Singing is Resistance with BenjaSoul
Singing Is Resistance! Honoring Juneteenth with BenjaSoul.
Singing is more than self expression - it's a revolutionary act. In the Civil Rights music tradition, born from the Black Spiritual tradition, we lift our voices to defy systems of oppression in the world. We also model, in our music, the kind of world we want to create - collaborative, caring, and courageous. Join Benja for an evening of protest songs, spirituals, and collaborative improv techniques from the toolkit of Sweet Honey in the Rock. We'll also learn the basics of harmonic structure in Gospel music - a great foundation for harmony in our improv practice! All singers, all levels welcome!
BenjaSoul, longtime friend of Downbeat, is a third generation professional musician. He is also the board chair of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, an immigrant rights and anti-incarceration nonprofit in California. Benja has been in social movement work for fifteen years.
~~~ 🕕 Time
Please arrive between 6-6:15 pm for tea and socializing, we'll sing from 6:30-8:30, then wind down and chat until we clear out at 9.
~~~ 💸 Donations
We accept pay-what-you-can donations to The Downbeat to help cover our costs, so please donate what feels good to you! ($10-20 suggested, NOTAFLOF): https://www.venmo.com/u/the-downbeat
~~~ 👥 Volunteer opportunity
We're looking for a GREETER to welcome people to the space on their way in, just from ~6-6:30. The first person to arrive at 6 and claim the role will get it! As greeter you don't need to make a donation for the evening. Thank you for helping us run this community!
~~~ ❔ What is The Downbeat?
The Downbeat is a collaborative vocal improv community in the Bay Area that meets every Monday in the East Bay to sing. Membership is open - anyone can join - but we ask that all members read our orientation guide before joining their first jam (and refresh themselves on it occasionally!) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ch2jdYQR_QKG7idLl__ZuwmuAC6hjr9xHwnzIgtqXp4/edit#heading=h.da4x39w1kj0g
~~~ 🎶 What’s collaborative vocal improv (CVI)?
At its core, collaborative vocal improv (CVI) is when an attuned group of people makes spontaneous music together with their voices and bodies. Listening, responding, and playing; music just happens! A CVI jam can vary from highly structured games to completely spontaneous music emerging from the group.