Hi everyone,
Please scroll down for Imaginal Conversations Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Workshop Info, for friends near and far (it's on zoom!),
and/or Stay Here for my big Thank You for Sunday's Mixtape for Palestine show!
1) THANK YOU!
Sunday night was surreal. THANK YOU all.
I am having the "what just happened?" feeling. I've cried so much in the process of this show, had more emotions than I've ever had about a show. In gratitude and grief and love and appreciation and awe and challenge, the whole spectrum.
Thanks to Everyone who played!!!, Everyone who showed up on a Sunday night!!!!, Everyone who bought tix from afar!!!!!!, to the incredible beings at the @ivyroom !!!!!! (Lani, Christina, Cupcake, Treasure, Victoria, Zach), to Rebecca @mahna_mahna_ for driving down from Sacramento to work with @heyimzachgamble on sound! (the sound was seamless), Madeline Tasquin @madelinetasquin !!!! for getting the organization of the Mixtape for Palestine going early on (spreadsheet tracking genius & emotional support & promo support) & then playing your heart out.
HUGE THANKS to Ezra Lipp @ezralipp for the dream collaboration, pouring SO MUCH heart and love into co-organizing & initiating & carrying so much of the show, playing, promoting, speaking, and stage managing the whole night, with extreme grace and care, attention to detail and nuance. I am in awe and forever grateful for that energy that helped pick the Mixtape for Palestine project back up, and bring it into a live show form. Please follow Ezra here. I have so much respect for Ezra's work and dedication to Palestine, that has been a huge motivation to help me get back in the game and learn more.
Thank you to ALLLLLLL the musicians who played, and who stayed for a long night after the shows and long days and nights they had right before!!!!
You can follow them if you're on instagram, and show them your love: @handmademomentsmusic who blew us all away (on tour from NOLA, checkout their dates) + @annamossmusic is back at the Ivy Room July 8th (wanna go?!), @avivalefey !!!, Madeline Tasquin @madelinetasquin with full band !! Anya @anyacabana Abby @peoplefevers & Travis @peaceandpocket , @magicintheother ft. Ezra, @the_mellow_dellow , & Andre Fylling @andrefylling , the great Vicki Randle @vrandle who brought it all night!, Joel Ludford, Sean Hayes @rattlesnakecharm gracing us with presence and a couple balms of songs (who played a sold out show the night before, and left some energy to hang with us all day in solidarity), Rafa Sarria Bustamente of @lagentesf (seen here, & who is also on Ezra's podcast), Tarik @excentrik Kazaleh (who is also on Ezra's podcast!) & Aaron Kierbel @akierbel (who drove straight to the show from LA to get there in time), Marc Stephens @marcstep (of Con Brio) & Henry Hung @henryhungmusic bringing the Mixtape All-Stars to another level. & anyone I didn't list, thank you. There were so many incredible artists in the night! 🩷🩷🩷✨✨✨✨✨💜💜💜💫💫💫
Thanks to Gabe Korty speaking upon his recent return from the Global Sumud Flotilla, sharing more on how we can get involved!
Thanks to Elicia Yoffee for showing up to represent United for Dignity Alliance, with such enthusiasm and appreciation for the night, and an awesome speech summarizing UFDA's work.
Thank you to ALL the musicians who joined the Mixtape for Palestine bandcamp compilation so early on, taking the risk of putting themselves out there, back in 2023/2024! (I encourage everyone to listen, slowly over time, at seaweedsway.bandcamp.com, donating $25 or more directly to MECA to get the download code: bit.ly/MECAmixtape)
A million more thank u's from here, including big support for the whole project from @vanessa.verlee , @zerowasteteacher , @thecharliestellar , @winslow.warren graciously helping with the door , Jesse Stout, @jonjacksonakajmj , @briancbelknap , Nora Roman, & so many more.
Thanks to Mat Weir @weirdjournalism for representing the show in the East Bay Express and giving us press! And to Emma Silvers and the Coyote Media Collective for the shoutout in their events newsletter!
I left the IG handles above in case it's fun to follow ppl from this message.
Plus then you can then see the high energy video of Rafa Sarria Bustamente!
Also!
2) Nonviolent Communication Offerings:
A big part of my activist work has been studying Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
As some of you know, I've gotten pretty deep in these waters, assisting my teacher Tuesday nights for the past year.
The NVC work is a driver and intention setter for the Mixtape for Palestine project as well.
My teacher Newt Bailey of Communication Dojo is offering a new workshop starting this Wednesday that I'll be attending for four weeks, on zoom. I'd love to see you there.
With two people close to me passing away this year, and with people I can't talk to who I'd like to (that thing some of us have experienced), I've found the Imaginal Conversations work to be extremely helpful for rearranging how I move thru the grief and still benefit from the wisdom of those relationships.
Here's the info!
I'll also be at Monday night class 7-9pm, experiencing Newt's weekly lessons as a practice, as often as I can, for those who are interested too.
From Newt:
I'm excited to announce a new Communication Dojo offering: Imaginal Conversations - 4-week ONLINE Program, starting on Wednesday June 10th, 2026.
This program explores a practice many of us already do unconsciously - having imagined conversations with people in our lives.
We replay old arguments. We rehearse future conversations. We imagine finally saying the thing we never said. We imagine the other person understanding us, apologizing, or responding differently.
Sometimes these inner conversations help us. Sometimes they leave us more reactive, ashamed, angry, or emotionally tangled.
In this new program we'll explore how to engage inner dialogue more consciously, with empathy, curiosity, compassion, and nervous system awareness.
Imaginal Conversation can support us when:
- we're preparing for a difficult real-life conversation
- we're trying to process conflict, grief, anger, fear, shame, attraction, or loneliness
- we want to understand ourselves or another person more compassionately
- we're inwardly speaking with someone who is not currently able or willing to talk with us in the way we'd like
- we want a more conscious alternative to rumination, rehearsed arguments, blame, fantasy, or self-criticism
Also, Imaginal Conversation Practice is my #1 tool of Self-Connection - and, for me, Self-Connection is 90% of Nonviolent Communication! This is a program I've been wanting to share for over a decade and it's finally here!
The whole-group portions of the sessions will be recorded, and participants will receive access to an online resource area with recordings, handouts, and other resources to support learning and integration.
"Newt's classes are engaging, interactive and packed with actionable tools and insights. I always get a ton out of the practical exercises which cement new learnings right during class time. The material is approachable and taught in bite-sized chunks; plus Newt actively tailors the course to what the class participants are most interested in. During the practice sessions there is even the chance to work on real issues." ~ Elise H., San Francisco
PROGRAM DETAILS
Imaginal Conversations
4-week ONLINE program with Newt Bailey
Wednesdays June 10, 17, 24 & July 1, 2026
7pm to 9pm Pacific
Online over Zoom
Sliding scale: $120-$160 plus Humanitix booking fee
Prerequisite: Some familiarity and practice with the NVC / Connected Communication skill of "Listening with Empathy." (Talk to Newt on how to see if you can learn this in time.)
Thanks for receiving this email and for putting some care this way,
Wishing everyone well,
Jessie