Dear female friends, imagine you had a bad day at work or an argument with your neighbors or family members. You desperately want to do something good for yourself to make you feel better. Going out with friends? Nobody's free tonight. Eating in a fancy restaurant? Too late for a big meal and too expensive. Gym? You feel like not having enough energy for physical activity after an exhausting and long day. Plus, you feel so alone and you need some company. So, what else?
There is one more option: A SINGING GROUP! Your first thought might be: but I am such a terrible singer, I don't know how to sing, I am ashamed to sing aloud even under the shower! There is good news for you, girl: there is a singing group that does not require any musical knowledge and experience, not even a trained voice!
There is a little women's community, music lovers, who gather to sing and heal themselves through music every Wednesday evening in Midtown, Toronto. We call our music wellness experience CALLIOPE – which is the name of the Greek muse, meaning beautiful voice. Because yes, we all do have a beautiful voice, just haven't let it free yet!
What we do is help each other relax, meditate, release stress, connect, and feel better. We do that through exploring our voice, the sounds we can produce, breathing, body movement, and finally singing! We start with the simple melodies that everybody knows and step by step we explore more complex songs, musical literacy, and performing with the piano music. We have a goal to perform on the scene in front of the audience as well, as soon we feel prepared and good about that! We are flexible and sometimes we try to express our emotions through drawing while listening to music, shouting random vocals, or just silly dancing together while shouting! The power of our voice is a miracle and our singing meetings are cathartic. Because music has a healing effect and we experience that every time we sing.
If you are curious to try our music wellness experience, join us at least for one session! We are at 1423 Yonge every Wednesday from 8:30pm, healing ourselves through the power of our voice. Book your spot or ask for more info at the website: www.sunnydayschools.com.
Dr. Helen is an internationally recognized musicologist, music professor, pianist, and published writer. Her motto is: 'Music is an exercise for our brain and food for our soul.'
