Her own studies began as a classical pianist and singer with conservatory prep education and traditional musical training. Her intrigue with the music of John Coltrane led her to search out Coltrane's bassist Jimmy Garrison at Bennington College in Vermont. Choosing this school, she found herself able to study with trumpeter Bill Dixon, saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, and drummer Milford Graves, as well as composers Vivian Fine and Louis Calabro.
Arriving on the New York scene in 1977, Lisa began collaborating with bassist William Parker. This collaboration continues. These years include working in trio with singers Ellen Christie and Jeanne Lee. Lisa also was heard regularly with pianists Wayne Horvitz and Robin Holcomb in the days of Studio Henry. Indeed over the years, she has worked with many new music and jazz notables including Cecil Taylor, Rashied Ali, Badal Roy, Andrew Cyrille, Mark Dresser, Jimmy Lyons, Irene Schweitzer, Steve McCall, Butch Morris, Gerry Hemingway, Didi Jackson, Blue "Gene" Tyranny, Hilton Ruiz, Mike Richmond, and Jim McNeely.
Her performances include solos, duos, quartets, big bands, (she has recorded with William Parker's Little Huey Orchestra and in duo for Parker's Song Cycle and her own Voice/Movement/Theater work and choral works. She has been heard at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Spoleto Festival, the Kool Jazz Festival, The Vision Festival, Havana International Jazz Festival, the Tampere Jazz Happening, The Knitting Factory, the The Bottom Line, Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space and many other venues.
Lisa has recorded on Soul Note, Uneet, Aum, Boxholder, Between the Lines and Laughing Horse Records. Releases in 2003 included the Song Cycles of William Parker and Gerry Hemingway. 2004 will include Snow in Spring; a choral work for 20 voices
Sokolov is the originator of the method of Embodied VoiceWork. As a teacher of this method of voice and improvisation, Lisa is an Associate Artist Professor and Head of the Voice Faculty of The Experimental Theater Wing at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts since 1985. She was also a longtime faculty of The Graduate Program of Music Therapy at NYU. Ms. Sokolov is invited internationally to perform, teach workshops and master classes in her vocal techniques to artists, therapists, physicians and people just wanting to contact, connect and sing. Her performance and vocal techniques have been written up in magazines, newspapers and in texts on improvisation.
Lisa is also acknowledged for her contribution to the field of Music Therapy in her trainings, work and writing on the wider application of the role of voice in this culture. She is the Director of The Institute for Embodied VoiceWork in New York where she trains post-graduate music therapists and physicians and is often the keynote speaker at conferences, institutes and universities throughout the world.
Ding Dong
Lisa Sokolov Lyrics
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And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never, never was
She filled the folks in Munchkin land with terror and with dread
'Till one fine day from Kansas way a cyclone caught a house
That brought the wicked, wicked witch her doom
As she was flying on her broom
For the house fell on her head and the coroner pronounced her dead
And thru the town the joyous news was spread
Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!
She's gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho
Let's open up and sing, and ring the bells out
Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead
Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!
She's gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho
Let's open up and sing, and ring the bells out
Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead
The lyrics to "Ding Dong" by Lisa Sokolov make reference to the story of "The Wizard of Oz." In particular, the lyrics refer to the demise of the wicked witch. The song opens by describing the wicked witch as the "wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never, never was." Her reign of terror over the people of Munchkin land is described as filling them "with terror and with dread." However, the song goes on to describe her downfall. A cyclone came from Kansas and caught a house which landed on the wicked witch's head, killing her. The coroner pronounced her dead and the joyous news was spread throughout the town.
The chorus of the song repeats the iconic phrase "ding dong, the witch is dead," celebrating the end of the witch's reign of terror. The lyrics encourage listeners to wake up, rub their eyes, and get out of bed to celebrate this momentous occasion. The song describes the witch as having gone "where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho," implying a place of torment and punishment.
Line by Line Meaning
Once there was a wicked witch in the lovely land of Oz
In the beautiful land of Oz, there was an evil witch
And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never, never was
There was never a more evil witch than this one
She filled the folks in Munchkin land with terror and with dread
This witch instilled terror and terror in the people of Munchkin land
'Till one fine day from Kansas way a cyclone caught a house
One beautiful day, a tornado caught a house from Kansas
That brought the wicked, wicked witch her doom
This event caused the witch's downfall
As she was flying on her broom
While flying on her broomstick
For the house fell on her head and the coroner pronounced her dead
The house landed on her head, and the coroner confirmed her death
And thru the town the joyous news was spread
The happy news was spread throughout the town
Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
There's a reason to celebrate! Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up! Rub your eyes and get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!
Wake up! The wicked witch is gone
She's gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho
The witch is in the place where the goblins go, far below
Let's open up and sing, and ring the bells out
Let's sing loudly and ring the bells in celebration
Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low
Sing ding-dong merrily, both loudly and softly
Let them know the wicked witch is dead
Inform everyone that the wicked witch is dead
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E HARBURG, E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind