Sittin' in a County Jail

Who were these people who participated in the January 6 insurrection, and what were their thoughts afterward? The horror of that violence and those questions were the driving force behind these lyrics. They were put to music by Penny Little, acted by James Folsom and performed by Ben Hurley, who died of COVID shortly afterward.

We Hold These Truths

I wrote these lyrics after the 2016 presidential election when I felt the country was veering into a horrible direction. I sought grounding in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and worked with the choir director at our Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation to create a song that could be performed by our choir -- and it has, many times!

Let Me Be Your Pet

I'm not a pet person. I am recurrently amazed at the relationship between people and their pets, and all the time, money and devotion involved. I wrote these lyrics in the voice of a woman auditioning with her lover for the role of his pet.

Quickening

I was distraught when the Dobbs decision of 2022 overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade. I’m old enough to remember the days before women could safely terminate a pregnancy and I couldn’t believe that we had lost that vital right. I wrote these lyrics to explore the real fears that having a baby can derail a woman’s own growth and development. I often appear in my own videos, but I was happy that Myah Mashadialireza agreed to perform in this, since I know I can’t convincingly portray a childbearing-aged woman!

Holy Brew

Penny Little and I wrote this in honor of a deeply spiritual friend who never falters in her radiance despite health challenges.

Break Up With Me

Who doesn't have a bad break up story? Music by Penny Little and video appearance by Jeffrey Walsh.

Dock Your Boat

Bringing someone's expensive boat into a slip in the harbor is nerve wracking task requiring skill. Just for fun, I imagined the task as a stand-in for a sexual encounter.

Say His Name

In 2017, I led a yearlong Santa Barbara County initiative as part of a “Government Alliance for Racial Equity.” It was a deeply moving experience for me, as I explored my own upbringing and biases, and learned some surprising history about the ways that American institutions and culture have created special privileges available only to white people. Then in 2020 came the horrific murder of George Floyd and the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Penny Little and I were inspired to write this song.

Isla Vista

I lived for many years in the very unique and precious community of Isla Vista, adjacent to UC Santa Barbara. In its long quest for local control, Isla Vista was able in 2017 to form a Community Services District (CSD) to address some of its challenges and have a forum for achieving its goals. I was appointed to the Board of the IVCSD in 2021 and have thoroughly enjoyed working with a number of very talented and energetic younger people. One of the programs that seems very unique to Isla Vista is the Compost Collective which is reducing waste and creating high quality soil. That effort inspired this song.

Don't Be The Next To Die

Newcomers to Isla Vista fail to recognize the dangers presented by our crumbling cliffs. We have mourned far too many deaths. I want this to be a song that Isla Vistans dance to, while singing the lyrics to their dancing friends and imbedding the message in their brains.

Thank You Santa Barbara County

I had a wonderful 20 year career working for Santa Barbara County and I am so grateful to be retired -- with a pension!

In 2019, I fervently believed that we would get the government we deserve if every eligible person participated by voting.

A Vote is a Kind of Prayer

I contributed to the 2020 Senate campaigns of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof, and was delighted when they were elected and gave the Democrats a Senate majority. Senator Warnock's initial address to Congress moved me deeply and so I turned his poetic words into a song, again with Penny Little.

Get Out and Vote

I participated in many "get out the vote" efforts after the 2016 election, naively believing that an abomination like the 45th president could never happen if voter turnout was higher.

I Crossed the Line

Is it foolish to cross lines -- or brave?