Press release:
This spring the Southern Appalachian mountains will be alive with the sound of song as people from all over the region and beyond come together for the fifth annual Singing Alive Appalachia gathering. Over four days, June 1-4, 2017, 21 song catchers will lead groups in songs ranging from traditional Cherokee to devotional chanting. Brahma Ridge in Candler will host the magical, melodic gathering.
Singing Alive Appalachia is open to everyone, regardless of their singing experience, in a spirit of inclusivity, celebration of diversity and coming together in unity as a community.
“Singing Alive is a family; it’s a place to feel at home, to share songs that nourish your soul” says the founder Alinahh Ever who brought the gathering to the east coast after learning about the original one on the west coast in 2007. “It’s such a beautiful way to connect with others and raise the vibration of a community. I was so excited to bring the magic of this gathering to Appalachia, where there is such a strong musical tradition and a glorious setting for singing outdoors.” said Ever.
Singing together in groups may well be one of the most ancient technologies humans beings have for weaving connected and resilient communities. Modern research from the University of Oxford (UK, 2015) has shown that singing together has an “ice-breaker effect”: people who sing together feel closer to one another within a couple of hours than people doing other creative activities together. Group singing has also been found to cause the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter associated with trust and bonding. Morgan Brent, founder of the Singing Alive movement, believes that singing together is “subtle activism, nourishment for a spiritually hungry world” and that the practice of group singing is an essential part of our spiritual development.
Singing Alive is about participation. It’s not a series of performances, everyone is encouraged to raise their voice and be heard to feel the full effects of being an integral part of a cohesive whole.
singingalive.org/appalachia ~ to register
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