Gratitude CircleSing

Our CircleSinging sessions are the heart and soul of what we've been building here at Gaia - warm, welcoming spaces for spontaneous singing and harmonizing, led with joy, passion, and kindness by skilled circlesong facilitators.

WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THIS CIRCLE?

This gathering will take our Candlelight CircleSinging practice and infuse it with the intention of expressing gratitude in our songs. The practice of gratitude is one that has been proven to have profound benefits for the thanks-giver, and we believe that expressing this gratitude in community and in song can deeply amplify its power. Our giving of thanks will take many forms ~ from meditative moments to dance parties to roof-raising anthems and everything in between. Join us for an evening of spontaneously crafted songs as we sing THANK YOU to all that is.

WHAT IS CIRCLESINGING?

A spontaneous vocal jam, sung by all of us and led by a facilitator in the middle of the circle who invents parts, teaches improvised harmonies, and shapes the music as we flow from meditative moments to vibrant dance parties to heartfelt ballads and everything in between!

CircleSinging is:

• playful
• creative
• collaborative
• joyful
• imperfect
• improvised
• finding the flow
• a full body exploration
• welcoming to all ability levels

CircleSinging is done all over the world in many different forms, and, while popularized by musical legends such as Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon of WeBe3, it dates back to the earliest forms of human singing.

WHO IS LEADING THIS CIRCLESINGING SESSION?

This session will be facilitated by the powerful Simi Yuyu:

Simi Yuyu (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist and CircleSinging facilitator. With a profound love for vocal activation and the power of music, Simi thrives in offering immersive workshops that awaken and elevate the voices of participants. With compassionate guidance, she creates a safe and inclusive space for individuals to discover the richness of their own playfulness and creativity.

As a performing artist, her latest album, “P O T I O N S,” was celebrated as a best new album on NPR’s ‘All Songs Considered’ in 2021. She is passionate about the healing power of communal musicmaking. She studied vocal improvisation at Bobby Mcferrin’s Circlesong School, and seeks to empower others to reclaim their creativity and voices. She also teaches on the faculty of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Institute, offering connective music education to families in NYC.

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.

WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC DO WE SING?

That's the magic of improvisation - the music we make is entirely dependent on the ensemble of folx gathered together on that particular day, and whatever musical stylings and instincts pour out of us! We will follow whatever journey the music takes us on.

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!

CircleSinging 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!

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RESPECT THE SPACE!

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

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: 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