Song of the Soul

Back in 2020 and 2021 I discovered Christine Stay and Aidan Quinn who are known collectively as  Friction Farm .

Deborah Silverstein  is a gem and a beacon. She started out musically in the heady early days of women's music, in the 1970s, as part of the  Red Basement Singers , and the  New Harmony Sisterhood Band .

Kate Klim  enchanted me from the first with her songwriting and vocals and a talent which also thrust her into prominence when she was a 2010 Kerrville New Folk Winner. Over 4 years she dazzled the world with 3 albums, but then, with the advent of 2 children and then COVID, her muse was quiescent.

Sofia Talvik  self-describes as “Americana/Folk with Swedish Roots”, and it's so much better and wonderful than that can conjure. With the voice of an angel, she can play the strings of our hearts. Sofia has toured extensively in the US, though she lives mostly in Germany these days, where she makes music as part of the German/Swedish folk duo  Hansan , combining Sofia and David Floer.

Tom Smith , known as the World's Fastest Filker, has been making and sharing music at science fiction and fantasy conventions since 1985. He's written in many musical genres, including folk, rock, jazz, gospel, and showtunes; and can write incredibly funny political commentary just as easily as heart-felt eulogy. Today Tom shares with us a few of the songs that mean the most to him.

Joe Troop  introduced a new form of music called Latingrass, a combination of music from Joe's homeland, in the lower Appalachian mountains, with the tones and tunes of the Andes in South America. He also refers to himself by another new word, artivist, a combination of his musical art and his activist passions. Joe Troop was born with bones that resonated with music, grew into a banjoph...

Abigail Dowd 's songs are rich deeply connected to both folk/Americana music, and to spirit-tinged lyrics, making her the perfect Song of the Soul guest. You'll also immediately hear Abigail Dowd's North Carolina accent, and you'll hear the voice of an angel poet in the same moment.

Michael R. J. Roth  writes his songs on the deep end of the meaning pool, and his tone has the same depth, so that some have called him a cool dark troubadour. His voice ranges, sometimes recalling the tones of a Gordon Lightfoot or a Johnny Cash, and sometimes a bit of John Prine. But what's especially wonderful is how after retirement from a number of professions, including that of a diplom...

Since Meg Hutchinson last joined us in 2012, she obtained her Masters of Divinity as the only Buddhist in her class, and has added work including as Osal Doula Services, still continuing to produce the amazingly deep & moving music she is known for.

The incredible and influential folksinger,  Bill Staines  died this past week, bringing tears of fond memories to my eyes when I got the news. I've been singing his songs in our local song circles for 40 years now, so I decided to again share my 2015 Song of the Soul interview with you, today, in homage of a wonderful man and musician.

Enjoy the rich fruits of the 7 th  annual Songs for Social Change contest, sponsored by  RAWA (Renaissance Artists and Writers Association) . The main organizer, Dada Veda, shares 6 of the finalists in the 2022 contest, including winner  Allan Licht .

Tom Neilson  is a folk singer's folk singer, using his songs to bring you all the news and issues that are of vital importance to the physical and ethical well-being of Americans but which get short-shrift in mainstream media.

Heather Pierson  fell in love with music & the piano at a tender age, growing into singing in choirs & playing the guitar along the way. Music of all sorts of genres are her spirit & lifeblood. She was a part of  Garajh Mahal , doing progressive rock, then with the country-leaning North Atlantic Band.

Joy Zimmerman  combines consummate instrumental skill, with moving lyrics, and with abundant Light & Love. Immersed in classical music & violin throughout her youth, it was later in life that she picked up a guitar and discovered her gift for songwriting. Joy shares deeply from her rich life and her passion for making a better world, and she does it with wonderful creativity, beauty,...

Bonnie Koloc  was a major presence in music, especially folk music, on the Chicago scene in the early 1970's, along with John Prine and Steve Goodman, one of the big 3 folk musicians there. She was a constant presence on the stage in those years, churning out 4 albums in 4 years, singing not only folk but jazz and blues. Eventually she wondered away from Chicago, including stints with other f...

Chris Rosser  moved to Asheville, NC, to be close to the folk music scene there, even as he performs as a jazz musician, and as part of the world-fusion trio,  Free Planet Radio  - and produces music for others.

Jessica Smucker is today's SOS guest, and she believes the best way to change the world is to channel our pain into connection. Jessica is one very captivating person, both musically and otherwise. She worked on movies, is a published poet & a social justice warrior, came into music through a rock band called The Sleeping World , and she knows all the two-letter words in Scrabble, so don't eve...

Carrie Elkin  brings to listeners a tear-jerking joy through her songs that seek to make the world better from the vulnerable places in each of our hearts. With a life, study, and career path including saxophone, Lutheran church music, pre-med studies, physiology, and environmental work using organic chemistry, it was a long road that led Carrie to her true home & profession as a singer/s...

Alastair Moock  has been playing music in the Philly area since 1995, with a specialty of family music added after the birth of his twins in 2006. He was first place in the 2020 Songs for Social Change, a project of RAWA, with his song Be A Pain.

4 more artists from Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, & Wisconsin, with songs of welcoming, Dreamers, cages, & loving our neighbors.

Three artists share songs of compassion & connection, reaching across our borders. In this 1 st  installment,  Randall Adams ,  Peter Alsop , &  Anita Aysola  sing of love for caged children, love of all children, and love of a new home, while facing off with fear, division, & disconnection.

Reggie Harris  has always been full of music & inspiration, but never more so than as he finishes his 7th decade on the planet.

Prepare to have your heart stolen by today's guest,  Jaspar Lepak . Jaspar did not really get into music till post-college, but she burst into it full-bore, including producing 5 CDs in a very short time, 4 of which you won't find among the 5 releases that do show up on  her site .

On the website of  Vanessa Lively  you'll see noted that she creates  folk & world music that beautifully joins heartfelt lyrics with soulful vocals . This is true - deeply true - and time with Vanessa is a rich, deep, and also uplifting experience.

Judi Jaeger  grew up in Canada, but moved to the USA decades ago and became a US citizen. Considering her early passion for and proficiency in music, it's surprising that she completely abandoned that side of her soul for about 25 years, while studying and working as a lawyer, and as a parent.