Let There be Change
I can still hear the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of my basketball
Flute Winner for February - Michele Rubino Ramakrishnan - Port Chester, New York
(Please respond to this email to claim your flute, Michele!)
Celebrate the Seasons
At one of my last sweat lodges with my teacher Migiizique (Eagle Woman), she looked at me and said, “Dennis, always celebrate the seasons.”
March 20th is the Spring Equinox. So, it’s a time to celebrate. Equinox literally means equal night.
Let me make this personal rather than launch into a dissertation on the spiritual fabric of Spring Equinox.
I grew up in the bluffs along the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. March there is a world away from where I live now in Northern Wisconsin. Up here, everything is still locked in a deep, bone-chilling freeze, but back in Atchison, March usually brought a 60-degree thaw.
I can still hear the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of my basketball as I dribbled up the alley toward the neighbor’s garage hoop. That sound echoed differently in the spring air—crisper, somehow. But it was the smells that really got to me. It was the scent of damp, waking earth and the faint sweetness of the first green life pushing through the Missouri River valley.
Even as a kid, I could sense that shift in every part of my body. Looking back, I think it was just the pure, unadulterated joy of watching nature wake up and realizing I was waking up right along with it.
So, I’m inviting you to celebrate this coming Spring with me. Take a walk, smell the shifting air, plant a seed, or go bounce a ball. Most of all, just let yourself feel the simple joy of being alive as the world opens its eyes to greet you.
Th3 R3vibal Local - Float Light In Appleton, Wisconsin
Th3 R3vibal (local) had our first public event to a sold-out crowd in Appleton, Wisconsin, at Float Light’s Sanctuary. What a great space and what a great crowd! Thank you, Jonathan Roug, Ashtyn Hale, and Hannah Baier at Float Light for the beauty that you helped us create.
Th3 R3vibal - Global - Jeffrey Salzcenko A.K.A Dusty Pockets - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Exploring Community, Healing, and Music with Jeffrey Salzcenko
Join us in March for this heartfelt episode as we dive into the musical journey, addiction recovery, and community-building efforts of Milwaukee-based musician Jeffrey Salzcenko, aka Dusty Pockets. Discover how music serves as a tool for healing, connection, and self-expression, especially in the face of life’s challenges. In this episode:
Jeffrey shares his journey from addiction to creating vibrant music communities
The significance of bluegrass, jazz, and singer-songwriter traditions in his work
How songwriting reflects personal recovery stories and societal issues
The power of community residencies and open mic events for fostering connection
Practical tips for artists building community and staying authentic
Jeffrey discusses balancing his music career with his recovery and his day job as a commercial painter
Reflection on the spiritual dimension of healing and creativity
Dusty Pocket’s music on Spotify
New Flutes for You.
Music R3vibal - Many Trails
I released this album in 2001, and I am so damned proud of it. It is a tribute album to my wife’s tribe, the Stockbridge/Munsee band of Mohicans of Wisconsin. I got to work with some incredible musicians, many from the music and arts school, Lawrence University in Appleton, Larry Darling, Patty Darling, John Harmon, John Gibson, and Dane Richeson. And the artwork by Charles Mitchell captured the theme perfectly. Give it a listen here.
Thank you for being here,
Namaste,
Dennis