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Tuesday Evenings

THE ART OF GROUP SINGING FOR WOMEN
with Susan Robbins, Founder and Artistic Director of LIBANA

There will be one more Midsummer Sing for Women at Third Life Studio before the Studio closes at the end of July. Please join us on Tuesday, July 23rd from 7-9:15pm ($30, pre-registration necessary. Please click here to register online, or email srlibana@gmail.com)

The next 10 week fall session (September 24 through December 10th, with no class on October 8th or November 5th) will happen somewhere--exactly where to be determined! Please let me know if you would like to be added to my singing opportunities with Susan Robbins email list, and you will receive all future notifications!

Singing in community is a powerful source of joy, celebration, and ritual for women around the world. The expressive and metaphorical process of creating unison and harmony while joining your voice with others is a powerful way to release stress, uplift the soul, transcend the personal, national, and global challenges we face in our daily lives, and energize our beings. We will create a powerful unison sound and mesmerizing harmonies through the singing of rounds, chants, and part music. All songs will be taught by ear, so sight-reading ability is not necessary. Past Art of Group Singing classes have been fun, depthful, and joyous experiences for those of us singing in the circle together, full of beautiful music, expansive spirit, communal sensitivity, and openhearted expression.

Susan Robbins is the Founder and Artistic Director of Libana, an internationally renowned women's world music ensemble and intentional creative community having just completed its 39th performance season. Libana has undergone a performance and research tour to Morocco (June, 2013), spent three weeks performing and teaching in North India in 2011, and performed at international festivals in Bulgaria on two different occasions. She has taught voice privately for over 35 years and leads singing workshops throughout North America. With Marytha Paffrath (also of Libana), she has co-facilitated weekend workshops at Rowe Camp and Conference Center and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health (both in Western MA), and presented at National Music Educator Conferences and Music and Healing Conferences nationwide. In July, 2011, she was part of the faculty at the Tuscany Project, an 11-day vocal intensive held in Umbria, Italy.

Singing has always been at the core of her spiritual path. She brings to her teaching a deeply rooted sense of compassion, an eclectic musical experience, a heartfelt belief in the transformative, healing power of music, and a hefty love of laughter.

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Weekly Classes at Third Life Studio

Summer, 2019

Thursday evenings:

ROOTS AND RHYTHM
African Drumming classes for women
with Marytha Paffrath, principal percussionist with Libana

Most Thursday evening class sessions are for drummers who have previously studied with Marytha Paffrath. For information on future beginner classes and workshops, please email Marytha at drumzatlibana@gmail.com

Pre-registration is required for ALL classes!!!

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"Everything in the Universe has rhythm; everything dances" --Maya Angelou

Throughout time and history women have played drums for ceremony, ritual, celebration and the demarcation of seasonal and life passages. Many people believe that women are responsible for the first drums of West Africa. For many centuries, despite women's core contribution to the world of rhythm, drumming was kept from women, eclipsed by static cultural and spiritual beliefs. But in the last two decades women have been returning to the drum, reclaiming the rhythmic birthright to which we are all entitled as vibrating cellular beings.

In this introductory workshop we will learn age-old rhythms of West Africa and the African Diaspora, focusing on technique, the language of the drum, as well as rhythm fun and playing in community. This workshop is geared toward beginners, women who have no drum or musical experience but would like to literally try their hand at it. Teenagers 14 or older are also welcome. Please bring an African style drum, (djembe, ashiko, or conga) and a rhythm-ready heart. (some drums may be available to rent for a small additional fee).

Marytha Paffrath, Libana’s principal percussionist is an innovative teacher, singer, composer and writer who believes deeply in bringing the simplicity of rhythm and song to the complexity of the world. An accomplished percussionist, she tours nationally and internationally with LIBANA and has had the honor of studying with Babatunde Olatunji, Glen Velez, Nurudafina Pili Abena, Layne Redmond, Marco Lienhard, Gordon Gottlieb, and Ubaka Hill. In performance she moves with ease between an array of world drums which includes dumbek, djembe, tapan, naqqara, bombo, riqq, and frame drum.

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