Flow Singing!
Flow Singing... has been life-changing for me.
I feel more open, trusting and confident. – N. Raymond
I feel more open, trusting and confident. – N. Raymond
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Discover a groundbreaking, friendly singing practice that can release your authentic self and create profound connection. Flow Singing intertwines music and mindfulness to unlock your voice and expand your sense of journey.
This practice is designed to meet you exactly where you are: seasoned singer, absolute beginner, or somewhere in the middle -- you are welcome to come try it out during the 1st week of the month, my treat! Like in a yoga or t'ai-chi practice, there will be invitations to attend and deepen, options to add complexity or release into a simple form. Recordings of the songs will be available for those who wish to refresh between classes. Each new month brings a new set of songs; you register one month at a time to really settle with these songs. Come the first week to enjoy a community sing & check it out! |
Registering now for 4 weeks in October, 2024. First week: Tues. Oct 1, 11:15 am &/or Thurs. Oct 3, 7 pm
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WHO IS WELCOME? Everyone, and you in particular! 🌿 Are you curious and uncertain about singing in groups? 🙄 Ever been told to stand in the back and mouth the words? 💕 Are you exulting, "I LOVE group singing, bring it on!"? 🌟 Or maybe you regularly sing solo, and want to try hearing your voice together with others? 🎶 Do you have virtually no time to add anything, but yearn to do something with other folks? 😍 Is something in you longing for a commitment to your voice and making music? Everyone has their own history with their voice. Here you can relax -- there's a place for you as you are -- simply curious, yearning & terrified, comfortable & committed. Come once a week for a month, then take a break. Come twice a week for the entire year. You do you. Together, we create an inclusive, non-shaming space, open to people of all ages and backgrounds willing to listen to each other and themselves. That's how I gather folk. If your person younger than 16 wishes to participate, please contact me before showing up so we both know what to expect. |
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DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
I feel fully accepted and so appreciative of not having to work
to create that connection or earn that openness.
It simply fills the room as we sing. – Sharon M.
to create that connection or earn that openness.
It simply fills the room as we sing. – Sharon M.
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Class Times: Your registration covers two sessions each week; you are welcome to come to either or both.
Cost:
$80/4-week month (Sept, Oct, Jan, Mar, Apr, May, July) $60/3-week month (Nov, Dec, Feb, June) A few community-assisted spaces are available at a reduced cost. Please contact Patricia directly to inquire. Group size minimum = 5, maximum = 50
Full refund if class does not meet minimum. Registration closes after the first week for that month; your month-long commitment helps build the community of the group. You're welcome to come try a session for free the first week of the month... see if it's all it's cracked up to be! |
WHAT'S UP HERE? We're catching the community singing wave, with music that helps us befriend each other and tend ourselves. We celebrate generous inclusion, intent listening, and embodied sound, by practicing "Flow Singing".
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I'm loving the experience, the music, and the group…
This is really healing and joyful. So glad I found you and this group! – Abbie W.
This is really healing and joyful. So glad I found you and this group! – Abbie W.
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WHO'S GUIDING THE SINGING?
I'm Patricia Norton -- so happy that we might sing together! For many, many years, I didn't sing where anyone else could hear me, ashamed and judgmental of my voice. Rediscovering it, coaxing it back out and listening has been a hugely affirming practice for me as I've navigated my own healing through major depression, PTSD, and medication side effects... and both grieved and celebrated that journey. I've been honored to support & witness hundreds of folk as they fall deeply, comfortably in love with singing. Now I record my own podcast (what??!!) and sing with select ensembles. I've studied voice, conducting, songleading, collaborative improvisation, and directed choral groups. I've got a geek’s love of music theory & vocal technique, a poet’s love of words, and a deep emotional responsiveness to music and people. I moved across the state of Vermont to Burlington in April '22, and am excited to be making new friends. I kid you not when I say I can't wait to hear your voice. |
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WHERE DOES ALL THIS SINGING HAPPEN? We gather at the Heineberg Community Senior Center, which was built by volunteers in the New North End in 1941 with a mission "to promote the common welfare" of the community. This is a retro space, with a sweet hardwood floor and fabulous 70s vibe! (I do wonder if they would let me add a disco ball?) The center welcomes people of all ages, and is easily accessible by bus, walking, bike, or car, with plenty of parking. We are on the upper level, which is accessible by elevator or stairs from the side parking lot door. It's a dance floor, so sock-feet, bare-feet, and indoor-shoe-shod feet all encouraged! |
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SOME ACCESS NEEDS?
Absolutely ready to learn. I hope to hear what would make participating easier or possible for you -- let's explore options together. Use the contact form, email [email protected] directly, or nab me outside of the session.
Absolutely ready to learn. I hope to hear what would make participating easier or possible for you -- let's explore options together. Use the contact form, email [email protected] directly, or nab me outside of the session.
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WHY SPEND YOUR TIME DOING THIS? Singing is an effective, ancient technology for connecting... and the good news is there's a wave of community singing surging all around. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy names loneliness as a public health crisis in the U.S.A. When we sing, we not only improve our own health by breathing more deeply, releasing stress, and reducing the perception of loneliness; we also bond more easily with others. Singing together, our hearts entrain, we release oxytocin, "the bonding hormone", and we get the huge joy and satisfaction of creating something together that none of us could make alone. The songs I choose to share have words that feel good to have on repeat in your brain; they help me navigate life. On top of all that, singing is a practice of freedom, of opening, of increasing self-trust -- the kind of deepening connection with our own selves that allows for rich connection with others. |
WHAT IF YOUR HEART CRACKS?
Singing is a powerful way to open up and experience feelings within the comfort of sound. I've sobbed, laughed, felt a clutch in my stomach, raged, been soothed and eased -- all by song. There will be time in each session for check-ins, both somatic and verbal, and your privacy is respected. You may find yourself moving through waves of feeling as we sing -- that is natural and beautiful in this space -- or you might just sing. Feelings, big or small, are neither required nor dismissed.
I will respect and trust you and your way, and ask that you do the same for yourself and those around you. We are not here to fix. As a group we bear witness and care through our singing, surrounding all of us with the healing vibration of sound and loving intent; you can find your own intimacy and intensity levels without pressure or judgment. Our group may also share recommendations for professional healers and heart-workers in the area, if anyone is seeking resources for their journey.
I have learned so much from you about singing, mental health,
how to live in a difficult world, how to keep kindness in your heart..... Sue D.
how to live in a difficult world, how to keep kindness in your heart..... Sue D.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SING WITH YOU!!!
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HOW TO JOIN?
Register ahead so we can set out a chair for you! It's a simple process -- sign up, then pay securely online with a small fee using a credit card, or follow directions to use another payment form, including Paypal, Venmo, check, or exact cash on the first day. Come give it a try on the 1st week of any month, either Tuesday or Thursday. No charge -- you see if it's a good fit for you -- then you can register on the spot after class if you choose. And if you don't... well, you've spent an hour and a half of your life singing. Not too bad! |
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I entered the evening with both trepidation and an open heart
and I ended up feeling so welcomed by your encouraging presence.
I was able to get out of my head and not think of it as “singing”
but rather as a creative practice of listening, receiving and expressing. – Kristin D. T.
and I ended up feeling so welcomed by your encouraging presence.
I was able to get out of my head and not think of it as “singing”
but rather as a creative practice of listening, receiving and expressing. – Kristin D. T.
