beautiful friends,

i’m really looking forward to hosting this winter’s season of “grief songs.” last year's season was an exceptionally deep, warm, healing, and soothing experience for me. see below for reviews from other participants and details for attending this year.  first, though, i’d like to share some context with you on the events and why they may be relevant to you.

what is grief?

grief is simply a response to loss. that loss could be that of a close person in your life - whether through death or other circumstances.

but grief is not just about physical death. it’s an emotion and experience that can arise because of any kind of loss: it could be the loss of something you held dear, or even the loss of something you needed and never had. 

here are (just a few) examples of experiences that can cause grief:

• separation, divorce, a break-up
• abuse, neglect, mistreatment  
• severing a strong bond of friendship
• loss of a job or career

 check out this article for more information 

grief songs may be the right event for you if

• you’re currently going through a season of loss
• you have grief from your past that is not fully processed and you’d like a unique, supportive, welcoming experience to do so

reviews from last year

What did you love most about the grief songs events? 

“I loved that this event curated a space where people could feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of others, including strangers. It helped me realize the universal emotional of pain and loss, and it was a great way to connect to others who could have been experiencing similar things presented in the songs.”

What kind of hope did you leave with?

“a renewed hope. a reminder that we have within us the ability to treat each other with tenderness - we just need to do it more often”

ways to participate

attend an event (or all three) ~ Los Angeles  (stay tuned for option to participate virtually)

schedule:
part one: sat, dec 16, 7-10pm    RSVP required  
part two: sat, jan 27, 7-10pm    RSVP required 
part three: sat, march 16, 7-10pm    RSVP required 

share a song     

artist application here

join the “grief chrysalis” support group ~ LA & online

a peer support group for participating in this season, through Patreon.com/Hannahplus
available for folks in LA or online
$5+/month
opens 12/6/23, active through 3/19/24

a personal reflection from last year

🕯 i've never experienced grief in the presence of as much conscious love as i did during grief songs: part one. it added a lightness to the experience of sorrow. like being carried, in the soul. 🕯

i hope you’ll join us this year.

all my love,
hannah rooth
music + community for misfits
http://hannahrooth.com/grief-songs

new music: break me down again on youtube

Allison Tulk Photography

12-29-2022 

Contact: John Broadway: 559-827-8099, jbroadway@artivistsunited.com 

Artivists United:  Los Angeles Artists Create “Go Iran Go Go” Music Video in Solidarity with Iran’s Revolution, Call Local Creators to Engage 

Los Angeles, CA –  On November 19th, 2022, over a dozen creatives from different parts of the world gathered in Los Angeles to express solidarity with the Iranian women’s movement. On Wednesday December 28th, the music video was released through a collaboration with Artivists United, a social impact film/video and event production company. 

The music video is a rewrite of Garbage’s Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go), scripted by Marianina, a Los-Angeles based Mexican artist who writes songs to make people happy, break the mold and change the world. The powerful lyrics reflect messages seen on social media from those on the ground in Iran. The artists pay up-tempo reverence to the power of Iranian women - and women worldwide - who push our world toward peace and freedom for all through incredible acts of individual courage and collective solidarity. The now over 100-day long women-led Iranian revolution is unprecedented in scale, intersectional solidarity, and resolve, and holds the power and intention to remove the theocratic, terroristic Islamic regime. 

Though unique in circumstance, intensity of risk, and powerful local collectivization, the aims of the Iranian people are universal and must be elevated everywhere. True peace and freedom, rooted in love and respect for the individual’s rights to self-expression, are at the core of this powerful revolution and must be uplifted by artists, activists, and creators worldwide.  

Artivists United invites Los Angeles creatives to connect their own work in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.  The organization is accepting submissions in all artistic mediums for their event, “WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM: Solidarity with Iran,” at The Heart Department (Arts District on January 29th, 2023. This event will include an art gallery, featured musical artists, an open mic, and an altar-building ceremony for the martyrs of the Iranian revolution. More details to follow. 

“We envision this event as an ongoing effort to inspire artists to use their craft for activism while providing them the opportunity to do so.” – John Broadway, Founder – Artivists United.  

Artist Submission Form:  http://tinyurl.com/artwithiran 

About Artivists United:  Artivists United is a burgeoning film/video and events production company that seeks to use their film/video and events as a foundation for social justice campaigns by empowering artivists (artist-activists) to utilize the change-making power of art.  

Music Video Contributors:   Marianina, Hannah Rooth, Natalie Denise Sperl, Cello Azul, SunXochitl Castro, Nicole Trella, Venganza Lives, Grace Freeman (Gal Musette), Michael Priz, Nikolas Salazar, Jorge Cajias, Shachar Boussani, John Kwesi Broadway, Latoya Lee, Victoria Xashara 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 31, 2022 

For more information email: 

Hannah Rooth, hannahroothmusic@gmail.com 

Grief Songs: Showcase & Communal Grief Experience 

(Los Angeles, California) – Oasis House Show invites the public to join “Grief Songs: Part Two,” a fusion of artistic expression and community healing practice. "Part One" of this series was a unique experience, and participants left feeling relaxed and connected.  “At a lot of shows, people will share vulnerable music sometimes, but there was something about this event that really prepped me as I came in. I knew that it was gonna be a safe space … that I could sit with those feelings, and I was really surprised at how much they came up but that I really did feel safe to lean in and express them,” reflected Aries Kae, local hip-hop singer and rapper.  

"Grief Songs: Part Two" will take place on Saturday, January 21st, 2023, from 1-5pm, at Oracle Tavern (Downtown Los Angeles). It will include a sad-song showcase, meditative grief experience, and the opportunity to financially support Healthcare NOW, an organization working to expand healthcare to everyone nationally. With community members who are immuno-compromised and disabled in mind, it will be held outdoors, with masks required and distancing precautions. Spanish and ASL translation will be provided.

“Grief Songs” experientially demonstrates links between internal, communal, and sociopolitical love. Everyone experiences grief and needs loving support to heal and integrate experiences of loss, as everyone experiences illness and death and needs access to care services, including physical and mental healthcare.  When we leave community members out in the cold, trauma and pain multiply and we all suffer the consequences. Though a few individuals “profit” off of our healthcare system, which is out of reach for many*, our whole society suffers as we are each impaired by the loss of connection to each other and to our natural inclination to care for one another. In gathering to recognize this reality, we plant seeds for a shift in the living ethic of our city and our society. 

The flow of this event is carefully curated and guests are strongly encouraged to attend for the full duration. Featured artists include Asia Chow, Hannah Rooth, Tori Leppert, OAKS, Marisa Reyes, Geneva May, Justin Dyer, Marianina, and more to be announced. Entry by donation, based on attendees’ means, between $0-500. Profits generated will go 80% to Healthcare NOW and 20% to artists. Seating is limited for safety reasons and expected to sell out. Livestream tickets are available with special perks. 

Tickets:  https://tinyurl.com/griefsongs 

Seeking sponsorship and volunteers. Email Hannah at hannahroothmusic@gmail.com to contribute. 

Website: http://hannahrooth.com/griefsongs 

*Nearly 45,000 annual deaths are associated with lack of health insurance, according to a study published online by the American Journal of Public Health. (David Cecere. Sept 17, 2009. The Harvard Gazette.) 

*Health care expenses were the most common cause of bankruptcy in the United States in 2007, accounting for 62% of US bankruptcies compared with 8% in 1981. (James E. Dalen, MD. August 28, 2009. The American Journal of Medicine.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2022 

For more information email:
Hannah Rooth    hannahroothmusic@gmail.com 

Grief Songs: Showcase & Communal Grief Experience 

(Los Angeles, California) Oasis House Show curator Hannah Rooth and team invite the public to join two-part series: “Grief Songs,” a showcase of local artists and meditative grief experience raising funds for Healthcare NOW, an organization working to expand healthcare to everyone nationally.  

Grief Songs: Part One will take place on December 2nd from 7-10pm in Downtown Los Angeles. Entry by pre-sale only. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/griefso

Grief Songs: Part Two is set for January 2023 with details to be announced at a later time.  

Inspired by the isolation and grief caused by the COVID pandemic and the cultural overemphasis on individualism, Grief Songs is an experimental fusion of artistic expression and community healing practice. The primary purpose of the event is to bring members of the community together to open their hearts to the grief we so often feel compelled to bury or keep to ourselves. The Oasis House Show team hopes to stimulate emotional vulnerability and healing in the community by curating events that welcome people to come as they are. Oasis House Show aims to not exclude based on class, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, or other factors that are commonly used to oppress groups of people.  

Grief Songs: Part One will last three hours and include songs from over a dozen local musicians. It will take place in an indoor, residential location with masks required. There will be a guided grief meditation and a message from local activists working to expand healthcare to all. Featured artists include Charlie Moon, Hannah Rooth, Tori Leppert, OAKS, Marisa Reyes, Aries Kae, Don, Hailey Fishberger, Lauren Hulbert, Spring Owls, Olivia Rose Lopez, Sierra Drummond, and Manoela Wunder.  

Profits generated by the event will go 50% to Healthcare NOW and 50% to the participating artists (though most artists have chosen to contribute their portions to Healthcare NOW). For tickets, the organizers are asking for donations based on attendees’ means of $0-500.  

Entry to Grief Songs: Part One is by presale only through the ticket page on Eventbrite. Seating is limited and expected to sell out.  

Grief Songs: Part Two will feature artists Greg in Good Company, Asia Chow, Annie Jay, Marisa Reyes, Justin Dyer, Susan Darvishi, Rocky Kuner, and more special guests to be announced. It will take place in an outdoor location with masks required and special precautions for the sake of immuno-compromised and disabled community members. Spanish and ASL translation will be provided. 

Potential sponsors, volunteers, or contributors can email Hannah at hannahroothmusic@gmail.com. 

Webpage: http://hannahrooth.com/griefsongs