“Listen to everything all the time and remind yourself when you are not listening.”
– Pauline Oliveros
The Heart Chant is one of composer Pauline Oliveros’s “Deep Listening” meditations, her practice of “listening in every possible way to everything possible, to hear no matter what you are doing.”
Written in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, the Heart Chant‘s simple instructions invite any and all to participate in creating community through sound. No musical training is required.
Nearly a dozen Heart Chants are planned for Make Music Day this year on June 21 around the world. We invite you to join one near you, or contact jonah@makemusicday.org to organize one of your own!
Schedule (June 21, 2019)
Houdini Plaza
Noon
led by Leila Ramagopal Pertl
Contact: leilaramagopal@gmail.com
Chicago, IL
River Theater
on the Chicago Riverwalk
7:15pm
led by Forte Chicago
Clichy, France
6 rue d’Estienne d’Orves, Clichy
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Click here for details
Hartford, CT
Vasu Yoga Studio
56 Arbor Street (lawn behind the building)
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Contact: sara.balkun@gmail.com
The Well For Women, 495 Blake St.
10:00am – 11:00am
New York, NY
The Oculus at WTC (atrium), Manhattan
12:00pm – 3:00pm
Now in its third installment for MMNY! Presented with thanks to The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and Westfield WTC.
Contact: jonahudall@gmail.com
Perth, Australia
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Waylen Bay Scout Group
The Strand, Applecross WA 6153
Lead by Cherry Chapman and Kobi Morrison
Contact: cherrychapman@gmx.com
5:00 – 5:30 pm
The Liberty Pole
Contact: maggielondon2000@gmail.com
Santa Fe, NM
4:00 – 6:00 pm
Santa Fe Plaza
Contact: sidni@mindfulnewmexico.com
Santiago, Chile
6:00 pm
Biblioteca Santiago, Matucana 151, Santiago, Chile
Lead by Agnes Paz and Crisitán Parker, and Fundación Voltajes Aleatorios
Contact: agnes.evseev@gmail.com
Woodbury, CT
7:00 pm
New Morning Market
Contact: juliemcook@earthlink.net
The Heart Chant
By Pauline Oliveros
Stand together in a circle with feet about shoulder-width apart and knees a little soft.
Warm up your hands by rubbing palms together until you feel the heat.
Place your right hand over your own heart. Place your left hand on the back of your left hand partner (back of the heart).
After a few natural breaths sing/chant/intone “AH” on any pitch that will resonate your heart. Sense the energy of your own heart and that of your partner over the course of several breaths.
Can you imagine that the heart energies are joining together for healing yourself and others?
Can you imagine heart energies traveling out into the universe as a healing for all victims and toward the end of violence?
When The Heart Chant ends, gradually release your palms and bring them forward parallel in front of you. Sense the energy between the palms as if there were a sphere or ball that can be moved around. Then bring your palms to your own center, fold them over and store the energy.