PureVolume

Members: Diana Ramsdell Newman and Crow Suncloud

DESCRIPTION OF TIMBERED LAKE:
"RELEVANT, SPIRITUALLY INFUSED, AND UPLIFTING"


See article about Grandmother's Door (Sobriety Medicine Song) in Indian Country Today:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/the-red-road-is-the-right-path/
Listen to Grandmother's Door, use good speakers or earphones for enhanced quality
You can hear four downloadable songs now:
HEAR THE WIND (about reclamation)
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY (about PTSD and war)
REQUIEM FOR THE GULF (after the oil spill)
GRANDMOTHER'S DOOR (Sobriety Song).
We appreciate knowing how you feel about these songs.
Listen to these songs through earphones or good speakers for the best listening!

Thank you, Nicholas Sawyer, for the blessing of your initiative and gift of time and care in recording the songs that people have been long asking for.
And thank you, kindred friends, for your encouragement.

INSPIRIT AND REFRESH YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR CONFERENCE, OR YOUR POWER POINT PRESENTATION WITH OUR CUSTOMIZED PERFORMANCES:

CONTEMPLATIVE SONGS OF THE SEASONS,
LOVE, PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE:
SONGS OF VISION FOR GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES

INVITE US TO YOUR KITCHEN, YOUR RETREAT, YOUR CONCERT STAGE:
ALL INQUIRIES WELCOME


~Singer-Poet Crow Suncloud:
Vocals and Spoken Word,
indigenous percussion including Native American hand drum,
turtle shell rattle, coche rattle, megis shell rattle, rainstick~

~Singer-Songwriter Diana Ramsdell Newman:
Vocals and Acoustic Guitar~

Description of Timbered Lake Consortium in Maine Arts Commission Directory:

"Timbered Lake, an acoustic duo, features a synthesis of spoken word and song composed by poet-singer Crow Suncloud and singer-songwriter Diana Ramsdell Newman. Timbered Lake concerts have been featured at libraries, coffeehouses, performing arts venues, Earth Day festivals, solstice events, water coalitions, climate change conferences, Native American gatherings, ecumenical gatherings, community and social justice concerns, and educational venues. Diana's guitar joins with Crow's indigenous hand drums and other percussive instruments, to accompany inspirited, relevant, soaringly harmonic lyrics informed by respect for the earth and for experiential knowledge, reclamation of stewardship values, and promotion of individual and community healing."

THANK YOU TO OUR LISTENERS. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SONGS.
COMMENTS AND INQUIRIES WELCOME: SEE RIGHT-HAND "LINKS" BOX FOR EASY CONTACT
TIMBERED LAKE: redwingway@yahoo.com
timberedlake@gmail.com
http://timberedlake.blogspot.com/
CLICK ON "EVENTS" TAB FOR NEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

PLEASE SEE BELOW:
~ENDORSEMENTS
~DESCRIPTION OF TYPICAL TIMBERED LAKE PROGRAM
~AS THE CROW FLIES FROM THE ARCHIVES: ENDORSEMENTS OF CROW SUNCLOUD AS POET
~THE POEM "EACH" BY CROW SUNCLOUD

TO LISTEN CLICK ON SONG TITLE ON THE PLAY LIST ABOVE.
CLICK ON LYRICS ON THE PLAY LIST FOR THE WORDS.

CLICK ON "POSTS" TAB ABOVE TO SEE ENTRIES:
COMMENTARY ON ARCTIC PORTAL

CLICK ON PHOTOS TAB ABOVE:
click them larger for captions
as good backdrop for the music!

SEND COMMENTS IN THE COMMENT BOX AT THE BOTTOM: We appreciate hearing from you!


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ENDORSEMENTS:

"...Thank you so much for your involvement in Climate Changes 21- Choices for the 21st Century...Your performances were captivating and received glowing reviews...Your combination of music and poetry provided a powerful sense of the ecosystem within which we all live, and the need for environmental stewardship...Your piece Arctic Portal was haunting and for those of us who have spent significant time in remote regions brought back wonderful memories..."
~ Professor Paul Andrew Mayewski
Director of Climate Change Institute
University of Maine
Founder of International Trans Antarctic Scientific Expedition


"Crow Suncloud's poetry reminds me of the smell of rich, dark Earth that has been enlivened by a warm spring rain. It comes from the depth of his Being filled with the nutrients of memory, relationship and vision.

Diana's ability to weave her voice, lyrics and music of her guitar together is like the energies that come together to cause a seed to grow. Each on its own has a gentle Power that causes an inner stirring.... when woven together these elements encourage our inner selves to blossom.

Diana and Crow as Timbered Lake have a wonderful ability to awaken old memories of our relationship to Earth and to encourage us to be mindful of our actions for the generations of tomorrow."
~ Hawk Henries
Nipmuck Flute Maker, Composer, Flute Player
Sullivan, Maine


"...She [Diana] has opened for folk legend Tom Paxton, performed live on Maine Public Radio...Her skillful songwriting, topnotch guitar playing and outstanding vocals have been lauded as being on par with that of top female vocalists, including Carole King and Joni Mitchell..."
~ Arts Center


"Crow Suncloud and Diana Newman are remarkable people. They offer their vision as a gift to their community...Their vision includes a world where people understand their relationship to all living things and see themselves as an integral part of nature. They believe that one person can make a difference and they live their lives as testimony. They know that everything we do to sustain our waters, our land, and our air, no matter how small a deed it might be, has an additive effect that can and will heal the planet. These beliefs are embedded in their music and writings...Crow Suncloud and Diana Newman have inspired us to stay focused on the whole child: the citizen scientist, the creative spirit, the deep thinker, the caretaker of the earth, the participant in the intricate web of life in which we all play an intricate role."
~ Jane E. Disney, Ph.D.
Executive Director
MDI Water Quality Coalition


"We love being in the presence of these beautiful people. They are very spiritual and it shows in the way the whole family works together. Their music, poetry, love of the land, and each other is a blessing for all."
~ Fredda Paul, Passamaquoddy Healer/Educator
Leslie Wood Paul, Traditional Medicines Educator
Pleasant Point, Maine


"Timbered Lake anchored the message of living in harmony with the earth...They drew the audience into an intimate experience of the connection between humans and nature, and our obligations to care for the earth."
~ Shawn Keeley, Alumni Relations and Development
College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, Maine


"Your words, songs, and ceremony brought a blessing to all who were present. I appreciate the way you seem to easily understand all that we are working to accomplish through this event, and I would not have created or delivered a more eloquent and fitting way to open and close the day. Thank you also for your sensitive collaborations..."
~ Gwenn Kubeck
Education Director
MDI Water Quality Coalition
Bar Harbor, Maine


"...your performance added immeasurably to the evening and added just the right touch to close the evening."
~ Karen Wigglesworth and Board of Directors
Maine Earth Institute
(regarding Timbered Lake performance
as adjunct to lecture by Joanna Macy, Eco-Philosopher)
Camden Opera House
Camden, Maine


"...unique alchemy of inspirited poetry and uplifting song...skillful dovetailing of spoken word, melody, and song in convergence of acoustic guitar, Native American hand drum, resonant vocal harmonies, incisive lyrics, and dynamic poetry..." ~ Public Library


"...blend their talents through music and poetry in such a natural and complementary way , it is no longer clear where one stops and the other begins. They give exquisite expression to an array of age-old themes." ~ Arts Center


"...Thanks for a wonderful evening of words, music, and spirit...I wish you well in your work ahead..."
~ David Lamon
Executive Director
Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary


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SAMPLE OF TIMBERED LAKE PROGRAM:

HEART OF DAY~ Power of truth, hope, and redemption.

GRANDMOTHER'S DOOR~ Hearing the call back to the Good Red Road- spiritual balance and sound values.

BRIGHT BLUE FEATHER~ Honor song, friendship, companionship in nature.

GRACIE'S DREAM~ Inspired by the true story of courageous Passamaquoddy women activists and their ongoing defense of ancestral waters and sacred sites. The women oppose the proposed use of the narrow Head Harbor Passage for entrance into Passamaquoddy Bay by liquefied natural gas tankers. The area is a gem of biodiversity including porpoise and endangered right whales. This song describes a unique spiritual journey to a small, remote island and culminates with a poignant encounter with 16 whales.

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY~ A powerful and moving depiction of post traumatic stress experienced by a combat veteran, culminating with a call for healing: "Tiny fishes running deep~ lost among the broken light of dreams~ May you turn to see the salmon as they splash their way upstream into the sunlit day."

ONE SIMPLE KISS~
"The snow is a sacred shield beneath this winter moon
giving shelter and light to sweeten the soil below.
At the season's own behest we can find our deepest rest~
One simple kiss~ something like this~
yes, blesses the soul."

KARI KAREE~ Call to communion with nature, gratitude.

BROTHER EAGLE, SISTER WATER~ Taking care of our watersheds. No one person can do it all, but cumulative acts of stewardship carefully informed by a respect for nature can create positive tipping points.

SYLVAN ROAD~ Poem inspired by a Carriage Road in Acadia National Park, the ongoing presence of ancestors informing the present and sense of place.

DAWN-LIT MISTS~ Expresses an intimate sense of place and its ministries, inspired by Bubble Pond in Acadia National Park.

YOU ARE SLEEPING (Song for Juniper Snow)~ A simple, magical song, the words of which were derived from the beautiful, spontaneous words of Diana's young firstborn son, Lee, sung to his sister to wake her on the morning of her first birthday.

EACH~ Based on poem about the importance of individuals in relation to the whole, and peace.

DID I MATTER?~ Poem about legacy put to music. Reference to butterfly refers to Native American belief that after a person dies their spirit can visit places or loved ones in the form of a butterfly before departing to the spirit world.

ARCTIC PORTAL~ Relays a contemporary, inter-generational story as seen through the eyes of a little Inuit girl. The song presents a multidimensional view gleaned from accounts describing the effects of global warming on indigenous peoples throughout the circumpolar north. Timbered Lake offers this powerful, interpretive song to put a human face on the real, far reaching effects of global warming.

FUTURE'S SONG~ A song about stewardship.

CARRY THE DREAM~ Honoring the efforts and visions of those who came before us.

SPIRIT LAKE~ A mesmerizing song regarding the folly of the race to drill the Arctic for oil, and a call to respect Mother Earth.

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AS THE CROW FLIES
FROM THE ARCHIVES~ CROW SUNCLOUD AS POET:

"...another poet whose sense of place resounds throughout his work is Crow Suncloud..."
"Loving the land is more than just enjoying the forest and the trees, there is a spirituality that goes with it that affects your life and everything you do," said Suncloud..."
~excerpts from article on the Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, The New Jersey Herald

"...Poetry, like music speaks to the soul, to the heart. In order to write pure poetry it has to come from the heart. You can't just use your brain. You have to think with your heart. If you can do that, you can reach other people."
~interview with Crow in The New Jersey Herald

"I have been told by those sitting on the sidelines that we fight a losing battle. I will never believe that. It will never be too late because tomorrow will not arrive until we pass through today. And what we do today cannot help but affect what tomorrow will bring."
~Crow Suncloud in The New Jersey Herald

"...His [Crow Suncloud's] work has a refreshing vibrancy, generosity, and integrity all its own. His talent for balancing intensity of spirit with down-to-earth wit and humor make him a favorite with audiences..."
~Public Library

"...His poetry is refreshingly accessible and devoid of pretense, thus rising above stereotypes and delighting even reluctant poetry listeners. Suncloud's poetry is shaped by his profound respect for experiential knowledge, Native American spirituality and the natural world..."
~Arts Center

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Each

The top of a mountain
Not the mountain itself
One blade of grass
Not the field
Each single tree
Not the forest itself

The belief in dreams
As if real
Each hand extended
Not the color or creed
Each drop of rain
Not the clouds

Not just the noise
But the silence between
Each single person
Not the crowd
Brings peace

(c) 2003 Crow Suncloud

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