Laura Bruno Lilly

The road ends, but the journey continues...

Category: Writerly Thoughts (Page 1 of 10)

Fall of Freedom

Fall of Freedom – 11/21-22, 2025

November 21, 2025 / / 18 Comments

Let the Creative Resistance Begin

‘641’
Laura Bruno Lilly and Kevin McKinney (Doc Snow)

If unable to view video, go here.

Poem for '641'
spoken word by Laura Bruno Lilly
©2025

I am woman.
I have a uterus.
Feminism is in my DNA.
Family is my tribe.

I was once an at-risk pregnant person.
I received accessible, science-based, person-centered care during those vulnerable years.

Years of mourning 6 miscarried spontaneous abortions.
Years of nurturing 3 live births: 2 biologically female, 1 biologically male.
Each breastfed.
Each given loving affirming care throughout their lives.

I am now an elderly woman in leadership in a male dominated world.

Hear. Me. Roar.

Note: words in bold italics indicate words taken from the federally banned words & phrases list

Fall of Freedom

Fall of Freedom Project Update

November 19, 2025 / / 24 Comments

Monday evening, 11/17: I just pushed ‘submit’ on the Fall of Freedom Event Registration Form. This is a big deal. Not in the fact that Kevin and I are now committed to the deadline, but because even as creative participants, we don’t fit the mold – we are not an organization.

In fact, under the heading Organization Name I entered: No Organization, just two composer-musician educators in South Carolina collaborating on a Fall of Freedom Project – Laura Bruno Lilly and Kevin McKinney (Doc Snow).

So, you see, filling out the form required a very creative approach. And while not necessary, it does ‘prove’ our participation in this call to stand up for our right to free expression.

Yes, one of the things that attracted me to this event was the assertion that no effort is too small. Ours is indeed small. Just us two with a fantastic 6-minute video piece (almost finished*!) we plan to launch on my website and his You Tube channel on November 21.

And, according to the Event Registration email confirmation I received, ours is the first from South Carolina! Small but mighty, eh?

It’s great to be a part of this socially relevant event even if we still feel very isolated from the rest of those participating.

“We live in a time when dissent is punished, truth is twisted, and silence can seem safe. Under the banner of Fall of Freedom, we stand together in creative resistance, because when free expression is under threat, art becomes our voice, our shield, and our sanctuary. Artists are a threat to American fascism.”

from the fall of freedom website

*Our scheduled voice-over recording session set for between-lessons (Kevin) on Monday ran into technical difficulties. My home alone ZOOM H4n Plan B recording session the next morning yielded (unknown to me at the time) too much background noise to use. Technical issues resolved, we hustled to set up again for another between-lessons (Laura) recording session Tuesday early afternoon. Successful this time around. I like to think of this as our ‘surprise snafu scramble moment’ that all projects with a tight timeline & deadline experience.

Breaking News 😊: I just went to the Fall of Freedom Participants Page. I entered in the ‘search events or states’ line – each item individually – first the name of our project, then Kevin’s name, and lastly, my name. Guess what? Each item entered yielded the same result. That creative entry I mentioned above? It pops up along with the name of our ‘event’. Check it out!

It’s amazing what a new set of strings will do for one’s sense of well being

November 2, 2025 / / 31 Comments

Prior to my first face-to-face meeting with K (Fall of Freedom presentation piece collaborator), I quickly changed out strings on the Prisloe.  

My thinking being: if we are going to live-perform our evolving ensemble presentation piece in 3 weeks, I need to have freshly broken in strings for the momentous occasion.

Weeks of private student lessons and daily personal practice sessions take their toll on any set of strings. However, I will mention that the plus side of old strings is that I feel freer to work on my prepared guitar pieces.   😊

That said, I made the switch from the old, dull, thuddy, non-resonant set to a fresh new, crystal clear, deeply resonant set.

It’s amazing what a new set of strings will do for one’s sense of well being.

“The thing of it is, regardless of the strings used, music is played, compositions are created, techniques are explored, expanded and maintained. For myself as a musician, each time I re-string one of my instruments, there is a sense of expectation. A moment in time where everything seems possible, opening up a wide world of sonic possibilities, hopes, dreams and deep expressions of my (he)art flowing through my fingers into the outer realm.
And when the right strings are strung, those aural rewards inspire and invigorate…
The thing of it is, regardless of the strings used, music is played.
Life is lived.
And when the right strings are strung, life is magical.”

me, Laura Bruno Lilly

Due to time constraints, we both agreed a ‘fast production’ of our Fall of Freedom presentation to be the #1 priority. To that end, our collaborative performance piece will be using elements of electronic manipulation of my composition (classical guitar) and his instrumental inflections (trumpet), as a background base for the performance of voice-over adlib spoken word phrases, poems, etc taken from the 641 wc list.

It’s a start. And I’ll keep you updated on it’s progress.

Meanwhile, I’m dancing on a new set of strings…

Fall of Freedom

ShoutOut: Fall of Freedom Event

October 24, 2025 / / 34 Comments

Note: I’ve been managing a constant stream of migraine waves since mid-September resulting in controlled silence on my end of various communications – including blogging! As many of you know, doing what needs to be done (work, teaching, just laying low, etc) during those times is challenging and often impossible.

Today I seem to be in a migraine lull hence a blog post to communicate something that I wish to share with you, my readers.

On the cusp of my birthday, which coincided with a No Kings Day event 🙂 , I stumbled on something that ignited my activist/creative self and catapulted it into a sense of possibility.

Fall of Freedom
Fall of Freedom website

It’s a sort of ‘No Kings Day’ only for the Arts.

“Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.

This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part—and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.

Art matters. Artists are a threat to American fascism.“

from the Fall of freedom website

As I delved deeper into this, I realized: this is a good fit for me. This is something I can do. This is something I want to do. Alone? Perhaps. And if necessary, yes, I’ll do my part as a soloist somehow, somewhere and in my own way. Even if it means just busking my “641” (see below) piece in a random outdoor space or playing it to some of my private students during their lesson. 😉

I’ll figure something out.

Fall of Freedom Participation

Meanwhile, I immediately came up with an idea for a project specific to the theme of Artistic Freedom/Activism. Simply put it’s a spoken word/music piece. I’ll take words from the 641 (word count) federally banned words and phrases list – current as of 10.1.25 – and create sentences, poems, catchy quips, use singular words, etc. which I will speak & intersperse amongst varying lengths of original music snippets.

I’ve begun choosing words and selecting/composing various musical snippets to play around with…it’s since morphed as project ideas do, but that’s my starting point.

This past Monday evening, I attended a ZOOM Fall of Freedom orientation meeting and I am encouraged. It feels good knowing I can speak up for Freedom of Expression/Speech/Etc. in this manner and in an organized event where it could perhaps make an impact.

Additionally, I reached out to a music teacher colleague of mine who is of like mind and excited to collaborate with me on this activist/creative venture in support of Freedom of Expression.

I’m not sure if I can find any local places (I live in a small, underserved* city in the South) that would be open to allowing this event, but I do have a modest list of places I’ll approach in the next few days. My collaborator buddy no doubt has a few of his own to check out where he lives. We may stumble on a group who is actually actively organizing an event and needs participants!

In any case:

I’ll – we’ll – figure something out.

Care to join us?

I’ll keep you posted as this venture evolves & unfolds!

*FYI: just one of the “641” among others used naturally within this blog post

The Sink Robert Redford Mural

RIP Robert Redford

September 29, 2025 / / 34 Comments

please note: scroll/read to the end to discover who won the giveaway.

Robert Redford – August 18, 1936 – September 16, 2025
movie star, director, producer and film champion, heartthrob, environmentalist, philanthropist, family man, political activist, person of consequence and (he)artistic everyman

Movie star, director, producer and film champion

Most are acquainted with these aspects of Robert Redford’s legacy. I’ve seen most of his commercial movies close to their release dates on the big screen and enjoyed 90% of them. I’ve seen a few Sundance films and love the vibe of the whole festival. Here I’ll just highlight a few of my fav commercial movies from the RollingStone article, Robert Redford: 20 Essential Movies. note: hover over the arrow and click for more

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

released in 1969 – I saw this on the big screen at the Boulder Theater in 1970. Let the adventures & heartthrobs, begin!

Downhill Racer

released in 1969 – I saw this for free at the Chautauqua Theater summer film series in 1970 as a concessions worker! Of course, this attracted a large local following due to its relatable Colorado skiing vibe.

Jeremiah Johnson

released in 1972 – I love this movie because Dad loved this movie. One of Dad’s favorite Mountain Man Adventures that we saw together as a family on the big screen at the Boulder Theater.

All the President’s Men

released in 1976 – Based on the non-fiction book by Bernstein & Woodward, the two journalists investigating the Watergate Scandal for the Washington Post during the Nixon presidency. Of note: in 2010, this film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Let’s hope it stays there.

The Horse Whisperer

released in 1998 – The scenery, subject matter and silence were seminal. In fact, the silence in the movie house ( a large commercial movie theater) was as silent as the movie itself – novel concept these days, eh? I saw this on Date Night with hubby, leaving our 3 kids with a babysitter for the evening.

The Old Man and the Gun

released in 2018 – On my list of films to watch!

Heartthrob

Let me tell you, I didn’t usually go for the blonde & blue. Growing up, I much preferred Dino (blueblack/blackbrown, plus he felt like family) to Frankie (light brown/blue).

Even back in my preteen days of watching The Man From U.N.C.L.E on TV I chose Napoleon Solo over Ilya Kuryakin…even if Ilya was more youthful.

Of even greater significance is that my longstanding Beatle of choice has always been a toss up between George & John. Well, truth be told, I loved all four of them!

During my later college years, Billy Dee Williams as Brian Walker in Mahogany, and as Lando Calrissian in Star Wars was it for me. But in between all of that, when Newman & Redford hit the big screen with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I knew Redford was the ‘best’.*

Of course, looks aren’t everything…

So when my middle daughter called to say she saw that RR had passed away, she noted at the end, “I’m sorry, Ma. I know he was your heartthrob”. Geez, was it that obvious?!

Environmentalist, philanthropist, family man, political activist

I can’t speak to the family man aspect of his life, but in reading various articles it becomes clear how much family life informed his career and life focus. That said, below is a good example of thoughtful consideration of current issues with his trademark pointed yet mellow activist attitude.

“Journalism is what keeps politics straight. Is politics telling the truth or not, you know, and very often politics doesn’t tell the truth. It just tells a story that’s being told by one side or the other. But it’s journalism that gets to the bottom line and says, wait a minute, we’re hearing this, we’re hearing that, but what’s the truth? You know I think we’re into that now.”

Robert Redford, circa 2017

Person of consequence and (he)artistic everyman

Okay, here’s where there’s a bit of a stretch of these attributes as applied to my personal story…

Once upon a time, during my freshman year at CU Boulder, I learned the Legend of Robert Redford - a former student who got wrapped up in the party scene and got himself expelled from the University. Of course, the fact that he went on to 'find himself' backpacking through Europe and emerged a creatively contributing member of society only served to reinforce the pull to do the 'drop out' thing for countless others of my generation. Of which I thankfully didn't succumb. Though I still yearn for my personal Camino Adventure!
The Sink Robert Redford Mural
Over the years, “The Sink” added this mural to honor their Star Janitor
Somewhere along the line I ventured deep into the nooks and crannies of "The Sink" on the Hill intent on searching out his autograph/comment on its graffiti laden walls. Meh. Not much to look at, but I can say I saw it in its original form.  Nay, I can say I touched the space he wrote upon! 😍
As a rite of passage, I even took my middle daughter to view the graffiti wall her senior year in High School.
The Legend lives on.
SundanceSignBoulderTheaterDonKohlbauer2

PS: The Sundance Institute is coming home to Boulder in 2027.

RIP Robert Redford.

*at the time, the question was routinely posed: who’s the most handsome/best actor – Newman or Redford?

As promised, the winner of the “When Things Go Missing” giveaway is hereby officially announced: Tierney! Congrats – your book is in the snail mail. Thanks to everyone who showed such enthusiastic interest in Deborah’s debut novel.

when things go missing cover2

Deborah’s Book Blog Tour Sneak Peek

September 14, 2025 /

Sometime this past Spring, longtime blogger friend, Deborah Brasket asked if I’d be an ARC reader for her debut novel, When Things Go Missing set for publication September 22nd.

I jumped at the chance!

Some of you may be wondering: what exactly is an ARC Reader? First off, ARC stands for “Advanced Readers Copy” and is a manuscript its final proof stage prior to publication. An ARC reader reads the book pre-publication and posts a review before or immediately after the publication date.

Being a part of Deborah’s book launch is an honor. It is with great pleasure that I present my official quick blurb on the book here as an appetizer for my complete review set to be posted on September 18th.

When Things Go Missing is an excellent read, enlightening readers on issues misunderstood by many. It is one of the first novels I’ve wanted to keep reading through in ages. Brasket has such a rich, immersive style of writing that intensifies the overwhelming realities of an addict’s lifestyle— “the matrix that holds everything together” and makes life on the street possible. With scant softening around the edges, she writes with grit and grace. There is much to relish from start to finish throughout the book. She shows how people and relationships are always evolving, but the desire to stay connected with those we love is an ever-present driving force.

Laura bruno lilly, classical guitarist/composer/poet

Be sure to check out my full review on September 18th where I’ll be hosting a free giveaway copy to a randomly selected commenter.

BOOK BLOG PARTICIPANTS

Birthday Bouquet, Gerbera Daisies

Priorities Over Chaos

April 22, 2025 /

Like many of you, I’m finding it difficult to post regularly. For whatever reason, and there are many significant factors involved, it’s just how things are for me right now. An easing back into the blogging rhythm just hasn’t presented itself before now.

I’ve noticed several bloggers I follow have courageously forged forth with timely posts echoing thoughts, hopes, struggles, fears and outrage similar to my own on the ceaseless chaos & cruelty that is bombarding the local & world stage.

One such blogger, Deborah Brasket, gave me a way to segue from my last post in February to today’s post.

In her post, Tending Beauty in an Uncertain World, she eloquently speaks of the tenuous balance she is trying to maintain in her (he)art, everyday life, and social responsibility.

“Like many of you, I struggle to balance myself in this uncertain world where the rule of law and so many institutions of democracy are crumbling around us. Where we are falling into fascism, failing to support human decency, our friends and allies, and the values that made America the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Like many, I falter between hope and despair. I struggle to know how to live this life I love as it is being destroyed from within.

Can I go on writing my novels, tending my garden, blogging about beauty, living a life of peace and tranquility? Do I abandon my piano, my artwork, my joy in living?

Do I take up arms and march in the streets? Can I do both? Will one taint the other? Will my joy be lessened, my rage take control?”

Deborah Brasket

I relate.

She found some insight in a poem by Gloria Horton-Young, The Quiet Art of Resistance.

I found some insight in a snippet from May Sarton’s journal entitled, At Seventy.

“It is order in all things that rests the mind…So what is the inward order that makes it possible to shut out the chaos around me as I sit here? Perhaps a strong sense of what my priorities are – first friends, then work, then the garden. If I died suddenly, how bitterly I should regret work undone, friends unanswered. As for the garden, that is my secret extravagance and one has to have one…The garden is where my madness lies, and that is a more useful madness than drunkenness or a tantrum…”

May Sarton

My priorities as per Sarton’s template?

First – family, friends and relationships (including my faith in a loving, caring God), then work- my music and all manner of my (he)art, then the garden – literally and all manner of other outlets.

There are other priorities, certainly…which makes for a good solid team in countering chaos & cruelty!

I am not going to give up on the beautiful and the good – I will not allow the ethos of the times to blur my vision or stifle my heart. Choosing priorities over chaos – sharing, caring, kindness, love, knowledge, truth – is exercising freedom in its purest sense.

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

A Roundabout Post for Black History Month

February 17, 2025 /

Note: It would not be prudent for me to share how the past 29 days of our lives have been personally & directly changed within our family and friends since 1/20/2025. Or specific instances of how those changes reach farther than just us. Instead, what follows is an attempt at showing in a less threatening context – how
silenced voices can yet speak.

Just a few days ago, as I was “doing what I do” across multiple areas of interest – taking deep dives into satisfying curiosities, researching on-line and hardcopy, expanding my knowledge-base to further enrich my (he)artistic creations, personal enrichment, and ‘growing in knowing’ – I came across yet another disturbing announcement.  

So much so that I copied and pasted the relevant portions of the National Endowment of the Arts website info to a Word doc in the event original articles would be scrubbed and disappear entirely. What a thing to feel compelled to do. Yet, this was based upon recent blackouts of other websites such as DEI, NIH, USAID, CDC…

The National Endowment for the Arts cancelled its grant program Challenge America for fiscal year 2026. In operation since 2001, the program primarily supports small organizations & individuals that reach “historically underserved communities that have limited access to the arts relative to geography, ethnicity, economics, and/or disability.” *

The National Endowment for the Arts itself is a conduit of support for a myriad of disciplines ranging from scientific research, the arts, and community development through its extensive grant programs.

The artist I was interested in tracking down, Susan Hudson, is a 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellow. She was honored (along with 9 others) just this past September at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ** and the Library of Congress. 

This is how one voice can yet speak

Native American Heritage Month is in November.

November 2024, it was celebrated all out, in full view – integrating past, present and future aspects of this vibrant cultural community and its members.

Black History Month is in February.

Now. This month. This year. February 2025.

It is currently in low gear due to unspecified ‘new guidelines’ yet demanding adherence. In addition, Black History Month, as an “Identity Month” has been declared dead by the DoD.

That said, join me now as I envision a celebration parade headed by my Black History Month honoree of personal choice: Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Need help with that?

Pretend you’re one of the audience here in this vintage footage of Sister Rosetta performing in the rain at the then abandoned (and now non-existent) Chorlton railway station on Wilbraham Road, Manchester, England.

This is how silenced voices can yet speak

As part of the 1964 Blues & Gospel Train Tour through Europe, this all out performance in the rain exemplifies what it means to be a true performing (he)artist.

“The station was dressed up to look like one from the American South, but typically for Manchester, the weather did not echo that area’s dustbowl conditions. Shortly after the train which carried the audience the few miles south from Manchester’s city centre pulled in, a storm lashed the station.

‘Sister Rosetta came to me and asked if she could change her opening number to Didn’t It Rain? … when she strapped on her guitar, it was astounding.’

Mr. Hamp says the downpour would have been his worst memory of the show had it not led to his best.”

a memory from TV producer Johnnie Hamp

I will not elaborate on the impact these current times are making upon everyday Americans – scientists, musicians, academics, researchers, educators, students, health workers, families, farmers, etc – At least not directly.

For now, this is how one voice, my voice, can yet speak.

*from the original website category list description as per my cut and paste Word doc
**Since then, much has changed within the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, making this past event hold even more significance.  

Crying Angel by Cheyenne McCoy
Crying Angel by Cheyenne McCoy

Making Angels Cry – Poem

January 24, 2025 /

Making Angels Cry

Laura Bruno Lilly ©2024

Crying Angel by Cheyenne McCoy

Making Angels Cry
Laura Bruno Lilly ©2024

The world
It goes hither and yon.
Yet 21st century aromas linger
Strangely unsettling these past years. 
Strongly scented with testosterone
 – aggression –
A generation that knows no other way.
In the name of progress, our input has become narrow.
Fully incomplete, unfeeling, unreal.
How to thrive in such an unfertile soil
Laden with toxic nutrients?
Yet 21st century aromas linger
Strangely offering hope for a better future.
Strongly scented with testosterone, estrogen
 – partners –
Shaping a more sustainable relational environment.
Angels cry
Angels hope
Angels have no say.
It’s up to us.

Something to Ponder #1

October 5, 2024 /

note: I’m gonna go out on a limb here. Naming this post with a “1” after it implies there will be more to come…let’s see how well that works out. Meantime, enjoy the break from most things serious!

Way back when I was in the duo Laura & Thereza*, we came across yet another ‘Celtic’ song that we liked and consequently arranged and performed at various gigs. That song was: Whiskey in the Jar.

An example of a traditional rendering of Whiskey in the Jar by The Irish Rovers

While fooling around with our 12-string guitar/violin take of the piece, middle daughter tells us we should listen to how Flogging Molly plays that very song**.

Flogging What?

Therein lies my first introduction to the phenom known as 90s Celtic Punk.

…and the name of this group has haunted me for decades….

What does Flogging Molly mean, anyway?

That question re-visited me recently during one particularly hot & humid July night, when it was impossible to sleep even with the AC on.

I got up, grabbed a pen and listed out a few possible answers to this question, hoping that would ease me back to sleep.

It didn’t, but here’s my list.

  • 1st thought: Molly’s being flogged
  • 2nd thought: Molly’s doing the flogging
  • 3rd thought: it’s a description of their music as having a ‘flogging’ driving beat; relentlessly continuing on and on and on
  • 4th thought: an image of the drummer in the band as the ‘flogging’ force behind their music

What say you?

Oh sure, you can google the story behind the name of the band – but where’s the fun in that?

An example of Flogging Molly’s Celtic Punk style of music

*Laura and Thereza (from the liner notes of unexpected)- this duo was created when the pair first met as performing members of the Denver Mandolin Orchestra in 2001. They each recognized in the other a high level of musicianship, commitment to the music, and depth of technical training. They soon began playing together as a duo with Laura on classical & 12-string guitars and Thereza on violin & mandolin.

'Laura & Thereza' (Laura Bruno Lilly, right, Thereza Zacek Stephan, left)

**As I perused YouTube for that very song by that very group, I couldn’t find it. That makes me wonder – did middle daughter own a bootleg cd of that very group?!? Hmmm, yet another thought to ponder. 🙂

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