Sliding Scale Readings for Willie Mae

It's official... I've been a psychic medium for one year! I am so grateful to have given readings to dozens of you all over the world in that time.

To celebrate, I'm grateful to announce that starting today, I'll be providing readings for all at a sliding scale rate, with 10% of all offerings going to the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is "a non-profit music and mentoring program that empowers cisgender and trans girls, women and/or gender nonbinary youth and adults through music education, volunteerism, and activities that foster self-respect, leadership skills, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration." Their work in "innovative arts in education, media, and social justice programs... reach thousands of people all over the world." I've been a proud volunteer, donor, and supporter of their work for nearly a decade, and they continue to amaze me with their ability to adapt to changing situations to provide expression, education, and outreach to young musicians. If every child had access to the work they do, the world would be a better place indeed. 

I've been a proud volunteer, donor, and supporter of their work for nearly a decade, and they continue to amaze me with their ability to adapt to changing situations to provide expression, education, and outreach to young musicians. If every child had access to the work they do, the world would be a better place indeed.

Book your reading here!

I'm so grateful to connect with you over the ethernet and the ether 🖤

Photo by Ester Segretto

Photo by Ester Segretto

PSYCHIC MEDIUMSHIP READINGS: FREE FOR HEALERS, ACTIVISTS, + MARGINALIZED PEOPLE

It's Juneteenth, and I've been thinking so much about how I can contribute to the cause of social justice at this gut wrenching time. And while it may seem completely unrelated, it's time to share with you that I am a psychic medium. I use my psychic (or clair) senses to connect with loved ones who have departed and other spiritual beings to offer messages of comfort and strength to those who want them. I've been giving readings privately for almost a year now, and it's time to offer my gifts to the greater community. 

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What does this have to do with social justice? 

For one thing, this earthly world is failing us. Our systems and beliefs are failing our black people, our brown people, our mothers, our children, our refugees. Connecting to worlds beyond this physical one is a tool I use to remind myself that despite all of that, our planet is NOT doomed, and in fact, I, YOU, WE have the power to change the world for the better. For the best. Right now.

Being a psychic medium is not a superpower. Everyone is psychic and everyone has the ability to connect with spirit if they want to! In fact, lots of people are having similar awakenings right now, and I do not believe that's a coincidence. I am not a "chosen one," and I am not here to fix or save anybody. My job as a medium is to provide direct communication with your loved ones, guides, and ancestors who have passed so that you can clearly receive the guidance you need on the next steps of your personal path. I'm here to provide encouragement that there is something beyond this earthly clamor to remind you of your purpose and offer you a helping hand as you find your own way. I am here to sit with you by your side in your sadness and confusion in the comfort of a safe sacred space. 

Do we need people protesting peacefully in support of all those who have suffered needlessly? Yes. Do we need to vote in politicians that will uphold the civil rights of those who are being brutalized and taken advantage of by corrupt systems and people? YES. And do we also need safe spaces where we can be held in connection with forces beyond this thick world to remind us of our purpose and inspire us to do our part in this Revolution? HELL YES. There are a lot of amazing spiritual warriors out there right now, and YOU are one of them. I'm just here to help remind you of that. 

So what happens in a psychic mediumship reading? We'll set up a Zoom call (yes, it works over Zoom!), sit together, and listen. As I receive information for you from spirit, I will verify for you who is coming through and translate their message to the best of my ability. We will sit together for about 45 minutes and you can ask any questions you need in order to gain clarity, encouragement, or guidance from spirit. After our reading, I will also be available for any aftercare or followup support you may need. 

My most recent readings have left my clients feeling grounded, refreshed, and even "an overall sense of ease in an otherwise chaotic time." That said, it's not for everyone, but I'm here to hold sacred space with you if that feels aligned with your needs at this time.

I fully acknowledge that there is a critical difference between being a white ally and a white savior. My intention is only to serve. I wish to use the gifts of my privilege to be of service to my community and to support the highest and greatest good for all.  I am not here to heal anyone. You don't need me to. YOU have the power to heal yourself, to heal the world. We all do. I am here to walk side by side with you as we build a new world together. The Revolution is here, and it is now, and it is us. 

So if you are a Healer, an Activist, or a Marginalized Person and this feels gift feels aligned for you, please email me by July 19th to book a free 45-minute reading.

If you are not a Healer, Activist, or Marginalized Person and would like a reading, please email me as well and I will gladly offer one at a sliding scale cost!

EMAIL: MCKNZ.MGMT@GMAIL.COM
to schedule your reading over Zoom

For FAQs + Testimonals, please visit:
http://www.jocelynmackenzie.com/medium

I look forward to connecting with you in spirit!
sincerely, Jocelyn

NEW MUSIC WITH PUMPKIN MOUTH

NEW MUSIC MONDAY! My friend Guy Capecelatro III and i made a new band to create a new album for the RPM Challenge. We're called pumpkin mouth, and i'm really proud of the music we've made together.

As always, the RPM Challenge prompts participants to write and record an album in the month of February. Guy's in Portsmouth, NH and i've been in Tampa, FL, so we emailed tracks back and forth til we were done. Our creative process was both rewarding and hilarious: Guy recorded instruments on a bunch of tracks, then I improvised words with melodies over them in a process I like to call "word salad." Guy listened to what I sang and typed up the lyrics he THOUGHT I was signing... then I created working vocal parts without changing anything he wrote. All that is to say, very few of the lyrics make sense and lots of them are about food. So it goes.

Album artwork by J.J. Petrarchy of Mixed Messages Club

Big thanks to Guy for making this weirdo's creative dreams come true.

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AUTUMN BIRDSONGWRITING WORKSHOP with NYC Audubon Society, 10/27

Back by popular demand, I'm so proud to be presenting another FREE Birdsongwriting Workshop this Saturday, October 27 on Governors Island made possible by the NYC Audubon Societyand naturalist Gabriel Willow. 

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BIRDSONGWRITING WORKSHOP
with the NYC Audubon Society 

and Gabriel Willow

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, October 27
3-5PM
Governors Island
17 Nolan Park 

REGISTRATION
bit.ly/2J3VhcK

WHAT IS BIRDSONGWRITING?
Birdsongwriting is a process I developed of creating new music collaboratively with the natural birdsong we hear in the environment. Participants will be asked to listen deeply, meditate, vocalize, move their bodies, use found natural objects as instruments, and perform their new work. Everyone will leave having written at least one song!

We will work both indoors and outdoors, and the only materials required are a pen, paper, and a willingness to try new things. Like all of my songwriting workshops (bird and non-bird), this program is for experienced and non-experienced music makers alike.

FAQs
See my FAQs here: jocelynmackenzie.com/workshops 
These are FAQs for my standard (aka non-bird) songwriting workshops, but feel free to email me at mcknz.mgmt@gmail.com with any further questions.

HOW TO GET THERE
If you've never been to Governors Island, it's a magical place that's just a quick ferry ride from lower Manhattan. Come early to spend the day, explore, and get inspired! 
The Audubon Society has their residency in Nolan Park.

When you get off the ferry, go up the hill and turn LEFT at the fork! Follow the signs for Nolan Park, and the Audubon House is #17, on your right. 

View the ferry schedule here:
https://govisland.com/visit-the-island/ferry


See you there!

LOW + NASTY EP RELEASE / ALBUM FUNDRAISER... 10/13

For the last several months, I've been working on my first full-length album PUSH, a pop album about radical self love, composed entirely for string quartet, voice, and percussion. Since I don't write for string quartet, I've enlisted the help of an incredibly talented batch of composers, and what they've been working on behind the scenes these last few months has blown me away. They're breathing new life into some of my songs you know and love best, and it's inspiring me to see my own work in a whole new light. But they need to get paid. And I need some funds to record the thing. String quartets are not the cheapest, and for good reason. This music sounds amazing, and I want to share it with you. 

So I'm asking for your help to get it made. 

To raise money to make PUSH, I'm releasing some of the raw demos from the album as an EP called LOW + NASTY.  These are the lo-fi, down and dirty recordings of your favorite songs from my live show, like Bottom's Up (Better), Sick & Suffering, and more. Every dollar you contribute to the EP, your tickets to the show, and anything else you'd like to throw into the hat will go towards creating PUSH. For now, I'm not doing any crowd sourcing like Kickstarter or Pledge Music, I'm just reaching out directly to you and cutting out the middle man to see how far this thing can take us together. So even if you can't be at the show, please consider making a donation to the cause! 

TO MAKE A PRIVATE DONATION, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT MCKNZ.MGMT@GMAIL.COM

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
LOW + NASTY EP RELEASE
+ ALBUM FUNDRAISER
@ C'Mon Everybody
with Seasaw + Bodies Be Rivers
Doors @ 7:30pm
TIX: https://bit.ly/2t7YQrv

Photo by Ester Segretto

Photo by Ester Segretto

Last show for the foreseeable future... 10/13 @ C'Mon Everybody

Saturday, October 13 is the final show of my residency at C'Mon Everybody! And with all the other projects I've got going on (some of which you know about, some of which are still top secret!) this is the last show I have on my calendar until at least the end of the year.

So if you're thinking to yourself, "Oh, I dunno if I should go or not... I can just see her next show!"... there isn't one! Now is the time to rally. 
 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
@ C'mon Everybody
FINAL RESIDENCY SHOW
 DUO DIVA NIGHT
with Seasaw + Bodies Be Rivers
Doors @ 7:30pm
TICKETS: https://bit.ly/2t7YQrv
 

More news about this show and other October events coming soon... til then, get your tickets! 

What's a Dream Anyway? Here's a Song About My Day Job

I've wanted to be a professional musician since I was seven years old. This dream was fueled and expanded by my incredibly supportive artist parents... and television. At that time in the late 1980's, my TV viewing taste was almost exclusively honed to PBS and MTV (at a time when they were as green as I was and played exclusively music videos. Can you imagine?!). These two channels, like my two parents, worked in harmony to transmit an un-ignorable and unknowingly cooperative message; not only should I have dreams and work hard to reach them (thank you, Mr. Rogers) but that those dreams could be glittery, bright, glamorous, powerful, and on a stage with a jacked sound system accompanied by thunderous crowds chanting along to my music (thank you, Ms. Lauper). Yes, please. 

And so, as is true for so many of us born into the golden age of the "follow your dream" message, I never, ever, ever thought I would have a day job. I didn't want one and I didn't think I would need one. My dream would support me. Fred and Cyndi promised. 

I'm grateful to report that in the decades later, many of the dreams I had when I was a budding rock star have come true. By surrounding myself with great people who were willing to help me grow, by trusting the universe, by saying yes, and by just not stopping, I have tackled my music career's bucket list with reckless abandon since that dream blossomed. I wanted to tour. Check. I wanted to play for thousands of people at a time. Check. I wanted my songs to be in movies. Triple check. I wanted to collaborate with legends. Mega check. But mostly, I wanted my music to matter to someone. Check check check check check. It's been an awe-inspiring and humbling journey, and yes, there has been lots of glitter.

And now, I am a receptionist.

"Wait, what HAPPENED?" asks the American Capitalist Dream Making Machine. "You had it all, and now you're on the 9-5? Impossible!" The story I've been told here, directly and indirectly through many channels, is that by taking a day job, that I had the dream and lost it. That I was winning, and then I failed. That I gave in. That I settled. That I'm not a real artist anymore if I'm working behind a desk. At least this is the story my own self doubt told me as I was faced with the decision of whether or not to take this day job to support myself as the landscape of my life changed (a decision that this article helped make much, much easier). 

So what really happened? Was my music not good enough to maintain a career? Was I unworthy of the dream the PBS promised me? Was there just not enough room in this world for another indie pop princess? 

What happened is that my perspective shifted along with the redirecting tides of my life. My dream didn't shift, but my needs did. And I've learned that that's truly, truly, truly okay.

Also, with a lot of help, I have become much more equipped to thrive comfortably in the world of "both/and." Now, I am both a musician and a receptionist. I have both lots of dreams that have come true and more to come. I have both a supportive team of people at my day job (which I love, by the way) and a supportive network of colleagues and allies in my music world. I'm both more musically productive and collaborative now than I have been in years and a stable, predictable income. I feel both grounded and like I'm on a musical career adventure that is not even close to ending. 

What also happened, with one more nod of thanks to Fred and Cyndi, is that I've come to have a sense of humor about the whole thing. Why do we take this dream thing so seriously anyway? This song was a collaboration with my new band The Peggy's, recorded live at Otto's Shrunken Head at our first show as a band. Whether it's about my initial resistance to taking a day job or not wanting to suffer the grind of the very non-glamorous work it takes to be a full-time musician, I will never know. My guess is it's a little bit of both/and. 

 

FRUIT IN BAGS by The Peggy's

Same, same, bag in, bag out.

Same, same, bag in, bag out.

I don't wanna be a means to an end.

I don't wanna take the local train anymore.

I don't wanna have to go to work anymore.

I don't wanna be an anyone anymore.

 

Quit your job at the grocery store!

Quit your job, you don't want it no more.

Something better, something better for sure,

Stop putting fruit in bags!

 

I don't wanna have to punch the clock for the man.

I don't wanna have to wear a smile cause I can.

I don't wanna have to go to work anymore.

I don't wanna be an anyone anymore.

 

What's a dream, anyway?

What's it matter, anyway?

I could spend my days doing nothing much at all!

I've got freedom, I've got love,

I've got blue skies up above,

But it's not enough, no it's not enough,

And enough is enough is enough...

 

Quit your job at the grocery store!

Quit your job, you don't want it no more.

Something better, something better for sure,

Stop putting fruit in bags!

Happy Mother's Day, Here's a Song About My Miscarriage

Mother's Day can be complicated. It may have started out as a Hallmark holiday designed by a massive corporation to sell more greeting cards (more on my capitalist patriarchal conspiracy theories later), but now this holiday has come to mean something special to a lot of people. That feels important. However, for those of us who have struggled with motherhood in one way or another, this Sunday in May can be painful and grievous, and also bittersweet.

In June of 2007, I had a miscarriage. I learned I was pregnant as it was happening. I was 24 years old. I was on the pill and took it every day, actively trying to prevent pregnancy. I was at most 4-6 weeks along. My boyfriend at the time and I lived five hours apart from one another for one half the year and an ocean apart the other half. It was a total shock.

At the time, I wasn't really capable of registering the depth of what had happened. Thankfully, my miscarriage took place while I was amongst friends who took good care of me, one of whom who had had a similar experience. She told me what had happened to her and gently coached me through how to take care of myself. I called my boyfriend to tell him the news and he immediately bought me a bus ticket to come see him so we could process it together. I don't remember crying much, but I do remember feeling numb, confused, and also relieved. 

On one hand, this thing was tragic. It was terribly scary. A life had been lost. But it was barely a life, and I couldn't understand how one could lose something that was unwanted in the first place. The guilt of hosting a child that I didn't want overtook me, especially since so many try to become pregnant and can't. That emotion was followed by a lot of shame that my body couldn't hold this child even if I'd wanted it to. I felt broken, unable to do my job as a woman.

On the other hand, I was overcome with relief. I was so grateful that the baby hadn't gestated any longer and that the experience had not been physically painful. Most of all, I was so glad that I wasn't pregnant. I did not want to become a mother then, and eleven years later I'm still on the fence about it. I am beyond grateful that I don't have a ten-year old child. My life is full to the brim with creative, fun, and wonderful things... projects, adventures, intimacies. Of course many mothers have those gifts as well, and in fact some of my heroes are creative people who take their motherhood with them along those huge, wild journeys. Motherhood is not the end of a woman's creativity. But there's a freedom I feel from being no one's mother that I do not take for granted. I feel complete. 

In 2015 I broke open and was able to start unpacking my emotions around this experience in a new way. This song, Primate, was a huge part of that process. Like my miscarriage, Primate also took me over by way of unintentional gestation. It flowed out of me, fully formed but underdeveloped, at a time when I was learning that my former boyfriends were starting to have kids of their own, on purpose, just as my marraige had ended. The jealousy, confusion, grief, and freedom I was finally able to express were indescribable in words, but this song sums it up well.

This version of Primate is, like my child, unfinished. After a long stretch of debating how and whether or not to release this song in its pre-natal form, I decided, like my child, to set it free. It's a gift from me to you, on Mother's Day. Primate is especially dedicated to those of us who have lost their children or their mothers in one form or another; physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. It's okay that it hurts. 

Music generously and beautifully produced by multi-instrumentalist Nick Phaneuf

Lyrics and more info on Primate at my Bandcamp site, here. 

This song is free to download when you sign up for my email list, or you can donate a little if you like.