not so surprising given her amazing success as a writer for TV shows like  Cheers  and  Ellen , for which she received an Emmy. Tracy was also a founder of  The Groundlings , effectively the farm team for  SNL . Her music can be funny and moving, whether for adults ( T...

Mary Bue ’s music has reverberations of all the rich and wonderful things she’s done and places she’s lived. Sure, she’s an Indie musician and yoga studio owner, but she also was a psychology major, a grunge rock devotee, and she’s a sumptuous pianist, plays hot licks on her electric guitar, is a vegan nature-lover, and is a rolling stone gathering little moss. Find her virtually  on Facebook...

Jason Horowitz of  The Whiskey Farm  penned the tune that beat out 100's of competitors to win the  Songs for Social Change 2017  contest. Weekdays he's mild-mannered child psychologist Dr. Horowitz, but on stage he and the other musicians of  The Whiskey Farm  exert superpowers of joy, healing, & transformation through Americana music flavored with country, rock,...

Jean Rohe  has created an alternate (and much better)  National Anthem: Arise! Arise!  and she shares the songs from the US, Cuba, Brazil, & Republic of Georgia that got her there. She'll share much more of her own music on her next Song of the Soul visit.

Amanda Udis-Kessler  is part of  EverySoul , and their music has a message, often a counterpoint to narrow, doctrinaire, theology and thought. Having explored the highways & byways of the religious & spiritual world, Amanda identifies as Unitarian-Universalist, appreciating diverse points of view, but strongly rooting in love & hope. Her song,  The Difference , was a fin...

Dada Veda  uses a couple different taglines. One is  Meditation, Music and Social Vision , and the other is  Eastern Mysticism meets folk, country, and world music . He is a monk at the  Ananda Liina Spiritual Eco-Community  in Urbana, Illinois, where he teaches meditation and promotes the activism of his community through music. He is central in the work of  RAWA (Re...

Jan Nigro has been growing healthy kids for 30 years with his musical group and project called  Vitamin L . If you're daunted by their intention to produce positive character development through music, think again, because you'll experience songs that are beautiful, fun, & inspirational. Jan lives in Ithaca, NY, and comes from a very musical family, including a jazz-oriented dad, classica...

Lisa Ann Wright  (or  on Facebook ) makes compassionate, thoughtful, creative music, even as she performs as one of the  Snarky Sisterz  with Diana Quinn. Her song, My Daily Bread, was included in the  Songs For Social Change  top 10 by  RAWA .

Listen to  Nici Peper  and you'll know why she won the title of Minneapolis's most authentic artist at the Wholly Guacamole contest. Whether performing solo, as part of Firefly, with The Big Smooch, or in other configurations, Nici radiates. Titles like indie, Americana, folk, etc, do not capture the reality of this love-based, Lutheran-raised, intense and deep woman who delights in perf...

Jan Krist  and  Jim Bizer  make music that is fun, profound, quirky, insightful, and moving. As a duo their creative name is  Jan Krist & Jim Bizer , but they also perform in a number of other groups & configurations, with  Diamonds in the Rust ,  The Yellow Room Gang ,  Floyd King & The Bushwackers , and more.

The mission of  Ananda Marga  is self-realization & service to humanity, and one of the ways they do this is the work of  RAWA (Renaissance Artists and Writers Association) . They hold an annual contest of Songs for Social Change and today we look at the fruits of their 2017 submissions & CD with  Dada Veda  who oversees the contest.

Encinitas is home to  Ashley Mazanec  whose passion for earthcare merits her the title of "A Voice for Sustainability". Living in a tiny house on an urban post-organic farm, attending  San Diego 350  activities for fun, passionate about water protectors - this only scratches the surface. She runs, yogas, and surfs - and wait 'til you hear her sing in a perfect marriage of art a...

David Tamulevich's life is folk music, in various configurations. He's been performing for more than 40 years with Michael Hough as  Mustard's Retreat , been writing songs and performing with a group called  The Yellow Room Gang  for about 12 years and, on top of that he puts in a full week plus overtime as booking agent & manager services as  Tamulevich Artist Management .

Jan Krist  creates stunning songs of the human condition, sometimes with deep pathos, sometimes with a wry eye, always with superb lyrics and voice. She often takes the stage solo, but also commonly  with Jim Bizer , and sometimes with the  Yellow Room Gang .

Braden Canfield  loves inner exploration & conveying the power of the experience through his music. He pays attention to the details and the transformation. While after-hours he's a singer/songwriter, in the light of day his joy is the good he can do as a counselor in the  Indian Education department of the Minneapolis School System .

Annie Fitzgerald  is a beautiful voice & songwriter from among the riches of the Twin Cities of MN. Her songs are deeply-rooted and high-flying, centered on connection, relationships, belonging, and home. Back to the Midwest after 10 years in Brooklyn, NY, Annie is releasing her new CD,  You & Me & the Sun , on June 1st, 2018. See a fun video of  her 'Toilet Tune' with S...

Collectively, Kai Ulrica & Nikk Wolfe are  Wolves At The Door . Their collective music combines Nikk's lyrics and musical framework with Kai's melodies and arrangements. With a frequent strong rock edge, Nikk is often tugged toward blues and  slide guitar , while Kai's tendency is harmonies, like when she performs as part of  RavenWolf  or  Girl Band .