Vibrant Nation

You already know the power of affirmations, the power of music and the power of poetry. Positive Music (or Posi Music, as we call it) combines all three into a musical genre.

If I speak of these Positive Music artists as though they are beloved sisters, it's because they are. We have all been doing this music alone on the road for a couple of decades, and when we see each other at the annual Positive Music Awards, it's like a joyous family reunion.

	1. On Angel's Wings by Karen Taylor-Good If you know anyone with aging parents, Karen has one of the most helpful songs I've ever heard about accepting a beloved parent's Alzheimer's. The title track of her CD "On Angel's Wings" will bring comfort and hope to anyone in that situation.
	2. Songs of the Spirit II by Karen Drucker Her "chants" are great, because she takes a thought you'd like to remember, like, "Money Is Coming To Me Easily and Effortlessly," and combines that with a great melody and her jazzy, upbeat vocals, so that you won't need to remind yourself of that phrase anymore. It will play itself in your head whenever you need it. When any of the rest of us set out to write a song like that, the first thing we think is, "W.W.K.D.D., or what would Karen Drucker do?"
	3. Live@LC by Barbara Bailey Hutchison BBH is the most "cause-oriented" of this group, not in a rabble-rousing style, but Mother Theresa style. The first show I ever did with her was a benefit called "Straight but Not Narrow." On her Live@LC album, the song "Daughters of Feminists" is a funny favorite, with clever lyrics sung in Barbara's beautiful voice. That whole CD is great. Listening to the insightful and inclusive point of view in Barbara's songs, it's easy to think, "That's the way I want to look at the world."
	4. Amazing Things by Megon McDonough Megon is my favorite singer of the group, and her voice alone -- no matter what she's singing -- is worth the price of her CDs. This founding member of the famous Four Bitchin' Babes (whose group name was later shorted to The Babes to appease those who felt uncomfortable using the word "Bitchin'" to describe four women over 40), Megon is one of Chicago-land's most beloved performers. I love a song of hers that we wrote together, called "Amazing Things."
	5. What Would You Do This Year by Jana Stanfield Okay, how can I help you have the best Positive Music without including myself? Thank goodness I went to all those self-esteem seminars. You probably already know the song "If I Were Brave," so I'll recommend a favorite song from my new CD. It's called "George Bailey," with ideal lyrics for this season: "Even if I make mistakes / It's time I do whatever it takes / I don't want to be George Bailey / No more waiting."