About Joan McMillen

Joan McMillen has her M.A. degree in music, and has worked for many years as a singer, pianist, composer, storyteller, choral director and teacher. Eleven years ago she was inspired to create a community ceremonial event based on the labyrinth pattern as it is found in the floor of Chartres Cathedral. This ceremony is called Remembering the Way.

Joan It was first performed by dancers as a meditative event within conferences and liturgical celebrations. Joan has since shaped it to become an inclusive labyrinth-walking experience, emphasizing participants' singing and movement. Many diverse groups have requested Remembering the Way over the years, and its music has traveled even more widely during this time. It is now part of many labyrinth-walking events sponsored by churches, schools, retreat centers, and centers for spiritual growth in all parts of the country. For Joan, other ceremonial works have followed Remembering the Way.

Songs of the Day Seekers provides a timeless context for the age-old practice of ritually honoring sunrise and nightfall each day. Many people have found that this meditation in music and movement has revitalized and widened their conception of morning and evening prayer, and has returned them to that simple but powerful practice. Brooding the World is a quiet, inward-turning ceremony that creates an opportunity for groups to celebrate the Winter Solstice in a way that deeply honors Earth's and our own dream of renewal.

The Journey of the Raindrop is a vibrant and moving retelling in story, song and movement of Water's story, which is also the story of our human lives.

In solo performances, Joan weaves songs, stories and poetry (some of which she illustrates with Plains Indian sign-language) into unique and moving explorations of particular themes. Titles of past performances indicate areas of her interest and concern: Leaf and Tree; Out Of the Heart's Hunger; A Gathering Of Waters; Who Sees For Flowers, Which Are Blind?

For more information about Joan's work and music, please feel free to contact her at:

House of Blue Thunder
jmm@windingway.com

©1996 - 1998 Joan McMillen
jmm@windingway.com


			Joan McMillen has her M.A. degree in music, and has worked for many years as a singer, pianist, composer, storyteller, choral director and teacher. Eleven years ago she was inspired to create a community ceremonial event based on the labyrinth pattern as it is found in the floor of Chartres Cathedral. This ceremony is called *Remembering the Way. It was first performed by dancers as a meditative event within conferences and liturgical celebrations. Joan has since shaped it to become an inclusive labyrinth-walking experience, emphasizing participants' singing and movement. Many diverse groups have requested Remembering the Way* over the years, and its music has traveled even more widely during this time. It is now part of many labyrinth-walking events sponsored by churches, schools, retreat centers, and centers for spiritual growth in all parts of the country. For Joan, other ceremonial works have followed *Remembering the Way. *Songs of the Day Seekers provides a timeless context for the age-old practice of ritually honoring sunrise and nightfall each day. Many people have found that this meditation in music and movement has revitalized and widened their conception of morning and evening prayer, and has returned them to that simple but powerful practice. Brooding the World is a quiet, inward-turning ceremony that creates an opportunity for groups to celebrate the Winter Solstice in a way that deeply honors Earth's and our own dream of renewal. The Journey of the Raindrop is a vibrant and moving retelling in story, song and movement of Water's story, which is also the story of our human lives. In solo performances, Joan weaves songs, stories and poetry (some of which she illustrates with Plains Indian sign-language) into unique and moving explorations of particular themes. Titles of past performances indicate areas of her interest and concern: Leaf and Tree; Out Of the Heart's Hunger; A Gathering Of Waters; Who Sees For Flowers, Which Are Blind? For more information about Joan's work and music, please feel free to contact her at: House of Blue Thunder jmm@windingway.com**

			©1996 - 1998 Joan McMillen jmm@windingway.com