Co-regulation through singing together
The ancestors used to sing.
They sang as a part of life. Washing the clothes. Shelling the beans. Rocking the baby.
They sang in celebration. They sang for solace. Sang because song can be a life giving resource. A thimble full of wisdom. A soft spell of strength.
Today, in an era where music making is often outsourced to your media app of choice, most of us have lost touch with the power of community singing.
In doing so, we’ve lost something of great value and power.
We recover this power when we approach singing as our ancestors did – by bringing it out of the concert hall and back into the nourishing fabric of every day life as ceremony and self-care.
This was an incredibly powerful experience that nourished and inspired my mind, body and soul. Mothersong gave me dedicated space and time to be fully present for myself. This medicine helped me move and work through several significant transitions where I felt grounded. I found myself taking long walks in Golden Gate Park to sing with the trees. What unexpected calling of delight!
Singing to Nourish and Repair
There’s a word for what happens when we sing to connect. It’s called co-regulation. As our nervous system receives cues of safety from another person, we settle from activation into ease.
This process plays a vital role in child development. Through co-regulating with a caregiver, a little one learns to self-soothe.
But the need for co-regulation doesn’t end with childhood. Throughout our lives, co-regulation fosters more stability, calm and peace.
That’s how we approach singing at Mothersong.
To sing together in this way can feel like a supportive hug from our most trusted person, helping us move from rupture to repair.
I appreciate the songs and their message, the gentle and safe space to grow, the diverse and wise community, learning music by ear, and Noe! Noe’s song leading is Empowering, uplifting, healing, gentle and oh, her voice is so beautiful. I recommend this group to Everyone I know! But especially anyone who needs to be held.
What Makes Mothersong Different
If you’ve sung in choruses before, chances are you’ve still never experienced anything quite like Mothersong Chorus.
Our group is designed with soul nourishment in mind.
Positioning ourselves in a circle, we sing while walking, swaying, or finding a movement that feels good to our body to do.
When it’s dark outside during our meeting time, we often sing by candlelight. Everything we do is optimized to foster self care, connection and a state of flow.
No risers, no-one telling you to smile… Just a group of caring souls, gathered to drink deep from the well of song.
The Details
Mothersong Drop in Singing Circles happen Sunday, 7/27 in Berkeley and Sunday 8/10 in Pacifica.
Other than those drop ins, Mothersong meets weekly for two seasons a year, in spring and fall, with registration opening in August and February, respectively.
Our fall season runs from September through December with new members welcome to try the group for the first few weeks to find out whether it’s a match.
The group runs in multiple cohorts who come together at the season’s close for a larger gathering.
Mothersong San Francisco (dates TBA), 6 – 7:30 PM at Golden Bridges School, 503 Cambridge St., San Francisco
Mothersong Pacifica meets Tuesday evenings, 6 – 7:30 PM, Pacifica, private residence in Sharp Park. (Google Oceana High School for approximate driving distance.)
Mothersong Berkeley meets Sunday mornings, 10:30 AM – 12 PM at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists.
Spots are limited. We recommend early registration to secure your spot!
What We Sing
- Hypnotic sacred rounds and chants
- Layer songs in three and four part harmony.
- Gorgeous world folk songs.
- Original songs by fellow current songleaders in the oral tradition.
- Songs so beautiful, you won’t believe how easy they are to learn
- Note re: cultural responsibility and respect. As a white bodied song leader, I recognize the harm caused by cultural appropriation. I take responsibility for preventing harm in the following ways.
- 1) In the case of songs by known BIPOC composers (as with all composers), I seek permission and tithe an agreed upon amount to compensate the composer.
- 2) In the case of traditional songs belonging to the folk tradition, I teach only songs that I have sufficient learning and experience to represent with accuracy and respect.
I’ve always wanted to learn to sing harmonies and felt intimidated and like it might just be too hard. Under Noe’s guidance, it felt like weaving; I’ve found my voice, confidence and such joy! It’s honestly like magic. This weekly song circle fills me up in every (good) way, and I can’t imagine my life without it. And the nougats of wisdom sprinkled into songs are shared is really quite profound!
Teaching Style
At Mothersong, we learn songs the way the ancestors did – by ear. There’s no sheet music and no sight reading required.
Here’s how it works – I sing a line, the group sings it back. That’s it.
Little by little, layer by layer, we weave these threads of melody together, allowing us over time to build up song arrangements with ease.
Our in person learning is supported by a treasure trove of high quality practice recordings, made with care by singer-songwriter Noe Venable.
So between meetings, you can take the music home with you to enjoy.
Your Registration Includes
VOCAL INSTRUCTION
A full season’s worth of energizing weekly vocal nurture and facilitation, plus our final celebration!
COMMUNITY
Participation in a vibrant musical sangha of women & nonbinary folks on a shared journey of vocal liberation!
OTHER RESOURCES
High quality practice recordings like these to make learning easy.
MINDSET PRACTICES
Learn powerful practices to help you step into your fulness of expression, drawing on Noe’s expertise as a certified hypnotherapist and spiritual counselor.
Singing with Noe and Mothersong Chorus is a highlight of my week. Noe is like a calm, grounded fairy sprite who infuses us with her presence, wisdom, and care. No matter how I feel when I arrive, I always leave feeling better!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – Do I have to be a mother to join you?
A – Absolutely not! Many of our members have never borne children. While our group name Mothersong Chorus might be interpreted to refer to the human experience of mothering, it also refers to the song of the mothering Earth.
Q – Can I drop in to try the group before I commit to attending a full season?
A – Yes! Drop in trials are available for the first few weeks of the session, and may be purchased alongside the full season. When you click through to register, just look for the option to book a drop in for your desired group.
Q – Can I bring my child?
A – Yes, children of all ages and genders are welcome, provided they are of an age to either join in the singing or do quiet self-directed activities nearby. (No screens, please.)
Q – Do I have to be a “good singer” to do this?
A – All voices welcome, no experience required.
Q – Do I need to know how to read music?
A – No. All songs are taught the traditional way, by ear.
Q – What is your COVID policy?
I’m happy to share that in several years of running this group in person post COVID, we have had no known COVID transmission via our gatherings. (Touch wood!)
I attribute this to the conscientiousness of our members, and ask all to join us in that conscientiousness by observing the following precautions.
- Please check in with yourself on the day we meet. Are you experiencing any symptoms not related to a pre-existing condition? Do you have any known COVID exposures?
- If either of the above conditions are met for you, please do a home COVID test that day before joining us.
- If you feel iffy, even with a negative COVID test, please stay home.
Furthermore, on our end, we guarantee:
- Reasonable sized group to avoid overcrowding in our meeting spaces.
- Adequate ventilation
- At least one high quality air purifier running to help with air flow.
Anything else you’d like to know? If so, please don’t hesitate to email me at noe@noevenable.com.
During my time with Mothersong, I deeply appreciated the inclusive and accepting atmosphere fostered by Noe. As someone with a recently changed voice and appearance, I had concerns about fitting in, but Noe’s reassurance and genuine support made me feel not only welcome but celebrated. The choir provided an incredible space for me to learn, grow, and connect with a diverse group of amazing people through the power of music and shared experiences. It was a truly transformative and uplifting journey that I will cherish forever!
If You’re Uncertain…
So, maybe you’re curious to try this, but you’ve got some concerns.
Singing can feel vulnerable. Parts of you might feel shy or scared.
Parts might wonder, what if I can’t do it?
What if I sing a wrong note?
What if I feel too nervous?
If you have any parts thinking this, I’d like to speak directly to those parts now.
Anxious parts, worried parts, shy parts, I promise you – whatever your level of experience, what you bring is enough, and this group is a place to see and celebrate that.
This group will meet you where you’re at, and help you recover your authentic voice.
Just think – what would it feel like to reclaim that power, that freedom, that sense of play?
This group will help you do it!
Singing in Mothersong is a powerful experience! I feel the wonder of becoming whole, every time.
Financial Exchange
The cost of this group works out to approximately $25 per 90 minute meeting, payable either up front or in monthly installments.
Your financial support covers Noe’s teaching and planning time, venue rental, liability insurance, tithing to the songleaders whose songs we carry, and the online systems that help me serve you.
While the sustainability of this group depends on most paying the above rate, we also have a limited number of scholarships available.
(Please note – scholarships are generally only available for our full season. But if finances are absolutely prohibitive for a drop in gathering, please reach out.)
You may apply for a scholarship here.
About the Director
Fifteen years ago, singer-songwriter Noe Venable made this Zimbabwean saying her motto: “if you can walk, you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.” Since then, she has helped more than three thousand bay area individuals and families discover the power of community singing as a tool for healing and renewal.
Noe’s other offerings include Forest Voices Chidren’s Choir (currently on hiatus), and Noe’s Garden Magical Music Class for babies and toddlers. She is also children’s music director for the California Revels.
In addition to her work as a songleader, Noe maintains a one on one spiritual counseling practice, supporting highly sensitive people in mental, emotional and spiritual healing through the modalities of Internal Family Systems, Depth Hypnosis, and Applied Shamanic Counseling. She also offers sliding scale psychotherapy under supervision of a licensed psychotherapist via the Liberation Institute in San Francisco.
Noe holds an MTS from Harvard Divinity School, and is an ordained interfaith minister of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
Noe lives, works and plays on unceded Ohlone Ramaytush lands (Pacifica, California).
More Kind Words
Mothersong was an incredibly powerful experience that nourished, challenged, engaged and inspired my mind, body and soul. My vulnerability turned into curiosity and eventually strength. Mothersong is a gift that I continue to treasure. Thank you, for creating, guiding and holding this supportive and inclusive community with your open heart. The words and way you bring people together is remarkable.
Beautiful heartwarming experience I was looking for weekly! Noe’s leading is so gentle and thoughtful. The singing circle made me feel connected to community, especially in these isolating times.
This was my first chorus, and I loved it! Noe is very encouraging no matter what level of experience or confidence you are coming in with. I found myself learning how to harmonize, and beginning to understand how to use the range of my voice. Mothersong attracts a really loving group of people, so it was comfortable to show up even when I was having a really bad day, and I always left feeling better!
My experience of Mothersong this season was one of deep healing. I entered the first meeting feeling very tender with personal grief from having lost a loved one, and ended the season with a deeper connection to the other participants, myself, and my ancestors.
I cherish this singing circle and feel blessed to be part of it. The last few years have been really difficult ones in my life and this circle has provided some true healing & hope.
Also, it was a DELIGHTFUL concert. It felt so good to do something that terrified me – singing that solo! I still can’t believe I did that! — and to come out AOK on the other side. What an experience! I think I actually felt my soul GROW!
I am so grateful to have found Mothersong. I joined the group four months postpartum, at a time of profound physical, mental, and emotional vulnerability and transformation. It was one of the best things I’ve done for myself during matrescence — it was truly therapeutic to sing, cry, and be in community with other women, mothers, and non-binary folks of all generations. Much credit goes to Noe, an imitable songleader, whose warm, calm, and joyful presence made me want to come back and sing week after week
I love the songs Noe chooses to teach. Heartfelt and “tuned” to our times. Learning harmonies by ear can be challenging, but Noe’s skill with layering and recording harmonies – on the fly – makes learning a lot of fun. It’s a joy to hear our voices in harmony.
Thank you so much for a wonderful few months of singing in community. The words and harmonies have enriched my soul, and I was truly nurtured by your ministry. I hope to see you at the summer sessions and again in the fall.
Noe’s song leadership and and teaching style is so therapeutic and inviting, I thoroughly felt held in this group. The song selections themselves was inclusive and embedded in respectful empowerment. I loved meeting weekly and building community through songs.
So What Are You Waiting For?
Come try out Mothersong Chorus and let us support you on your path to healing reconnection. We look forward to welcoming you.
Not able to join us this time, but want to stay in the loop?
All good! In that case, please enter your email below for occasional updates on future opportunities for co-regulation through singing together.