Victorian Valley Chapel, Orcas Island, WA
 

Susan Osborn and Friends present the 26th Annual Victorian Valley Chapel Christmas Concerts. An intimate evening of Christmas and seasonal songs.  Come gather with friends and community for an unforgettable celebration of the season. 

Random Howse, Eastsound, WA

Ramkota Exhibit Hall, 3200 W. Maple Street, Sioux Falls, SD
 

My 3 piece all women band, Garden, is to be inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a gathering of the musical tribes in Sioux Falls on the 18th of April.  Also among the inductees are two other bands I had the privilege of playing with in the early 70's, Blueberry Buckle and Red Willow. 

Milton Town Hall, Milton, CT

Rosario Resort Music Room, Rosario Resort and Spa, Orcas Island, WA

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A rare opportunity to hear Kentaro Kihara and Susan in concert in the US!  Come celebrate Valentine's Day with an evening of beautiful love songs.

Hollyhock Retreat Center, Cortez Island, BC, Canada

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Singing is an ancient and universal language understood directly from one body to another. Recover the power and mystery of your voice as you ride a wave of emotional energy into your own authentic, glorious sound. Silence and Song is a deeply meditative listening practice which can lead into a joyous celebration of life in song. Comparable to the Buddhist practice of Tonglen, we breath in the sorrow, grief and disturbance of the world and exhale joy and beauty through the transformative power of singing without words. When we completely exhale, it creates a vacuum in our lungs which makes the inhale automatic and effortless. Listening moment to unanticipated moment, follow the sound of your own voice until it arrives naturally in the silence out of which all things arise.

Hollyhock Retreat Center, Cortez Island, BC, Canada

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See Hollyhock's website for more detail and registration: www.hollyhock.ca and search The Way of Song

Orcas Island

Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, 425 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA

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Sponsored by San Juan Islands Museum of Art. Susan will share an evening of traditional Japanese songs, original songs inspired by her travels there, and tales of those 21 years of visiting this incredible culture.  This event is part of artist Seiko Atsuta Purdue's exhibition " Warp and Weft: the NW and Japan" January 25 through April 5, 2013.

Victorian Valley Chapel, 883 Victorian Valley Dr., Orcas Island, WA

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Please join us in this unforgettable musical celebration of the season. We gather yearly in an intimate candle-lit chapel nestled in Orcas Island's Victorian Valley.  Susan will be joined by guitarist and vocalist Gene Nery, and trumpeter, Steve Alboucq.  Music will include traditional Christmas Carols, standards and original songs.  Join in the annual participatory singing of The 12 Days of Christmas, and an intermission sipping hot cider under the stars.  We are welcoming, again this year, donations of cash and non-perishable food for our local foodbank.  All children are admitted free this year. 

Gayville Music Hall, 502 Washington St., Gayville, SD

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A reunion of old friends, Susan will be joined by Boyd Bristow, Kenny Putnam, and Eddie Dunn, and Bill Lauf, from CT.   An evening of musical memories and new music. One night only!  For fans of Blueberry Buckle, Dry Mustard, and Red Willow Bands as well as anyone who enjoys great acoustic music and songs. 

The Dharma Room, 1604 S. Western Ave, Park Ridge Galleria - 26th & Western, Sioux Falls, SD

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Tuesday, October 23; 10am-4pm; $79.50 (incl. tax); Lunch included w/freewill donation. Register by phone (call Jill) or register online. This is an invitation to explore and reclaim the joy and birthright of singing. It is open to anyone regardless of “talent” or experience. It is a universally understood communication, beyond words, from one body to another. Singing is a fundamental creative act. It is an essential part of the human emotional digestive system and a gift intricately woven into our design as human beings. Over time, as we have separated from the natural world around us and our own nature, we have relegated singing to the extracurricular, and entertainment, and left this basic human expression to the specialists. This exploration is about reclaiming the original power and purpose of singing. We will explore the nature of emotion, and how it influences and ultimately shapes the sound of the voice, as well as how singing can contribute significantly to our overall sense of well-being.  Silence and Song is for anyone who would like to: • Reclaim the joy of singing• Strengthen and expand the clarity and range of their voice• Explore the practical uses of singing as a tool for communication, as a practice in intimate creativity and emotional integration, and as a pathway to deep silence. Susan Osborn is an internationally known singer, songwrite, producer and teacher who has been exploring singing for the past 40 years. 

Washington Street Arts Center, 202 Washington St, Vermillion, SD

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An Introduction to Silence and Song  with Susan Osborn   This is an invitation to explore and reclaim the joy and birthright of singing. It is open to anyone regardless of “talent”.   Singing is a fundamental creative act. It is an essential part of the human emotional digestive system and a gift intricately woven into our design as human beings. Over time, as we have separated from the natural world around us and our own nature, we have relegated singing to the extracurricular,  and entertainment, and left this basic human expression to the specialists. This exploration is about reclaiming the original power and purpose of singing.   Singing is a practice in listening; a way to center in the body and breath, contact who you are beyond thought, and from that place create a gift of beauty and truth to share with others.  We will explore the nature of emotion, and how it influences and ultimately shapes the sound of the voice, as well as how singing can contribute significantly to our overall sense of well-being.    Silence and Song is for anyone, regardless of experience or talent, who would like to:    •Reclaim the joy of singing • Strengthen and expand the clarity and range of their voice • Explore the practical uses of singing as a tool for communication, as a practice in intimate creativity and emotional integration, and as a pathway to deep silence.   Join us for a fun and moving exploration of silence and song, and begin to reclaim your voice.  

Orcas Island, WA
 

The first gathering of friends old and new, from Japan on Orcas Island in March was a sweet and deeply healing success.  Please join us for our second gathering.  A rare opportunity for my friends from Japan to visit beautiful Orcas Island and sing with me for a week.  Please visit www.orcastour.com for more information and registration. 天国のようなオーカス島で　スーザンのワークをご一緒しませんか。通訳は桐島ノエル、高津文美子。スーザンの声が私たちの魂をふるわせるように、あなたの音であなた自身をみつめ、癒すことができることを是非体験してほしいのです。有子Gower－orcasmagic@gmail.com

Hollyhock Retreat Center, Cortez Island, BC, Canada

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In celebration of Hollyhock's 30th year, Susan will join Shivon Robinsong, co founder of Hollyhock, and founder/director of the Gettin' Higher Choir, for a weeklong celebration of the power of singing, and song.  Please visit: www.hollyhock.ca  for more information and registration.

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THE WAY OF SONG:   Singing is an essential part of the emotional digestive system, intricately woven into our design as humans. We will explore how emotion influences and shapes the sound of the voice, and how singing contributes significantly to our overall sense of well-being.  All voices welcome. 

Orcas Island, WA
 

A rare opportunity for my friends from Japan to visit beautiful Orcas Island and sing with me for a week.  Please visit www.orcastour.com for more information and registration. 天国のようなオーカス島で　スーザンのワークをご一緒しませんか。通訳は桐島ノエル、高津文美子。スーザンの声が私たちの魂をふるわせるように、あなたの音であなた自身をみつめ、癒すことができることを是非体験してほしいのです。有子Gower－orcasmagic@gmail.com

Victorian Valley Chapel, Orcas Island, WA
 

Ritambhara Tyson and Carolyn Cruso will be joining Susan again this year for the 22nd Annual Victorian Valley Chapel Christmas Concerts.  An intimate and magical musical celebration of the season. Tickets available through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/211082 SPECIAL!  As of December 19, 2011.  Buy one ticket for any of the upcoming chapel concerts online at Brown Paper Tickets, or directly through us at susanosborn@susanosborn.com, and bring a friend for free! Let's fill up the chapel!

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Victorian Valley Chapel, Orcas Island, WA
 

Ritambhara Tyson and Carolyn Cruso will be joining Susan again this year for the 22nd Annual Victorian Valley Chapel Christmas Concerts.  An intimate and magical musical celebration of the season.

Orcas Island Community Church, Eastsound, WA

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Seattle Unity Church, Seattle, WA

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PRESS RELEASE April 9, 2011  FOR MEDIA INFORMATION:

Songs for Japan Benefit Concert with Susan Osborn, Overton Berry, Andre Feriante, Nancy Rumbel and Jeff Davies

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May 14, 2011 at 7:30pm

Seattle Unity Church Sanctuary Seattle, WA - Top Seattle area artists join together to present a special benefit concert honoring the people and music of Japan on May 14 at 7:30pm at the Seattle Unity Church, 200 Eighth Ave. N., Seattle, WA.  Admission is by generous donation to help the people of Sendai through Helping Hands Japan. Conceived by award winning singer/songwriter Susan Osborn, who has been touring, recording and teaching in Japan for over 21 years, the concert will bring Susan together with Seattle area musicians: master jazz pianist Overton Berry; guitar virtuoso Andre Feriante; Grammy award winning multi-instrumentalist Nancy Rumbel, and jazz bassist extraordinaire Jeff Davies. The gorgeous acoustics and quiet focused space of Seattle Unity will provide the perfect setting to hear these talented musicians perform original compositions and exquisite music from Japan.  The ongoing catastrophe in Japan prompted Susan to initiate a series of benefit concerts to raise funds to be sent directly to the people of Sendai, the epicenter of the earthquake and tsunami. Her connection with Sendai goes deep. After several performance tours to Sendai City, her unofficial Japanese hometown, she adopted a Japanese “ mother”, 83 year old Butoh dancer, Tokiko Oyama. Oyama-san’s family has operated a hospital in Sendai and is deeply connected to the community. The donations gathered will be sent through her “mother” directly to the people of Sendai where it is most needed through Helping Hands Japan. Ms. Osborn’s connection to Japan began with a recording of traditional Japanese songs, WABI, in 1991, for which she won the prestigious Recordo Taisho award. Her career blossomed with 7 more recordings and numerous tours to Japan. The Japanese music led her deeper into the ancient culture and hearts of the Japanese people.  From singing at the Nagano Olympics, to numerous NHK appearances, to temples and shrines, performances at Hiroshima, and numerous cities throughout Japan, Susan’s remarkable voice has become a well-known bridge between the US and Japan.  Her latest recording called KAKEHASHI, One Who Bridges, is a combination of Japanese traditional melodies and western classics.  Susan met Overton Berry many years ago, when he was invited to perform at Susan’s venue, The Living Room, on Orcas Island.  By return invitation Susan has sung with Overton at the landmark Sorrento Hotel in Seattle and Town Hall.  They immediately clicked, and welcome the opportunity to share the stage for this special benefit concert.  Overton has lived and performed in Tokyo. In 1988, while working in Japan, Overton composed the song "Eleven is Forever" at the request of one of the patrons who frequented the restaurant. It became the title song of his new CD. “The song was definitely inspired by the Japanese people and their culture... I feel a very close spiritual connection to the people and I want to help them in any way possible to recover from this tragedy..” Susan and Nancy Rumbel met in 1978 while both members of the Paul Winter Consort and have remained close friends. They have recorded and performed many times together and in 2004 Susan invited Nancy to be a guest artist on a tour to Japan.  Nancy performed and helped arrange some of the music on Susan’s newest release KAKEHASHI. Overton contacted classical neo-flamenco guitarist Andre Feriante and bassist Jeff Davis.  Both immediately agreed to help with this benefit. Andre will be sharing a special arrangement of the beautiful piece Sakura  “There is a meditative quality to many of my songs, the shared inward space of honor, this song also embodies that for me.”. The evening will include many of Japan’s best-loved traditional songs.  These are songs that Susan and husband, David Densmore, have created English lyrics for over the years.  The songs have a bittersweet quality and carry the core values of the Japanese culture, love of the land, nature, and of family.  In addition, there will be some musical surprises born of the unique collaboration from all these fine musicians, whose lives and hearts have all been touched by the generosity and graciousness of the Japanese people and have a desire to help.  “ My heart has been broken open by the ongoing events in Japan.” Susan shared. “  I wrote this small poem the other morning to express my feelings.”  I wish I could send back the wave in slow mo’ returning homes and cars and folks to their cozy places settling each tenderly down there on the shore of that place that has carefully tended my soul for so long so many have loved me back into place anointing the old wounds with beauty.      

Deer Harbor Community Club, Deer Harbor RD, Deer Harbor, WA

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Orcas A'Capella choir will join me for this performance.

House Concert in Marin CA, At the Home of Gary Malkin and Robert Adamich, 1280 Idylberry Road, Lucas Valley, San Rafael, CA

Memorial Church at Stanford University, Duena Street, Stanford, California

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From Kate Munger, founder and director of the Threshold Choir: Please be our guests for a candlelit contemplative concert in Memorial Church at Stanford University on Sunday Night, April 17th at 8:30 pm.  The Threshold Choir is especially honored to have as our guest, Susan Osborn, vocalist and songwriter.  We will weave a 45 minute concert of beautiful solo vocals and original songs composed by members and friends of the Threshold Choir. This concert is a gift to the community from the Stanford Department of Religious Life and many choral groups from around the Bay Area.  We are honored to be participating, love to sing in Memorial Church and love to share our singing in this special setting. 

Memorial Church at Stanford University, Duena Street, Stanford, California

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From Kate Munger, founder and director of the Threshold Choir: Please be our guests for a candlelit contemplative concert in Memorial Church at Stanford University on Sunday Night, April 17th at 8:30 pm.  The Threshold Choir is especially honored to have as our guest, Susan Osborn, vocalist and songwriter.  We will weave a 45 minute concert of beautiful solo vocals and original songs composed by members and friends of the Threshold Choir. This concert is a gift to the community from the Stanford Department of Religious Life and many choral groups from around the Bay Area.  We are honored to be participating, love to sing in Memorial Church and love to share our singing in this special setting. 

Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Blvd., Oakland, CA

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For more information or reservations write: kate@thresholdchoir.org or call  415-669-1413.  All profits will go to support the recovery in Japan.

Sycamore Congregational Church El Cerrito CA, 1111 Navellier Street, El Cerrito, CA

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St David's Episcopal Church of Friday Harbor, Friday Harbor, WA

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Join Carolyn Cruso, Ritambhara Tyson and I for this intimate musical celebration of the season.

Anniversary/ Kakehashi Tour in Japan, See Flyers on separate Anniversary/Kakehashi page

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A musical celebration, with pianist Kentaro Kihara, over 20 years of music making and teaching in Japan.  This will also mark the release of Susan's newest CD " Kakhashi". See separate page for dates and info.

Victorian Valley Chapel Christmas Concerts, Orcas, WA

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With singer/tenor guitarist Bill Lauf.  Tickets available through Crow Valley Pottery 360 376 5260, December 21 thru December 23 at 7:30 PM and Christmas Eve at 7:30 and 10:15 PM

St David's Episcopal Church, 760 Park Street, Friday Harbor, WA

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With singer/ tenor guitarist Bill Lauf

Isle of Iona Scotland, Iona

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You Are Invited to be with Vivienne Hull and Susan Osborn on the Ancient Island of Iona Scotland for an Unforgettable Women’s Retreat: The Creative Life Beyond the Shadow of Doubt.

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You are invited to journey to the sacred and ancient Island of Iona for an intimate gathering of women, hosted by Vivienne Hull and Susan Osborn, friends and colleagues for over twenty years. Iona is a place where the veil between the worlds is thin. Stepping out of the normal patterns of our lives into the beauty of Iona, we will share our wisdom and gifts, and fan the sparks of our creativity, trusting the power and grace that helps us manifest our dreams.

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Our Retreat will be a rich time of inner renewal, deeper spiritual understanding, and lively engagement with each other as we explore the power of our creativity as women. What is it that awakens the senses, and encourages wonder, gratitude, compassion and risk? How do we follow this creative impulse in our personal lives and in our work?

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We will draw inspiration from each other, the natural world, the deepest movements of the soul, and from those who have gone before. Iona links us to the legacy of women through many centuries …teachers, artists, healers, and leaders. The echo of their stories will enrich our own.

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IONA, in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland is only three miles long, and a mile and a half wide. It is an old place, rugged and beautiful, with a long Celtic tradition and a powerful sacred presence. Known as the home of Celtic spirituality, Iona helps us recover the wisdom of this life-celebrating and Earth-honoring tradition.

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One of the oldest places on the planet, Iona’s unique geology and ecology also remind us of our “sense of place” and what it means to be “at home in the Universe”. The wildflowers will be in bloom, and the puffins, skylark, corncrake, and cuckoo will have returned to their Hebridean home. As a fragile island ecology, Iona calls us to understand the interdependency of human life and the natural world, and the urgent need to care for the health and well-being of the whole community of life.This Retreat will be an intimate and personal time in a circle of twelve women. We will weave deep inner work, delight in our own lives, and immersion in the beauty of the world around us. Activities will include presentations, discussions, art, journaling, ritual, poetry and music. We will also hike and wander the heathered moors, cliffs and beaches of Iona, and explore the sites of historic interest. Optional activities include participation in services in the old Abbey, boat trips around Iona, and to the Isle of Staffa to visit Fingall’s Cave and see the colony of puffins. We’ll also plan a geological field trip to stand on Iona’s 2.5 billion year old rock outcroppings, go hunting for it’s famous green stones, and join the local community for a ceilidh, an evening of Scottish song and dancing. “Home” will be in Traigh Bhan, a lovely retreat house on the north end of the Island and in a nearby cottage, both overlooking the sea and the cliffs of Mull. We hope you will come for this intimate, weeklong retreat with Susan and Vivienne. Dates: May 26 to June 2, 2007 Cost: $1575. Includes tuition, materials, accommodation, breakfast and lunch fixings, and dinners on our opening and closing evenings. The Village has a grocery, two small hotels and a restaurant with very fine food for other meals and the traditional afternoon tea. Travel to and from Iona is additional. We will send you information on the route (through some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland) from Glasgow to Iona, with details on train and ferry schedules, and accommodation en-route.

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Guiding and Hosting Our Retreat:

VIVIENNE HULL   Iona has been part of Vivienne’s life for over twenty-five years.  Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Celtic history and spirituality are Vivienne's areas of  special interest and work. With her husband, Fritz Hull, she founded the Chinook Learning Center on Whidbey Island, and also founded and directed the Whidbey Institute. They are currently developing the Spirit of Legacy Project, and the Integral Spirit Program. She is a Lindisfarne Fellow.

SUSAN OSBORN   For over thirty years, singer and songwriter Susan Osborn has held the high ground of vocal artistry.  She came to world prominence when she was the lead singer of the Paul Winter Consort between 1978 and 1985, singing on such albums as “Common Ground,” and “Missa Gaia., as well as 15 solo recordings. Susan developed, and has been teaching Silence and Song classes around the world for over 30 years, exploring the creative power of the human voice in song. Her career has taken her to Japan for the past 15 years, where she teaches, records, and performs. Susan currently lives on Orcas Island, Washington, with her husband, artist and writer, David Densmore.

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We Dedicate this Work to all of our Mothers, our Grandmothers, our Daughters and their Daughters. This retreat is limited to 10 women, so respond soon.

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Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshima, Japan

Unseasonable Blossoms, Nagoya, Japan

Suirin Retreat Center, Nagano City, Japan

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Advanced Class with Susan the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of September

Suirin Retreat Center, Nagano City, Japan

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Beginning Class with Susan the 16th, 17th, and 18th of September

Market Square, Center of Eastsound, Orcas Island, WA

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Summer Sunday afternoon free concerts in the park in Eastsound.

Silence and Song Class/The Living Room, Eastsound, WA

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In this weekend class, we will explore the power of beauty to restore us to sanity, and balance through learning to listen compassionately to the sound of the human voice in song, our own and others. Singing is a primal, physical, creative act which integrates experience and emotional response, body and soul. It is a gift intricately woven into our design as human beings. Over time, we have lost contact with this design, and have relegated singing to the extracurricular, and to the realm of entertainment. This class is open to anyone, regardless of talent, who is interested in reclaiming the original power of song.

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We begin by consciously slowing down the breath by breathing in the nose, then exhaling, and allowing the lungs to completely empty. By doing this we create a vacuum, and the inhale becomes automatic. Then, as we extend simple, relaxed sound on the exhale, an interior world is revealed, the currents and tides of emotion that run through the body, and waves of this energy rise up. We will practice learning to catch this wave, and then, to ride these currents of emotion in song. Singing transforms the energy found there into an experience of clarity and integration, a joyous reunion with our true selves, and ultimately a profound silence. Singing is the direct language of the soul, a universally understood communication, beyond words, from one body to another. I am asking you to consider that the beauty you love is actually who you are, and that you can discover and nurture that beauty in the sound of your own voice. Join me for this two and a half day exploration of the power of song and intimate listening.

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Villa Rosa, 15 mins. east of Redmond; 15 mins. east of Issaquah, WA

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ONLY One CD Release Duo recording with Japanese pianist Kentaro Kihara An Intimate House Concert at Villa Rosa (The strawbale, Tuscan home of Jack Fecker and Jane Bakken)

Lynnwood Unity Church, 16727 Alderwood Mall Parkway, Lynnwood, WA

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Only One... Love Songs for Two with Kentaro Kihara

Seattle Unity Church, 200 Eighth Ave. N., Seattle, WA

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ONLY One CD Release Duo recording with Japanese pianist Kentaro Kihara

Orcas Center Community Theatre, Orcas Center, Eastsound, WA

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With pianist Kentaro Kihara CD Release Celebration. $10 in Advance; $12 at the Door