I love to think about my last trip outside of Canada, last January. It was for the Keystone Sacred Harp convention in Philadelphia and my first time signing with hundreds of other voices which felt absolutely exhilirating, the a cappella harmony washed over me all day.
A spot had opened up in a carpool ride, which was announced at the weekly Montreal sing and I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to go but with the power of meditation, I dared to go, allowing me to deepen precious bonds of friendship. Accepting the generosity of the wonderful family that would greet us with a comfortable place to stay. It came to me that I only needed to reach for the beautiful fruit of abundance in a meditation, it would fall right into my hand.
I wrote a bit about Sacred Harp and what it means to me in an article. I believe it has grounded me in these troubled times, I sing to videos or from a live Jamulus feed, an app with minimal audio latency which I cannot figure out for the life of me.
Signing has helped me a great deal since this trip as it breaks the monotony, involves the whole body without needing to break a sweat and it improves my general focus. I love working with the diaphragm because it transfers over to many other disciplines as it is at the core of our being. Cues like relaxing the jaw or moving from a chest voice to a head voice are quite simple to understand yet so challenging to master. The twang is a way to summon a nasal sound to transition between the two, but it shouldn't be too pronounced.
The ride there was eventful, Jordan was enjoying their crochet technique, Cait and Dave were talking in the front and at some point he got a speeding ticket.
It meant a lot to socialize with these friends, learning more about who they are. What a sweet opportunity, I was suspecting the situation could get this bad with the virus and this whole journey genuinely helped me create memories to feed me in these difficult times.
They are a fine group of people, kind, loyal and with lots of empathy, I consider myself lucky I was included in this community.
We got lost and came much closer to NYC than originally expected. I remember we were listening to a radical feminist radio show which shied from Marxism in no way whatsoever, the leftists that we are chuckled at this bold affront against the establishment. We made plenty of jokes, secretly worried that we might miss some of the Friday gathering.
I believe we were passing a toll booth when all the lanes became a mess and we found ourselves suddenly in the midst of a pack of 16 wheelers, hoping to survive the chaos. It was stressful but Dave actually enjoyed our unpredictable predicament as he felt that the challenge was exhilarating.
It was sensational to discover the Philadelphia skyline by night, I had no idea how charming the old world architecture would be with some very cohesive streets. Many buildings were worn down but the overall aura of the city remained impressive.
Our gracious hosts were Yael and her family. They were marvelous to be around, with good conversation and true kindness, the hallmarks of hospitality. The house was filled with the paintings of Yael's sister about people in different places with accents of red.
Yael's dad was great to have breakfast with, well educated and funny, I loved talking to him over bagels.
My little crew is active and generally curious so we just had to make a stop around the waterworks and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At that moment, Jordan was with other friends and their spot in our car was filled by Em, an adorable young woman, bursting with creativity at the seams. I really love her energy and a romantic je ne sais quoi about her personality, a mix of joy and melancholy. Of course, I was prompted by Cait to reenact the iconic scene from the ’80s classic Rocky. “You're a fitness instructor, you can run up the stairs, right?” So I did as they were cheering me on and laughing. Then, they in turn took to the climb to do that mighty pose.
Friendship is more precious than anything in the world. These beautiful people just adore my mom Mishi and the always look out for her. I loved signing at the park with them last summer.
One thing that was extraordinary about the Keystone Convention in Philly was the potluck. It was absolutely sublime and made with the best of ingredients, I have never seen anything like it, so hearty varied in taste. Frankly, it makes the memories that much more powerful for having experienced this generous hospitality.
Amish butter is definetely a standout, you must try it one day!
I miss these people, they are very active and supportive on social media, a blessing, no pun intended. I miss having them with me in person and being able to sing with them. Fortunately, I see it as a challenge as I practice the repertoire to improve my technique and have more to bring to the table.
I have been having a difficult time writting lately, I hope to say a few more things about this event soon. Stay tuned for part 2.