Jody Soland's spiritual gifts were refined and deepened through a period of painful adversity, a series of years which included West Nile Virus, mono, complications, traumatic brain injury, and more. As you'll find out, Jody has chosen the bright pathway up from such depths, called to the path by a red-tailed hawk and channeled through beautiful vocals and instrumentation.

Bruce Dancis is author of Resister: A Story of Protest and Prison during the Vietnam War, was raised by secular Jewish parents, nurtured at the NY Society for Ethical Culture, and became a passionate advocate for social justice and student leader as a student at Cornell U. A leader in their Cornell's chapter and out front as a draft resister, Bruce's experience of the turbulent late-60's, including his time in prison, have a lot to tell us about organizing, ethics, and courage.

Niyonu Spann is the leader of Tribe1, a Philadelphia group singing for peace and unity. Niyonu is used to wrestling with the deep things, walking carefully through the tender places, and bravely going to the scary territory where the fainter hearts just faint. In addition to her moving, soulful, questioning music, Niyonu leads workshops called Beyond Diversity 101. And more. Find Tribe1's music on Bandcamp.

Featured music (all written by Niyonu Spann):
What You Put Down Now - by Niyonu & Diane Spann
The Saddest Thing - by Tribe1 from Waymaker
Be My Friend - by Tribe1 from Waymaker
Same Ol' Thing - by Niyonu Spann
Sit Down With Me - by Niyonu Spann

Jenn Rogar is passionately called to work for healing of the world in too many ways to enumerate. All are rooted in, however, and fed by, a deep connection to the Earth and its creatures. Whether the topic is addiction, native rights, homelessness, corporations, or whatever, Jenn's call for action and healing comes through with compelling power and folk music brilliance.

All the songs in this program are written & performed by Jenn Rogar::
The River - from The River
The Remembered Earth - from The River
Dove Spring Girl - from Place Called Humanity
Shasta - from The River
Place Called Humanity - from Place Called Humanity

Heidi 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.

Brianna 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.

Marielle 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.

Lon Milo DuQuette, a practitioner and teacher of Thelema, has written extensively and resumed a career in music a few years ago after decades away from the music scene. His music is profound, fun, simple, complicated, and engaging. He and his fan page are excellent sources of amazing music and spirituality.

Mark Leach has been teaching and living out the substance of his recent E-Book, Positive Participation with Nature: Ecological Restoration in Wisconsin. Engaging deeply with the the geography, history, flora, & fauna of a place, Mark shares lessons and insights into really meeting nature on respectful grounds and healing some of the scars of thoughtless human habitation of our land.

After 20 years in the Navy, Leah Bolger retired into full-time work as a peace activist. Leah is active almost everywhere, is the first female president of the national Veterans for Peace, works on the World Beyond War project, acts as Secretary of Defense for the Green Shadow Cabinet, coordinates the Drones Quilt Project, and chairs the VFP Drones Working Group.