"Lean On Me" Community Sing

Come one, come all, come as you are! Join Gaia Music Collective and your fellow New Yorkers as we raise our voices in harmony. Our community sing will center around learning and singing parts & harmonies for Bill Withers' timeless anthem, while we explore the lyrics and meaning behind this powerful piece. This gathering is designed to welcome folks of all abilities, identities, and experience levels, and will be led by celebrated facilitating artist and Gaia founder Matt Goldstein. After diving into "Lean On Me', we'll let the song spin and evolve into spontaneously composed circle songs that Matt will improvise and teach on the spot. Our mission here is to connect through the music, to share in the joy of music-making, and to celebrate the power of community and leaning on one another for support.

LED & FACILITATED BY:

This session will be facilitated by our founder, Matt Goldstein!

Matt Goldstein (he/him) is an award-winning vocal arranger, music educator, singer/songwriter, and facilitator who cultivates community through collaborative creation. He has enjoyed a vibrant career as a professional in the a cappella world, performing with and music directing for The Vassar Devils and Hyannis Sound, and composing award-winning vocal arrangements for over 80 ensembles around the world. He has taught workshops & courses in circle singing, vocal improvisation, ensembleship, and arranging at programs and schools across the country, including A Cappella Academy, NACC, and V.I.P. (Vocal Intensive Program). He now teaches private coachings and lessons for creative flow, improvisation, and vocal arranging, directs a community pop/rock choir called Rock Voices, and pours so much love & creative energy into… you guessed it…. Gaia Music Collective!

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY:

• Event space is wheelchair accessible
• Elevators to other floors are available

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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 24 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. Our mission is to create connective, playful, accessible spaces for collaborative music-making. Spaces where we can seek expression, growth, freedom, & release in our music. Spaces where we can explore the healing potential of collective music-making and improvisation. Spaces where folks feel safe to express themselves free of judgment or expectation, and to make new friends as our weird, beautiful, authentic selves.

All are welcome in this community. Gaia celebrates 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.

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

Gaia Music Collective seeks to break down divisions between performer & audience and craft experiences where we are ALL part of the music-making. We hope to offer a network & platform for local artists & creatives to connect with other artists, activate their creativity through play and collaboration, and engage their art 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

New York City Center, 130 West 56th Street, New York, United States