Grant Wood Fellowship at the U of Iowa
Mami goes to university !? I am delighted to receive the Grant Wood Fellowship at the University of Iowa for 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s the course I’m teaching:
𝙈𝙐𝙎 4800
"𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛" :: 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙢, 𝙍𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝
𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙬𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 + 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝, 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜? 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨' 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩’𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙/𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚!
A Year in Ceremony @ Earthkeeper Wisdom School
A 10 month journey within a deep, immersive learning cohort for those called to ritually tend to life’s sacred thresholds, to the wholeness of their communities, and to the balance between the human and more-than-human-world
Find out more and express interest for next year’s cohort:
Opening to Freedom: Embodied Facilitation for White Racial Justice Organizers
The call to co-create an intimate 28 -person program emerges from almost four years of bringing somatics to white racial justice organizers. The focus thus far has been on practicing together and building community around our shared commitments to defend Black life and end white supremacy in our lifetimes. We’re wanting to go deeper together. Deeper in practice, in relationship, and in our capacity to hold the complexity and urgency of this political moment as accountable, relaxed, and dignified white people—with love and rigor. We know that more is possible when we practice together, because we’ve seen it already. What more might be possible if we commit to this intensive container, to a year of deepening together?
In this pilot year, we are exploring how we might bring our fully embodied selves to the work of:
Conflict, rupture & repair
Shame, trauma & resilience
Ritual & holding sacred space
Grief
WHO IS CREATING THIS PROGRAM?
Dara Silverman is the lead teacher, as part of a skilled team of four teachers - Cari Caldwell, Michael Strom, Sarah Abbott and Lyndsey Scott (song-leader). Each teacher will be a mentor to a small group of participants. The program overall has an advisory group of BIPOC and white embodiment practitioners and racial justice organizers. We plan to include a team of cohort members / participants who will advise the creation of each session and also bring their experience and expertise to the program, deepening our practice around coaching & facilitation, cultural reclamation, conflict, grief, ritual, trauma & resilience.
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM:
Four in-person retreats spread across the year (currently May, August & November 2024, 2025 dates TBD)
Monthly Practice & methodology calls in between retreats to stay in practice together and go deeper on concepts and political analysis, including calls with guest teachers
Monthly mentorship circles with members of the teaching team
Individual sessions
Participant organized and led groups to go deeper in topics and practices based on interest and experience
A curriculum arc integrating somatic practice and theory as foundational to the practice of other methodologies including:
Facilitation — holding space for conflict, healing, and transformation
White folks’ work — embodying racial justice, ancestor work, cultural reclamation
Political education — embodied race/class analysis, bring in relationship and our bodies as we do theory work
prodigal daughter :: 5 week online deep dive into album songs + themes
(( 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩. ) )
You're invited into a five week zoom song small group -- we will learn the the lush harmonies and layers of the 9 songs from prodigal daughter while exploring their themes of radical imagination, willingness, forgiveness, tenderness, faith, and interbeing.
Tuesdays
Jan 21 + 28 + Feb 4 + 11 + 18
7-9 CST (8-10 eastern // 5-7p pacific)
REGISTER on Eventbrite
Through small group sharing, singing, and mindfulness/embodiment practices, we'll move the songs into our bones' knowing while weaving the web of connection between us.
Great for songleaders who want to bring these songs into your repertoire & for all singing humans who resonate with the messages of the music.
I intend that this way of circling nourish you with soulful community, refresh your resilience, and fill you up with faith, pleasure, and grace in the process.
(Song teaches will be recorded -- whole sessions will not).
REGISTER on Eventbrite
MUS 4800:: COMMUNITY SINGING AS COLLECTIVE POWER
Register here on MYUI
Let’s take an experiential journey, exploring grassroots community singing as a dynamic force for building group cohesion and power. We’ll learn the anatomy of a ‘circle’ and how to co-create wise, brave spaces in which to vocalize together – welcoming each of our lived histories and positionalities. Then we’ll explore song as a conversation with the land, song as a somatic practice, song as a vehicle for grief tending, and song as a technology for belonging. We’ll look back in time to gather clues from other singing people: grounded in the civil rights movement Freedom Singers, we’ll research some historic sites where singing catalyzed cultural shifts.
How do these practices and places relate to our current crises such as racism, sexism, mental health, climate change, and mass incarceration? What role can singing together play in our collective healing, here now? We’ll define ritual and explore the relationship of song to ritual. I’ll share my personal work in creating layered compositions for mindfulness, as well as my colleagues' work in the growing international community singing movement alive in festival and ceremonial culture. Our class will culminate with each student’s creation of an original participatory song or ritual designed to meet the edge of growth in their personal life and/or social vision for justice and peace. This class is designed for those who love to sing and who care about gathering more skillfully and soulfully. All majors are welcome, and all voices are Welcome – (not just for “singers” or musicians!)
Sing the Unfolding Journey: 7-day Green River Trip
Full info coming soon! @ https://www.theriverspath.org/
We May Sing #45 with Tembre de Carteret
more info coming soon!
https://www.tembresong.com/events-and-workshops/
Singing for Sanity! @ VOXMAN
Songbreak!! Come enjoy an hour of feel good “All Voices Welcome” community singing in the Commons of Voxman Music Building. Easy songs taught on the spot. Relax, de-stress, connect.
Brought to you by MUS 4800: COMMUNITY SINGING AS COLLECTIVE POWER
Community Song Circle ~ "Singing Love into Life"
at Faith United Church of Christ
full event info HERE
Come sing together!
Relax, connect & have fun:)
Simple to learn songs will be taught on the spot — no experience is needed and ALL voices are welcome.
We are partnering with Inside Out Reentry & Hope House to invite formerly incarcerated individuals to sing & build community.
Inside Out Re-Entry: https://www.insideoutreentry.com/
This monthly circle, hosted by Mary Cohen and Marie Garry, meets at Faith United Church of Christ on the first Saturday of every month.
Community Song Circle with Liz Rog and Lyndsey Scott
Community Song Circle with Liz Rog and Lyndsey Scott
Sat Oct 12, 10am to Noon (with a potluck to follow!)
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭-𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘻 𝘙𝘰𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘦𝘺 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴! 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 + 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 + 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘤 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 - 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩.
♥︎ COST
You are welcome to come for Free // & Donations will be gratefully accepted. We will pass the hat!
♥︎ LOCATION:
Shelter #6 at Lower City Park
200 Park Rd, Iowa City, IA
Restrooms are nearby, and water will be on hand (byo water bottle). There are benches for sitting.
♥︎ POTLUCK
If you’d like to linger and meet people who like to sing too, feel free to bring a dish, snack, or dessert to share (as well as your plate & silverware
♥︎ YOUR HOSTS:
LIZ ROG lives in the Driftless region of Northeast Iowa. As a cultural activist Liz uses song, ritual, festival, and nature to create welcoming spaces where we can remember together how beautiful we can be. In 2020 she and Daniel Rotto created the Center for Belonging Folk School where they host gatherings rooted in nature and song. Liz spends part of her time helping to weave local neighborhood and community in parks and around kitchen tables, and part of her time traveling to other communities to nurture belonging through song.
LYNDSEY SCOTT: Here for the year in Iowa City as the Grant Wood Fellow in Interdisciplinary Art, Lyndsey Scott is an artist and ritual-maker devoted to priestesSing the Heartland, (literal and figurative). She’s teaching a class in the School of Music called Community Singing as Collective Power, and she catches and records singalong music with a strong beat to empower earth-based intelligence and sensual devotion. You can listen to her albums Well Held and prodigal daughter wherever you stream. https://www.lyndseyscott.earth/
♥︎ QUESTIONS For more information, feel free to comment in the facebook event or email Adina Levitt adinajoylevitt AT gmail.com
To stay connected to ongoing Iowa City Community Singing, you can join their facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/267741506947451
Singing @ PEACE IOWA
I’ll be facilitating community singing as part of the annual meeting at City Park in Iowa City.
PEACE IOWA: Promoting international peace through education, intercultural communication, public witness, citizen involvement, and personal choices
(image from Raygun)
Sisters in Harmony Global with Lyndsey Scott & Ahlay Blakely
REGISTER HERE
9/30 @ 4pm PT/ 6pm Central
Sing your grief, gratitude, prayer, and praise within the safe container of a women's circle.
Learn heart-opening songs for the journey.
Feel fortified, connected, and uplifted.
Let's feel the power of our global community!
All female-identified folks and their friends and family are invited.
Lyndsey, Ahlay, and Heather offer you powerful songs for these transformational times we are living in. We'll dive into vocal meditation and collective prayer, mantra, heart-opening songs, soulful songs, fun songs, and songs that invite us to dance!
Songs for Ceremony
Join us for an evening of free, online community singing to practice embodied Song as a tool for holding sacred space
Join songleader Lyndsey Scott and ritualist Carolyn Griffeth for a relaxed evening of singing together and grounding in grounding in song as an essential ingredient for ceremonial alchemy.
In sacred space, we will share key songs for various movements of ritual --- opening, invocation, activation, & closing. You'll come away from the evening with a handful of easy-to-teach songs you can begin to weave into your gatherings!
Additionally, we will share our story of discovering Song's ceremonial power within Earthkeeper Wisdom School as well as other moments when we have experienced the somatic impact of singing on the collective field.
We'll spend some time in Q/A at the end, and share about A Year in Ceremony--an upcoming offering of Earthkeeper Wisdom School. We welcome those who are discerning application to come and bring questions!
This gathering is free and will be recorded to be sent to those who'd like to watch later.
Zoom link will be sent to the email you use to register.
Applications open for A Year in Ceremony
A 10 month apprenticeship within a deep, immersive learning cohort for those called to ritually tend to life’s sacred thresholds, to the wholeness of their communities, and to the balance between the human and more-than-human-world
A Year in Ceremony is for those who acutely sense the lack of soul within our culture and who long to recover a more beautiful way of being human together.
Intuitively, you know that reclaiming a sensual life of deep ritual is key to nourishing your soul and serving the regeneration of culture.
Perhaps you also feel called to deepen your role of sacred space holder, ritualist, sacred activist, healer, artist, or priestess and long for a community to accompany you as you embody your calling in ever fuller and more aligned ways. Additionally, given the complex legacies of colonization and the lack of resonant modeling, you may feel a bit awkward and even weary as you seek to embody this role with authenticity and integrity.
If you feel this calling and long for your gifts to grow and mature in ways that are deeply-rooted and profoundly potent, A Year in Ceremony offers you a lovingly-held apprenticeship and inspirited practice ground.
Rewilding Feminine Soul: A Weekend Gathering to Recover our Wholeness
Is your wild heart longing for some barefoot-on-earth dancing, forest wandering, cuddled-in-each-others-arms recalibrating, gathered-round-the-fire Singing, cold water plunging, and brave heart truth-telling?
You’re invited.
Come be refreshed and drink deep from the well of wisdom inside you, catalyzed by the caring presence of others who are also coming home to the vibrantly Alive divine feminine within. We’ll ground in the blessings of our lives, grieve the impact of internalized sexism, slough and molt unneeded energies, and attune to where our soul’s song harmonizes with the great Song of Life.
This gathering is for all those who identify as women or femme, and/or for those gender queer and nonbinary kin who were raised as female and welcome further connection in undoing unwanted sexist scripts ready for unwinding. This is a trans- affirming space AND it is led by two white cis-women doing their human best to outgrow blind spots…. we are unlearning together & we warmly welcome a call pre-registration to presence any questions and concerns so we can ease into brave clear space in relationship and curiosity.
FRUIT TREE COMMUNITY CHOIR!
stay tuned on instagram @fruit_tree_community_choir
Fruit Tree Community Choir is a collaborative artwork by geographer Hazlett Henderson, songleader Lyndsey Scott and orchardist Skyler Adamson. In this event we will reimagine public space’s capacity to nourish our needs for connection and care. We will be planting an orchard on library grounds and serenading it into being. All are welcome to let their voices harmonize and get some dirt under their nails, or simply be present at the ceremony this spring. In case of rain, the event will be held on April 7 from 11 AM–2 PM.
Three choir practices will be held online before the ceremony. Snacks and children’s activities will be provided at the ceremony. We need both singing and planting volunteers to nurture these trees as they begin life by the library. Sign up for the project by contacting fruittreecommunitychoir@gmail.com
Support for this community artwork is provided by a Rocket Grants project award, a program of Charlotte Street and the Spencer Museum of Art. Funding is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
WE BLESS THIS SEED! an online community ritual for spring equinox
Come gather with soul community to bless the sacred passage of spring equinox.
What dream-seeds are stirring in you as the light grows stronger day by day?
Whether or not you are planting a garden this season, we are all "gardeners of energy" --endowed with the capacity to bring our soul's visions into form by giving them our sacred attention.
To exercise this power of co-creation, we will ritually activate the unique dream seeds we carry-- all essential parts of the Earth's dream of wholeness. Our ritual will be a heart-nourishing space woven with song, embodiment, partner connection time, group sharing, and devotion. Please come willing to be screen-on & participating!
Prepare by reflecting:
What seeds of possibility am I carrying for my soul's thriving and the emergence of a more beautiful world?
What possibility, if actualized, would feel like a homecoming for my soul's longing?
If you have an object or symbol that represents your dream, we welcome you to bring it with you.
For the farmers and gardeners in our community: At the close of our ritual, there will be an opportunity to bless the physical seeds (flower of vegetable) that you are planting this spring. We warmly welcome you to bring your soon-to-be-planted seeds with you!
We pray that our ritual will further the dreams of our souls and of the soul of the world!
With and devotion,
Carolyn and Lyndsey
Lush Up Our Spirits!
A Retreat Full of Singing, Movement & Community Weaving To Welcome In Spring
March 8-10, 2024
with Lyndsey Scott, Tatianah Thunberg, Kath Weider, Carol Bardenstein & Beth Patterson
@ Triple Crane Retreat Center
7665 Werkner Road
in Chelsea, Michigan
Come slough off any stagnation or resignation that’s ready to molt into your freeform Springtime glow. What did you harvest from the winter depths? What does your flexible, evocative seedling of a Self want to grow toward this season of unfurling?
What support and connection will nourish you there?
Let your voice and body lead the way, surrounded by sacred community.
Co-organized by the song leaders and ceremonialists who brought you Lush Up last Spring, and Fall Into Harmony last Fall: Lynsdey Scott, TatiAnah Thunberg, Carol Bardenstein, Kath Weider and Beth Patterson will co-lead you through a weekend of heart opening, joining our voices together in harmony, and following our songs into dance, meditation, collaborative play and community connection.
Oh Kin! Where ya been? Community singing to practice interbeing
How do we witness the suffering of our world and not turn away or be consumed?
How do we care consistently?
In our culture, strategies of anesthesia & amnesia abound --- how do we grow beyond these coping patterns to find sustainable pathways that engage both the inner and outer work that the marathon-not-a-sprint of true justice requires -- with ample support?
“Justice is what love looks like in public." ~ Dr. Cornel West
We need each other. Let's be curious and live into these questions together.
You are warmly welcome to come as you are ~ tired or fraught or inspired or sad or angry or lonely or glowing ~ and experience an evening of interactive call-and-echo style singing, facilitated sharing, restful reflection, and community care.
I know and practice community singing as a pathway to mutual liberation, a reclamation of ritual wisdom skill, and an expression of sensual devotion. Unblocking energy, melting judgment, decomposing scripts of separation, enlisting endorphins, . . . . in Singing, we practice the muscle to choose the love and freedom we desire to. Wavelengths change things.
Evening flow:
Doors open: 6:30pm ~ please arrive & settle in by 7 (no stragglers, thanks). Bring a tea cup!
Song container: 7-9pm
We'll open circle space, ground + warm-up + connect, then call-and-echo learn songs and make beauty -- building them slow and steady, welcoming harmony and improvisation as we find our groove. This type of singing is for all voices, to unfurl the line from heart to throat and claim our power and belonging. Science says our heartbeats sync up when we sing together ~ My prayer, you'll leave our gathering feeling more open and expansive, flushed with happy chemicals, love gleaming out your beautiful eyes, and with a pocket full of sacred songs to keep singing yourself free ꩜
Womb Stories + Real Talk + Heart Songs (WEDNESDAYS)
Full information & Register:: HERE
You're invited to come explore the potentiality and power of living as intentional Creatrix, in a world designed to undermine, control, demean, consume, and subvert divine feminine essence.
We spill our secrets and cackle with soul-sisters and besties, *and* something unique happens in a circle, when we get to See and be seen by others whose backgrounds and ways of being vary from our own. We "hear each other into speech"**, reclaim power, & stand in the fullness of the collective wisdom we've gained through resilience.
In 2020 I started hosting circle space for white folks to connect and dismantle internalized white supremacy, through song + stories + embodiment. The deeper this went, the more I felt into the need for similar work to focus on unpinning ourselves from how patterns of patriarchy dominate our experiences of our bodies, our purpose, our pleasure, our choices.
This group is an offering for queer/femme or womxn-identified wombed ones (aged 25+ ish), to remember ourselves into Wholeness.
What would it be to water the thirsty, lush gardens of our unedited selves with raw questions, soulful silence, space for tender memories, present witness, and lots n lotsa Songs that move stuck energy & honor the sanctity of even (especially) our shadows?
In this small group, on-screen zoom journey together, we'll build our container through partner shares, somatic practices, tracking our bodies responses, and vocal work --- sounding, singing, reading out loud.
iF this kind of soul-spelunking sisterhood calls to you, Welcome.
Full information & Register:: HERE
Womb Stories + Real Talk + Heart Songs (TUESDAYS)
Full information & Register:: HERE
You're invited to come explore the potentiality and power of living as intentional Creatrix, in a world designed to undermine, control, demean, consume, and subvert divine feminine essence.
We spill our secrets and cackle with soul-sisters and besties, *and* something unique happens in a circle, when we get to See and be seen by others whose backgrounds and ways of being vary from our own. We "hear each other into speech"**, reclaim power, & stand in the fullness of the collective wisdom we've gained through resilience.
In 2020 I started hosting circle space for white folks to connect and dismantle internalized white supremacy, through song + stories + embodiment. The deeper this went, the more I felt into the need for similar work to focus on unpinning ourselves from how patterns of patriarchy dominate our experiences of our bodies, our purpose, our pleasure, our choices.
This group is an offering for queer/femme or womxn-identified wombed ones (aged 25+ ish), to remember ourselves into Wholeness.
What would it be to water the thirsty, lush gardens of our unedited selves with raw questions, soulful silence, space for tender memories, present witness, and lots n lotsa Songs that move stuck energy & honor the sanctity of even (especially) our shadows?
In this small group, on-screen zoom journey together, we'll build our container through partner shares, somatic practices, tracking our bodies responses, and vocal work --- sounding, singing, reading out loud.
iF this kind of soul-spelunking sisterhood calls to you, Welcome.
Full information & Register:: HERE
I'm Listening: a community song circle to rest in stillness and the unknown
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
@ Soulside Healing Arts, Peoria ILLINOIS
As 2024 unfurls and takes shape, come explore the pathway of your voice-as-is to access the depth and breadth of your powerful heart's ability to abide with the dark, the quiet, and the questions.
Lyndsey practices community singing as a pathway to mutual liberation & a reclamation of ritual wisdom skill. She believes:
“Unblocking energy, melting judgment, decomposing scripts of separation, enlisting endorphins, . . . . in Singing together, we practice the muscle to choose the love and freedom we desire to. Wavelengths change things.”
Best known for “The Way Knows", Lyndsey catches and leads rhythmic sing-along mantras that anchor sacred trust and sensual devotion... with a generous touch of trickster fun ;)
She loves to play+pray inside the sweet space where the sacred and profane kiss — calling us simultaneously into our elder & child selves AND our deepest call to sacred Service, carving out more space for all of it… the grief, the praise, the pleasure, the Presence.
Flow:
Doors open: 1:15 ~ please arrive & settle in by 1:30p
Song container: 1:30-3:30p
We'll open circle space, ground + warm-up + connect, then call-and-echo learn songs and make beauty -- building them slow and steady, welcoming harmony and improvisation as we find our groove. This type of singing is for all voices, to unfurl the line from heart to throat and claim our power and belonging. Science says our heartbeats sync up when we sing together ~ My prayer, you'll leave our gathering feeling more open and expansive, flushed with happy chemicals, love gleaming out your beautiful eyes, and with a pocket full of sacred songs to keep singing yourself free
find that the dark, too, Blooms:: a 9-wk song zoom small group MONDAYS
++ MONDAY EVENINGS // @ZOOM // NOVEMBER 20 thru JANUARY 29++
"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.”
― Wendell Berry
Let’s slow to receive the gifts that darkness brings.
Let's Sing.
Let's Ask & Listen --
....as we end the year, How do i befriend the Descent? What grief in me needs tending to make space for winter dark? What rituals help me make meaning? How do i fuel my heart-hearth in the dark?
and then as we venture into the new, ..... How do i rest in the fertile Void? What is being decomposed, in me personally/ in us collectively? What inquiries are most alive in me? What am i here to Vessel? What dreams are being born in me? Who else carries these sacred seeds?
In this 9-week small group online gathering, we will:
+ ground in presence through breath and gentle movement
+ sing easy-to-learn songs that sense the season and grow the soul
+ welcome the grief that often mingles with holiday merriment
+ slow to harvest the arc of the year through writing & reflection
+ encourage and nourish each other's journeys through sacred witness
+ practice being ok with not knowing -- holding the questions with devotion
+ co-create a group field of caring Presence to steady us
Grieving Ourselves Home: a 2-day grief ritual held in Song & community care
"Grief is natural: to grieve the loss of what we love is as natural as peeing, eating, singing, dreaming, running, or looking under rocks for bugs to feed your frog.
More importantly, grieving is necessary: when there is real loss, grieving should never be avoided or postponed; grieving is absolutely necessary. Without grief the world would cease to renew itself; the world would cease to exist.
Grief is not a preference, for choosing to not have grief when grief is there is to defer and burden someone else with having to do your grieving. This makes the world a sick place.
To truly and freely grieve as an entire people can revive an entire culture just as much as it can bring back to life an individual.”
~Martín Prechtél
Where does it hurt?
Let’s aim our love, our listening, our Song, our care right there.
Welcome to this natural, necessary, liberatory work.
Together we are powerful to tend and move the grief that heavies our souls ~ from the particular losses and traumas of this lifetime to the terrors inside the lineages we each inherited. Collective grief ritual is a cutting edge of soul activism, a way to support each other in moving energy that otherwise might stagnate or get repressed. It’s way too much heavy lifting to do alone – but when we join together in community and ceremony, we alchemize suffering into tremendous bandwidth for Love.
Come explore with us, where your tender places are welcome ~ held in connection, community, and lots of Song.
Facilitated by Lyndsey Scott and Carolyn Griffeth, this 2-day embodied grief ritual will welcome us into co-created sacred space through altar craft, ancestral honoring, land connection, and ritual practice. Our bodies already know how to do this —- in all of our bones is the knowing of how to let go through wailing, drumming, dancing, holding, being held. We will spark this remembering in a brave and clear container that includes solo reflection, sacred witness, somatic practice, song medicine, solo time in nature, and rest.
+++ Your full participation for the entirety of both days is required. +++
The ritual is inspired and informed by the Dagara tradition as carried to the states by Sobonfu Somé and Malidoma Somé. With humility and profound gratitude, we intend to honor this lineage by stewarding the technology they brought as much needed medicine for the western world. We are also weaving wisdom from teachers Francis Weller, Martín Prechtél, Laurence Cole, and Joanna Macy.
Singing through the Gates of Grief: An Embodied Afternoon of Heart-tending
Life is a growth in the art of Loss –John O’ Donohue
Loss touches our hearts and souls in a myriad of ways. And often most painful are those losses that are not socially acknowledged, including the parts of ourselves that haven’t known love, our sorrows for the world, and the world we expected at birth but did not receive. These and other “gates of grief” described by soul activist Francis Weller serve as doorways to tending these often neglected chambers of sorrow that live in all of our hearts.
In this gathering, we will navigate our way through the gates of grief, through song + heartshare + somatic activation, as a way of discovering where our souls ache. In bringing our present moment attention to these places, we welcome these hurts into the loving arms of community.
This offering intends to be welcoming and accessible to all including those who are new to this way of recovering our humanness together. It will also serve as an opportunity to wade into the sacred waters of grief for those curious about joining us for a two-day ecstatic grief ritual Nov 11th--12th: (find out more here).
This afternoon song ritual will be followed by an optional potluck and fire-side song circle --- more info to follow in the welcome email. :)
We sincerely hope you will join us for this time of tending our hearts in community!
Singing in Love Gathering
Singing In Love is a ceremonial song gathering where we come together in community to sing, pray and connect from and with our hearts. There will be facilitated song circles, community meals, ceremonial events, night time song circles around fires, a tea temple, kids area & much more! Join us for a special weekend of creating magic through vibration.
EAST COAST TOUR with ShiREEN AMinI!!
++ 𝙊̳𝙐̳𝙍̳ ̳𝙋̳𝙊̳𝙒̳𝙀̳𝙍̳𝙎̳ ̳𝘾̳𝙊̳𝙈̳𝘽̳𝙄̳𝙉̳𝙀̳𝘿̳!̳ ++ ::
𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒚𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒕 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳! 𝘈𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧, 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘪𝘯-𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳. 𝘊𝘰-𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘧𝘶𝘭, & 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦-𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴? 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
Our tithe for this tour goes to 𝙈𝙈𝙄𝙒𝙃𝙊𝙄𝙎𝙈𝙄𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙂, a 100% Indigenous-lead sovereign and educational voice that advocates for grassroots efforts, working directly with MMIR families, survivors, & Tribal coalitions laying the groundwork, socially and politically to protect our Indigenous Populations from further Colonial Violence.
TICKETS @ LINKS:
꩜ 8/30 Ann Arbor, MI | land of the Anishinaabeg
꩜ 8/31-9/4 Singing in Love: Tamaqua, PA | land of the Lenni-Lenape
꩜ 9/5 North Hampton, MA | land of the Pocumtuck, Norwottock, Woronoco, Agawam, Nipmuck, and Abenaki
꩜ 9/6 Boston, MA | land of the Massachusett, Abenaki, Micmac, Maliseet, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Passamaquoddy, Pawtucket, Pennacook, Penobscot, Pequot, and Wampanoag
꩜ 9/9 Brooklyn, NY | land of the Lenape
꩜ 9/10 Philadelphia, PA | land of the Lenape
꩜ 9/12 Bethseda, MD | land of the Nacotchtank, Piscataway, and Pamunke
꩜ 9/13 Richmond, VA | land of the Powhatan and Monacan
꩜ 9/14-17 Love Song: Marshall, NC | land of the Anikituwagi (Cherokee)
꩜ 9/20 Asheville, NC | land of the Anikituwagi (Cherokee)
Singing Alive 2023
Singing Alive is an annual, since 2007, summer gathering devoted to Gaian Folk-song circles. Singing Alive was born of a confluence of the song culture (rainbow, gospel, trad. Americana, Native Amer.) of back-to-the-land healing gatherings of the Cascadia bio-region (Pacific NW), and the song-medicine of teacher-plant traditions world-wide.
WAILS: Songs for Grief - Album Recording + Gathering
Artist and song tender Alexandra "ahlay" Blakely has written an album entirely dedicated to grief. Written in the community singing tradition, the intention of the songs is to inspire communities to create their versions of contained circles together to sing + become more agile in their relationship with grief.