Janie Rezner: The Music

Home

Ceramics

Background

Harmonic Ocarinas

Painting

Writings

Inquiries

"Hauntingly beautiful music."
	"Your music has a lot of space in it."
Oquawka Speaks the Words and Music of Mother God, Vol. One The CD begins with the rich vibratory sounds of the triple ocarina, a unique clay flute which can play three part harmony. Next, music of 1985, recorded live in Clapp Hall, Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa. " A seven foot Steinway piano sat center stage in the shadowy, silent, eight hundred seat recital hall. There I was, alone with my music."
(Click on mp3 to download sample sounds.)
1. Here Comes Love two ocarinas, Roland synthesizer [mp3-1:34, 5:51] This song was inspired by the music of "Golana," soulful American Indian flute player, Scott Cunningham. Hearing his award-winning CD, "Walk Between Worlds," made me realize I could play the ocarina in a similar way. Thank you, Scott.
2. Ocarina Praise Chant three ocarinas, Voice, Guitar, Synthesizer [4:15] I love hearing the three ocarinas- high, medium and low or, small, medium and large- playing as a trio!
3. Mother's Ocarina Song ocarina [mp3-1:36, 3:30] The mystical tones and vibrant harmonies of the triple ocarina transport us to the realms of the sacred. A little song that my mother played on the piano is woven into this composition. I play this song at gatherings to create a sacred space; recently I played in San Francisco at Ft. Mason before a moving dialogue between Johanna Macy and Julia Butterfly, captured on video.
4. Come to the Altar voice, Steinway piano [mp3-1:37, 5:12]
5. Carrie Jacobs Bond voice, piano [6:01]
6. They are Innocent voice, piano [mp3-1:59, 4:59]
7. Time to Wake Up voice, piano [5:26]
8. Interlude piano [5:08]
9. Drum Song orchestral drum, voice, piano [2:36]
10. Oquawka Speaks spoken word, voice, piano [mp3-1:57, 28:19] This letter comes from the core of my awakening and was recorded in 1988 in my sunlit cottage in San Geronimo, Marin County. I lived in solitude for three years; just me and my faithful companion, Lance, a Shepherd-Collie, who was 17 when he died. He is buried in the front yard of the cottage off Creamery Road. Living without telephone, television, radio, hearing nothing but my own music, I created constantly, and with great passion and intention. The background music is from the Clapp Hall recording on 1985. I am amazed at how perfectly the letter I read and the music fit together. It appears that music was made for the letter that followed, three years later!

To order Oquawka Speaks Send check or money order in the amount of $18.00 (including shipping) to: Janie Rezner 17201 Ocean Drive Ft. Bragg, CA 95437 Or email request for CD or OCARINA to jrezner@mcn.org

After forty-six years in the mid-west and two husbands, Duane and Carl, I moved to Berkeley, California, and received a masters degree in clinical psychology, expecting to be a healer in the world. Instead, I began a spiritual journey inward initiated by the heartbreaking separation from Ed Jackson, a man I had come to deeply love—a man I recognized as my soul mate. The loss of the Mother, i.e. the sacred feminine, crushed by the patriarchal domination of the maternal spirit—a spirit that once filled the world with wisdom and compassion—and the subsequent devastation of our Earth and her creatures, was powerfully revealed to me through that "crack in the cosmic egg." Art in many media emerged from that painful opening. My journey continues in the northern California coastal village of Mendocino, where I compose, sing, paint, write, sculpt and garden, and make triple-chambered ocarinas. I recently wrote the book, "A Wake-up Call from Mother God." My tree goddess "She" graces the back cover of this CD. I might add, all of my music and art and writing has been enhanced by our Mother's sacred medicine, which turns the key in the door to deeper consciousness, as native peoples know. It helps us "remember" who we are—spirit made manifest.

Music

I have an undergraduate degree in music, majoring in voice. I have been a performing artist all of my life, beginning my career under the tutelage of my extraordinarily talented mother, a natural musician of the highest order. Her beautiful voice and sensitive touch upon the piano, along with her harmonizing skills have been a model to me my entire life.

I began performing before I started school, and continued thereafter. I sang for Women's Clubs, and Farm Bureau meetings, and weddings and funerals, and school events. When I was ten years old I sang for my brother's large formal military wedding held in the oldest church in Baltimore, Maryland, the day after he graduated from Annapolis.

Me and my
Brother, Howard,
home from Annapolis, MD

In high school I was part of a trio, my mother our arranger, and we sang a cappella music all over the state. In fact we went to Chicago and sang on WBBM, on the Morris B. Sach's Amateur Hour. When we auditioned, singing "Blue Hawaii," the director of the show asked who our arranger was, because "the arrangement was very nice."

We sang for Adali Stephenson, our Governor of Illinois. We sang on local radio, we sang for our own graduation. At the same time I was also singing in high school choir where I did solo work, and played the coronet in our local high school band. I studied voice and piano privately most of my high school years, and continued through college, where I majored in music.

I sang in our Monmouth College Choir, an excellent performing group, doing solo work, under the direction of Archer Hayes, who had been trained by Robert Shaw. My experience as a choir member during those precious years has also served me all my life, for together we created exquisitely beautiful sacred music. I also studied voice, classical music training, privately with Archer Hayes. I have been privileged to work with talented people in several areas of my life.

My family and I moved to Davenport, Iowa, where my husband began practice as an Osteopathic Physician. I continued to sing, as a performing member of Etude Club, a Federated music club, and was a strong member of our church choir. Once again I was fortunate to participate with wonderfully talented musicians, in our large Presbyterian Church, where we had a full time music director, directing eight choirs.

Davenport, Iowa
1965

The music we sang was fine, indeed. We were part of a large musical family. There was the Quad Cities Symphony in our town drawing some of their talent from the University of Iowa, just 50 miles away. There was Augustana College, with it's musical influence, just across the river. I did a bit of substitute teaching in music during this time, from grade school to high school.

My husband was also a music major from Monmouth College, and in Davenport we formed a trio, performing the music of Peter, Paul and Mary in a number of venues. I did our arranging, copying the trio's parts precisely, as I listened to them on record. It was wonderful to sing the music. I was "Mary" of course-but the marriage did not work.

Since 1983 I have been on a most profound spiritual journey and my gifts of words and music, voice and piano and the ocarina and art have come from that journey. I am well acquainted with the creative process.

I participated in workshops with Paul Winter, at Slide Ranch in Marin, CA. ...wonderful weekends spent learning to make music in the moment. These days I play my synthesizer in a local church—deeply spiritual, improvisational meditative music. An album of this music will be produced as soon as financing appears. My first CD was financed by subscription in advance, which made it all possible, and for which I am deeply grateful.