Hi, I’m Martha Gallagher, a professional musician; singer, harper, songwriter, composer, performer, storyteller, educator, retreat leader, and recording artist. For over 45 years, my passion and my work has been - and continues to be - creating and sharing music that touches hearts, enlivens imaginations, and brings joy with songs and stories centered on Nature, joy, personal transformation, social justice, compassion, respect for all creation, love, and Spirit.

Music and Reflection: Looking Inward

I am attending Converging 2025, a four-day conference for musicians, spiritual leaders, and those interested in spiritual formation and social transformation. Keynote performers and presenters are prominent musicians in Convergence Christian music, rooted in faith, justice and love for all. (Note: not to be confused with the Convergence Movement)

Hard stuff is happening in this country right now and all over the world. It feels vital at this time to deepen my commitment to the people, places, things, ideas and ideals that I cherish, so I can continue to offer inspiration and support to those who hear, play and sing my music. To sustain this commitment, I feel a deep need to connect with and grow a more expansive community of connection, inspiration and support for myself as a person and as an artist. A community made up of people whose work is also centered around the things I honor, believe in and cherish. Converging 2025 brings together just such a community.

To participate fully and get the most out of this conference I will be taking my harp with me. I don’t have a flight case, so I will be driving to the conference, which is a four-day round trip from my home. In addition to the registration cost of the event, expenses include gas, tolls, lodging (6 nights) and meals.

Like so many people, my work was seriously negatively impacted by Covid in 2020. All my tours came to a screeching halt and while I was able to offer online events, my income dropped significantly. To go back in 2021 to the touring model as it had been didn’t make sense anymore, either professionally or personally. So I have been building new ways to earn a living. I see attending this conference as an excellent way for me to continue to build my work. This is an ongoing challenge, so I am seeking financial support for this event, with it’s pivotal opportunities.

I play an eclectic variety of music - some of which people expect to hear on the the harp, much of it not. Celtic, Blues, Contemporary Folk, Jazz, Latin grooves; most of the music I play is original. Much of my music feels as at-home in faith community spaces as it does in theaters and festivals. Much of my work of more recent years has been in spiritual centers and places of worship, both as a musician and as a lay worship leader.

And I play a rather unique harp, named Hope. I never named my harps until this one. It was built for me at a time when I truly needed hope and this harp has been my anam cara, my soul friend, creating and touring with me since 2014.

Hope was made by Dusty Strings, renowned harp makers based in Seattle, WA. This harp is called the “Orphan Harp,” as it is made from wood pieces that weren’t use in other harps; thus “orphans.” The harp is made of maple, bubinga, black walnut and cherry.

I mentioned this before but it's worth saying again - hard stuff is happening in this country right now and all over the world. Hard for our minds to comprehend, hard for our hearts to hold. It’s hard to have hope. Yet hope is just what is needed. Messages of hope are being looked for. Songs of hope need to be heard and felt and shared and sung.

From this conference I believe will come inspirations for music of hope. The spirit-centered community connections and support that I will need to create and share this with music, will be found at this gathering.

If you believe in the power of hope.

If you believe in the power of music.

If you have ever been moved or inspired by a song.

Please consider supporting this vision to help us all as we work to move toward a kinder, more compassionate, more peaceful world.

Blessings of Music, Community and Hope ~

Martha