Bucket of Love

I learned a surprising truth about music when performing an acapella tune called “Bucket of Love.” Written by singer/songwriter Meg Tennant, this three-part harmony song carries a power all its own—a sound current of love. 

Take a listen to the original recording. It’s a big wow: 

Our trio prepared well. Tech rehearsal on Thursday night enlivened us. Every musician backstage came forward to listen, and they cheered us wildly at the end. 

Saturday night’s performance presented a different story for me, personally. I had a tough day, and by evening my body was tired and my voice felt weak. The other two singers came out of the gate on our first note with such force that I thought, I’m in trouble. 

I had a choice. Do I try to push the sound out, or do I relax into the resonance of my instrument, knowing some low notes would be barely audible?

I chose to stay true to my instrument in the moment and allow the sound to be.

Here’s the surprise: the feedback we got was so overwhelmingly positive, that I had to wonder what happened! What were they hearing out in the house? 

A trusted friend in the audience said something else came through our voices. 

The song’s musical flow and lyrical story carried outward on that powerful sound current, landing in the listeners. The truth is that music coming through a pure heart rides a wave, no matter what. Flow over push delivers buckets of love.

It takes both creator and performers to surrender ego and be conduits for that primal sound. It’s the love needed for our very survival—the one that assures us no matter how things may appear, all is well.

That is living as music.