Gifts from my Ancestors: The Rhythms of Life

I was a shy quiet child raised in the ilk of a patriarchal industrialized society, but for some reason, my ancestral indigenous roots came through strong in me. Some of the most beautiful music to my ears is the music of nature: rain on the roof, thunder in the sky, the sweet sound of baby kittens meowing, the wind and birds singing throughout the trees, the rhythm of the ocean waves and rippling mountain streams.
Perhaps, my simple love for nature came from my ancestral potato famine roots in Ireland or maybe from my Native American great grandmother whose name I, sadly, never knew because of discrimination from the other side of the family. I love to find stones with interesting designs that ignite the storyteller in me. I love the spiraling pine cones that are always so centering. Animals and trees are precious to me. I see and hear their music in the rhythms of their lives. I have often found strange sorts of comfort in the natural mysteries of life, and it saddens me that so many people have been taught and programmed to be afraid of these things. It isnt healthy to separate ourselves from what is a natural part of us, because it stands in the way of our unfolding. ~ Patty Ann Smith



NEW Album "A Strange Sort of Comfort" 2008

I have some "very special friends" who are songwriters, and this album, A Strange Sort of Comfort, features the song -writing gifts of 3 of them....John Fern, Danny Knapp, and Dan Samples. The guitarist on this album is my husband Craig Smith. If you'd like to hear clips of all of the songs, please go to "Buy Albums" below.

I sing, write, find, and interpret songs that I love...and I play the guitar. My life's dance is tied to my passion for the breathtaking beauty of our earth and its inhabitants. I have always felt the interconnectedness of all things. I must admit, these days, most of my attention is lovingly on Mother Earth in her time of need. My previous Album "Mystic Dreams" was a little "Roots Music"....a little "Gypsy"....a little "Protest"....that came from the folk tradition of my Irish-American heritage. I love to be outdoors in nature where all kinds of magical things are occurring every minute. And, I do believe that the leprechauns must've come into being just so us humans would never forget to dream, imagine, and be creative. I came from an era that thought it was on the verge of changing the course of history by transforming the world into a global community of peace. And despite the many disappointments since then, I still carry that torch. The 7 songs I wrote and the 4 traditional folk songs on "Mystic Dreams" are statements about the human condition originating from the lives of ordinary people like myself, and are rooted in my Irish-American history of balancing struggle with the joy of music.

I hope my music and other creative ideas give you some comfort, joy, and hope.

Peace and Love ~ Patty:)