Lately, I (Jascha) have been obsessed with Paul Simon, a peerless American songwriter. Here’s what he says, in an interview from the early 1990s, about the delicate task of writing the first line of a song: “How you begin a song is one of the hardest things. The first line of a song is very hard. You Read More

This week we return to a visual prompt. And … here it is: Your task is simply to use the image as a jumping off point for singing.

So often, we just stand and sing. But your voice lives in your body. So it’s no wonder that, when you focus on moving your body in new ways, new music comes out of it. Teaching a class on “Improvising from Folk Songs & Dances” this summer, with my wonderful co-teacher Diana Yourke, I have seen how much music is Read More

Ring ring! Calling all SSS members! This week we’re going to switch up the format a little bit. Most of our prompts ask you to share a little song on the Internet. Which is fun. But this week, let’s get personal. Let’s leave *singing voicemails* for one another. A sort of improvised phone tree, if you will. Here’s how it’ll work: 0) Read More

Last fall, we asked you to sing a song from your childhood. With summer bursting around us, and with a national Children’s Day on Sunday, it’s time to revisit the world of childhood again.   But now, rather than turning to your memory vault, we want you to sing for an actual child. Your job is simple: 1) Read More

This week, I came across an intriguing suggestion in a book by the Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod: “How do you practice generosity? Once a day, give something you own to someone else. You may give a paperclip or a flower, but the object has to be physical and it has to be yours. It may be Read More