Mary Beth Howell

I just returned from the amazing annual Songwriters Retreat hosted by John D. Lamb in Lake Leelanau, a much needed reset for me. I had signed up late and was told the weekend was sold out. WHAT? Never expected that…

I wrote this song a few years ago and when I look at the lyrics today there are many more things that could be added. Perhaps you can let me know what you want to see in the comments. My…

Official Acorn Lover 

For as long as I can remember I have always saved acorns. I like to find two that are together or find the little tiny baby ones. (Some collect shells – and I used to but it’s…

Magical Monarch Moment 

Monarchs are so amazing! I have always loved them. I got to witness a Monarch release and it was truly beautiful. The woman that organized this, Kristin Roof, has harvested over 300 monarchs this year and…

Advice to Myself 

Be kind, pay attention to your body’s messages to you. 

Sleep in - it’s good for you to wake up without the alarm. 

Be generous in your giving - as long as you don't…

Declutter and Let Go 

I have felt a strong pull lately to start decluttering my home....my life. Since I have summers off I have time to give attention to all that’s been neglected. The busyness of life has kept…

Finding my yes.

I find myself writing about this, because it keeps showing up! First of all when I decided to start recording some of my original songs, I had to find a ‘yes’ inside me in order to…

Random Thought on Staying Motivated 

Staying Motivated means different things at different times for me. If I’m referring to my health, I know my diet has a lot to do with how I feel. Not feeling well is a motivator…

Reflections of the School Year 

My theme for the school year was self-care. I knew going in it is what I needed to be there for the kids. I truly thought I had a handle on it. 

Last…

Singing in the Choir 

I joined the Farmington Community Chorus in 2010 and it radically changed my life. I was longing for some joy in my life after some rough transitions. My son had moved away and some of the…

My Music Community 

Learning new things has been a mixture of exciting and stressful , terrifying and stressful or frustrating and stressful when it comes to creating or performing music. When I wrote my first song – I had no…

Music is Healing

I’m one of those people that believes in feeling my feelings. Not that it’s always been easy, however, I think it’s better to feel rather than shut them down. I seem to feel things very deeply and…

My Heart Led Me Here 

Back in 2013 I walked away from a “Corporate America” job because I was so stressed out trying to fit into something that just was not my soul calling. I was good at it…

A Lifetime of Music

Growing up in a house with seven kids, two parents and a dog, our life together was always full of activity and motion. We had a piano downstairs, and once in a while I would hear…

What Inspires A Song 

Sometimes I hear a phrase and I just know that it’s a title for a song or that it will be a great thing to write about.  When I was on vacation at a summer…