Unbroken CircleSing

Join all four of Gaia’s CircleSinging facilitators as we craft 2 hours of continuous spontaneous song!! Inspired by Bobby McFerrin’s 24 hour Unbroken Circle, this event will be one shifting, morphing, everchanging, musical adventure. Each facilitator will spin their own world of songs, with moments of collaborative song-weaving and opportunities for participants to step into the circle as well. The central idea here is to keep the song spinning, no matter what. Let’s see how many places the song can take us!

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 anthems and everything in between!

Circle Singing is:

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

Circle Singing 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 co-facilitated by Matt Goldstein, Zahara (Annette Philip), Simi Yuyu, and Tracy LJ Robertson

Matt Goldstein (he/him) is an award-winning arranger, facilitator, improviser, songwriter, and educator who is known for his emotive vocal arrangements, soulful singing, heart-forward facilitation, and visionary leadership. After making waves in the a cappella scene as MD of The Vassar Devils and Hyannis Sound, he went on to found Gaia Music Collective, a collaborative music community that is achieving international recognition for its work in creating kind, connective, accessible spaces for musical play & expression. He currently serves as Gaia’s Co-Director and Lead Facilitator, while also performing as an improviser & singer-songwriter, directing at A Cappella Academy, leading Rock Voices (a community pop-rock choir), and teaching vocal improv intensives through Flow Labs.

Zahara (she/her) is a Grammy and Emmy nominated musician, educator, and arts entrepreneur. A versatile vocalist with roots in Kerala, India, she is known as a visionary who delivers on big dreams. Zahara is a seasoned recording and touring artist, composer, pianist, voice-over actor, public speaker, TV personality, and bonafide sari connoisseur. She is Founder/Director of the Grammy-nominated Berklee Indian Ensemble, a viral phenomenon with over 300 million views, renowned for its signature global Indian sound and world class productions. Before her Boston years, in 2003, she founded Artistes Unlimited (AU) in New Delhi, India, a performing arts collective promoting collaboration among city musicians. Today, Zahara takes this mission global through her internationally acclaimed a cappella quartet, Women of the World (singing in 37 languages); her songwriting duo, Tigs & Nettles; and "keeping it light" her podcast on self-love, acceptance, and healing. 

Zahara believes we build resilience through playfulness. Her workshops on improvised storytelling through sound, movement, and global vocal nuances help singers trust, love and better understand themselves and their voice. 

Simi Yuyu (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, creating magic through experiences, design, and embodied practices. 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.

Vocalist, educator, and vocal percussionist Tracy LJ Robertson enjoys working in a variety of musical settings. While studying at Berklee College of Music he performed in ensembles of global influence, from Balkan to contemporary Indian, to Latin, to western classical and jazz. He's since performed and recorded with a range of artists including Bobby McFerrin, Valerie Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Sabrina Carpenter, Andy Grammer, Michael Bublé and Billie Eilish. Meanwhile the acappella community has offered opportunity to tour and educate with groups like Pitch Slapped, Overboard, Vocalosity, m-pact, The Magnets, and The House Jacks. He is also supremely grateful to work and facilitate for organizations like the Urban Voices Project, his newest project - Vocal Bloom, and in more and more spaces where music and improvisation is explicitly supporting/instigating healing and empowerment. Tracy enjoys spreading his passion for life through music and ever deepening appreciation of mother nature.

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, & 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!

Circle Singing 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.

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 & 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, & 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 & others at the door.

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Host or Publisher Gaia Music Collective