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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!)