"Bridge Over Troubled Water" | One-Day Choir

WHAT IS A ONE-DAY CHOIR?

Gaia Music Collective's One-Day Choir series is an opportunity to sing in a choir for one day only. A celebration of song and the connective power of singing in harmony. An opportunity to build community, make some new friends, and raise our powerfully diverse voices as one.

No auditions. No commitment. No need for perfection.

Just the joy of creating something bigger than ourselves with a room full of beautiful humans!

For each choir, we pick a single piece of music to rehearse and sing our hearts out to. In our time together, we'll:

• Play some fun singing games, warmups, & connection games
• Work through the piece section by section
• Break down the lyrics & emotions at play in the song
• Shape some key musical moments
• & Record some casual rehearsal videos of the piece to share with the greater Gaia community

Whether you're a vocal ensemble veteran or have never sung in a group before, you are welcome here - all experience levels are valued in Gaia Music Collective!

OUR SONG THIS TIME AROUND

In our upcoming venture with Gaia Music Collective's One-Day Choir, we embark on a musical voyage through the timeless ballad, "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Crafted by the legendary duo Simon & Garfunkel, this masterpiece is celebrated for its rich blend of folk, gospel, and rock elements, delivering a resounding message of compassion and solidarity. Reimagined by illustrious artists like Aretha Franklin, Merry Clayton, Roberta Flack, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and many more, it has established an untouchable place in the tapestry of American music. Join us in a chorus of voices to explore the depth of meaning and emotions this beautiful piece evokes.

Arranged and facilitated by Gaia’s own Kenter Davies, our rendition will blend simplicity and complexity, stillness and movement, delicacy and strength. Music possesses the power to heal, to amplify our convictions, and to cultivate a sense of community and collective empowerment. Let us come together to celebrate a song that unites hearts and spirits through friendship and camaraderie, offering solace and fortitude during life's turbulent moments.

LEARNING THE MUSIC

Sheet music and vocal recordings of each part will be available as learning resources before the event, and our collective goal is to know the music as best we can coming into the gathering! This way we can spend our time together really finding our group sound and taking the music to the next level, rather than trying to teach the parts one by one. We don't need to know our parts by heart by any means, but the stronger we are in our parts coming in, the more we'll be able to really dig into the fun stuff!

(If this style of learning isn't your cup of tea, we have other group singing events where you don't need to prepare at all! Check out our Circle Singing gatherings and House Shows.)

LED & FACILITATED BY:

Kenter Davies (he/him) is a music educator, vocal arranger and singer/songwriter who lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently pursuing an MA in music education at Hunter College, which he plans to use to create joyous, accessible, and supportive spaces for people of all ages to engage with music and create freely. He believes that music is within every person, and that the world needs more opportunities for casual music-making free of judgment and perfectionism. Kenter is thrilled to be facilitating one-night choir events for Gaia over the summer, and cannot wait to see this community grow and change the lives of those within it, just as it has changed his life.

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COVID VACCINATION & BOOSTER RECOMMENDED (but masks not required)

CANCELLATION POLICY

We want as many people to be able to experience these gatherings as possible, and since capacity is limited, each spot is precious! If you RSVP but are no longer able to come, please let us know at least 48 hours before the event so that we may offer your spot to someone else. Tickets are non-transferable, as we need to be able to gather enough funds to rent the spaces and pay our lovely facilitator.

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 will be photographers and videographers present — by attending, you consent to being a part of that media, some of which may be posted online! Please email us with any questions or concerns at [email protected]

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GAIA MUSIC COLLECTIVE MISSION

Gaia Music Collective is a creative community based in Brooklyn, NYC. This project was born out of a desire to create more spaces for people to find expression, connection, growth, & release through collaborative music-making - a place where folks feel safe to make music free of judgment or expectation, and to make new friends as our weird, beautiful, authentic selves.

All are welcome in this community, regardless of age, race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, ability, national origin, language, or musical ability. 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.

Here at Gaia, we believe that music-making - and making that music in community & collaboration with other people - is a fundamental human need, and this project seeks to build space for that in a day and age when it is so often hard to find.

Gaia seeks to break down the divisions between performer & audience and craft experiences where we are ALL part of the music-making, while also offering a network & platform for local artists & creatives to connect with other artists, activate their creativity through collaboration, and engage their work with other musical minds.

In short - we're here to sing, to play, to connect, to grow, and to have a good time!

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Gymnopedie, 1139 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, United States