Resurrection After Rape Community Group
Discussion, question-and-answer, general social support, and journal processing for progress-oriented rape survivors. No crisis, no damaging or triggering conflicts--this is for individuals who want to contribute to collective, cooperative action toward the goal of making actual PROGRESS through rape trauma. Much of this work is based on the book "Resurrection After...
http://www.resurrectionafterrape.org/retreat.html
The special guest for the wilderness retreat will be Bill Miller, a Grammy-Award winning composer. You may not have heard of him, but this is an incredibly special guest! Bill is a Mohegan Indian from Wisconsin, and is regarded as perhaps the most gifted Native musician of our day.
Bill's story is relevant to our retreat. He came from a life of turmoil on the reservation, in a family steeped in violence, alcoholism, and trauma. For years he went through his own anger and despair, before finding ways to recover. Bill's music and storytelling all point to hope, victory, and survival from a painful past. Bill is a funny, warm person, and engages his listeners in heartfelt stories about his struggles and how his faith and creativity have guided him through his trauma to healing.
Bill's message and skill have attracted musicians like Pearl Jam and Tori Amos, who have selected Bill as their concert opener. (on one occasion, Pearl Jam's fans weren't getting the message and were ignoring Bill. Frontman Eddie Vedder strode out on stage, clasped his arm around Bill, and told his audience, "If you don't listen to what this man has to say, we're not playing!")
Today, Bill uses his music to promote healing, rather than using it to get rich. He is frequently sought as a special consultant/minister to communities that have been ravaged by trauma. For example, he has been summoned as an "emergency aid" to assist in healing after school shootings, and he volunteers his time to lead "reconciliation and healing" programs. Bill and his wife have also made a special ministry out of adopting and caring for special-needs children.
Bill has been a mentor to me, and if you want to know what my values are, you need to listen to his music. His performances are generally packed, so this is a VERY rare occasion--we can have Bill all to ourselves, to spend the whole retreat with.
Bill's musical style ranges from folk, rock, blues, traditional Native, and Praise. To familiarize yourself with him, here are some of his songs as .mp3
"Ghost Dance" - (about resurrection and recovery after feeling defeated) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/ghostdance.mp3
"Pile of Stone" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/pileofstones.mp3
"After the Storm" - (about finding spirituality after pain) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/afterthestorm.mp3
"The Reason" - (about finding personal meaning, despite pain) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/TheReason.mp3'
"Sun is Gonna Rise Again" - (Finding hope) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/SunRise.mp3
"Every Mountain I Climb" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/EveryMountain.mp3
"Never Too Far" - (God's song to suffering people) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/NeverTooFar.mp3
"Faith of a Child" - (song for physically-disabled children) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/FaithofaChild.mp3
"Brave Heart" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/BraveHeart.mp3
"You Are the Rain" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/YouAreRain.mp3
The special guest for the wilderness retreat will be Bill Miller, a Grammy-Award winning composer. You may not have heard of him, but this is an incredibly special guest! Bill is a Mohegan Indian from Wisconsin, and is regarded as perhaps the most gifted Native musician of our day.
Bill's story is relevant to our retreat. He came from a life of turmoil on the reservation, in a family steeped in violence, alcoholism, and trauma. For years he went through his own anger and despair, before finding ways to recover. Bill's music and storytelling all point to hope, victory, and survival from a painful past. Bill is a funny, warm person, and engages his listeners in heartfelt stories about his struggles and how his faith and creativity have guided him through his trauma to healing.
Bill's message and skill have attracted musicians like Pearl Jam and Tori Amos, who have selected Bill as their concert opener. (on one occasion, Pearl Jam's fans weren't getting the message and were ignoring Bill. Frontman Eddie Vedder strode out on stage, clasped his arm around Bill, and told his audience, "If you don't listen to what this man has to say, we're not playing!")
Today, Bill uses his music to promote healing, rather than using it to get rich. He is frequently sought as a special consultant/minister to communities that have been ravaged by trauma. For example, he has been summoned as an "emergency aid" to assist in healing after school shootings, and he volunteers his time to lead "reconciliation and healing" programs. Bill and his wife have also made a special ministry out of adopting and caring for special-needs children.
Bill has been a mentor to me, and if you want to know what my values are, you need to listen to his music. His performances are generally packed, so this is a VERY rare occasion--we can have Bill all to ourselves, to spend the whole retreat with.
Bill's musical style ranges from folk, rock, blues, traditional Native, and Praise. To familiarize yourself with him, here are some of his songs as .mp3
"Ghost Dance" - (about resurrection and recovery after feeling defeated) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/ghostdance.mp3
"Pile of Stone" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/pileofstones.mp3
"After the Storm" - (about finding spirituality after pain) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/afterthestorm.mp3
"The Reason" - (about finding personal meaning, despite pain) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/TheReason.mp3'
"Sun is Gonna Rise Again" - (Finding hope) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/SunRise.mp3
"Every Mountain I Climb" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/EveryMountain.mp3
"Never Too Far" - (God's song to suffering people) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/NeverTooFar.mp3
"Faith of a Child" - (song for physically-disabled children) - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/FaithofaChild.mp3
"Brave Heart" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/BraveHeart.mp3
"You Are the Rain" - http://resurrectionafterrape.org/mp3/YouAreRain.mp3
- (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrPpUoULiRs&feature=related
- (Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vssy_jjyY
- (Part 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN8wRwoLiMM&feature=related
There is also a YouTube video about how the symphony came to be written:
- Creating the Last Stand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGZCelblZrQ
Especially living in Israel, I really like what he says about healing and reconciliation having to come from the land up - very apropos to the situation here in Israel and the religious devotion Jews have harbored towards this land over the centuries..
And here is a video of him playing Ghost Dance that includes his reflections on how the song came to be and what it means to him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdg2sVB0XU8
Ditto GTNP above: Bill the man and Bill the musician touch my soul.
- (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrPpUoULiRs&feature=related
- (Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vssy_jjyY
- (Part 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN8wRwoLiMM&feature=related
I also found a YouTube video where he discusses how the symphony came about. I really liked what he said about healing and reconciliation needing to come from the ground up. It is very apropos to my country and the religious devotion Jews have had for centuries to this land:
* Creating the Last Stand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGZCelblZrQ
Also I ran across this performance of Ghost Dance. Before singing the song he tells the story of how the piece came to be written, what the massacre at Wounded Knee meant to him, and how it inspired the piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdg2sVB0XU8
As for GTNP, Bill the man and Bill the musician touch my soul.
I so do wish I could afford the $2000 or so it would cost to come to this 2nd retreat. Not just for Bill but for all of you that I've come to know here.
It's refreshing to see a celebrity want to focus on the issue at hand, and talk about what's really important, rather than his own importance.