Andy Douglas, Writers' Group 1:08 p.m. CT June 20, 2017

Andy Douglas(Photo: Special to the Press-Citizen)

For the second year in a row, I drove up last week to Decorah to take part in the five-day singing/dancing/playing/connecting/heart-opening gathering that is the Village Fire Singing Festival, set in the valleys of the enchanted Driftless area.

Oh, morning, what a joy, walking through you in the sun.

Village Fire offers a dynamic window on Community Sing, a movement that is growing nationwide, renewing oral traditional ways of building connection and nourishing the soul through song. Singing offers so many benefits oxygenating the blood, lifting the spirits, bringing "bonding" hormones to the brain. But Village Fire is about more than just singing. The festival offers a chance to embody a deeper sense of community, something many of us long for.

There was much interest at VF in ways that singing can serve, minister to, facilitate transitionand heal. I gave a talk about the Oakdale Community Choir (which joins people in prison with community volunteers in song in the Iowa City area). And I was delighted to share that space with former Iowa Citian Maggie McKnight who spoke about leading a Threshold Choir in her new home in California. Threshold choirs gather at the bedsides of those who are ill or close to dying to sing songs of comfort and passage.

Love prepare me to be a sanctuary. Open-hearted, tried and true.

Although most of the offerings focused on sharing various types of songs (songs for healing, kids songs, songs for empowerment, gospel songs, songwriting, silly songs), there were also non-singing events. Among the highlights this year: A contra dance with 10-foot tall puppets! A workshop on white privilege utilizing theater exercises. And a powerful workshop on grief led by Laurence Cole. The core idea here was that we all hold grief, not just for the loss of dear ones, but sometimes due to early emotional wounding, and working through that grief can free us up to live more fully. Several people shared their stories. These were then turned into short songs on the spot, which we as a group sang back to the person. Imagine how powerful it was to hear ones story sung back to you by the community.

You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.

Some of the song circles featured songs with many moving parts harmonies that wove in and out of the melody, different parts layered on top of each other, "zipper" songs that kept going as people called out new lyrics. I was impressed with the leadership ability of many of the song circle facilitators, including many young adults, who held the space for teaching these songs, making sure everyone was on board and able to participate.

Our circle was a diverse group. People from intentional communities, people working in the fields of organizing, health, teaching, and ecology, men, women and gender spectrum folks, babies and elders, people with disabilities, people from various ethnicities. Learning about all their commitments, and raising our voices together, I felt energized, ready to return to my local community and do some work.

Lots of folks from Iowa City were there. They are part of our local Community Sing group. We meet on second and fourth Thursdays, in living rooms or backyards. We come to support each other and to harmonize. If you werent able to attend Village Fire, these local gatherings can give you a taste of what Community Singing is all about. Youre welcome to join your voice with ours. For info about time and place: adinajoylevitt@gmail.com.

Beauty before me, Beauty behind me, beauty above and below and all around.

Writers' Group member Andy Douglas is author of "The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga."

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Raise up your voice and sing with the community - Iowa City Press Citizen