Dear friend 💜,

How are you? We're now in the quarter of the year when the nights grow longer than the days, which brings about the autumn hustle, and I am feeling it. I have a big oak tree in my front yard, and all the acorns are falling. I have been delightfully watching the little squirrels scurry about. Their usually slender figures are starting to get plump, and their fat cheeks are full of nuts. They seem so busy, munching and digging and burrowing acorns around my yard and in my flower pots, and then munching some more.

That's the energy I think we humans have at this time too: trying to use all of the summer energy of the sun to gather in everything we can before the cold comes. The chaos just doesn't seem to stop. Combine that with the tumultuous energy in the world, and it has left me exhausted. Fulfilled, but exhausted.

I also have so many people around me who are dealing with deeply challenging moments in their lives right now. Maybe that is you. Sometimes I think we can actually feel each other's pain, manifesting as pain in our very own bodies. I know it happens to me. I could especially feel it as a mom of little kids. When they were upset and crying, their physical discomfort actually felt like pain in my body. And every time I had a meltdown, so did my kids (which is particularly challenging!).

But I also believe that if we feel that discomfort, keep breathing, sit with it, and then release it, we are actually helping others and sharing the load. It takes lots of practice, courage, and presence to simply feel pain, breathe into it, and not go into fight-or-flight mode.

And I find that when I put voice to that exhale, whether humming, sighing, moaning, crying, or singing, it really helps the pain move through and not get stuck. There is a reason childbirth is usually not a quiet experience. In fact, when my first child finally slipped out of my body, I was so shocked by the visceral, profound, unexplainable experience that my (at that time) usually prim and proper self screamed "HOLY SH*T!" My obstetrician said, "That's right, holy sh*t!" But I was mortified that that was the first phrase my son's ears heard from his mother outside the womb!

But now I realize the point wasn't the words. That scream was my voice doing exactly what it was made to do: carrying something enormous through my body and out into the world. The voice can do so much more than communicate words. It is a powerful tool for healing and connection. I was just with a client singing Cris Williamson's "Sister," from her powerful, groundbreaking album The Changer and the Changed, and the profound message of sharing the burden of others is at the heart of it. I realized this was the message and the song I wanted to share with you today, so I made a simple recording of it for you here.

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I truly wish to share the burden of this world with you. I know I cannot heal others; that is a very intimate task. But I truly believe that raising our voices together can help us move through the pain and discomfort and connect us in ways that are more powerful than we realize. I would absolutely love for you to join me in October to explore the healing potential of our miraculous voices. There are two ways to gather:

Voices of Healing: October Online Gathering​
​Sunday, October 18, 7:00–8:30 PM CDT • on Zoom

Find a cozy spot, maybe with a nice warm cup of tea, and join us from wherever you are.

​Join the October Gathering​

You can also jump on the network and start meeting folks right now!

​Join Voices of Healing​

Please reach out with ANY questions!

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Your Voice Is Waiting to Come Home: A Vocal Empowerment Workshop​
​Saturday, October 10, 10 AM–1 PM • Riverside Theatre, downtown Iowa City

This is not exactly a singing lesson, and it is not a performance. It's an intimate, three-hour journey into the healing power of your own voice, for non-singers and singers alike. Through breath, sound, and vocal meditation, we'll explore how the voice works, reconnect with the emotions our voices were meant to release, calm and ground the nervous system, and discover what becomes possible when we let our voices rise together. No singing experience necessary. Come exactly as you are!

$60, with full and half scholarships available. Just email me at mj@maryjaneknight.com.

​Register here​

If you are local, this offering will be my only workshop in Iowa City this calendar year. The next one will be up in Marion in February!

And as always, I have things in the works! I was delighted to share my music and message in an article in LA Weekly, and I would love for you to check it out. 💜

Article Link:)

Starting next month, I'll be releasing a new single every month as I build my next album, and the first one is a bit different from anything I've shared before. This month I'm heading to Minneapolis for FARM (Folk Alliance Regional Midwest). I received a scholarship to attend for the first time, and I can't wait to meet so many wonderful artists and presenters. And I'm thrilled to share that I've found a beautifully matched editor for my book, Coming Home to Our Voice. In the new year, I'll begin working with her and looking for an agent.

I sure hope this finds you well and I want you to know that I am here, and I am sending so much love and light,

Mary Jane 💜

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I have loved meeting new faces in the studio and digging in with familiar ones. There has been so much wonderful work happening! Keep in mind the dates for our Studio Concerts this year!!
​Sunday Dec. 6th 7pm

Sunday May 2nd 7pm

Booking lessons — The calendar is pretty full but there are still flexible times available but if you are having any trouble finding times to book pleases reach out!

Policies — I’ve updated my rescheduling and cancellation policies so I can serve as many people as possible. When you open my scheduling link, please take a moment to read them.

Zoom lessons — As the weather begins to get colder, remember I can no longer give credit for when you are sick, but I have a nice set-up with my keyboard for zoom so we can work from afar. And even if you aren't feeling up to singing, we can find new literature or explore other resources.

As always, any questions at all, please reach out — reply to this email or call me at 319-594-3272.

Love you all!

💜Mj