“When Did We Stop Singing?”

Vocal Improvisation and Circle Singing as a metaphor and tool

for community building

Deb Hensleywww.improvox.comwww.whendidwestopsinging.com

When did you stop singing?

Your Hopes and Concerns

for today…

Welcome, Introductions, Hopes and Concerns around the circle Review: safety, confidentiality, permission to "pass," encouragement to try etc.

Vocal ensembling/improvisation as a metaphor and tool for building community: (brainstorm parallels-- v short discussion to set intention for wkshop)

How often do you actually sing (individually or with others)?

Do you feel free to sing in public...why or why not?

Do you think singing a natural part of human expression?

How do indigenous cultures use singing to build community?

Why has Western culture largely stopped singing in community?

Do you think singing is important to peace-building, sustainability and communities of all kinds?

Some Questions to Consider

Do we live in a culture bereft of meaningful

“Social Capital?”

Learned Fear of Singing…

A Western inventionRelentless assault of riff-raff or public “music”“Expertism” at the expense of accessibility to all

Performance verses community based singingOver-dependence on recordings

A Serious Silencing

Click icon to add picture

…of a basic human need

Indigenous Cultures Sing Freely

To establish contextTo celebrate the hunt (songfeasts)To connect and reconnectTo promote interdependence

To express placeTo express identityTo indicate solidarityTo build social capital

Indigenous Cultures incorporate singing

seamlessly into community

African “Song of the Child”Singing as a response to socially aberrant behavior

T

Aborignal Songlines Medicine man asking “when did you stop singing?”

OOHVISI OriginalOpenHonestVoluntaryIntimateSpontaneousInnate

OOHVISI refers to singing that is accessible to anyone—alone or together

It goes beyond the formal constructs of choirs, glee clubs and performance venues

What makes a community come alive?OOHVISI singing models a way for communities to establish interdependence, connection and celebration, stronger rhythmic routines, emergent themes, and a defined identity

Circle Singing & Vocal Improvisation are about saying…

YES

CommunityInterdependenc

e Connection

Celebration

The NEW Community:Design, Story, Orchestra, Empathy, Play, Meaning

- A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

Big-pictureOut of the boxConnecting patternsPolyrhythmsThe Undervoice

DesignBig-pictureOut of the boxConnecting patternsPolyrhythmsAccessing the “Overvoice”

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Story

the voice of anotherthe voice of the selfthe voice of the common experiencethe voice of narrative medicine

Orchestra steady beat patterns

dynamics melodic themes structure

interlocking parts counter melodies repetition variation tempo meter rhythm pitch tone

Empathy

Deep listening to the voice of another

Embracing silence Compassionate and bold response

PlayVoluntary SpontaneousSelf-initiatedSimple or complexStructured toward freedom

MEANING

IntentionExpressionContextualDirectionComprehensionEmotionMemoryRelational

“The secret of life is to discover your song and the meaning of life is to sing it.” -Annonymous

Warming up the speaking, singing and

body voice"Dig a Duck”

Speaking: Your Story/Our Story --two word story around circle, get it going until it feels like one story

1/12/1/1232/1/123432/1 etc..

Call and response tones/scale patterns/names

Circle-Song (voicestra)

Round: When You Were Born

Long Tones--unison then harmonics and back to unison

Write your name with a lazer beam

The OvervoiceRhythm and

PolyrhythmAh mah eee boo oh ee aayeee

Hearing the Melodic and Rhythmic "Overvoice"

Ahm ah ee boo” rolling round— from Ysay Barnwell of Sweet Honey and the Rock) Whole group sings together, then ask for volunteers to sing as a smaller group. 

Listen deeply to the many melodies created within

this one song when many people sing it together. 

Debrief discussion around these concepts: What did this teach us about community building--collective endeavor, unforeseen ideas that come forward in community, deep listening, attention, holding individual part vital, hearing the "overvoice" etc.

OF MELODY…

Improvisational FormsAnd what they teach us about community

VOICESTRAEmerges in the momentA Spontaneous Circle SongCan have words or no wordsSimple or very complexStart by banishing your brain from the circle!JUST VOICE IT….

: 

Group Home--2 or 3 people choose a rhythmic or melodic riff together, then the next three etc--can be harmonies or interlocking parts. Invite volunteers to improvise (2 at a time)

Individual Home--(ask for 5-7 volunteers...each person creates and holds their own part. One improviser sings in center of circle and ends piece)Sound Wave—leader introduces a vocal pattern and passes it on…then starts another pattern once that is established down the line….as in vocal “telephone” game

Debrief: how do these vocal experiences relate to community.

What did you have to do individually and collectively to make them work?  

What was difficult/scary/fun/interesting/unifying etc...

…of rhythmClapping and Object

RhythmsOne, one two one…Clapping meters, body rhythms Cup game

Body Rhythms

Body Body BodySylvie with Body RhythmAie Aye Mo Chi Noomba

Quodlibits: Swing Low/When the Saints/Coming Round the Mt.When I breathe in I breath in peace…Deliver meI will believe the Truth about myself...The Tarantulas are on the RoadAie Aye Mo Che NoombaLay Down my Sword and Shield (ask for input)Can't imagine life without...Choo can get to feeling happy,What to do if you can't get Pizza...what to do when it rains...

Some Simple SONGS

that build community…

Get on Board1. Choo can get to feelin’ happy you can get

to feeling good, choo can do most anything that choo thought choo could…

2. Get on board, get on track. Get to where you’re goin’ and don’t look back…

3. Choo take a ride, choo take a ride, choo let it go…step aside…

4. Get on board….Get on track….Get on board….Get on track…

-Terri Garthwate

Breathe in PeaceWhen I breathe in, I breathe in peace,

when I breathe out, I breath out love

Breathe out….breathe in… breathe out…breathe in….

Rolling RoundI will believe

the Truth about myself…No matter how beautiful it is

When you were born…

When you were born you cried, and the world rejoiced,Live your life so that when you dieThe world cries and you rejoice

Spontaneous Circle Singing

Voicestras…Invite people who are inclined, to try setting up their own voicestra and improvise with it

Closure: 

Keep Breathing  (As the chorus of this continues invite participants to consider a time in their life when…..and share this aloud when ready)

Long tones and goodbye....

Voice is inherent in each of us, everyone has a VOICE.

May not ultimately be about physical singing, but YOUR VOICE is vital to the community, both as a support and a melody in itself. Pay attention to it and use it.

Identify where your VOICE lives (what is your primary means of expression?)

Thank you for considering the primal, ancestral nature of music here today and its implications for community building

THE SPONTANEOUS VOICE

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer.

It sings because it has a song.” --Maya Angelou

Deb Hensleywww.improvox.comwww.whendidwestopsinging.com