From: klotz@lclark.edu (Gretchen Klotz)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan,soc.motss
Subject: Festival Report: Northwest Women's Music Celebration (long)
Keywords: singing, music, OCA
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:59:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1992Sep14.205911.2137
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR


Greetings to all from a very happy Gretchen!

I just got back from the Northwest Women's Music Celebration, 
and am 10 miles high!  It was a *wonderful* event, and I want 
to tell the world about it.  Guess I'll settle for getting 
the word out to my 2 favorite newsgroups (alt.pagan and 
soc.motss) this afternoon.  :-)

REMINDER: This is crossposted; if you're going to followup,
please edit the newsgroups line.  And *please* save some
bandwidth - don't include the whole article!

ObMotss and ObPagan relevance: Although NWMC is not a pagan-
only or lesbian-only event, there were lots of both present, 
and the music and experiences we shared spoke to all people.  
I share my own experience because it has deeply touched my 
life in many ways.  There are lyrics and credits to the songs 
I sang, and addresses and further citations in case you 
want to contact people about the festival or music directly.  
Much of this is relevant to the on-going "Pagan Music" thread 
in alt.pagan and to the "OCA/Measure 9" thread in soc.motss.  
Please do not make any assumptions about anyone's sexual/ 
religious orientation/practice by the appearance of their 
names in this article.

Alerts: Warm fuzzies, politics, empowerment, love, spirit, 
process - if you have an aversion to any of these things, hit 
n now.  But you'll miss some *great* lyrics!  :-)

Background: I've been to many lesbian festivals, and several 
women's spirituality festivals.  This one was different in 
focus than any I'd ever been to before: very oriented to 
participation and creation; a safe place to take risks and be 
open.

Now, on to the story!

This was the 6th NWMC weekend, which was originally conceived 
by the four members of Motherlode, a group that's been around 
for 12 years.  118 women from all over the Pacific Northwest 
gathered at a camp in a suburb of Portland this weekend.  
(I can't get over the fact that this happened in the 
mountains less than an hour away from my house!)  We ranged 
in age from early teens to late 60s.  There were 3 sets of 
mothers and daughters, and an additional set with the 
grandmother and her partner!  Most women were white, but not 
all were middle class.  There were even 2 hard-of-hearing 
women in attendance, so I got to practice my ASL.

I drove out with my friend Andey and was in a bad mood when 
we arrived Friday night.  I was ambivalent about going (I 
could really use an uninterrupted weekend home alone...).  
Although I've been wanting to get back into playing and 
performing music, I have a very full plate right now and 
wasn't feeling open to meeting new people or networking.  
Also, the parking lot women wanted me to park Andey's truck 
in a difficult spot and weren't making any exceptions.  (To 
be fair, they did apologize when they saw me backing up for 
the 3rd attempt. :-)

So I arrived with several chips on my shoulder.  Little did I 
know how quickly they'd fall off!  After stowing our stuff in 
a cabin, we went to the opening session/staff concert.  What 
a warm group of women!  The 14 facilitators/helpers, 3 
coordinators and 9 workshop leaders had all done a lot of 
preparation just for that event.  After the announcements, 
Karm Hagedorn (director of Soromundi, the women's choir of 
Eugene OR) led us in "Fly Away Home" in 3-part harmony 
(within 5 minutes!).

	One bright mornin' when my work is over
	Gonna fly away home (repeat)

	Fly away home to Freedom
	Fly away home (repeat)
	(In _Rise_Up_Singing_ songbook, I think)


We were then treated to performances by Motherlode, Connie 
Cohen of Portland, Kate Sullivan of Portland, and Linda 
Waterfall of Seattle.  Go see any of them if you ever get the 
chance!  They are very different performers stylistically, so 
I can't give an easy summary, but they're all *great*!  The 
performance was followed by a traditional song circle.  After 
about 10 songs, I went to bed.

The next morning I attended a Beginning Harmony workshop led 
by Karm.  The song we ended up performing at the Saturday 
night concert was the "Russian Earth Song."

	If the people live their lives
	As if it were a song for singing out light
	Provides the music for the stars
	To be dancing circles in the night
	(In _Rise_Up_Singing_)


The second morning session I attended was Circle Songs and 
Chants led by Connie Cohen.  We did some great songs, 
including Earth my body/Air my breath/Water my blood/And Fire 
my spirit.  I don't remember who posted to alt.pagan about 
that chant recently, but I wrote it down then and now I know 
how to sing it!  The song this group performed in the concert 
was "Opening."

	We are opening up in sweet surrender
	To the light and the voices of the night (repeat)
	We are opening, we are opening (repeat)


After lunch I attended Shy Singers, led by Marie Eaton of 
Motherlode.  Some background: I was in a women's choir for 3 
years in the mid-80s.  It was a very bitter experience for 
me, mainly because the speak about "what this group is all 
about" was *very* different from the reality.  I let the 
women in that group silence me, and I haven't sung publicly 
since.  So I was hoping that this particular workshop would 
give me some tools to help work through that, and it did!  We 
each spent time talking about what silenced us, and then Marie 
gave us some tips on how to overcome those obstacles.  For 
most of us who attended Shy Singers, there's still some work 
we need to do in our own lives about bigger issues (self 
esteem was a common one - surprise!).  But Marie helped us 
refocus on music and performing, to think of a song as a gift 
to someone, period.  She picked a perfect song for us to sing:

	Blessing (Brewer and Shipley)

	Should your blankets be torn
	May your breezes blow warm
	May your treasures be what you find

	May the burdens you bear
	Like your bounty be shared
	May you leave something good behind

	Would the sky and the land
	Rise to your command
	May your senses cut like the knife

	Live in peace with the earth
	In death as in birth
	May you prosper and lead a good life


My final workshop that day was Be in a Choir by Karm again.  
We worked on a song that is frequently being used in recovery 
work these days.

	How Could Anyone  (Libby Roderick)

	How could anyone ever tell you
	You were anything less than beautiful?
	How could anyone ever tell you
	You were less than whole?
	How could anyone fail to notice
	That your loving is a miracle?
	How deeply you're connected
	To my soul.


We then had some rehearsal time before dinner, which was good 
since many of us were going to be performing things we'd only 
learned that day!  I stumbled upon a group (who were learning 
new instruments) practicing "This Land is Your Land," and 
joined them to sing a wonderful counterpoint descant to the 
chorus.

By 7:30, when the concert was supposed to start, there were 
33 acts signed up to perform!  It was an amazing and 
wonderful event.  Women who had never sung before an audience 
before were handling the microphones and the audience banter 
like pros.  Granted, the banter was very loving and 
supportive, but it can be a *real* distraction!  And what 
moving moments: some songs for their *hot* content (there is 
nothing in the world like a good lesbian love song!), others 
for their emotional rawness, others for their humor and 
insight.  And of course there were lots of political songs!  
I'd love to type all the lyrics in... but I do have other 
obligations in this life.  ;-)

The most powerful moment for me happened about midway through 
the concert.  One woman had performed a song about Hitler 
being a vegetarian ~5 songs before the Klezbians were about 
to perform.  Right before the Klezbian song, she got on stage 
again and made a speech about being an expert in her own 
experience but relying on her friends for sharing their 
different ones.  She apologized for doing a song that 
offended the Jewish women, and hoped we would all learn from 
this incident.  Then the Klezbians got on stage and talked 
about their feelings about having lost family in the 
Holocaust and hearing a "funny" song about Hitler before they 
played their song.  I just *love* it when there's a hard 
moment like that and people rise to the occasion with love 
and forward movement.  Whew!  Growth isn't easy but it's 
good.

Our performance didn't end until almost midnight (with 2 
intermissions, including a break for snacks - I *love* 
camp!).  I was beat and went right to bed, where I started 
composing this article in my head.  It took me forever to 
fall asleep, so I wasn't my usual lark self this morning!

I did make it to brunch, and to a Spiritual Song Circle led 
by Linda Waterfall.  We went around and did *some* xtian 
stuff (changing the words when appropriate, of course!), and 
many things from other cultures.  When it was my turn, I 
taught a traditional Hindu chant, "Jai Ma" (the lyrics mean 
Victory to Kali, Victory to Durga).

In the closing circle we applauded everyone who had made the 
weekend possible, including the few women who hadn't 
performed in the concert the night before.  (Hey, audiences 
are *important*!)  We sang one final song that I think is in 
the process of being created by Soromundi, the women's choir 
of Eugene.  It's called "Freedom" and is sung to the tune of 
the "Banana Boat" song.  We wrote our own little inserts, and 
I've written them below:

	Freedom is comin' and it won't be long (repeat)

	Went to women's camp to sing some songs
	(Freedom is comin' and it won't be long)
	Singin' workshops all day long		[I wrote this line!]
	(Freedom is comin' and it won't be long)

	Freedom, freedom
	Freedom is comin' and it won't be long (repeat)

	Let my child out to sing and play
	Had so much fun singin' all the day

	The OCA* is out to get us all
	Together we'll sing and alone they'll fall


* The OCA is the Oregon Citizens Alliance.  They are 
sponsoring Ballot Measure 9, which would essentially outlaw 
homosexuality in Oregon; it's up for a vote in November.  
There's been a lot of traffic on it in soc.motss, but 
alt.pagan readers might not know about it.  Email me if you 
want a copy of the text - it's pretty terrifying stuff.  And 
only the beginning if it passes; other "marginal" groups and 
other states will follow.  Many of us are working our butts 
off to make sure Measure 9 doesn't pass.  The NWMC weekend 
really focussed on freedom and empowerment; it was very 
nurturing and healing to be in this space - I know *I* need 
this kind of respite much more these days!

I thought I'd close with the lyrics to "They'll Get You 
Anyway" by Linda Vogt (the main coordinator of this event!), 
Mary Anderson and Peggy Seeger.  You can order a copy by 
sending a check for $5 + $1 p/h to: No on 9, PO Box 3343, 
Portland, OR  97208.  All proceeds of the sale of the 
cassingle go to the No on 9 campaign.  (The wonderful song on 
the other side is "I'm a Teacher."  It makes the point that 
gay and lesbian teachers are not the ones causing problems 
like child abuse, rape, and drug addiction.  Teachers are one 
of the groups specifically targeted by the OCA.)

	They'll Get You Anyway

	There are some people here in Oregon;
	  they're called the OCA.
	They've decided it's perverse
	  to be lesbian or gay
	They're making up a list,
	  and you know they'll check it twice
	Because they're sure The Bible
	  is exceedlingly precise.

	I guess you might be wondering
	  how they'll know if you are gay.
	The answer is quite simple:
	  they have their little ways.
	You're a man who likes to cook?
	  You're a woman without a bra?
	They'll follow you home, hide under your bed,
	  jump out and say "Aha!"

	Chorus:  Oh, the OCA
	They'll get you if you're gay
	  And if you're not?
	  Who cares?  So what?
	They'll get you anyway!

	You just sat down to dinner,
	  and you turn on your TV.
	There's Lon Mabon, going on
	  about how you should be.
	He has ten thousand videos
	  showing what he thinks is wrong,
	But they don't have any music
	  so we're giving him this song!

	They talk of "family values,"
	  but if the truth be told,
	They define your family for you
	  so put your choice on hold.
	They say that they are Christian
	  while they're legislating hate...
	But they're "good" and "kind" and "decent,"
	  and most of them are straight!

	You say your son's a teacher,
	  he's been manly all his life?
	Just joined the local Elks club,
	  has such a lovely wife.
	But someone said they saw him
	  hug his old friend, Russ.
	That's it; he's canned; he's outta here
	  he's perverse and dangerous!

	Since they know what's best,
	  they'll be making all the rules;
	Who to love, how to be,
	  and what to teach in schools.
	To make us all conform,
	  they'll be drawing up the list:
	Fire the teachers, writers...
	  and of course, the therapists!

	You just bought season tickets,
	  and you love the NBA,
	Then Clyde pats Michael's butt...
	  Oh God - could they be gay?
	The OCA is watching
	  and no matter what the score
	The Blazers and the Bulls
	  play in Oregon no more!

	It's time to rout the sinners out,
	  it's time to start the search
	Through the Army and the Navy,
	  the Air Force and the church...
	The Boy Scouts and the Masons,
	  and quick, without delay -
	It's time to watch the watchers
	  who are in the OCA!

	If they win in November,
	  then after Measure Nine
	The OCA will make your bed
	  and choose your Valentine.
	Re-paint the Sistine Chapel,
	  say goodbye to Elton John;
	Kick Martina out of tennis...
	  burn a cross out on your lawn!

	Chorus: Oh, the OCA
	They'll get you if you're gay.
	  And if you're not?
	  Who cares?  So what?
	They'll get you anyway!


If you'd like to be added to the Motherlode/NWMC mailing 
list, write them at Motherlode Music, PO Box 66842, Portland 
OR 97290.  I encourage *all* women to attend this festival 
next year!  Or start one yourself in your area.  In this 
wonderfully safe atmosphere in the foothills of the Cascade 
mountains, I got my voice back.  My heart is healed from this 
weekend.

Blessed Be to all,

- Gretchen
-- 
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"Love is like the Universe, No reason to exist, But here it is!"
			     - Linda Waterfall, "Love Out of Nowhere"
Newsgroups: alt.pagan