In April 2017 - SongRoutes ran our first trip to Asheville, North Carolina. Here is a wonderful write-up from one of the singers on the trip - Colleen Alstad - that does a great job describing this wonderful trip! I am weary but blissfully content after a week of learning and singing Appalachian harmony near Asheville, North Carolina. We spent our days in classes (e.g., “Rural Gospel Singing in Appalachia”; “Early Country Duets”) with veterans/legends of the genre Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker, Tracy Schwartz, and Beverly Smith; and with Suzannah Park, a talented young teacher who’s been steeped in this music since birth, and who managed to teach this two-left-footer Appalachian clogging! Imagine spending an evening listening to Ginny Hawker talk about “What is Appalachian Singing?” with her humour, her wisdom, and her “laser-beam” gospel voice, then later singing and drinking wine with Ginny,Alice,Tracy and Beverly in the comfy lounge at the retreat centre. That’s what happened, and not just once. We even sang our songs for them, like David Francey’s “Torn Screen Door.” After a couple of hours of music and laughter, someone brought Tracy his fiddle and he treated us to some rockin’ zydeco, which he hadn’t played…

Summer camp season is a glorious time of year and 2017 has been the best one yet! I love getting to teach at music camps - they really are some of the happiest places on earth. I love experiencing and observing the transformation that takes place as people step away from their regular lives and blossom in a world of music and community. The change is drastic and beautiful - people's comfort levels go way up and people start taking more risks - singing in a duet for their first time, trying an improvised solo, getting up and trying out a new harmony, singing more boldly, moving more freely and more smiles all around.   These kind of situations really push people - for people who have been to camp before, we're all aware of the moments of overwhelm too that come right before a breakthrough. There's the first day of arriving when everyone's bags are packed not only with their clothes for the week but also with their concerns from home, their nervousness of not knowing that many people at camp, wonderings of 'can I really sing this much? Am I 'good enough' to be here?'   Then there…

In Feb 2017, I helped lead a Village Harmony singing study trip to Cuba. A long time admirer of Village Harmony and the wonderful work they do in the world, I was thrilled to be asked to put together a singing trip to Cuba. I have been so lucky to travel to Cuba 7 times - once as a tourist, twice to study Afro-Cuban dance and singing with Hannah Stilwell and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, three times with my choirs through Canada/Cuba Choral exchanges and then this last time, leading a group of 28 singers in Havana and Matanzas. I deeply love the music and the people of Cuba - it's a place that always sticks with me. I feel that Cubans bring a fierce dedication, reverence and love to music that is incredibly inspiring and moving. I have seen so many performances in Cuba - from professional choirs to high school students to elementary music students to Afro-Cuban rumba groups - that are jaw-dropping for their skill and talent but even more so for their beauty and energy. I am currently organizing another Village Harmony tour to Cuba for March 2018 and would love to share this gorgeous video…