About this Event
Join FIVE of Gaia’s 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!
This gathering is also a love letter to Gymnopédie, the mysterious, cavernous, art-filled basement that has been a home for Gaia’s music over the past two years. As we sing, we’ll honor the echoes of past circles, the voices that have filled these walls, and the community that has grown here. Let’s send this space off with a night of unbroken song, gratitude, and celebration!
WHO IS LEADING THIS CIRCLESINGING SESSION?
This session will be co-facilitated by Matt Goldstein, Simi Yuyu, Tracy LJ Robertson, Sofia Campoamor, and Kenter Davies
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.
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.
Sofía Campoamor (she/her) first started writing songs to make school projects more fun. This lighthearted approach to academics led her to study music at Yale University, where she performed a cappella music around the world as the first woman member of the Whiffenpoofs. School gave way to a music career; in 2022, Sofía’s word game project #wordlesong gained popularity on Tiktok and generated several of the songs for her debut album "if you knew, i couldn't tell,” an indie folk collection that blends her love of intricate vocal harmony with dreamy acoustic soundscapes to tell tales of love, longing and friendship. When she’s not touring or recording, Sofía serves as the Music Director for the nonprofit Hear Your Song, organizing volunteers and leading sessions with children managing serious illness and complex health needs. She also enjoys teaching music to kids ages 5 to 80 and singing with the Oratory Choir of St. Boniface. Sofía is so grateful to call Gaia Music Collective her creative home, and loves co-creating with the community at every collaborative open mic and songwriting circle!
Kenter Davies (he/him) is a vocal arranger, music educator, and choral facilitator based in Brooklyn, New York. He dedicates his work to creating spaces where people can engage with music free from the need for perfection, but full of complexity and joy. He highlights the journey over the destination and firmly believes in making music for music-making’s sake. Kenter facilitates One Day Choirs and Folk Song Sings with Gaia, an organization that truly helped him find his voice. His greatest love is helping others find their voices and having fun doing it!
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.
RESPECT THE SPACE:
This is a beloved venue and we want to honor them! Please be considerate of the space.
PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY:
-2 story walk down to the basement with handrails.
-Narrow doors and walkways.
-Limited seating available (metal folding chairs)
-Uneven walkways outside.
-Bathroom is not wheelchair accessible (narrow stall, low toilet).
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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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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Sound Mind Center, 202b Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, United States
USD 0.00
