What's Your Thing?

A love affair with Resonance.

“EASY” (sketch for a new print)

I just finished a residency with a 4th and 5th grade choir. It was experimental on lots of levels. I was asking the students to experiment with rhythm and melody and be brave and playful with their voices. I was also experimenting with process- how can I create a piece of music that is meaningful with a large group within the limits of time and skill level. It was a whole lot of whoops here we go, but it was fun and in the end, we made a choir groove, and we sang it last week at the school’s spring concert.

It was built on the question “What’s Your Thing?”

It was at first just a fun question to ask in rhythm and get improvised answers. But when I let it seep, the tea got stronger.

Here’s the rub: It isn’t easy to say what your thing is. It takes daring to really show that you care about something. It’s easier to play it cool. It’s easier to point at what you don’t like than it is to stand up, and untie the guards around your heart and say I AM INTO THIS! I LOVE THIS! I CARE ABOUT THIS!

That happens when we let ourselves care more about connecting than protecting. I’m inspired to write that line by the way Samara Bay writes about this concept in her essay, Putting The Erotic In Public Speaking. When we do it- we invoke some mighty mojo into our life and work, because we wake up the power of RESONANCE.

In the physical sense- Resonance is when a vibrating something causes another something to vibrate at higher amplitude. The frequency of the first something’s vibration matches the frequency of the second something. The second something vibrates or oscillates at a higher amplitude as a result of resonance.

In other words- when you VIBE with something, and you let it move you, your own VIBE gets stronger. It sounds like a woo woo internet meme, but it’s real.

It shows up in conversation. It’s when you have that wonderful back and forth that makes you feel seen and excited about another person.

It shows up in music. It’s what makes your tone touching. When you sing, you need to have both strength and ease. Resonance happens when you build up your muscles until they are strong enough that you can let go. Often when people want to make a sound that they can’t seem to get to, the problem is tension. To release it, they have to get strong enough to not need as much effort to support the sound, and when that happens- everything vibrates freely and we get those singers that send chills down our spines. It’s acoustic resonance. We feel it as freedom.

When you stare at something you love so that you can learn how to make something that makes you feel that way- that’s also resonance. We learn and grow because of our ability to resonate.

So when the 5th grade chorus asks - “What’s Your Thing?” I’m taking that as an invitation to greater resonance. An invitation to build my strength and my flexibility and then let go of holding myself so carefully. I know that there are lots of us out there telling our stories, letting our voices crack, showing up and just delighting in the back and forth of resonance. That’s the crowd I want to hang with.

I want to move through the world letting people know what lights me up.

A midi score of our collaborative choir piece.

Does “A Wilder Wonder” resonate with you? If it does, you have the power to REALLY help me reach more good people who could use a weekly refocus and reminder that life is worth loving. Could you share this email with ONE friend? Just one. Let them know you’re thinking of them, and you thought this might be up their alley, because it does something for you. One tiny example of showing people what you love, and wow, would I ever be thankful.

I’m so glad you are here.