Folk Song Sing

LET'S SING FOLK SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

Our Folk Song Sing is an opportunity to sing your favorite folk songs and discover new ones as we learn more about the rich musical tapestry of our community! Come share your voice, hearts, and stories as we explore musical traditions from around the world and celebrate the beauty that folk music has to offer.

BRING A SONG!

We want to hear from YOU. What are your favorite folk songs? The songs at this event are comprised of suggestions from those attending, with the invitation to collaborate with our facilitator and co-lead the song as we share it with the room, if you so choose. We would love nothing more than to have culture-bearers guide us through the origins and history of these songs (from a broad or personal perspective) as we dive into them together.

You can submit suggestions for folk songs 🌱 here🌱!

WHO IS LEADING THIS FOLK SONG SING?

This session will be facilitated by the unparalleled Kenter Davies!

Kenter Davies (he/him) is a vocal arranger, music educator, and choral facilitator based in Brooklyn, New York. He dedicates his work to creating spaces where people can engage with music without the pressure of perfection, but full of complexity and joy. He highlights the journey over the destination and firmly believes in making music for music-making’s sake. Kenter facilitates One Day Choirs and Folk Song Sings with Gaia, an organization that truly helped him find his voice. His greatest love is helping others find their voices and having fun doing it!

DO I HAVE TO BE AN EXPERIENCED SINGER?

Nope! This playful, intuitive approach to singing meets you wherever you're at in your vocal journey, and allows professional artists, former choir kids, and shower singers alike to bond, collaborate, and create beautiful vocal music as a spontaneous vocal community.

THIS SOUNDS COOL, BUT I FEEL A BIT ANXIOUS...

We hear you. Singing in front of people can be really vulnerable, and we make sure to honor where everyone is at. While we will encourage you to be brave and try new things, you are also always encouraged to listen to your body and draw your own boundaries, and are invited to pass or sit out and watch if a particular game or exercise isn't for you. You will never be forced to do anything you don't want to do!

This event is a mistake-free, low-pressure, safe space to play and explore. The space we craft is one where we allow ourselves let go of the rules, restrictions, judgments, and fears of other group singing settings and just SING. And when we let ourselves simply sing - magic happens.

CAN I ARRIVE LATE?

We ask that you arrive by 7:30 at the latest, after which we close the doors (lovingly) in order to preserve the safe music container we've created. Thank you for understanding!

RESPECT THE SPACE!

This is a beloved venue and we want to honor them! Please be considerate of the space.

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY:

• 2 step walk up to lobby.
• Elevator available to the 3rd floor (reserved for those with physical disabilities).
• Seating available (narrow benches with no backs).
• Bathroom is not wheelchair accessible.
• Venue prefers shoes to be removed upon entering.

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LOW-PRESSURE PARTICIPATION

Gaia Music Collective events are participatory, but low-pressure. You'll be invited to sing along and make music with us, but we encourage you to draw your own boundaries and engage at your own pace - we pride ourselves in creating a judgment-free community where you can express yourself however feels right!

LATE ARRIVALS

We ask that you arrive no later than 30 minutes after start time, after which we close the doors (lovingly) in order to preserve the intimacy and trust of the musical container we’re building. Thank you for understanding!

CANCELLATION POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 24 hours before the event, after which we are no longer able to offer refunds. This policy helps us keep these events financially sustainable for both our community and our team. If you RSVP but are no longer able to come, please let us know so that we may offer your spot to someone else! We want as many people to be able to experience these gatherings as possible, and since capacity is limited, each spot is precious.

For more info, contact us at [email protected].

MEDIA CONSENT

Because we want to share what we’re up to with people who can’t join us in person, there may be photographers and videographers present — by attending, you consent to being a part of that media, some of which may be posted online! If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected].

NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS

Gaia is funded by sliding scale ticket donations, with a “no one turned away for lack of funds” policy. It is of the utmost importance to us that these events remain affordable and accessible - we never want money to be a barrier to making music together. If a ticket scale is financially prohibitive to you, feel free to donate outside of the scale at whatever amount is sustainable for you, or to email us at [email protected] for volunteer opportunities or assistance!

OUR MISSION

Gaia Music Collective is an NYC-based creative community seeking to foster a more connected world through collective music-making. Founded in June of 2021 in a living room in Brooklyn, this project was born out of a desire to create accessible, inclusive, playful spaces for people to explore connection, expression, healing, and release through collaborative song - spaces where folks feel empowered to make music free of judgment or expectation, and to make new friends as our full, beautiful, authentic selves.

We believe that communal music-making is a fundamental human practice, and this project seeks to build spaces for folks to nurture their relationship to music, whether they're shower singers, professional musicians, or anything in between.

All are welcome in this community. Gaia seeks to foster spaces of belonging for humans of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, classes, religions, abilities, national origins, languages, and musical experiences. All we ask is that you bring an open mind, a desire to connect, and a willingness to leave judgment of self and others at the door.

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Host or Publisher Gaia Music Collective