Song of the Soul

Jack Kessler has many musical faces. He has decades of experience as a Cantor with Aleph, Alliance for Jewish Renewal. He's also the director and lead force behind Atzilut Concerts for Peace, a Jewish-Arab ensemble, and Klingon Klezmer, a Klezmer-Fusion band beyond belief.

Bruce & Julie Hecksel are Patchouli, 2 former city folks thriving on nature and music in rural Wisconsin, making deeply stirring vocal and instrumental songs to reconnect and deepen lives. Bruce answered the call of his guitar one semester short of finishing seminary, and it was a fortunate choice for music lovers everywhere.

A vibrant voice and astonishing songwriting talent are a joy whenever they appear, but all the more wonderful when they appear by the age of 13. Kenzie Joy is a Chippewa Valley singer/songwriter destined for great things.

A re-visit with singer/songwriter and activist Mary Shapiro, organizer and host of the Sounds of Hope Concert Series in Washington DC, and niece to the Dominican priest who founded the Friends of God Dominican Ashram.

Annabella Wood has filled many roles: singer-songwriter, long-haul truck driver, handywoman and cancer survivor. A recent brush with death has focused her ever more firmly on what she loves - music, especially music about her journey to integrity.

Brian Bethke emerged from 8 years of illness by capturing the vivid stories of his life in song. On his own since the age of 15, his folk/Americana/country style music conveys a powerful journey with powerful, heartfelt music.

Greg Herriges (& Telluric Currents) is music that tastes of the vastness of the world and the universe. It is spirituality, most often without words, that is World Music and Minnesota music. It's a treat!

Magic Mama is Kjersten Hallin deGaia and she does what she calls eco-edu-tainment and "Organic Hip Hop & World Beats for the Whole Family", and she does it with spiritual depth and soaring joy.

Steve Deasy has a wealth of musical experience, both instrumental & vocal, but only began writing songs relatively recently. He got some top honors at the Kerrville Folk Festival this year. His latest release is the fruit of a deepening spiritual engagement with Quakerism and issues of peace & justice.

Tom Allen is very involved in Transcendental Mediation, Men's work, and working for world peace, especially on the spiritual plane. He's a talented guitarist of many styles - classical, jazz and much more. In addition he has a long history with Christian praise bands, A COURSE IN MIRACLES, and other contemporary expressions of Christ's energy.

Joyce Johnson Rouse has been Earth Mama for the past 15 years. With a degree in Earth Literacy, she teaches about care for the Earth through her songs, spreading peace and justice as part of the message.

Alivia Bright Maple Biko is a singer/songwriter with a ministerial component, raised in the Midwest but now a longtime Oregon resident. Part of her religious and spiritual journey was in the UCC and Lutheran churches, and she is now clerk and substitute pastor for Freedom Friends Church in Salem, Oregon.

David Serotkin is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist from Richmond, CA. David also has a masters in Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California, bringing tremendous insight to his songwriting and to this program.

Singer/songwriter Russ Downs has been making music of many sorts for a couple decades - pop, rock, rockabilly, Christian, and more. Arlington, VA, is home with some time in Nashville, and his religious travels have taken him from non-practicing Methodist to Unitaritarian Universalist. Russ has an independent and compassionate mind, and plenty of heart in his songs.

Self-proclaimed as a Jewish-Christian-Mystic-Pluralist, Mary Shapiro is clearly a rich spiritual pastiche. Her music is folk-rock-progressive, and she carries deep passion for work to heal and grow the world. Native to the Midwest, Washington DC is her current home.

Susan Werner is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter, preferring a big, big, city still close to her Iowa roots. Susan is an innovator, and among her musical creations is "The Gospel Truth", a no-holds-barred grappling with faith and doubt which raised hackles and admiration from the entire belief spectrum. But that project is just the tip of the iceberg, and there is so much more to hear and see.

A different format Song of the Soul - a recording of a Taizé style worship service filled with music, words and silence. We've abridged the silences for this radio broadcast, but encourage you to try them with full silence to experience the power of the worship.

Peter Phippen started his musical career playing bass in a country western band, making good money, at the age of only 12. His search for the instrument of his soul was fulfilled when he met the bamboo flute 23 years ago. He's a regional icon on the flute, as both a composer and performer. Raised mostly non-religious, Peter considers himself a spiritualist with great affection for the Tao Te Ching...

For about 30 years Tom Rawson has been a presence on Seattle's activist and music scene. Teaching or not, you'll find his banjo, dulcimer or other instruments nearby, ready to help inspire hope and get a group singing.

John Haigis and his wife, Jan, make exceptionally diverse music, music that is silly, serious, spiritual and much more. Out of dulcimer and voice they weave simple and way-faring music, from Groundhog Day carols to an upbeat version of the Lord's Prayer.

Todd Werner is a singer/songwriter from Wausau, Wisconsin with a deep spiritual bent and practical skills in nurturing peace through his work with Peaceful Solutions Counseling. Raised Catholic, gravitating to the kind of Spirit present in Unity Churches, Todd remains a seeker and singer.

Few of my Song of the Soul guest share all instrumental pieces, but Greg Gibertson has a special gift of speaking poetry through his guitar, without words. A finger style guitarist and vivid composer, power and Light shine through his music and, in this interview, through his words.

Singer/songwriter Bryan Sirchio is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, and his passions include his frequent trips to and service in Haiti - and, of course, his music. He’s been my guest for Spirit In Action, highlighting some of the many songs he’s written on Peace and Justice themes, but today he’s just back from Haiti to share his spiritual journey through his Song of...

My guest is Wanaku and he's founder of a band, SUNplugd - Sweet Afrikan Kontry Muziki. Wanaku grew up in British Cameroon, West Africa and currently shares his music with the folks of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The warmth, joy and passion of Wanaku's roots shine through his music.

Yata is a musician with tremendous talents and deep spirit, delighting in collaboration with other artists, including Bruce Black, Timothy Young, Dave Ja Vue, and his wife, water-colorist Jean Accola. Yata is Lutheran, past and present, with a special fondness for the writings of Lao Tzu in the Dao De Jing.