Song of the Soul
656 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 15 ratingsSong of the Soul invites you to a soul-level encounter. Music has the ability to proclaim the soul's language beyond what mere words can speak. That's what we seek as we invite our guests to share their Song of the Soul. You will hear the music that has charted the steps of their spiritual journey, that has provided a touchstone in the soul's dark night, and sung the hearts awe and joy when come to the Light. As you listen to Song of the Soul, you are both witness and companion to our guest's spiritual path and sacred testimony.
Song of the Soul guests provide about 25 minutes of the music that speaks of their spiritual path, beliefs or journey, and Mark Helpsmeet explores with them the relevance and meaning of this music to their experience. Some guests are musicians, perhaps sharing their own music, but most guests are simply sharing music they've been impacted by, written and performed by others.
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Episodes
Heart of the Earth
December 13, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBHeart of the Earth is the recently released CD by Judith Gottlieb & Liz Kohlenberg, calling the listener to a deep musical & spiritual encounter with the land, the water, the place of people in our environment, all comfortably fitting with a scientific knowledge and appreciation of the Earth, including Judith's education in geology and civil engineering.
Uphill All the Way
December 06, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBEllen B. Ochs is a prolific songwriter and perenial participant of all sorts folk musical - song circles, Stringalong weekends, White Pines quarterly open stage, and jams. An English major pouring creativity through her pen, Ellen brings joy and community through her music.
Light, Learning, Hip-Hop, and the Darkside
November 29, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBRabbi Darkside's website tells us to "Use the force to enter" - enter the world of Hip Hop culture and rap music and alternative ways of connecting the world. Sam Sellers is Rabbi Darkside, a creative, emotive, healing force who was raised Jewish and self-describes as a secular humanist who practices Kum Nye meditation.
Small Steps Big Life: It's About We
November 22, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBNathen Aswell is a purveyor of conscious, positive music, his own & that of others. Among the many ways that he shares his music and inspiration is Blabcast-format interviews with people leading interesting lives called Small Steps Big Life.
Positively Unfolding!
November 08, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBPossibilities always surround us, and we can use lemons to make a sour face, or to serve a lemonade feast to all our acquaintances. In spite of a challenging start to life including bad role models, abandonment, and some JD points, Glen Roethel received grace through adoption and has chosen to pass it on. Part of the House Band for the Posi Awards for many years, Glen seeks to uplift and shine Light. Check out his music & greeting cards on InspireLine.com.
The Balkan Babes
November 01, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBJo Schlesinger finds the fullness of her soul in international folk dance, and it comes out of her mouth when she sings as part of a group of women singers called The Balkan Babes. The members of this Pittsburgh-based group join Jo to sing the music of Jo's soul.
King of Cafe Carpe
October 25, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBBill Camplin co-presides at the Fort Atkinson, WI, cafe, bar, and listening room called Cafe Carpe. Occasionally you'll see him performing there (as well as other places, and in addition to a load of other fine musicians) with his consummate guitar, voice, and lyrics, and with a mix of folk and rock-influenced tunes. And an awesome sense of humor.
Croatian Keyboards, Privileged Pain
October 18, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBRadoslav Lorkovic grew out of a supremely musical family from the region of the former Yugoslavia, Croatia specifically for him, and he's amazingly cross-bred with blues, folk, jazz & country music, having performed with the likes of Greg Brown and Odetta. This only scratches the surface, and when you scratch deeper you'll find an original with vast talent and ability.
Ozark Timber
October 11, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBLiving well off the beaten path in hillbilly shack in the Ozark Mountains, Carolyn Carter has been singing for her supper as long as she can remember. With a voice that is soft and wild, 100% Arkansas, Carolyn plays the listener's heart strings while strumming those of her guitar. Inspired by church music and folks like Joan Baez and Emmylou Harris, Carolyn is gifted and passes on the gift through her wonderful songs.
Serve the Song: Walter Craft's Second Song of the Soul
September 27, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBWalter Craft has been spreading his message of Serve the Song for close to 50 years, on a trajectory between Minnesota down to Florida, eager to provide a force that feeds hearts & souls and nudges the world in a good direction. Down-home, sing-along, is Walter's preference, gracing places like The Bullfrog Fish Farm/Eat My Fish or the Wrong Place Saloon.
Drawing on the Well of Music
September 20, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBSherry Minnick is rich in music, having been a Twin Cities mainstay in the Bluegrass genre, but she has a special passion for old timey songs. And though she's very skillful on the guitar, a capella singing has the deepest appeal for her. She's moving and funny, talented and resourceful, and very personable. She led 2 different diverse youth chorus groups for 17 years, showcasing spiritual music from many sources, including Jewish, Navajo, South African, and much more. Find her on CDBaby and...
North Country Man
September 13, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBAlex Smith has a deep voice & deep roots in the Allegheny Mountains of northern New York. He was a punk rocker in high school, but at 23 makes music of the folk/Americana vein, about the people & places of his rural home.
New Music, Traditional Roots - The Rustic Riders
September 06, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBInspired by the likes of Odetta & Pete Seeger, Lisa Meissner makes music with the feel of traditional folk music, but with new tunes and themes, concerns like Climate Change and much more. With her husband, Klaus, they are The Rustic Riders.
Another Trip Around the Sun
August 30, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBFrom Tillamook to Nashville, to Bend, Lindy Gravelle has always been all about music. And Friendz. And Love. Growing up part of a family band, having 9 CDs of her own, and with her enduring local following in Bend (and elsewhere), Lindy's voice, piano, and, sometimes, guitar & uke, are enchanting and moving.
A North Wind from Québec
August 16, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBNicolas Boulerice was a founding member of Le Vent du Nord, a group from Québec playing progressive folk music, mixing a traditional repertoire with their own originals. Reinterpreting, energizing, and conveying the power of songs, old and new, the band aims to both please and motivate listeners to make a difference.
Music Genre ADD
August 02, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBJillian Rae says that she's got music genre ADD, unable to stay focused on any one genre of music. Trained in classical music on the violin, she's likely to be on stage singing and playing pop, cosmic country, old-school folk, hard rock and anything else in reach. You can see her in person at the Great River Folk Festival, August 28-30, 2015.
Milwaukee's Queen of Folk
July 26, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBSandy Weisto has been a part of Milwaukee's folk music scene for 30 years, in front of and behind the spotlights. Having done organizing and sound for Milwaukee's The Coffee House and at The Miramar Theatre, and performed individually and with groups like Sweet Diversity, The Silver Linings, and, currently, Green Sails, Sandy puts a beautiful voice to great music.
Lean Into the Light
July 19, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBOur third visit with musician/poet/artist extraordinaire, Carrie Newcomer, during her visit to the 2015 FGC gathering at Western Carolina University. Along with the release of her 15th album, A Permeable Life, Carrie released her first book, of poetry, by the same name. Carrie's gentle spirit and her deep and persistent passions combine with her music to make world-changing songs.
Freedom Dance & Slick Savage Love
July 12, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBKevin Slick has Pennsylvanian roots, New York growth, and a Coloradan canopy. Sure, since he was 5, that music was where he was going, Kevin has been inspired by folks like Pete Seeger and the Beatles to find the soul of music. He has performed solo and with bands like Steel Pennies, Neo Pseudo, and The Amen Trio, and he's done many musical genres, including instrumental film scores, AND he wrote a song called Dancing Naked in God's Navel. There is much here to marvel at and glory in and mov...
My Roots Go Down
July 05, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBPete Seeger once said, "If you want to hear some of the best songs out there today...listen to Sarah Pirtle," an author and musician with deep roots which feed the abundant branches and fruits of her work for peace, wholeness, and care for the planet.
How Could Anyone Ever Tell You
June 28, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBLibby Roderick is a world-healing singer/songwriter, best known for her song How Could Anyone. Firmly rooted in Alaska and inspired by Native Alaskan ways of thinking, Libby combines deep concern for the Earth and its creatures with beautiful music and lyrics, to inspire and equip listeners toward a better world.
Spirited Tribe
June 21, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBTribe1 is a growing, morphing, evolving, group of musicians, orchestrated by Niyonu Spann, who express their testimony and aspirations for the world through the songs they co-create - it's a pretty special process! Jonathan Snipes & Ingrid Lakey, 2 of about 10 members of the group, share their soul journey with Tribe1.
Studying Music & Violence, Singing & Harping Peace
June 14, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBHeidi Hart was dramatically changed by her first encounter with the German concentration camps of WWII, and she has dived deep into the subject of music and violence. With her harp and voice, Heidi explores and interprets the beauty and power of music, often of German origin, and in her writing she leads us to better understand of the potential of music for health and harm.
Hello Death
June 07, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMarielle Allschwang makes music in several configurations - with Group of the Altos, Hello Death (also on Bandcamp.com, and with Adam Krause (Ethan Krause's brother). And solo as well now. Creative and beautiful, both vocally and instrumentally, Marielle will lead you to the edge and beyond.
Gypsy Bells
May 31, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBBrianna Lea Pruett sends an evocative message through her music and her art. With all kinds of deep musical influences - classical, jazz, rock, pop, and country - Brianna does breathtaking folk (and more). Her lineage includes Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw forebears, but also French and Irish, so she's a rich mix in the very way you might expect. And she lives a deep passion and concern for human life on this planet.
Unmetropolitan Music
May 24, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBChris Vallillo's music is roots music. Occasionally it's on themes of things like the music of Abraham Lincoln's time, the poetry of Carl Sandburg, and the music of Stephen Foster, but there are also songs of his own place and time. Chris' music is stunningly rendered on his stable-full of guitars, and other instruments. Located in Macomb, Illinois, Chris sends his song from the heartland to the heart.
What Song Thru Lighted Window Shines?
May 17, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBBlair Hull has founded 2 venues to feature outstanding music, first the Stained Glass Coffee House in Deerfield, Illinois, running 2006-2014, and the Lighted Window Concert series in Campbell, California. A musician herself, Blair became a UCC pastor and currently serves in Campbell.
100% Sterling in Gift Rappin'
May 10, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBWith a masters in poetry and feet planted faithfully in West Philly, Sterling Duns caught the hip-hop passion and has been churning out music with Hardwork Movement for years, and recently as part of a duo, City Love.
Wanderin' Fool
May 03, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMegan Smith is half of Misner & Smith, a really special folk/roots/country music duo. Megan plays the upright bass and mandolin, but it's her phenomenal vocals that won my soul. A native of Davis, California, she's also appeared in a number of theatrical productions. This is music and a musician you don't want to miss.
Larry Penn Rides Again, Part 2
March 29, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBLarry Penn was a prolific folk musician/song-writer in the footsteps of folks like Woody Guthrie and Utah Phillips, until his death in October, 2014. Using themes like trains, workers, and powerful, common folks, Larry was inspirational to so very many others, and some of those folks share their stories and Larry's songs in celebration of Larry. In part 2 of 2, we talk with Bill Camplin, Mark Dvorak and Brett Kemnitz.
A Little Cookie from Milwaukee - Remembering Larry Penn, Part 1
March 22, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBLarry Penn was a prolific folk musician/song-writer in the footsteps of folks like Woody Guthrie and Utah Phillips, until his death in October, 2014. Using themes like trains, workers, and powerful, common folks, Larry was inspirational to so very many others, and some of those folks share their stories and Larry's songs in celebration of Larry. In part one of two, we'll visit with Craig Siemsen, Lil' Rev, and Mud River Lee.
Doing Alright
March 15, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBCraig Siemsen was a wandering musician till he came back home to Milwaukee and a duet of a life with Patty Stevenson. Sometimes Craig is solo act, sometimes a duo with his wife Patty Stevenson, and he leads the Plum Creek String Band. Folk, jazz, bluegrass - you name it, he does it.
Seven Hour Storm
March 01, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBSam Misner is half of Misner & Smith, and their latest CD is Seven Hour Storm, chock full of great glimpses into the human condition, but even more full of awesome vocals & harmonies. This is Folk/Americana music from a younger generation to match anything that's gone before.
Clear Water Meets Mud River Lee
February 15, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMud River Lee & the Bluegrass Orchestra (or sometimes the Bluegrass Bells) has been a fixture of the Milwaukee Folk Music scene for decades. Lee is also a co-founder and mainstay for the Milwaukee Musicians Coop. With a down-home style all his own, Lee warms a room with good music and a great ambiance. Lee's in Milwaukee and I'm in Eau Claire (Clear Water, in English).
A Mother of Sons
January 25, 2015 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMatt Watroba has been deeply immersed in folk music since 9th grade, including hosting the Folks Like Us show on WDET in Detroit and Folk Alley on WKSU at Kent State University, for a combined 26 years or so. With more than 3 decades performing, Matt is a master of the folk music genre, both as a performer and as a leader of group singing.
Folk House Musician
January 18, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBDoug MacKenzie has a long pedigree - as a jet engine mechanic and as a folk musician. Currently in collaboration with Sue West as Rural Roots Music, they are churning out music at an incredible rate. Because of his brother, Guy MacKenzie, Doug got used to having folks like Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Dave Van Ronk, and others around the house. After a hiatus of a couple decades, Doug is back doing full-time folk music.
Harmonious Wailing We Will Go
January 11, 2015 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBHarmonious Wail & their music defy simple categorization, but you're sure to find some Gypsy Jazz in their sets. Maggie Delaney-Potthoff is the voice most often at the front, and the vocal spotlight is well-deserved. Maggie's Method is the unusual technique used in the voice lessons she gives, and Harmonious Wail leads up the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest twice a year, in Madison, WI.
Descendant of a Condemned Witch
December 28, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBAnne Hills is a folk music gem, prominent and still too little known. She has recorded & toured with Tom Paxton, David Roth, Priscilla Herdman & other greats, and she writes with wonderful depth & color, singing with great beauty.
The Only Good Thing is an Old Dog
December 27, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBJon Brooks takes us on an odyssey with his music - through passion, compassion, history, politics, and identity. With powerful & evocative lyrics that unlock inner meaning, Jon takes on the big questions and issues with unblinking honesty sustained in hope.
Zen Rant
December 14, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBTony Vacca's music is rooted in rhythm & Africa & raw spirituality. Through percussion, spoken word, and the help of many African musicians, Tony has us surfing the edge of experience, from New Jersey to Senegal and around West Africa, and straight to your heart.
Round Dance/Pow-wow/Christmas/Weasel Music
December 07, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBRandall Paskemin is a member of the Plains Cree & a prolific and creative Round Dance & Pow-wow songwriter. Firmly rooted in native culture, but enriched by the music of the Beatles, U2, Shania Twain, & others, Randall weaves native vocal & drum style music with lyrics & tunes & themes to create music accessible and rich for all people. His latest CD is Christmas Cheer.
Life Is Beautiful
November 30, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMichael Rambo first assembled his latest music as a project and it became a phenomenon. What to expect? Soul, jazz, R&B, gospel, and messages of gratitude and connection to God.
Silver Linings in the Blues
November 23, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBThe Charles Walker Band and the R&B/Blues/Jazz/Etc music that they play lead us to the shiny center of all things. Charles writes love-and-hope-oriented sunny blues, the fruit of his spiritual growth starting from Evangelical Christianity, through Buddhism & Taoism, and flourishing in personal motivation and Mastermind.
Songs From The Well - Two-Spirit Deep Waters
November 16, 2014 06:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMarca Cassity shares wonderful acoustic soul spirit songs on her latest CD, Songs From the Well. Raised within the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, seasoned by 10 years in the Bay Area in CA, and now located in North Carolina, her spiritual exploration has been vast and deep.
Embedded Reporter - In the Human Race
November 02, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBHoward Lewis Hinterthuer is primary songwriter & co-anchor of the folk duo (plus friends) Embedded Reporter, featuring stories, local & global, of the human condition. Homey and real, the lyrics and music fit into real people's lives, and tug the listener to enter into the songs and be part of the experience.
Moxieville is Top Heavy - Dooley Noted!
October 26, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBMegan Dooley is a home-town, Kalamazoo, woman with sultry, bluesy, vocals and great guitar that she's contributed to the groups she's been part of - Dooley Noted, Top Heavy and, now, Moxieville (on Facebook or on SoundCloud). A passionate advocate of local music, Kalamazoo has a worthy and successful tradition to uphold, and Megan embraces and fulfills it!
Native Flutes & Singing Bowls
October 19, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBA concert of improvisational music with the native & international flutes of Peter Phippen and the Tibetan singing bowls played by musical mystic, Rahbi Crawford for the 1st annual Northern Spirit Radio membership banquet, November, 2013.
Hot Music & Warm Heart from a Cold Clime - George McCorkell of The May North
October 12, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBGeorge McCorkell is central to & primary songwriter for The May North, a band that self-proclaims that they perform "bluegrass without boundaries, folk without pretense, honest storytelling without apology". They're right!
A NYC Seed Blooming in Vermont
September 21, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBKris Gruen started out in NYC, but has been fed and thrived in the natural world, including Vermont with his farmer wife and as station director of WGDR/WGDH, Plainfield, VT. Kris has a style all his own, combining mystic poetry with new folk influences, and with the Kris Gruen secret ingredient.
A Chanteuse Friend of Mother Nature
September 14, 2014 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBVictoria Vox is more than a beautiful voice, she's a creative font of folk/pop music, occasionally in French, always in style & beauty. Write a song each week for 52 weeks? She's done it. Writing songs since she was 10, inspired by the likes of Cyndi Lauper & Madonna, and powered by the ukelele, Victoria's music is full of grace & depth.