BAY AREA VOCAL IMPROVISATION & COMMUNITY MUSIC - Blog

BAY AREA VOCAL IMPROVISATION & COMMUNITY MUSIC

What Shall We Do Without Us?

May 2017

I read on the internet to gather some of this info. I love my iphone, I enjoy facebook, and I work on my computer a lot of the time. Now some of my music is scanned into my computer and youtube is a good ol’ friend. Yah, all this technology is super helpful with
my process as a musician fo sho!

But I don’t have to tell you that we are crazy knee deep into technology in a way that sometimes keeps us from connections with others. The level of entertainment, curiosity fulfillment, and time wasting available online is beyond measurable. The gift of this for me is that I massively value sitting in front of a friend eating a meal or sharing a cup of tea. I am happy when I am in a dance class and I get to laugh and connect with others. When I am in nature being with the silence and natural sounds, I feel my cup is full. And I am elated when I get to be in a circle singing with others!

No mater what has happened that day, that week, I get a massive recharge. My endorphins start to dance and the happy thang comes over me. Because I am getting to look in your eyes, feel the spirit of your song, or dance and laugh with you.

So, checking out your connections on facebook is fun, but have you thought about the neural connections you are reinforcing in your brain when you are making music?

“It’s really hard to come up with an experience similar to that” as an education intervention, said Gottfried Schlaug, the director of the Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Harvard Medical School. Not only does it require attention and coordination of multiple senses, but it often triggers emotions, involves cooperation with other people, and provides immediate feedback to the student on progress, he said. Music, on its own, has also been shown to trigger the reward area of the brain, he noted. [1]

So, my dears…it appears that coming together to do activities with other humans is becoming one of the basic needs for nervous system regulation and perhaps the survival of our relationships.

Stay with us, we are here…

Art by Kenneth Patchen
[1] Published in Print: Education Week
November 25, 2013
Studies Highlight Brain Benefits From Music Training
Vol. 33, Issue 13, Page 6

Safe, Synchronous Singing in July

6/24/2020

Solstice Greetings, Happy Juneteenth, Happy Pride, and let’s keep raising our voices for equality and justice!

I continue to hold space in my heart for all BIPOC all over the planet, that hearts may heal, voices may continue to peacefully rise up, and that legal systemic changes that we can each stand for can till the land of outdated paths that have been so deeply entrenched.

Every day is a new education for me, and I pray that I may remain humble and teachable as I discover my own ignorance and blindness.

We’re over 3 months into the Covidian Era, and I am still without hugs. WHAT?!?! Y’all know how crazy that is for me! I have no housemate to argue with, which is lovely, but the other side of that is that I have not yet created a safe pod of peeps to cuddle with. A work in progress…touching feet has been a intermediate activity that brings a surprising amount of satisfactory oxytocin!

Some of you remember the day pictured above at Point Pinole. Ahhh…the joy of singing together. Since singing of all kinds has primarily been transferred online, and I have contended with my inner NO (Not Online), while slowly adapting and scanning life for where the YES (Yummy Energy Source) is, I started to daydream and the images of spacious connection outdoors with plastic face shields begun to surface, because another oxytocin releasing activity is eye contact.

No longer a daydream, for last week I did a pilot class. We had a good time, we could hear each other, and felt safe.

So, guess what?!?!

Bay Area Vocal Improv is back in real time!

Six Week Series:

Tuesdays: July 7 – August 11, 2020

7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Large private back yard in Elmwood
(location disclosed after registration)

Your own face shield will be provided.

There is an empty cottage on the premises for bathroom use.

Registration closes on July 5, 2020.

Sliding scale for the series: $60 - $150
20% of proceeds will go to Black Futures Lab (https://blackfutureslab.org/about/) Project.

Max 8 participants for space safety

You can register HERE and you will receive NO Zoom link - - YAY!!!!!! J

But you will receive a confirmation, instructions, a waiver to sign, and the address.

Love upon love and may the voice be with you,

Renée

Peek-A-Boo!

5/16/2020

Peek-a-boo!

I have been in hide out land for a bit, but I am here and thinking of you!

In this time where we need to gather in-formation in order to make choices about health, how to navigate in the world, work decisions, etc...its easy to go down the rabbit hole of way too much information that can also elicit fear responses within us.

For many, the Sympathetic Nervous System is in the driver’s seat, eliciting a cascade of hormonal and chemical changes in our bodies. If fear is immediate or high, our innate fight/flight (sometimes known as hyper arousal) response is there to direct us. It’s helpful is short bursts for certain situations right?

One response that we don’t hear about much is the freeze response. It’s a brilliant strategy for any living being to just S T O P. We can then assess if the best choice is to fight, take flight, communicate or do nothing. Many regular physical functions are also affected because it is still a fear response.

Then enter the Parasympathetic Nervous System, otherwise known as “rest and digest”, which allows for a reset to regular functioning, regulating breath and heart rate.

Sometimes, when we are exposed to fear, we can hang out there longer than is necessary, due to previous experiences that may have been traumatizing or upsetting – our guard stays up and the cascade of chemicals continues on.

As it turns out, fear actually affects our immune response. There's some interesting research on that HERE

These, of course, are only a small fraction of the possible responses that we could have emotionally. I love Jennifer Asdorian's Emotion Chart: HERE, which helps one to track what is up! That said, now, more than ever, it’s a great idea to work with practices that help us come back to equanimity.

->I personally moved a bit from NO (a.k.a. _Not Online_) to reconnecting with YES! (a.k.a. _Yummy Energy Source_). Going very S L O W and allowing myself to follow that which feels good in order to invite inspiration. Most days, that is nature, singing, good food, taking nature photos, and swaddling myself in my hammock. The power of containment for overwhelm is real people!

Getting to what feels good is great! and feeling good is not the purpose of my life. Its lovely, but limited in its scope in terms of what brings meaning and joy for me. Service is the word that has come forth recently for me to ponder.

I would love to share some of my prevention and active practices for staying/getting healthy, both emotionally and physically during COVID, and to make a little sound with you. I want to know how you are doing!

Let's gather online on: Monday May 18, 202
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sliding Scale from $40 - $15, and no one turned away.

You can register for this event by replying to me here
and you will receive a Zoom Link to attend.

You can pay through Paypal, or send me a payment through Venmo at handle: @Renee-Benmeleh

Until we see each other again, HERE is a little
song for you.

AND!!!

I thank all the health workers immensely for the incredible work they have been doing to help us.

Many blessings be on them forever!

May the voice be with you,

Renée

what part of no do you understand?

4/29/2020

Spacious Connection

3/26/2020

Dear Sound Community,

I am peeking my head out of the rubble to say

Hello!

You are all in my heart during this challenging time.

I send strong heart love to you, to the children, the parents, the educators, the people working paycheck to paycheck, and to other abled folks.

To all the medical workers and healers out there working day and night to support others, and to the patients that are seeking healing, I send you the most powerful level of appreciation and inner strength.

Lastly, I am sending deep compassion to our artists and educators. My colleagues and I have lost much of our income overnight which is not only a big financial ouch, but personally hard for me because I adore facilitating music with people.

May we find resilience, as we explore ways to continue to work with the scared technology that helps to keeps us connected safely.

I know I am literally preaching to the choir when I say that scientific research has shown us that singing and sounding not only boost our immunity, but also keep us connected to our life force and calm our nervous system.

I am gearing up to take a version of Bay Area Vocal Improv online on the 1st Sunday of the month, and in service of that, I am offering a free test class on Sunday March 29th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.

If you would like to join, please join here:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4015714811

Meeting ID: 401 571 4811

Pause and listen…we are being given the opportunity to expand our global humanity and open our hearts to co-creation on every level, as we do, we become witnesses to the kindness that has been pouring forth from folks near and far.

Here is a lil’ song to keep you company and we will see each other very soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZrN6zm5sxY

May the voice be with you!

Renée

Yes, We sang!

1/28/2020

Hello and Happy 2020!

I missed you last month! A BIG Thank You to my friend and colleague Pollyanna Bush for subbing my class in January!

I just got back from the amazing 4 day Replenish for Business Women's Retreat with Julie Wolk and her team, and I am feeling juiced up around upcoming offerings for this year! Stay tuned...

This month I facilitated a team of 45 Google executives at a summit designed to encourage collaboration among their peers.Many of these people did not know each other before the event and the team leader found that historically they were shy to connect. It was such a pleasure to work with this group – a mix of extroverts and introverts, most of which were unfamiliar with my work.

By the second day, one of the teams felt enough ease to begin making requests for inclusion of their ideas in the class I had formulated and we collaboratively created the next step.

This is improv right?!

It is constantly changing in the moment and I found that creating space for their contributions brought a sense of aliveness into their bodies, more willingness to risk, be goofy in the presence of their peers, and tap into their creativity, while also choosing their level of challenge. Witnessing this take place was the highlight of the experience for me and I am still glowing from it!

How we respond to change can set us apart as human beings and as leaders in our world. Neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispensa speaks about how in order to create change in ourselves, we need to begin by disrupting our usual patterns by doing what we do differently. Take a different route to work, use your non-dominant hand to do things, add a new routine, look at things upside down, or learn a new language.

Is music your next new language?
This universal language brings humans of all demographics, color, size, shape, sexual preference, gender identity, and age together. You don't need know anything about anyone, you just play together.

Singing and making music together is probably the most ancient activity known to humankind. It's part of virtually every ritual around the world, rites of passage, celebrations, and grieving with community. In our present time, these rituals might encompass a faith gathering, a sporting event, such as the very coordinated chanting that happens in Japanese baseball games, a concert, a protest, or an honoring of an individual.

The unified field that is created when we sing together is the medicine for this time where we seem to be so split apart, and if you’re in for this singing evolution, join us as we enter 2020 knowing that at the end of the year we can say: “Yes, we sang!”

Through it all, we sing…

See you soon beloveds!

welcome home

1/1/2020

Dear ones!

Happy everything! and I hope that in the midst of the bustling energy of the holidays,, you're getting to have some quiet down time to reflect and rejuvenate.

I am brimming with joy and gratitude for the opportunities to facilitate Vocal Improv in so many settings! It is a gift for me to be able to share this magic with others. What happens in that circle is unknown, remarkable and heart opening.

Monday, Dec. 30th, I’ll be facilitating between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. at Sing For Your Life. If you have never been, please gift yourself this experience this year. 12 hours of circle singing led by some of the Bay Area’s fine’s facilitators, with such a variety of flavors and offerings. Come sing, dance, share some food with folks, and Sing For Your Life because if you don’t, who will?

A couple days after that I’ll be facilitating at the Northern CA Dance Collective’s Winter Dance Camp from 4:00 to 5:30 on the 31st. Its not a drop in class, so if you’re interested please check the registration terms.

And…can I get a drum rollllllllll pleeeeeeze?

The Universe put Google in my path, and I am celebrating my first gig at Google in January for a team-building summit in Austin, TX. So happy I can’t even…

Wishing you all a beautiful last 4 days of 2019 and let’s bring in 2020 with a sang! Every time we sing together, we are witnessed and held, we strengthen the ability to use that courage to speak our truth in a multitude of situations.

The gift is inside of you, welcome home.

gratitude

11/25/2019

Dear ones,

With chaos abounding everywhere we turn, it seems to be the norm these days…and my heart feels the pain of the planet at this time. Maybe you do too…
In light of this, I feel immense gratitude for the truth tellers, the magic of people coming together, quiet space, music that nourishes me, song bathing, sitting under a tree, meditation, going within, finding beauty, and bringing my energy back to myself. I am grateful for all the essentials and also my family, communities, space to create, healing resources, and all the teachers in my life.
Giving thanks is deeply embedded in the practices on so many indigenous cultures. In the Lakota Inipi (purification ceremony), there is a whole round dedicated to giving thanks with very specific songs.
And its actually intelligent to bathe in gratitude because our chemistry literally changes when we focus on what is going well!
At this particular holiday, where we express gratitude, it is of utmost importance to me to honor and acknowledge the ancestors of the lands upon which we live. Over 50 villages and tribes of the Ohlone (also known as Costanoan) Native American people have been identified as existing in Northern California circa 1769. Beyond the Bay Area we know that this U.S. land once belonged to the First Nations people, and many of us are the immigrants.
For all that I have been able to grow here, I express deep gratitude to the ancestors of this land, my ancestors, all benevolent guides, and to YOU for supporting my work in actions, words, and spirit!
Happy Day of Thanks!
Love,
Renée

The Song of Your Life!

10/28/2019

Dear ones,

It’s that time again when I am celebrating my natal return!

This year is particularly poignant considering that I am filled with gratitude due to the fact that a bike accident disconnected me form the life force for a bit, and then reconnected me in a new way of being in this body and time.

So, what is there to sing about? Life!!!

This month, class is simple in that we will warm into our singing in our usual playful and including way, and move towards singing the Song of Your Life!

It sounds a bit “epic”, and yet it’s a song that we can sing daily to reaffirm our connection to the earth, the sky, and all living beings. You can sing your vision and mission, and all that you stand for here now. It may include where you came form, your birth, your ancestral connections, You get to open and allow what wants to be shared to come through.

Come celebrate my birthday (Nov. 3rd!) and celebrate your Life!

Looking forward to being with you again,

Renée

Upcoming Events:

Projects Vox (formerly Outta Da Vox) has two gigs in December!

Dec. 6, 2019 at The Back Room 8:00 p.m.
Dec. 8, 2019 at The San Geronimo Community Church 7:00 p.m.

More deets coming soon!

New Offerings!

Are you interested in developing your improvisation skills more deeply?

We will work with scales, which expand your template, expanding your repertoire
of musical styles, and expand the range of ideas that you can access to inform your
improvisation.

Would you like some coaching around your performance delivery?

We will work on the integration of emotional content, and how to deliver a story in a way that gets right to the heart of what you want someone to take away when they hear you.

For more information, please contact me at: 408-836-9302.

freedom!

9/22/2019

Dear ones!

I am excited to sing with you again on October 6th!

I find myself in a vocal freedom flow that I have never experienced before. I trust myself infinitely to come forth with the sounds that align with the moment. I didn’t just wake up one day and find that accessible to me. It has come from years of taking falls and getting back up, practice, and living on planet music.

What does that mean? It means I practice scales often and I listen to music a lot of the day, singing along to reach integration. It means I sit in silence and let the sounds arrive.

I give myself freedom to sound musical or not! There has to be space for the dissonant, in order to even define or arrive at what is consonant. Play is the way people!

Freedom in this area is accessible to me now and there are areas of my life where I am just finding my wings. Here’s an irony. If I listen to the “no” in me regarding any situation or decision I am free to act from an authentic impulse to move forward to “yes” or sit still. If that listening happens, often the best choice for me reverberates out to another or a situation.

So we crawl, stand, walk, dance, jump, and when we’ve got our ground, we can aim for the sky.

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
― Erin Hanson

Come into the circle and find vocal common ground!

Until soon,

Renée

singing through it all

8/11/2019

Dear ones,

Last week, I had the scary experience of being involved in a bike accident with a hit and run driver. My bones are solid, my body is bruised, and my spirit is cleansed and woke.

When I arrived at the trauma center, there came a time when people stopped taking my vitals, asking me questions, cutting off my clothes, and before my amazing friend Jan came to visit me with her loving grounded presence, (thanks Jan!!!) I was suddenly alone. But not really. My best friend showed up. Her name is song. I felt immense comfort as I sang my way through those moments and the CT scans and x-rays.

For some reason, the song that I wanted to sing to myself was Bobby McFerrin and Roger Treese’s “Brief Eternity” from the album Vocabularies, a version of psalm 150 that is more gorgeous than a starlit sky, and a bunch of other made up stuff that felt yummy to me.

This love from my voice to my heart helped me immensely. Like a lullaby to a baby…We have the ability to self soothe with a song, a tone, a sound that has you feeling connected to you.