It was a wonderful workshop! Here are some thoughts from one of our Animaterra members who attended, Angel Chapman:

Yesterday I attended “Sing From the Heart” a singing and yoga workshop/spa day hosted by Allison Aldrich. We had 17 attend, including people with all different levels of singing experience, from the very experienced to those who had never sung in a group before.  After an hour of basic yoga to get centered, we had some vocal warm ups and then began to sing – and sing and sing! No need to read music, as Allison just sang us a bit and we’d repeat it back to her.

What joy it is to make music and sing in harmony with others! I feel my spirit is receiving  healing when I sing in a group. It gives me energy, peace, and joy that I carry with me throughout the day and several days after. I also sing with Animaterra Women’s Chorus, where we make these melodious, harmonious sounds every Tuesday night during our seasons. I can’t wait for September! Would you like to come join us?

And some insights from another Animaterran, Laurie Donohue:

What a wonderful day! First, the setting. Because Allison opened her home to us, it felt so comfortable and welcoming – much better than a classroom or meeting hall. It was like going to visit old friends.

Next, the people. There was a real synergy to the group. Everyone seemed to feel very comfortable and accepted. I don’t think anyone was afraid to speak up or to sing throughout the day.

And, of course, the music. Allison picked songs that were easy to learn and remember and the opportunity to find our own harmonies was fun and energizing. It was so pleasant to hear the interplay of spontaneous harmonies! At the end of the workshop, although our voices were tired, I don’t think anyone was ready to leave! As I was driving home, it occurred to me that I’d forgotten what day it was, I had been so much in the moment throughout the day. The feeling stayed with me for the rest of the evening – a feeling of being “filled up” and content. I can’t wait until the next one!

Singing game from Ghana

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Rehearsals will be at Langdon Place, 136 Arch St., Keene, NH

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Tam Lin

7 Tolman Pond Road, Nelson, NH

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LEARN TO SING FROM THE HEART!

Lupine at Tam Lin

Saturday, July 30, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Allison Aldrich will hold a summer singing workshop at Tam Lin, her beautiful home in Nelson, NH. This is a wonderful chance to spend a “singing spa day”, finding ways to engage your whole self to become a freer, better singer. Incorporating yoga and other healthy mind and body approaches, you will spend the day finding how to live a healthier life through singing, and how to be a better singer through a healthy mind and body. Open to women and men with all ranges of experience.

$50 includes a delicious, nutritious local lunch.

For more information and to register, contact Allison Aldrich by clicking “Contact Animaterra” in the sidebar.

Numbers are very limited, so please register soon! Thanks!

MORE DETAILS:

We will start the day with gentle yoga postures led by Betsy Perry of Lumunos. The morning will continue with warm-ups and other singing techniques gauged to open and free your voice, using vocal exercises and wonderful songs from around the world.

Lunch will be provided, and during the lunch break there will be a chance to walk in the woods or along the rural roads of Nelson, or simply relax on the grounds and enjoy the company of other participants, or even some solitude if you wish.

In the afternoon we will continue to apply the skills of singing from the heart. You will leave refreshed, rejuvenated, and will have new songs, new ideas, and new friends!

Allison Aldrich has been singing harmony for as long as she can remember. She sang in the Hanover and Cambridge Revels, has sung in and led song circles and church and community choirs, studied choral conducting and elementary music education at Boston University, and taught elementary music for 25 years. She is the founder and artistic director of Animaterra Women’s Chorus in Keene, NH. She believes that singing is a fundamental part of life, and has helped scores of women find their voices. She also plays piano and concertina and performs as a duo with her husband, Hunt Smith.

Betsy Perry came to a yoga practice in her early 50′s when the aches and pains from running had caught up with her.  As a nurse, she knew her lifestyle was no longer healthy for her joints.  She began studying in Ann Arbor with wonderful Iyengar certified teachers, one of whom led Betsy to the two reasons yoga has become a way of life for her:  1) yoga is a spiritual practice through the physical body; and 2) someday a yoga practice of your own will “just break out”—and it did!  Betsy brings 15 years of yoga practice to guide us in finding balance, joy, and openness to the everyday experience of our physical bodies.

Tam Lin is the home of Allison Aldrich and Hunt Smith. They built their rustic timber-frame house themselves in 2009. Nestled on 15 acres, surrounded by woods, streams and marshes of the eastern woodlands. Tam Lin is a sanctuary in a busy world.

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