HLTV

success?

what is success?

surely not more excess.

follow your heart,

what makes it beat strongest.

if even madness to your head,

go with gladness.

be courageous.

create (a world) like a child

Last week, I got to spend every morning with my good friend "Swen" and a handful of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders...all we talked about was creativity and song-writing. We tapped chairs and pen tops, drums and our own knees to create various rhythms. We looked all around us for ideas of things to write about and then we took 5 minutes to write non-stop to discover what sources of inspiration were inside of us.
Mid week, the class wrote 2 verses and a chorus about an "Animal Mansion" that was a home for all creatures of the earth. These animals all sang and danced and played together. You could come to sing and dance and play along. Apparently it was such a fun place to be, you'd want to stay forever. WOW, right!?!
These kids totally get something about life and our intrinsic connectedness. Penguins playing with lions, dolphins leaping in the water alongside kangaroos that hop on the shoreline...This all reminds me of another story I've heard, a story about a vision or dream of the earth one day, how it may be when all things are reconciled...the lion and the lamb will lie down together...and a little child shall lead them....

heatherlynmusic.com - What's in the name?

We ‘ve transitioned Heatherlyn.org to heatherlynmusic.com for a number of reasons, including that our actual legal business name is “Heatherlyn Music” and our myspace URL is heatherlynmusic. So there’s simply more continuity here and in my mind, it sounds a bit cooler too. ;D

But this modification made me think about the two words together…What does "Heatherlyn Music" mean? Not just that it’s Heatherlyn’s music, meaning poetry and melodies I’ve written; not just as a brand name cause it happens to be my name, but what is music that's “heatherlyn” ?

Names have always been important to me. I’ve always been interested in their origin and meaning. There are a few different meanings I’ve come across for my name, but the simplest meaning of “Heather” alone is “flowering”. Maybe you’ve seen the flower. It’s similar to baby’s breath, but with a slight purple or bright pink color. One of my favorite countries, Ireland, is known for its fields of heather.

So…Flowering: I do want the spirit of Heatherlyn Music to be about valuing and celebrating the simple, natural beauty in life. Sometimes we need a song to remember the abundance we have so close to us in these free and effortless gifts that are so easy to forget.

“Lyn” means “flowing river.” This makes me think of those traditional tunes like “Down by the Riverside” and others that illustrate a vibrantly flowing river, fresh water that is available to nourish all that surrounds it: the earth, the flowers, trees and ALL people. The river does not discriminate. It freely flows.

So…Flowering, Flowing River: We may feel the challenges of these times and the hardships many face in the world are like stagnant waters and barren lands. We hope Heatherlyn Music will be refreshing, an endlessly blossoming flow of creativity, inspiring us all to be life-givers, peacemakers, justice-doers, kindness-lovers, care-takers for each other and the earth.

So when you hear “Heatherlyn Music”, we hope you won’t only think of the woman, the songs, or the voice of Heatherlyn, but we hope you’ll also imagine how you, your gift and your voice for all your days can continually stream hope and beauty as a life-giving river to the whole wide world.

Peace,
heatherlyn
now at www.heatherlynmusic.com

Bliss and Sweat ~ a day in the life of heatherlyn music

Yesterday was my first day officially as a full-time (meaning every moment of my waking hours...and even some of my dreaming), self-sustaining, independent singer/song-artist. Many have asked what I'm up to....

Creativity/Artistry
There are daily practices I’ve discovered I need to nurture my inner artist, be ready for inspiration and simply BE an artist. These practices include daily writing, healthy balanced eating, physical activity and creativity.

Daily writing: I definitely write more than once many days, but EVERY morning, the very first thing I do is put pen to paper. I have no guidelines or expectations from this. I write whatever comes to mind and write freely until I fill at least three long-hand pages. For me this is like morning meditation. Often it clears my head and even helps me prioritize the day.

Eating well: This regularly includes some kind of small culinary adventure. We eat pretty simply and close to the earth in our house. Fresh veggies and fruit, whole grains, lentils or beans, homegrown herbs and spices are our basic staples and I find a different way for us to enjoy them regularly. This actually doesn’t take as much time as it seems.

Physical activity: Daily exercise may include a brisk walk or dancing to Michael Franti in my living room. I’ve learned I must do this to have energy, clarity and focus. I have had an underactive thyroid since my teen years so these two practices are vital to a healthy being.

Creativity: I need to do something at least weekly that is playful like coloring, splashing watercolors, dancing, viewing an art display, a nature walk, listening to a live performer….

Practicing
I’m practicing guitars, keys, percussion, and vocals to keep improving my skills. There are many songs that I have already crafted that I need to hone and make better, always reviewing old and new material and being sure it’s prepared or ready to be shared in a fresh way. I’m practicing to a metronome to keep improving my sense of rhythm and solidly execute each strum.

I review notebooks in which I’ve scribbled lines of poetry or song ideas and I pick one to expand upon. A quick Wikipedia review of a topic along with some of my own scribbly brainstorming on a theme births carefully crafted words, which lay the foundation for a brand new tune.

Some days I'm also recording, but not lately...

Preparation/Presentation
Time and thought is spent preparing for various events. Many shows have a slight variation one to the next depending on the theme or audience.
Presentation pieces related to a particular issue of justice necessitate that I do basic research, keep myself informed, and write out thoughts that connect the music to a particular issue or organization.

Getting Down to Business
We are our own manager, booking agents, promotions, etc. So we do all that work of making calls, following up, booking shows, scheduling meetings to prep for a particular event. Then we manage all the details and promotions for each event with each corresponding contact. Networking over coffee, the phone, online, exploring and developing ideas and discovering possibilities for partnership are all parts of a day in the life for Heatherlyn Music.
[press kits, sending materials, cdbaby, facebook, myspace, web updates, blog, media, editing, equipment, maps/directions, composing emails and proposals….]

Time is spent writing updates like this for you the friends and fans that we depend on and we hope you’ll join us on this fantastic adventure of bliss and sweat.

A New Season and a Leap of Faith

Friends, as spring is arriving, it's also a new season within Heatherlyn Music. For 3 years, we've been intentionally on this journey towards growing as an independent song-artist. We've been learning the ropes, practicing, networking and most of you know we released the debut album just last April! The avenues I need to pursue are clearer than ever. The work I need to be doing to book shows and appearances, promoting, writing, being creative, growing as a musician, poet, etc...all of these things are becoming more and more clear. My heart, mind and whole being are constantly drawn more and more to being about this work. So we've decided it's time for me to resign from my "day job" and commit my ALL to these tasks.

This is a flying leap of faith. We are counting on friendship and your introductions to keep us on this path. Without a record label or big budgets for any of this, it's YOU, our listeners, family, friends, fans who can really give Heatherlyn Music the momentum and stamina to keep going. We depend on the powerful, effective good old fashioned tool of word-of-mouth and the newer word-of-mouse (that would be your computer and online social networks and email ). Every recommendation of our music that you make to a friend or colleague, every purchase you make...all that you do to support us ensures that we will be able to vitally grow this service of artistry and inspiration!

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO ::
Tell the coordinator at your office/company/firm that they should hire Heatherlyn for a staff event, volunteer appreciation, diversity program or even holiday party.

Share with social justice action leaders on your campus or in your local community how valuable Heatherlyn's music would be for inspiring people to be part of their cause.

Recommend Heatherlyn for your church's youth events and women's retreats where Heatherlyn could sing, lead singing, and share stories from her life and faith.

There are many MANY more opportunities and you may even have some IDEAS!!

Contact Heatherlyn with your ideas and connections!

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement as venture on this challenging and thrilling way!

2008 Thanksgiving Letter

Happy Thanksgiving from Heatherlyn Music!!

Dear Friends,
The holidays can be a mixed bag, can't they? There are so many wonderful things to be thankful for on the one hand. I am deeply thankful for the chance to be with some family and good friends this week who we don't always get to see. I'm so thankful for excuses to bake gingersnaps and enjoy the aroma of apple cider with mulling spices simmering on the stove. I'm thankful for inspiration to write a new Christmas LOVE song (which I will be performing at the Black Sheep on Dec. 19th, by the way) and for the spirit of generosity and the joy of together-ness that surrounds us as Salvation Army bells emerge with their accompanying bright red kettles, the festive colors of holiday decor, presents under the tree and the coziness of warm mitten-ed hands wrapped around a mug of steaming hot chocolate.

On the other hand, this time of year can also remind us of what we are missing. I have family on the other side of the country that I haven't seen for a year and will not be able to see them this Christmas. Today, I don't feel emotional about that, but I know that tomorrow and Christmas day, I may be a bit sullen and sad as I have been on other holidays when I miss them so much. Then with the downturn of the economy, I think of some who may be longing to create a magical and meaningful Thanksgiving and Christmas for their families, but struggle to simply have a full meal with all the usual holiday dressings.

So we pray today for inner peace, for joy in the simple beauties that surround us, for forgiveness where there's broken relationship, for comfort for families that must be apart and so deeply long to be together, for hope in the midst of uncertainty and for contentment with the abundance that we do have in each other, in music, in laughter, in soup and bread, in home-made decorations, reusable gift bags and in opportunities to share.

Many thanks this Thanksgiving to you and for you, for your support of Heatherlyn Music and for the stories you share as you seek to be part of something bigger than yourselves this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Peace - Hope - Life,











heatherlyn


Heatherlyn Music | P.O. Box 1615 | Burnsville | MN | 55337