The songs of SINGING THE EARTH The main themes of these songs are that we are all one and to be in awe of the wonder and beauty of life on this earth. Even though my audiences are generally elementary and middle school students, I feel that the lyrics and music can touch people of any age. In 'Singing The Earth', I selected songs that are about places I have explored. My song of Colorado came from a three day car trip through the state from west to east. I wrote 'Suwannee River', "The Landscape of Florida' and 'I Love Nature' on the shores of the Suwannee River. This collection of songs are real Earth Songs! I have three more albums of songs I am working on recording. The main energy for many of my songs had their birth in my observations of the way the world treats children. It seems to me that most children are treated as second class citizens. They are pushed around, told what to do, how to live and punished until they comply. Then they are given praise and attention if they conform to what the adults around them want. I hear schools and parents expressing that they want children to think for themselves, yet there is little space in their lives to make any important decisions. I see children being raised to obey and not question so it is easier to send them to war to kill and be killed. I see adults comparing one child with another at home and at school, "Irwin can do it, why can't you?" or "Why can't you be more like your brother or sister?" Comparing implies that the essence of the child is somewhat flawed and he or she should strive towards an ideal. So instead of being themselves and learning about themsleves, they learn to spend time trying to be anything but who he or she is. Of course children then compare one to another in cruel ways which is santioned by the society around them. Then we create hero worship and try to be like what society holds out as the ideal man or woman. I observe this going on in all cultures. Fear is the tool for "education". So I ask myself, "Is there a universal way to raise and educate children, and the adults too, that could be used in any culture, be it a primitive one living close to the land or a highly technological one?" Before I address this question I feel it important to first ask, what is the purpose of life and edcuation? Isn't it to awaken in the individual, intelligence? Here is how J. Krishnamurti defined intelligence, " ...to see something very clearly, and act instantly according to that perception... To see, for example, that one is greedy, or self centered, or neurotic, or whatever it is; to see it very clearly and end it immediately. ...seeing a danger and acting according to that danger." from a Flame of Learning page 101. Secondly, do we agree that we want to live without creating conflicts or fears, and not imposing fears into children? Of course, competition and comparing go hand in hand with creating conflict, fear and violence in the world. If we do not agree to this, then what is happening in the world is fine. There are no problems because we are living our intent. Back to the question "Is there a universal way to raise and educate children and the adults, too, that could be used in any society, be it a primitive one living close to the land or a highly technological one?" I say yes. If we encourage and allow every citizen, which includes children and adults alike, to respectfully challenge and question everything that their society has put together, then we are on our way to recreating human society and consciousness. That means challenge gender roles, traditions, laws and rules, religious beliefs, how certain segments of the population are treated, government and decisions that have an impact on everyone, just to name a few. In such an environment, there is the possiblity that a miracle can happen in human consciousness. I have come a long way from explaining why I wrote the songs in "Singing the Earth". Everything I have written in the above paragraphs has influenced the songs. The theme that 'we are all one' permeates these songs. I have many more songs that address social issues and emotional issues. Most "love" songs are really distress songs. As you will hear in my coming albums, love is unconditional. Human love as we know it is conditional. Once we depend on something or someone outside ourselves to makes us feel whole or happy, then we get angry and jealous when the object of our "affection" tries to think for themselves or does something we don't like. Have you ever asked, "What is love?" Maybe by eliminating from our lives everything love is not, then what is left is love. Written August 31, 2008

It is hard to put into words the beauty of the Suwannee River.