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Deb Harley
 ... at Peace with Music

Deb Harley is easily at home with singing and playing music from the 60s with the St. Joan of Arc musical ensemble. In fact, the songs bring back memories of her musical beginnings…at home.

Growing up in California as part of a strong musical family, Deb Sheppard and her older siblings learned much about music from their parents. Their mom taught them how to harmonize at an early age. The Sheppard sisters took their musical cues from the Lennon Sisters, singing old standards around the piano with their brothers and parents. (You can catch Deb’s earliest recorded performance on a hidden track on her self-titled Lifescapes CD, singing Johnny Angel at about age 6.) Deb continued expressing her love of music by picking up the guitar the summer after 5th grade. She bought her first guitar in Tijuana for $15.

Then the 60’s ushered in a change to the musical landscape and the Beatles rocked Deb’s world. “I was one of thousands screaming ‘Oh Paul’, ’Oh John’ at the television set as they played on the Ed Sullivan show, arguing with my sisters about who was the cutest Beatle. The first concert I attended was in 1968. The Mamas and the Papas performed at the Hollywood Bowl. You'll never guess who opened for them--some guy I'd never heard of named Jimi Hendrix. Wow!”

Deb also became strongly influenced by many of the folk/acoustic artists of the period: Peter Paul and Mary, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, and the “crazy beautiful harmonies” of Crosby Stills Nash and Young. But for Deb, “No one could compare to the genius of Joni Mitchell. I ate up everything she sang and wrote. She was everything I wanted to be: A brilliant beautiful woman with an incomparable gift of storytelling through her music, and a unique expression and style. No one was like her. My passion for writing and singing was ignited in a new way, and never left me.”

Deb(left) with Rachael Kroog as hippies at Cabaret 2001
Deb started attending St. Joan's with her husband Steve in the early 80’s. “I had a difficult time sitting in my seat not participating in making the music there for several years.” Shortly after Anna Mae Vagle took over as musical director, and with much encouragement from her husband, Deb gave Anna a cassette of her music, and before long she became part of the SJA musical family. The best part of the experience as a musician at St. Joan's number many for Deb: “The chance to work with talented friends, the constant hilarious experience of doing music on the fly (little to no rehearsal really helps develop your performance chops), the chance to perform my own music, and personally, the spiritual connection I feel through the music with everyone in the congregation when I'm up on the altar.” Besides her involvement at SJA as part of the band and participating in retreats and workshops, Deb is a member of acoustic combo Blue Road, also featuring guitarists/writers Jack Daly and Arkadiy Yushin. Deb has also recorded CDs with Molly Kelly and fellow SJA musical regular Rachael Kroog.

A prolific songwriter who can be found with pen, paper and guitar scratching into the wee hours, there is a strong connection for Deb between the creative process and of divine intervention. “I was writing a song, "A Holy Choir" and in it I'm asking Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Allah to help me see a world at peace. In meditation I am seeking the answer to this question of transformation and what it will take. As I was writing this, I suddenly felt clear that I wanted to use some Hindu language as an undercurrent toning throughout the song. I had no idea what it was I needed to say, so I went online and found many Hindu phrases that were also translated into English. I knew that I would know which to choose by the way it felt in its pronunciation. There it was: Pyaar ishq aur mohabbat. As I looked up the translation, there was my answer from these great men. "Love, love and love. So, as the Beatles simply put it........."All we need is love ", the greatest solution to all our healing!”

Deb leads songs on the bus trip to DC to protest the impending war in Iraq
Deb has also been participating actively in the peace movement for the last few years. She’s led music at several events: from the 10,000 person march from the cathedral to the capitol promoting peace in Iraq; for an evening co-sponsored by St. Joan's called Poets and Musicians for Peace; evening vigils for the children of Iraq; playing for the movement to "repeal the conceal" law in the rotunda of the capitol; playing with Steve Kremer at Lake Harriet on the anniversary of the bombing at Nagasaki, and several other events. She is very proud of the song she wrote in memory of Paul Wellstone called ,"A Genuine American Hero." Due to popular demand, Deb will be releasing it as a single in the very near future. Deb also heads into the studio in the next few months to begin recording a new CD of original compositions!

When Deb was asked what it was like having the gift of music making, she responded, “It is the one thing in my life that I have consistently relied on to get me through a day, a difficulty, a place to express my love, my anger, my grief, my experience of living any particular moment in time. It is the part of me that I never question directly links me to God. When I choose to pay attention to it, and open myself, sometimes through prayer, it is my expression of the God inside of me. It has been the creation of wonderful relationships, and connecting on some level beyond the ordinary. It is sharing a quiet heart connection with a stranger, and knowing it will be a better day because of it. It is soaring spirit and dark side. It's the most joy filled I can be, apart from the rest of the world, and any other role I play. It is the " I " in Deb Harley, Deb Sheppard, daughter, mom, wife, friend.”

Writer, speaker, consultant, administrative professional, Wendy Vickers, has been an active supporter and encourager of local musicians in the Twin Cities music community for several years. Her online newsletter on local coffeehouse performers and other music-related activities can be found on her website at www.wendyv.com .
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