CircleFlow

These sessions are the heart of what we've been building here at Gaia - warm, welcoming spaces for spontaneous singing and harmonizing, led with joy, passion, and kindness by skilled circlesong facilitators.

CIRCLEFLOW

Step into the circle and rediscover the connection between your breath, your body, and your voice. CircleFlow is an immersive experience that blends the ancient power of circlesinging with spontaneous movement and intuitive improvisation. Together, we will build lush sonic landscapes and rhythmic patterns, letting the sound guide our motion and the motion expand our sound. No musical experience is required—only a willingness to listen, play, and flow with the collective energy of the group

WHAT IS CIRCLESINGING?

A spontaneous vocal jam, sung by all of us and led by a facilitator in the middle of the circle who invents parts, teaches improvised harmonies, and shapes the music as we flow from meditative moments to vibrant dance parties to heartfelt anthems and everything in between!

Circle Singing is:

-playful
-creative
-collaborative
-joyful
-imperfect
-improvised
-finding the flow
-a full body exploration
-welcoming to all ability levels

Circle Singing is done all over the world in many different forms, and, while popularized by musical legends such as Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon of WeBe3, it dates back to the earliest forms of human singing.

WHO IS LEADING THIS CIRCLESINGING SESSION?

This event will be facilitated by the brilliant Goussy Célestin.

Brooklyn born Haitian-American artist Goussy Célestin interchanges the roles of pianist, composer, vocalist, dancer, and arranger with ease.

Goussy has performed for the last two decades for audiences both locally and internationally. After graduating from the Highschool of Music & The Performing Arts in New York City, Goussy continued her studies with such esteemed artists as Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, Jaki Byard and Sheila Jordan.

Goussy's current mission integrates all of her disciplines in her project, Goussy Célestin’s Ayiti Brass, incorporating elements of traditional Haitian folklore and Jazz.

While managing for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s early childhood music program, WeBop, Goussy is raising two sons, her "greatest creative compositions"., while leading workshops for various programs, and in the studio recording her compositions and arrangements with Goussy Celestin’s Ayiti Brass.

Her awards include, Laundromat Project: Create Change Fellow, Queens Council on the Arts, Gardarev Residency, Field Leadership Fund, and Space @ Ryder Farm Residency. She was a featured vocalist for Rattlestick Theater, and was a workshop facilitator for The Mile Long Opera. She leads music workshops for Bobby McFerrin’s CircleSongs School and The Metropolitan Opera in NYC.

During the pandemic, Goussy completed an advanced vocal improvisation workshop, “All The Way In”, led by vocal dynamo, Rhiannon and received a commissioning grant from Mutual Mentorship for Musicians. Goussy received a New York State Council on the Arts’ Support For Artists Award, as well as the NYC Women’s Fund grant from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and New York Foundation for the Arts, for her upcoming recording release of her project, Goussy Célestin’s Ayiti Brass.

Follow Goussy’s work at goussycelestin.com ; @goussyc : @goussycelestin_ayitibrass (Instagram)

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CIRCLESINGING SESSION?

We begin with some easy singing games and a check-in to get to know everyone a little better. From there, the evening will follow a series of guided singing games and exercises as the group explores rhythm, movement, melody, and harmony. We practice the art of saying YES to what is happening in the moment - expressing ourselves, listening to our voices and bodies, and making stuff up.

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, and 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:

ArtsOnSite is a beloved venue and we want to honor them! Please be considerate of the space.

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY:

• ADA ramp accessible, set out 15 before each session.
• 2 step walk up to lobby.
• Ramp is in the hallway
• Elevator available to the 3rd floor (reserved for those with physical disabilities).
• Seating available (narrow benches with no backs, folding chairs).
• Bathroom is not wheelchair accessible.
• Venue prefers shoes to be removed upon entering. 🌱 🌿 🌳

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 and 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 gaiamusiccollective@gmail.com.

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 gaiamusiccollective@gmail.com.

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 gaiamusiccollective@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities or assistance!

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

At Gaia Music Collective, we are dedicated to building a community where creativity, collaboration, and care thrive. The values listed here shape how we work together, how we engage with the world, and how we move toward upholding these principles.

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, and 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 and others at the door.

FAQ

Have any questions that haven't been answered here? Check out our Event FAQs!

🏡