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News: Songwriting residency in rural Minnesota!
New Song Lyrics: Cheerleading Nuns
Upcoming Gigs

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Having a holiday party or corporate event? Need some entertainment?
Original music or holiday and cover songs and pop, rock, and jazz standards as an acoustic solo act, duo, trio, or band. Contact info@elisakorenne.com or 917-497-3949 if interested.

I hope that December finds all of you well.

The best news in my life is that I've been selected as a recipient of the Jerome Fellowship to be a resident songwriter at the New York Mills Cultural Center in Minnesota. This means that I get to spend the month of May songwriting in rural Minnesota (nearest city is Fargo, ND). I'll be focusing my songwriting in MN on stories about members of the fringe in American history, i.e. prostitutes (a la my song "Butte"), sideshow performers (a la my song "Andy the Lightbulb Eater"), prisoners of war, and others. If you know any stories or resources about odd folks from history, please send them my way. After writing a collection of songs, I'd like to record them and perform them at historical societies, schools, and museums. Any suggestions for resources are welcome.

Otherwise, I'm laying low as winter descends on New York City. I find I have the urge to hibernate as it gets colder, so I'm trying to take advantage of the time to cozy up in my Brooklyn apartment and get some work done. I'll be staying close to home in terms of performance for the next couple of months. This weekend I'll be performing in western New York state, and then January brings a few NYC shows, including a songwriter in the round showcase that I'm hosting and a variety show with the comedic duo Evans-Reese and friends.

I wish all of you a restful and relaxing holiday season full of delicious treats and a break from the general hubub of the rest of the year.

I based this song about cheerleading nuns on a true story. It's been getting great feedback from early readers, so I thought I'd pass it along in order to encourage me to get it ready for performance!

Blessed are the Cheerleaders
© 2005 Elisa Korenne

Sister Magdalena Paul had the idea first of all
To support the girls in basketball by building a cheerleading squad
When no girls showed up, she lined the nuns up,
And said, "This is a sign from God."

The Reverend mother wouldn't hear it
But the sisters mustered holy spirit
And when the girls put on shorts and chucks
The nuns made sure their veils were tightly tucked
They squeezed themselves into lettered shirts
And kicked off routines they had chastely rehearsed
Graceful only in spirit, staying close to the ground
Voices practiced in prayer make quite a sound.

Chorus (as a cheer):
(Jesus, Joseph, Mary, please let our voices carry)
Blessed are the holy
Blessed are the sinners
Blessed is the other team
But we're gonna be the winners

Soon the stands were packed with psalm-singers and gawkers
New fans came from church, some even in walkers
At each game the nuns led the stands in prayer
Before black skirts billowed and rosaries whipped through the air
They'd bless the ball and pray offense would grab it
Each with two pom-poms tucked in her habit
With the nuns at their back, the girls made no mistake
They won every game, and made it to state

(Chorus)

The final stroke came from Sister Rosanna
The ref made a bad call, and without a Hosanna
She moved surpisingly fast with her generous girth
And pushed that referee prostrate down on the earth
That moment the bishop--watching local access cable
Decided cheerleading made nuns unstable
He confiscated pom-poms, and forbade them to cheer
He assigned enough Hail Mary's to last each one a year

(Jesus, Joseph, Mary, don’t let our voices carry)
Blessed are the holy
Blessed are the sinners
Blessed are the cheerleaders
All of us are winners

But to this day, when these nuns pray,
they think of pom-poms stashed away
And dream of their cheerleading squad.
And though the ban's obligatory
They still revel in their glory
When they cheered for the love of God

Alfred University

Tribes Hill Solstice Concert
St. John's Hall
8 Sunnyside Ave.
(corner of Bedford Rd.)
Doors open at 2:30
Home baked treats
Suggested donation $5-15
No reservations needed

kavehaz
(212) 343-0612
37 W 26th St

Parkside Lounge
317 E. Houston St. (Lower East Side)
at Attorney St.
212-673-6270

Parkside Lounge
317 E. Houston St. (Lower East Side)
at Attorney St.
212-673-6270

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