About this Event
The intention for this musical gathering is to come together in community, open our voices, weave some magic into the room, and have a whole lot of fun!
We are excited to present this special collaboration between Heartsong and Eric Mandala on Friday, October 23rd.
Eric is a world-travelling multi-instrumentalist and instrument maker who has performed on six continents, weaving West African harps, live looping, and "universal language" vocals into ecstatic, heart-opening soundscapes. You may have seen him this summer at the Anahata Festival or Ontario Rainbow Gathering. This is your chance to experience his magic live in the heart of downtown Toronto (more on Eric and Heartsong below).
For this special evening, we'll begin with a classic Heartsong song circle, singing medicine songs, Kirtan, and multi-part circle songs taught in the oral tradition (including some of our own creations). Accompanied by guitar, we will join our voices with uplifting mantras, melodies and harmonies. From there, Eric will guide us into a more improvisational space, exploring vocal improv and collective music-making inspired by West African traditions.
All musical skill levels are welcome, and no prior experience is needed – we welcome beginners, music hobbyists, shower singers, sound healers, and more experienced musicians who want to explore and revel in sound. If you’re shy, come and grow into it. If you’re not shy, see how creative you can get. You may find yourself singing with a fuller voice, expanding your musicality, releasing creative blocks and finding a greater sense of ease and playfulness with one another.
Flow of the evening:
- 6:30pm - Doors open
- 6:45pm - Landing and opening the circle
- 7pm - Song circle with Heartsong and Eric
- 8pm - Vocal improvisation journey led by Eric
- 9pm - Closing and community time
The room will have chairs and cushions available. Bring a water bottle and any instruments you'd like to play along with! And feel free to bring a yoga mat, blanket or anything else you’d like to make yourself cozy with during the sound bath.
TIERED TICKET RATES
We offer tiered pricing to help make Heartsong events accessible to a wider range of people, with the hope that those of us who are able to contribute a little more can help create space for those of us who would benefit from some support.
Sustaining Rate: $40
By choosing this rate, you enable us to offer this event sustainably and cover the basic costs. Thank you for supporting us to make this offering available.
Supported Rate: $30
If you have limited financial capacity, you may wish to choose this rate. Contributions we receive at this level help cover costs and are supported by contributions at the Community Care Rate.
Community Care Rate: $50
By choosing this rate, you directly support us to offer below-cost rates to participants with limited income. Thank you for supporting others in our community to join in!
We also have a PWYC (pay what you can) option available and are happy to make accommodations to ensure all who would like to attend this gathering are able to. If cost is a barrier, please reach out to one of the organizers directly (via the Contact button below or otherwise) and we'll get you set up! We'll also have a PWYC jar at the event if you'd like to bring cash.
E-TRANSFER: If you'd like to avoid the Eventbrite fees (and/or for PWYC payments), you can send an e-Transfer to [email protected]. Please include the date of this song circle in the description along with any discount codes applied.
ERIC MANDALA
Eric Mandala is a music producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and instrument maker who builds and plays West African harps like the kora and kamale n'goni alongside more than 100 other instruments from around the world. He is the founder of Mandala World Music, an international world fusion collective, and co-founder of the electro-tribal group Spirit Travelers. Weaving live looping, ethnic instruments, and electronic production, he sings in a "universal language" that blends ancient tongues and traditional vocal styles with modern scat poetry. Eric has played, produced, and recorded on over 30 albums and performed at festivals across six continents, including Burning Man, Envision, Ozora, and Boom, sharing the stage with artists such as Krishna Das, Rising Appalachia, Beats Antique, Shpongle, and Michael Franti. His focus is to bring sacred art forms and instruments together in new fusions, spreading love through music and raising collective consciousness.
Instagram: @ericmandala
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ericmandala
HEARTSONG
Heartsong is a Toronto-based movement to come together in community, share our voices, make some magic and have fun! We host a monthly musical gathering as well as a monthly open mic where we welcome poetry, prose, music, dance, visual art, journal entries and everything in between. Our mission is to create safe and deeply loving containers for free and authentic expression to be shared. Heartsong is led by Amanda Attwood, Will Kleinwood and Justin Grant.
Justin Grant is a spoken word poet, musician, body-oriented energy healer and space holder. Through his work and loving presence he supports people to move through blockages and bring their bodies, hearts and minds into a more divine alignment. Justin leads community singing events and workshops in Toronto with the intention of bringing more love and light into our hearts and into the spaces where we gather.
Instagram: @justingrantpoetry
Will Kleinwood is a singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer from Toronto. Using his classical guitar and voice, he guides listeners back into stillness. His muse is nature itself, a birds song, falling leaves, a gentle river, a sunset over a lake. In the modern world driven by technology, we are reminded that we are not separate from nature, we are caretakers of the earth, and we are earth.
Instagram: @willkleinwood
Website: https://willkleinwood.com/
Amanda Attwood is a community song leader, forest school teacher, and expressive arts therapist-in-training. She weaves together a tapestry of song, movement, storytelling, visual art, poetry and nature connection practices to help guide people back into deeper presence and connection with themselves, each other, and the land. Amanda grew up feeling like her authentic expression wasn’t always welcome. It was through Kirtan and community singing that her voice opened up and she got to experience a whole new level of freedom. She loves bringing people together to experience the expansive and healing power of song.
Instagram: @amanda.inthewoods
Event venue & nearby stays
Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.