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The Golden Section:
TWPT Talks with....Michelle
Mays
©2000-2010 TWPT
TWPT: From the
description on your website it sounds like you have been involved in music for quite some time. When was it that you
first picked up an instrument and began to play in earnest?
MM: Luckily, both my parents were musical, and performers, and
so some of my earliest memories are of singing with the family, singing with
other performers and singing as my father played the piano. I was also exposed to a wide variety of
instruments. I composed and played my first song on the piano when I was 4
years old. I still remember it!
haha.
In Grade School, I first tried the flute. In Jr. High, I changed instruments when I
fell in love with the rich mellow sounds of the French Horn. I still dream in French Horn.. haha. When I was 13, I played keyboard and sang in
a Rock and Roll band. I was in various
bands through my teen years, playing for dances around the area, the local TV
dance program, and I learned to love performing live. However, at 14, I taught myself how to play
the guitar. With this instrument, I felt
a unity and a creativity that I'd never known before. I refer to the Guitar as 'my best friend'. In all my journeys in this life, since I was
14, it's always been with me, willing to play along as I express my heart.
TWPT:
In those
early days did you ever associate your playing with any spiritual connotations
beyond the Christian ones that you started with?
MM: My first song on the piano, at 4 years old, was about the
God Earth and being a child of the Earth.
Oh, now we're getting into life philosophy, One of my favorite
subjects! Yes, I did associate Music
with the divine. I wouldn't have put it
that way back then, because I didn't have the words. Music, the harmony, the vibration, the
opening of the spirit, the unity with
others making music or enjoying it at the same time, or with the effects upon
the spirit even when one is alone is like becoming one with the divine. That's not to say that every piece of music I
make is perfect.. haha.. Far from it.
It's the feeling of joy and unity with Deity that music has always
brought to me. That is my perfection.
TWPT:
Tell me
about when it was that you discovered the spiritual path that you are now on
and just to give us an idea of what that path is could you give me brief
description of where you fall in the spectrum of traditions and belief
structures.
MM: I was born and raised in a Christian environment, but by my
mid teens I knew that Christianity wasn't my path. Looking at my life it seemed at the time that
many
of the important things manifested through happenstance, or
perhaps it was that I was not consciously aware of where my life was leading
me. In the 70's, my Great Aunt taught me
Cherokee Spirituality. Later, I met an
amazing woman, who taught me the Silva Method, and some very Witchy techniques,
however, Religion and the word 'Witch', were never a part of this
instruction. Then, something happened
that set me upon the path I now follow.
A Gallery owner bought my line of jewelry called 'Conceptual
Sculpture'. She was behaving in a very
strange way, in my opinion. When she saw my work, and heard me explain it. She became very excited and started talking
about the Collective Consciousness and a grass roots movement that was
happening. She insisted that I read a few books. With my curiosity piqued, I bought the books
and read them. I was stunned. In one book, there were pictures and words
from other artists. Their work and words
were exactly like mine except theirs were in different media; clay, paint,
photographs, etc., mine was in silver.
These women were Goddess worshipers and Witches. The other books talked
about what Goddess worshipers and Witches did.
I'd been doing those things all my life, only I had termed things
differently! After a short period of
arguing with myself, .. haha.. I finally consciously and fully embraced the
Goddess and consciously and fully embraced being a Witch.
After searching around the country, I found a HPS I admired
and asked to learn from her, although I had to travel far- fromOklahoma toAlabama. I was accepted into her Coven, trained and
eventually was given the title 3rd Degree.
There isn't really a formal name for the tradition. It was a mix of Celtic and Faerie Faith. In my HPS’ words, your tradition is that you
are a Witch, one who is capable of anything, go do it! Gotta love her! In my quest for learning, I've also been
initiated McFarland Dianic and later, Artemisian Faerie Faith. In the present, I have combined all of these
things and use them in my day to day life, and in my Coven.
Although my perception of what ‘this is all about’ is still
continually evolving and growing. In one aspect, I see Witchcraft very much
like the scientific method. Under
specific conditions if you add A to B with C, then the outcome is
predictable. I see this scientific
method used in many different philosophies, disciplines, religions, etc.. Sometimes we need a label to identify
things. A rose by any other name is
still a rose.
TWPT:
What does
music mean to you and what purpose does it serve in your life? Would you still
compose and play even if you were the only one to hear it? Why?
MM: Music... ahh... everything, every little and large aspect in
life can be expressed with Music! Music
is a different kind of language. The
meaning and essence of musical compositions transcends language and time! Recently, through archaeology, ancient
written music to honor the Goddess, thousands of years old has been uncovered transcribed and played again! Look to Classical music written hundreds of
years ago. Listening to these
compositions, we feel the same emotions the composer felt while writing the music and we
feel the same emotions the original listeners felt! Recently, scientific studies have focused on
the effects of Music on water and plant life.
These studies have indicated that listening to music effects our
environment by either nurturing or inhibiting at a cellular level! Regardless of the level of sophistication or
skill of a composer, the essence of the language of emotion behind the music is
always there.
I think when anyone sings or creates music or even listens
deeply to music they are tapping into a direct line to the Creative force of
the Universe. Music can be such a
positive life affirming expression of our inner spirit! Music takes raw emotion, gives it vibration
and sound, and it manifests as a primal or sophisticated sound of heart and
spirit expression! In this light, when
I'm singing and making music, whether it be for a physical audience or just for
me, I'm aware that in essence I sing to the Goddess, the God: to the divine
creative force of the Universe.
TWPT:
Tell me
about the impact that hearing the story of Selu had on you personally and your
music.
MM: Selu... when I first heard the story from my Aunt, It rocked
my world. This was the first time I'd ever really thought of the possible
realness of Deity as Female! And, as a
Mother myself, I looked to Selu’s purpose as Mother/Grandmother/Creator. It was to nurture life so that it could grow,
fulfill and continue. The stories of
Selu say this was done in kindness and care, in the gentleness of a loving Goddess. Because of the influence of Selu, I
consciously raised my children to become successful adults. And they are!
Selu was my role model as a Mother, and as a human being/doing, for her
wisdom goes beyond just the family unit and serves the greater whole of the
Community.
TWPT:
What were
some of the first songs that you remember writing that reflected this new focus
on the nature of Deity in your life?
MM: My first song at the age of 4 was about God Earth and Earth
Children. But after fully embracing the Goddess, I really don't remember my
literal first song on this subject. The
transition from unconsciously to consciously writing about Deity was very
gradual. I think De ja Vu, written in
1980, (written for my husband) was the first song I wrote that stood on the
Pagan philosophy side of the fence, even though I hadn't consciously embraced
the philosophy yet.
TWPT:
When was it
that you decided to record some of your songs and put them out on tape and
disc? What was your motivation behind this?
MM: All of my Adult life, people asked me to record songs, and
Bands asked me to join them and record.
Although I didn't take up any offers when I was younger, I always knew I
would end up recording, eventually. In
1998 a good friend of mine asked me to give my music, performance, and money to
create a CD so that the sales from the CD would benefit the community. She would donate doing the business end of
the CD, and it would be a partnership donation from the two of us. I'd donated a lot of money in the past, to
benefit the Community, and the needs of the Community were growing. It seemed like a wonderful idea, so I
agreed to create the CD as a dual fund raising effort.
TWPT:
Tell me
about the experience of recording your first CD and getting it out for folks to
buy? Was it easier or harder than you had imagined when you started the
process?
MM: Boy, is this a loaded question. The recording studio was freezing, but over
all, the experience with the recording was difficult. I have never publicly spoken of this before,
but there was a lot of stress involved with the CD, The Promise. The Promise name has much more meaning than
most people know. The Producer, Rob
Volner, was the son of one of the Crones of the Community, and he understood
the agreement for the CD from the beginning of the endeavor. I made a huge
mistake. I didn't ask my friend for a
Contract, instead, I trusted her. Before
the recording was finished, the Producer and Sound Engineers surrounded me and
told me they didn't want to be a part of what was happening, my friend was
doing funny business and they strongly urged me to take steps to stop it. I didn't want to believe them, but
understood that if no funny business was going on the steps they urged me to
take were harmless but would ensure the agreement and would stop any possible
funny business from happening.
Unfortunately, what they'd warned me about turned out to be
true. The behavior of my friend and the
sadness I felt nearly stopped The Promise from being released. But I had made an agreement, a promise not
only with my friend, but with the God and Goddess, the Universal creative
force, to create the CD and to donate
the funds to the Community. I feel that
music is a sacred gift, and just because my friend chose not to follow through
with her agreement it didn't mean that I couldn't. And so, The Promise CD was released in 2000.
I'd like to acknowledge two brave and strong women, Renda and Belinda. Renda is a beloved friend and wise HPS of the
McFarland Dianic Trad (she’s also mentioned in the song, ‘The Welcoming’, and
Belinda, a good friend and strong HPS of
the Silver Serpent tradition. If not for
these two women, the stress from the funny business would have been much
greater. They understood what was going on, and encouraged me onward through
this difficult time. And so, The Promise
CD, was released in 2000. Since then I
have learned to get a contract when doing business of this sort. I have endeavored for most of my adult life
to learn how to be in unconditional love.
This situation with the funny business gave me lots of opportunity.
Marketing the CD was not what I'd originally planned, and so
I learned how to market. Quite the
learning experience here too! I soon
learned that the Internet was a wonderful venue for marketing, and spent
hundreds and hundreds of hours investigating and uploading to music sites to
get the music out there.
TWPT:
Were you
happy with the finished product when you finally had it in your hands?
MM: I don't think any artist can listen to their recorded work
without remembering the details of recording.. haha.. But over all, I was pleased with the finished
product. And, by the fan mail I receive,
I think the people who hear it are happy with it too.
TWPT:
Was there a
theme to the songs as a whole on your first CD The Promise?
MM: Yes, there is a theme.
It is laid out in Ritual form. A Circle. The Calling of the God/Goddess, with space
for physical ritual tasks in 'Opening, One Power', and the releasing of the
God/Goddess, with 'One Power, Closing'
With the body of the ritual being filled with the subject matter, which
hopefully is reflected in the variety of songs in between the Opening One Power
and Closing, One Power.
TWPT:
What kind of
reception did The Promise receive when you released it and was this an
encouragement to you to continue on?
MM: At the time of the release of The Promise, Internet music
was changing the world by helping Indie musicians reach a broader market. Mp3.com was rising in popularity. Mp3, Iuma, CD Baby, Ampcast, and the other on
line music sources, promoted Artists with the promise- free downloads encourage people to buy
CD's. Indeed the free downloads were
quite popular, but the actual sales of
CD's were going rather slow. I
think we all figured out after a while that people in general wouldn't buy a CD
when they could download it and burn it for free. However, I was getting fan mail from people
from all over the world! A few of my songs from ‘The Promise’ Cd, were chosen for
special awards by MP3, and agents from the film industry courted me for a
bit. The best thing about Internet music
is that it really helped Pagan musicians and the Pagan Audience connect!
This reception, the fans, and the easier marketing due to
the internet, encouraged me to start planning the next CD.
TWPT:
Are your
songs a musical record of your search for Deity and is it difficult to be so
personal in songs that will be heard by so many people?
MM: When I create music I am creating from spirit and from my
heart, it is an unstoppable flow. When I
perform live, I see the God and Goddess reflected in the eyes and faces of the
people in the audience, I sing and play for the God and Goddess. I believe that
each and everyone, everything is a part of God and Goddess. I believe that God and Goddess are with us
all, every moment. And so to answer your
question, it is not difficult, it is a joy!
Yes, most of my songs are a personal record of my
experience. Every song I've recorded is
very much like a Song to the Universal intelligence, God and Goddess. 'Sometimes I wonder', I feel is the most
revealing of my personal day to day experience of Goddess. It is my ode to the Goddess! For truly, When I acknowledged the reality of
the Goddess, I climbed out of that finite box of Christianity and found a
beautiful, welcoming, loving, infinite World!
I am so grateful for this mind expanding, life nurturing experience!
TWPT:
When was it
that you decided the time was right to go back into the studio to do a new CD?
MM: People in my audiences wanted the songs I was performing
live, and fans kept writing, wanting more.
And so I had to wait until I could block off a few months to
record. I didn't want to rush in the
studio, like I'd done with The Promise, and I wanted everything to be stress
free. I also had to wait for Ernie
Tulles and Rob Volner to have time in their busy schedules. I consider Ernie and Rob as trusted friends
and they worked with me on The Promise. I wanted their expertise again! Finally, everything lined up and The Golden
Section, by Michelle Mays was recorded!
TWPT:
Tell me about
the music that you chose to record on The Golden Section and what does the name
of the CD mean to you?
MM: The Songs on The Golden Section, by Michelle Mays, were my
most requested songs from my live performances.
The Golden Section. Ah, that phrase means so much. I could write a book. However, I will try to
keep it brief. As I have come to
understand life it really is as a spiral refining itself as it moves forward.
It's like all of life has been pre-wired to evolve and grow. When there is support of nature for a thing
to continue, it does! The Golden mean, a
mathematical code, is the Golden Section found throughout nature. How this applies to the Spirit is… As life grows, it refines itself. As it refines itself, it moves closer and
closer to the ultimate intelligence of the Universe. Circling, reaching moving, exactly like the
Golden Section found everywhere! Now,
bringing it down to the personal for the CD, my music is continually growing,
reaching and changing, moving forward with my understanding and expression.
TWPT:
Was the
Golden Section easier for you to record having had the experience of The
Promise behind you?
MM: This makes me giggle, haha, the Golden Section was easier to
record because it was recorded in a very warm and professional Recording
Studio, and I set the recording time to be one of ease and free of stress over
the course of months. In other words, I
was able to record without stress, without shivering and there was no funny
business going on!
TWPT:
Are the CD's
pretty much Michelle Mays or are there other musicians and singers that help
you out with achieving just what you want your music to sound like?
MM: I remember searching
for Pagan music in the early years, what I found was wonderful, but most too,
was just a guitar and a few voices. The
Promise, was very basic. I took The
Golden Section a step further with additional harmony and instruments for a fuller
sound. My next CD will have even more
elements!
TWPT:
Boudica and I
met you at one of your performances at an event that we were attending here inOhio and we enjoyed listening to your music and
talking to you afterwards. Tell me about the
traveling that you do as a performer and how that differs from what you do in the
studio with your music.
MM: I remember meeting you and Boudica, and have looked forward
to another opportunity to hang out with you two!
I live in a little town on the Great Plains inOklahoma, so where ever
I perform my Pagan music, I have to travel.
It's a very good thing I enjoy traveling!
Ah, the difference between the Recording Studio and live
performances! There's a world of
difference! I think the big difference
is, in a live performance, it is as if, together-the audience and I create a
synergistic unified whole other entity, and it's wonderful! They react to me, I react to them, and this
action and positive reaction creates a different dimension to experience, it's
awesome! In the studio, the total focus
is getting the music just right because it will stay that way forever. There is a whole dynamic and depth that is
left out without a live audience!
TWPT:
Do you enjoy
meeting the folks at these events and sharing with them the music that you have
created over the years?
MM: I love it, it's always a surprising joy! I've performed all over this country for
Pagan events. I've found that we Pagan
Folk are such a creative, honorable, fun and open hearted group of people, and
this characteristic of our People is widespread, from Sea to Sea!
TWPT:
What kind of
feedback have you been getting from your CD The Golden Section so far?
MM: Feedback from my listening audience has been wonderful! I also decided to put some of the songs up
for review by mainstream Musicians and competition with mainstream Musicians at
Garageband.com. I was a bit timid to put
them up for review of my peers, but, I really wanted to know if the music would
stand. Pagan music in the Mainstream
generally doesn't do well, the philosophy just isn't understood.. haha.
With many of my songs, either the musicians loved the lyrics
or they hated them. However, the
musicianship stood with the best. I feel
very relieved about this! Some of my
songs did very well and won special awards:
Best female vocalist for several weeks, best Song for several weeks,
Song of the Day at GarageBand.com, Potential Movie track, Best Mood.
The response has been very positive and encouraging! But, I
think the most surprising response I've had is from my fans who've discovered
'The Greenman' song, the hidden track at the end of the CD. The lyrics to the hidden track are not
printed in the CD booklet and I've had countless fan mail and requests for the
lyrics to 'The Greenman'.
TWPT:
Will we be
seeing a lot of Michelle Mays out on the road for 2005 and if so where can the
readers of TWPT catch you live? Do you try to do a certain amount of shows each
year or just what comes up?
MM: Ah, the spiral turns, and the hot flashes burn..
haha... I'll be slowing down a bit till
I get through the crossing into Crone-dom.
Hot flashes tend to leave me breathless.
Breathless only works well on songs like 'Gently Johnny'! This year, I need a climate controlled
environment to perform live and unfortunately, most Pagan events are
outdoors!! Therefore, this season, I'm trying
to stay home to get a new project up and going.
I now have a Recording Studio!
I'm learning to use the equipment.
I'm learning fast and love the challenge! I will be recording some of my newer songs,
stories and meditations, to be released as they are completed. This spring and Summer, I will also be
working on a chant CD for a Pagan Organization fund raiser. The singers and chanters on the fund raiser
Chant CD will be the attendees of the next local event. So, later this year, be watching
for this new and exciting Chant CD!
TWPT:
Any final
thoughts you might want to share with the readers of TWPT about your
spirituality or your music that I didn't cover in the previous questions as we
finish up this interview?
MM: Final thoughts... I'd
like to thank my audiences for giving me the experience of being 'one' with
them as I perform! It is a Joy! I'd like to thank all of the people who've
talked to me about the effect the music has on them and in their lives, I'd like to thank everyone for the
opportunity they have given me to share the music, Including you, Imajicka,
Thank you! If I could leave a message
for the world, it would be this: Love each other as you love the Goddess and
God! Be kind and compassionate with one
another. Life really is a place to
manifest dreams… So... Dream fun and exciting Dreams!
TWPT: Thanks for
taking the time to answer my questions and giving the
readers a real good look at who Michelle Mays is. May
you continue to offer up your music as a blessing to
others for years to come.
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