Following your bliss to build your life
How music guided one man home
Julie Leoni
Do you remember the days when you could dance, with friends?
I look forward to those days again.
They days at the Alternative Nights where I would dance, without needing a drink, just the pounding of the bass-beat to the likes of The Cult and The Cure.
Then the festivals, the sun, Sinead O’Connor, Marilyn Manson, Belle and Sebastian, the staggering friends, the long drop cess-pits, then the swampy rain.
Native songs in sweat-lodges, pressed to the wet ground, holding onto the drum and call. Om-chants, Noor appelations, Pachelbel’s Canon in D sung in rounds. And the one my kids hate me singing, which moves me to tears, the South African freedom song Shosholoza.
Whatever it is, whatever my age, our age, music is the magic which can draw us inwards, unite us across our differences. Music draws us towards it, towards the drum, the fire, the rhythm moves our feet, our hips, our shoulders, it changes our breathing and our heart rate.
And for Jock it was the magic which has shaped his life. It caught him and has carried him from small flats the American road trips to gigs, note by note, calling him forward and he had the courage to listen and follow.
Jock Tyldesley plays fiddle and banjo, specialising in the old-time and cajun music of the southern United States. He has been a professional musician since 1990 and toured all over the world with various international artists. He also makes rather good hot sauce…so join me in conversation on my podcast this week.
Julie Leoni
Coach, author, podcaster, facilitator, Yoga and psychology teacher, learner
I have over 30 years of experience and qualification in various therapeutic and meditation/mindfulness based approaches. I work with change. Some changes we chose, others happen to us. Sometimes we know we want to change but don't know how. Sometimes we don't want to change but external events or people are forcing us to change. The menopause, children leaving home, the end of a relationship or job, becoming a parent, coming out, bereavement are just some of the personal changes I support people with. I also work with people who want to make changes to their life and wider world in response to social issues such as Covid, the climate crisis and racial, sexual and gender inequalities. Times are changing whether we want them to or not and we need to be nimble, agile, curious and open in order to part of the new story emerging. Work with me to get clear on what matters to you, what makes your heart sing and what kind of future you want for yourself and those you love. It is possible to live differently, get in touch to explore how.
