Dancing in a Dream with a Ghost in the Machine

How did it get to be Friday? I didn’t publish anything on Wednesday … and I didn’t even realize it! That’s not like me. Wait … I did publish on Wednesday, but it didn’t appear above the fold for some reason. I think I need a vacation.

The reason is reasonable, however. I have been writing (almost) all day, (almost) every day, for months. I am trying to do more than just post articles—I am laying the groundwork for some big things. (Or at least things that at least have the potential to be big.) And this time, I got so engrossed that I completely forgot what day it was.

I will spend the rest of today (and next week, and the next few months!) working on those things, but it’s #FreedomMusicFriday, which means we have to listen to some music!

For today, let’s listen to songs from a couple of Substacker musicians.

Jacqueline Rendell and Tesstamona are both freedom-loving humans, and that love comes out in every one of their songs, in one way or another. As such, my job today is easy: all we need to do is pick their most recent music posts, and we will find good music with themes of freedom, individuality, resistance to oppression, and all the other feelings and impulses we share.

Jacqueline Rendell’s approach—if I may be so bold as to attempt to summarize it—is to build individual strength and focus on the good rather than on the horrors of the world. As we know, happiness is contagious, and it makes the world a better place when we try to spread goodness rather than gloom.

And so, Jacqueline is asking you to do that. To “Be That Light.”

Every song on Tesstamona’s album Ghost in the Machine has a freedom-related message of one sort or another. If you want to be free … if you hate oppression … if you’re trying to be a real human in the real world … her lyrics are for you. (Her music is on most streaming platforms, so it’s easy to add it to your playlists.)

Here is the title track from that album.

I know you will appreciate Jac’s and Tess’s messages, and I hope you dig their music as well.

Rock on, freedom humans!