SongRoots Summer Camp - August 25-29, 2025!
Join our incredible line-up of instructors for 5 musical and magical days in July!
Registration opens Sunday Jan 12th at 10:00 am PST
Registration for SongRoots 2024 will begin Sunday January 12th, 2025. We are so excited to be hosting SongRoots for our 12th YEAR!!
SongRoots is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive community. We welcome people of all ages, genders, races, sexual orientation, gender identities, differing abilities, cultural backgrounds and spiritual beliefs to find joy in singing and being together. We celebrate diversity and deeply believe that we are stronger together.
Cost for SongRoots this year will be $1000 + $100 Registration Fee + GST
Cost includes everything - full tuition, accommodations, all meals and water taxi.
Read below to learn about the Camp 2 Instructors!!
Instructors - Aug 25th - Aug 29th
Dawn Pemberton
Dawn Pemberton has deep musical roots that take her powerful voice from gospel and soul to jazz, funk and world music.
She has become a staple of the Vancouver music scene and can often be found tearin’ it up as a vocalist, teacher, facilitator, choir director and “go to girl” for live performances and studio sessions.
A passionate songwriter and performer Dawn crafts her music with a sense of adventure, quirkiness, and serious groove and shapes it into her own unique and dynamic package. Tight, expressive and bold, Dawn will hit you where it counts, funk you up and make you say “Go ‘head!”
Gideon Crevoshay
Gideon Crevoshay is a musician from the hills of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. He uses the human voice to explore the countless dimensions of sound, language, and improvisation. Gideon studies traditional and ancient forms of singing from the US, Caucasus, and Mediterranean, finding inspiration in the wisdom contained within these traditions and how they can inform present ideas of music making and community. He performs regularly with many projects including Tenores de Aterúe, Resonanda, Starry Mountain Singers, and Briars of North America, and is grateful to have been able to perform with such artists as Meredith Monk, Cynthia Hopkins, and Meshell Ndegeocello. Gideon has taught youth-oriented songwriting and sound production courses with Found Sound Nation, and teaches polyphonic singing to young adults with the world music organization, Village Harmony.
Jennifer Scott
Jennifer Scott is a singer and pianist born in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She specializes in jazz, blues, and world music. She is considered one of the more important jazz artists working in Canada and the United States today.
As well as being a performer, she arranges and writes jazz and pop tunes, with several CDs containing a combination of original tunes, tunes she has arranged, and more traditional tunes.
She has also appeared on many CBC recordings and has worked with many other musicians both live and in studio.
Jenny Lester
Jenny Lester is a dynamic Bluegrass performer and recording artist who has established herself as an important singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist.
Her original songs are carefully crafted in the bluegrass convention while displaying a contemporary freshness and that breathes new life into the fabled “high lonesome” sound.
She studied at South Plains College in Texas and has three Golden Reel awards.
Kali Paguirigan
Kali Paguirigan is a singer and teacher who lived for many years in Brooklyn, NY, before moving to Denver with her Colorado-born husband. Kali is a classically trained singer with musical interests that are all over the map. She has long been interested in and sung music from all corners of the world, with a particular interest in Balkan singing and music of the African diaspora. Still, she is just as comfortable singing an operatic aria or other traditional classic singing styles. She loves helping singers sing whatever they want in their most authentic voice.
As a yogi and yoga teacher, Kali practices mantra singing and singing for release and wellness. Kali is the Artistic Director of the Denver Choir League and loves programming diverse concerts with local Denver musicians. She is also a founding member of a chamber group called ReSound, which specializes in music for string quartet and voice. She is thrilled to be attending and teaching at her first-ever Song Roots camp!
Karla Mundy
Karla Mundy is a vibrant, soulful and diverse vocalist, pianist, arranger and choir leader. Karla directs Rhythm ‘n’ Roots and Harmony Mountain Singers in Vancouver, the City Soul Choir and the Island Soul Choir on Vancouver Island. Karla leads harmony singing workshops throughout BC and organizes many singing camps, workshops and singing study trips abroad. Karla is a founding member of the No Sh!t Shirleys, TriVo, Cleia, Plough, Tanglewood Trio and Big Whoop! Karla is passionate about teaching harmony singing, getting the music off the page and digging deep into new musical territory.
Kathy Bullock
Dr. Kathy Bullock is a teacher, performer, conductor, arranger, and scholar who specializes in the area of African American Sacred Music. A Professor Emerita of Music at Berea College, Berea, Kentucky where she taught for almost thirty years, she is also currently a Visiting Professor at Bennington College, Bennington, VT.
Dr. Bullock earned the Ph.D. and M.A. in Music Theory from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a B.A. in Music from Brandeis University, MA and has taught in a wide variety of musical areas.
She continues to perform, conduct workshops, direct choirs, and teaching courses in African American Music throughout the United States, Europe and Africa, sharing hope and joy during these challenging times.
Lysander Jaffe
Lysander Jaffe is a violinist, violist, and vocalist based in Boston, equally at home in chamber music, traditional music, and cross-genre collaborations. He has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center and National Sawdust and on national television in Kosovo, Georgia, and Greece. He holds a Masters in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory, where he studied styles ranging from free improvisation to klezmer to Hindustani classical music. Lysander is a violist and Co-Artistic Director of the chamber orchestra Palaver Strings and a founding member of the vocal quintet Culomba. In 2017, he appeared as a soloist with Revels’ Venetian Christmas Celebration at the Sanders Theatre. He has studied with masters of traditional music in Bulgaria, Kosovo, Greece, Corsica, and Georgia, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council has supported his work on the music of Epirus, Greece. As a teacher, Lysander is passionate about broadening sonic and cultural horizons, teaching not only repertoire but listening skills and expressive vocabulary. He has taught for SongRoots and Village Harmony and directs two Boston-area choirs, SingPositive and Boston Harmony. For more information, visit lysanderjaffe.com
Mairi Britton
Màiri is an educator, musician and cultural project manager who has nurtured a life-long love and appreciation for the Gaelic language and culture. Originally from Scotland, her interest in Gaelic was sparked at the age of five through attending her local Féis (Gaelic children’s music festival), and she has since learned the language to fluency with the support of generous teachers and mentors on both sides of the Atlantic.
After completing undergraduate and postgraduate Masters degrees in Celtic Studies from the University of Edinburgh, Màirimoved to Nova Scotia in 2016 and now gratefully lives in Unama’ki | Cape Breton, the ancestral land of the Mi’kmaq First Nation. She works as Project Coordinator for Cainnt is Ceathramhan, an initiative cataloguing, transcribing and improving access to the Gaelic folklore of Nova Scotia. She has also taught Gaelic language and culture courses for seven years at St Francis Xavier University and is a regular tutor and mentor for language and music programs at Colaisde na Gàidhlig | Gaelic College and the Office of Gaelic Affairs. She is a founding member of the Freumh is Fàs Gaelic intentional community project and has worked for a number of other cultural organisations such as the Gaelic Narrative Project and Highland Village Museum.
As a Gaelic singer, step dancer and harpist, Màiri has been lucky to teach, perform and record with different projects in Europe and North America, including as lead vocalist with the Gaelic trad group Fàrsan. She has performed at festivals such as Blas Fest, PEI Festival of Small Halls, KitchenFest! and Celtic Colours. Màiri loves nothing more than attending dances and milling frolics to be in community and share in the wealth of music and cultural wisdom that has been passed down from our ancestors. One of her proudest musical moments to date was leading an ensemble of singers in a special concert at Celtic Colours in 2023, celebrating the tradition-bearers and archive material of the Cainnt is Ceathramhan project, alongside her colleague Mary Jane Lamond.
Moira Smiley
Singer / Composer, Moira Smiley travels the world creating new works for voices and accompanying her performances with her banjo, accordion, piano, and percussive movement. Her recordings feature spare, vocally-driven collections of warped traditional songs and original polyphony.
In February, 2021 Moira Smiley & VOCO (with Karla Mundy + Dawn Pemberton!) released vocal album, In Our Voices. Moira also recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live on KEXP At Home, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with Tune-Yards for their Sketchy album release.
In September 2024, Moira released The Rhizome Project, a book and album of folksongs with string quartet.
Mollie Stone

Shruti Ramani

Admin and SongRoots Team Extraordinaire!
Ali Romanow
Ali Romanow is a non-binary music educator located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island in Canada. Music has been part of their life since childhood, it has taken them over the world as both a performer and an educator. It is how they connect with others and has been a constant companion supporting them through life's ups and downs.
Ali’s main mission as a musical educator is to help build diverse, supportive and safe musical communities for people of all ages and levels of experience. We all deserve to play music together, regardless of your level of experience or skill. Together we will build the skills and confidence necessary to feel comfortable and confident making music with others. http://www.aliromanow.com
Wendy Knudson
Wendy is passionate about all aspects of music – organizing workshops, teaching, collaborating, and playing. From her living room to being onstage to time in the studio, Wendy sings, plays guitar, accordion, upright bass, ukulele and fiddle. She plays a broad variety of genres, ranging from Celtic, folk, gypsy jazz, Brazilian choro, to French café music, and western swing. Wendy has the great pleasure of teaching accordion, guitar, ukulele and fiddle to kids of all ages in Courtenay, BC.
Erinn Doncaster
Counsellor by day and harmony nerd by, well, also by day, Erinn has been singing harmonies for as long as they can remember.
When they’re not being a trauma therapist or belting out a third harmony along with whatever folk duo is playing on the radio, Erinn co-directs Fieramente (a choir for the 2SLBGTQIA+ community in the Comox Valley), sings back-up vocals, and teaches workshops on music and mental wellness.
Wendy Knudson, Ali & Bob Romanow help out with many aspects of SongRoots. One of their important roles is that of 'Float Crew'! These three people help get us all on and off of Gambier Island and help camp run smoothly.
Karla Mundy started SongRoots in July 2014 and is beyond thrilled at how this dream has taken root and is growing. After going to (and loving) many music camps and workshops, Karla thought it would be wonderful to have an all vocal camp in Western Canada. At most of the camps that Karla went to, there would be large overflowing and happy singing classes and she could imagine that a whole camp dedicated to singing would be wonderful. SongRoots is a chance to dig deeper, expand repertoire and styles and focus solely on the voice with others who love to sing in an intensive setting on a beautiful island away from our busy daily lives! Karla loves the sense of community that has emerged from SongRoots and is delighted by the musical and personal growth that happens every year during (and beyond) these 5 magical days!
CLASSES - Aug 25th - Aug 29th 2025
CLASS ONE
Voice Improvisation w/ Gideon Crevoshay (limit 12 singers)
Sound PlayGround w/ Dawn Pemberton (no limit)
Ear training is fun and helps to open up your musical world. This engaging and supportive class will submerge you in the world of musical sounds. We'll work on strengthening and developing your musical ear by learning how to aurally identify music's building blocks.
Folksong Rhizome w/ Moira Smiley (no limit)
Classical Music & Madrigals for Everyone w/ Mollie Stone (no limit)
From the silliest falala-ing to the most melodramatic songs of pining, classical choral repertoire covers all the bases!
Come explore this fun and varied repertoire of beautiful and oh-so-satisfying harmony singing.
We strive to teach and sing classical music in an engaging and not-stuffy way, making the repertoire accessible to those who might not have much experience with it.
Some basic music reading is helpful, but certainly not required.
Ornamentation Bootcamp w/ Lysander Jaffe (limit 16 singers)
This class is all about ornaments! We'll explore a wide range of ornamented repertoire, particularly from the Balkans, Corsica, and eastern Georgia. We'll break down specific patterns and techniques, analyze recordings, explore some improvisation, and give everyone tools to continue the work on their own.
This class is intended for intermediate/advanced singers who are interested in exploring ornamentation in their singing.
Breathe. Sing. Repeat w/ Kali Paguirigan (no limit)
In this class, we’ll explore how Yoga postures and pranyama (breathwork) can support singing.
Additionally, we’ll sing songs together with a community of spirit and well-being that will leave us feeling refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated.
Come Share The Joy of Gospel Music w/ Kathy Bullock - no limit
CLASS TWO
Sight Reading Fun w/ Mollie Stone (no limit)
Art of Phrasing and Articulation w/ Shruti Ramani (no limit)
In this class we will take familiar tunes that we all love and enjoy and work on different approaches to phrasing in order to be creative with the song and ultimately to develop one’s own voice and style.
We will further learn vocal techniques that aid in the clarity of tone and enable one’s voice to be dexterous and malleable
Corsican Singing w/ Lysander Jaffe and Gideon Crevoshay (no limit)
An introduction to Corsican traditional music from both sacred and secular traditions.
We'll focus on ornamentation and tools for working together in trios.
There will be lots of opportunities for small group work, so singers who are comfortable singing one on a part will get the most out of this class, but all are welcome. No size limit.
Your Song, Your Artistry w/ Jennifer Scott (limit 8)
Bring your “close to performance ready” songs & work with Jennifer and the class on self-exploration and self-expression that get you to the heart of your authentic and heartfelt presentation.
Jennifer will accompany you on piano or you can self-accompany.
All song styles welcome.
3 Part Bluegrass Singing w/ Jenny Lester (no limit)
The 3-part harmony singing workshop teaches singers how to establish predictability and offers a shared dialogue. It guides 3-part harmony singers in maintaining a consistent harmony that aligns positionally with the melody, facilitating by ear the creation of instant three-part harmony.
The workshop focuses on helping individuals distinguish between folk harmony and organized harmony, resulting in lush, 3-part arrangements without the need for an arranger.
Òrain-obrach w/ Mairi Britton (no limit)
An introduction to Cape Breton work songs.
In this class we will be exploring traditional group singing through work songs from milling cloth to milking (without having to do the work!)
All are welcome!
The Art of the Art Song w/ Kali Paguirigan (no limit)
Let’s sing some beautiful art songs together in unison and as solo singers. Kali will bring a few of her own to share and you are encouraged to bring your favorites or any songs that you’ve dreamed of singing in any language—think Britten, Schubert, Debussy, Ravel, Schumann, Hahn…..the list goes on and on!
No experience is necessary and this is open to anyone interested in learning morning about Art Song. Kali will be accompanying the class on piano.
CLASS THREE
Doo Wop w/ Dawn Pemberton (no limit)
We’ll learn a few doo-wop classics as a group and bop-shoo-wop all over camp .
We will immerse ourselves in the style and also experiment with singing these gems in small groups for the full doo-wop experience!
Sing Around the World w/ Jennifer Scott (no limit)
Using grooves and inspiring repertoire from Brazil, Portugal, Italy and other places, we will strengthen and gain insight into our voices and other cultures!
All singers are welcome and no prior experience in these languages are necessary!
Songs of Resilience w/ Moira Smiley (no limit)
Together we will sing songs of connection and hope. Singing to fuel, stabilize, ground, feed, inspired and fill our wells up!
All are welcome!
Hindustani Classical Music w/ Shruti Ramani (no limit)
In this class you will receive an introduction to the theory and concept of ragas and learn some repertoire.
Through the songs you will learn the associated raga/mode and the related tools for improvisation.
Dip your toes in this incredibly rich, deep and centuries old world of Hindustani Classical Music
Puirt-á-beul w/ Mairi Britton (no limit)
An introduction to "tunes from the mouth".
In this class we will be learning a short set of Gaelic mouth music dance songs and some simple dance steps
I've Got A Right to the Tree of Life w/ Kathy Bullock (no limit)
We will take a journey through song exploring the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the U.S. Our songs will include those from pre- civil war period, the 1900-1920s suffragist protests, the Civil Rights marches in 1960s and the present day, spreading the timeless message of voting rights and equity for all.
Monday August 25th-August 29th 2025
Monday August 25th - Water taxis will begin taking people from Horseshoe Bay to Gambier Island at 10:30 am. Please arrive at 9:30 am for registration and to have your bag tagged and loaded.
Friday August 29th - Water taxis will begin leaving Gambier Island at 12:30 pm. The last water taxi will likely leave around 2:00. You can safely plan to be back at Horseshoe Bay between 1:30 and 3:00.
Here is a full view of the week's schedule! (This schedule is from 2024 - a new schedule is coming soon!!)
Accommodations
SongRoots – Summer Camp Accommodations
There are various options for accommodations at Camp Fircom.
1. Tenting! You have the option of bringing your own tent
and setting up your home for the week in some of the gorgeous camp sites at Camp Fircom.
There are communal washrooms for tenters and cabin sleepers.
(Tenters get a $20 discount)
2. Canvas Tents - Camp Fircom provides 6 large Canvas tents. These can be shared by 3-4 people and mattresses are provided - all you need to bring is your own sleeping bag and pillow.
This option is available at no extra cost if there are 3-4 people in one.
3. Cabin/Bunkhouse 1-4 – will sleep up to 8 in a room - everyone will get a lower bunk and can keep their gear on the top bunk. There are shared communal bathrooms and everyone brings their own bedding. There are electrical outlets in the cabins.
This option is available at no extra cost. These Cabins are the newer ones that were built in the last few years.
4. Craigcroft – there is a choice of shared or single rooms (limited) in Craigcroft. Craigcroft is a 2 storey dorm-style residence with 12 rooms and a large common room. We will have 8 double rooms and 4 single rooms. There are two bathrooms with additional washrooms located in the dining hall which is right next door.
You can bring your own bedding or you can pay an extra $35 to have it supplied for you.
There is an additional cost to stay in Craigcroft of $160 for a double room and $320 for a single room.
5. Farmhouse - this is the most luxurious accommodation available! There are two bedrooms (each with a queen sized bed), a fully equipped kitchen, a large patio (with a view of the water) and a beautiful living room. All linens are provided.
There is an additional cost of $500 per room at the Farmhouse.
FOOD at Fircom!
Fircom focuses on healthy, delicious homemade meals to ensure that you are satisfied and feeling great during your time at camp. Our chef and farmer work together to grow beautiful, abundant harvests in our 1.5 acres organic garden. Much of the produce from the Farm ends up in beautiful meals or in the delicious and colorful salad bar served at each lunch and dinner.
Camp Fircom is endeavouring to be as sustainable as possible and tread lightly on the earth. One of the ways they are doing this is by trying to cut back on food waste. The main thought is 'take what you need, and eat what you take' - there is going to be plenty of food for second helpings so please don't be shy if you didn't get enough food the first time. 2nd helpings are available!
Everyone arrive at Horseshoe Bay around 9:30 am to register on Monday Aug 26th. For those people coming from Vancouver Island, you can take the 8:30 am boat and come straight over to register., We will be going over in many different water taxis - we can only load one at a time, so it does take a while to get the whole group over there. Be patient and it should all run smoothly - enjoy the beautiful ride!
You will be registered by Ali Romanow, Wendy Knudson and Bob Romanow. They have a wonderful system to get you all set up, loaded on the boat and sent over. You must check in with them first before heading down to the dock!!
We have to make special arrangements for the water taxis on Monday morning and those costs are included in your ticket. If you miss the water taxi, you will be responsible for getting yourself to the island (through Cormorant Marine Water Taxi) and will have to cover that cost. Some people have been asking about special water taxi departure times - I am unable to organize anything extra outside of our scheduled times.
Where to meet? Where to park?
Meet on the lawn by the (former) Boathouse Restaurant. There you will receive your welcome package and be organized into different water taxis. The Water Taxi Loading area is at the end of the Government Dock in Horseshoe Bay, which is to the East of the Boathouse Restaurant. Please do not go to the Water Taxi office, as they are not responsible for the check-in of our campers.
Parking! - there are various lots at Horseshoe Bay. I would suggest carpooling. The lots closest to the terminal cost about $20/day. There is a cheaper lot up the hill. http://www.tiddlycovelions.com/?page_id=11 The best option is getting dropped off if possible!
LIONS OVERFLOW PARKING Located at 6318 Marine drive, West Vancouver Across from the 2nd hole of Geneagles Golf Club, just south of Geneagles Elementary School
**We will be arriving and leaving at low tide which means that the ramp to get to the boat is kind of steep! The trip to and from Fircom is a little arduous. It does include carrying your luggage, walking up and down steep loading ramps and then walking up a hill on Gambier up to Camp Fircom. There is a truck that will take our luggage and could drive people with mobility problems. We will have designated helpers and lifters are all there to help each other.
3. Leaving on Friday
The boats start leaving Fircom at 1:30 on Friday. We can only load one water taxi at a time so I am unable to tell anyone exactly when they will get back to HSB. It could be as early at 2:15 or you could be on the last water taxi and not get back until about 3:30 or so.
See below for important info and helpful tips!
1) How do the canvas tents (sibleys) work? Canvas Tents can accommodate 3-4 people– Fircom provides mattresses and you bring your own sleeping bag and pillow. Think sleep over/slumber party! You will be close and cozy. If you have a group of 3-4 people, there would be no extra cost.
2) How can I pay in instalments? How much is camp?
Camp costs $1000 + $100 Registration + GST. There are several accommodation upgrades that cost extra. You can pay in instalments - just get in touch with Karla to sort out a schedule.
3) I'm really new to singing and nervous about coming.. what classes are best suited for beginners/less experienced singers?
Sound Playground, Breathe, Sing, Repeat, Gospel Music, Sightreading, Bluegrass, Orain Obrach, Doo Wop, Songs of Resilience, Puirt-a-beul, I've Got A Right to the Tree of Life
4) Are there any Bed & Breakfasts available near Fircom?
No, Fircom is on the south eastern corner of Gambier and there is no road access to New Brighton or most of the rest of the island. There are no accommodation rentals in the near vicinity.
5) Can I bring my own boat to Fircom?
You can, but there is no mooring on the government dock. You can anchor in Fircom Bay or Halkett Bay, however you will have to bring a dinghy and paddle in.
6) Where can I tent?
There are several lovely tenting areas in the forest and in more open areas.
7) Can I come for part of the camp?
This event is all or nothing. We will have additional boats in emergency circumstances but otherwise we expect participants to stay for the duration of the program.
8) Can I bring my dog?
Unless you have an assistance/service animal, animals are not permitted.
9) Is the accommodation wheelchair accessible?
Please contact Karla for more information on the accessibility of the site and facilities. There are many gravel roads and a fair bit of walking between class - Karla could try to accommodate accessibility as much as possible with accommodation choice and class location.
10) I own a cabin on Gambier. Can I just come for the days?
Yes that would be fine. Contact Karla and we would sort out your cost for the camp.
11) I’d like to bring my baby, is that ok?
That could be possible and it might be a little tricky. We could try to sort out an accommodation that would work for you. Please contact Karla and talk through what the days are like and how you could try to make it work for you and your baby.
12) I’d like to bring my 8 year old, is that ok?
At the moment, this camp is geared towards adults and we don’t currently have it set up to work for kids as well (we are working on that for the future)
13) I’d like to know more about what emergency services are available on Gambier. Can you tell me about that?
Fircom is an isolated site however emergency services can be dispatched to site. In case of an emergency medical situation, the patient will be evacuated either by boat or by helicopter.
14) This year seems more expensive than last year. Why is that?
Costs for absolutely everything involved with camp have gone up. In addition to that, we also need to operate camp with reduced capacity this year because of Covid. As a result, we have had to slightly increase costs.
15) Finances are tight. Is there any way I can barter my fee?
There could be some limited possibilities of helping out with camp and reducing some of the fee. Please contact Karla if you have some ideas. There are some bursary funds available!