Deconstruction story: Richard Swan

A friend shared a Facebook post by Richard Swan (in the fun group Dull Men’s Club) today, talking about how vanishingly few people are tone deaf, and most people can sing.

Richard Swan

I take the view that singing is an outpouring of the soul and one of the cruellest things a person can do is to tell someone else that they can’t sing, so this is a topic that is very close to my heart.

My interest was piqued so I went searching to find out more about Richard Swan. He’s also written a book for people who think they can’t sing, which looks very worthwhile. And in my travels I found this podcast about his deconstruction journey and wanted to share it.

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Music

Changing Paths challenge day 24: Music

I love music, especially any piece where the artist really put their soul into it. This is often the case with the music of oppressed, displaced, and marginalized peoples.

I have very diverse tastes in music but some of my favourite genres are Cajun, klezmer, zydeco, blues, baroque, medieval and renaissance music, and protest songs.

I have recently been listening to Palestinian music and it is beautiful. Check out this list of Palestinian artists by Christina Hazboun from 2021.

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Alanah Sabatini

Beautiful music for deconstruction from toxic religions by Alanah Sabatini, who has just released an EP of reclaimed hymns. It’s available on Bandcamp and YouTube now, and on all the major streaming services next Friday:

It’s very calming and could be sung as a group. It would work well in Unitarian, Unitarian Universalist, and Pagan settings, as well as at atheist events.

You can find her on instagram & threads as @alanah.dont.wanna

Alanah Sabatini