Forest Voices Children's Choir
Singing for the Whole Child
A magic key to unlock the power of singing!
Forest Voices at a glance...
Forest Voices is a gentle, joyful, non-auditioned community singing experience for children. Our holistic, embodied approach is embodied and playful, integrating movement, mindfulness and more.
More than just a chorus, we are a nurturing learning community where kids build vocal confidence while making new friends, learning through play and fun.
*Younger children may join with permission of the director. If you have a little one you'd like to inquire about, you the first step is to register for a drop in trial class, here.
We feel so lucky to be a part of this unique and amazing group. My daughter loves singing with Forest Voices! It’s the highlight of her week!
— Zobeida, Pacifica
"Wow, my child won't stop singing! How do I nurture this?"
Humming in the car, belting along to your Spotify playlist… It can no longer be denied. Your child loves to SING!
How can you support this budding interest?
Private singing lessons? Maybe you tried that, but your child was underwhelmed by singing alone with the piano.
Turns out they don’t want to stand around one on one with a teacher who directs them on the mechanics of singing.
They just want to sing!
Isn’t there some place where they can just do that along with some other kids who love singing too? A place that lets them explore singing in a playful, holistic, developmentally appropriate way?
I get it!
As a professional songleader and singer-songwriter who grew up singing in choruses, I know how much fun singing can be.
I also know that vocal instruction as I experienced it, where we stood still, reading from sheet music, can be a developmental mismatch for kids who need to move.
I want you to know that chorus doesn’t need to be that way!
As a songleader, I’ve spent fifteen years developing an approach to authentic singing that’s embodied, playful and fun. To this day, I’ve brought authentic singing to thousands of individuals and families through my choruses and classes, learning as I go, developing creative teaching methods to keep pace my developing understanding.
Now I’m drawing on all of that experience to lead Forest Voices – a choral singing experience for the whole child!
Introducing…
Forest Voices Children's Choir
Centering nature, mindfulness, movement and play
We cultivate...
Authentic Singing – Sing with freedom, ease and joy.
Self-Confidence – Helping kids overcome negative self-talk to stand fully in their power
Deep Listening – For future success in musical pursuits, and in life in general.
Social Skills – Connect through fun musical activities that help kids make new friends and strengthen their existing relationships.
Mindfulness – Awareness of the body, breath, and of the self in relationship.
How to Perform – As we prepare for the optional performance opportunity at the close of our season, kids learn how to rise to the challenge of performance, including projection, overcoming stage fright and more.
Learning Beautiful Repertoire – Songs like joy igniting spells your child can carry with them in their pocket. Learn them today, sing them for a lifetime.
What You Get
CHOIR WITH NOE
Your child will enjoy a full season of energizing weekly vocal instruction, plus a closing concert for family and friends.
PRACTICE RECORDINGS
Supercharge your child's musical learning with high quality practice recordings you can enjoy at home.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Participation in a vibrant musical community of children and families, who are all taking part in Forest Voices.
ETHICALLY SOURCED T-SHIRT
Show your Forest Voices spirit with a fashionable official Forest Voices t-shirt, designed by Peregrine Venable, age 7.
How it Works
Forest Voices meets in two separate cohorts in San Francisco and Pacifica. Individual cohorts are kept intentionally intimate, to foster deeper connections and help prevent overwhelm for sensitive kiddos.
Then, at the end of our season, there’s a final performance that brings all Forest Voices cohorts together. This performance is optional, but for children who choose to attend or perform with us, it’s a magical experience!
As soon as the concert was over, my introverted child asked when he would get to sing with the group again. I’m delighted and in some ways I’m not surprised. I got to witness the beautiful way Noe connects with the children in class - they feel respected, seen, and have so much fun! I hope more young boys will join and benefit from a space that allows them to connect with their feelings, build confidence, and express themselves. We’ll be back for our second season!
— Alia, San Francisco
Hear Us in Action
Here we are performing Not a Lone Wolf by Steph Drouin and Aimée Ringle.
The adults in the back row are the women and nonbinary folks of Mothersong Chorus, with whom we share our final performances.
A lot of parents of children in Forest Voices sing with Mothersong too. Here's the place to learn more, if you'd like to try it!
What We Sing
This group starts out with unison singing, and may build up to rounds and two part harmony, depending on the age spread of the group. Some of the types of songs we sing are
- Modern circle songs with uplifting messages to help develop positive self esteem and a sense of belonging
- Gorgeous world folk songs
- Songs to energize and inspire, often integrating choreographed movements and body percussion
- A note regarding cultural respect. As a white bodied song leader, I recognize the harm caused by cultural appropriation. For this reason, when teaching songs from cultures other than my own Jewish and Celtic lineage, I teach only songs for which I have direct permission and / or enough contextual knowledge to represent the tradition accurately and with respect.
"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."
- IGNACIO ESTRADA
The Details
Forest Voices Choir runs in three cohorts, meeting at different locations around the San Francisco Bay Area. Individual cohorts are kept intentionally small, with all groups coming together for a final concert at the close of the season.
Our singing season runs in two semesters, in fall and spring, with registration opening in August and January, respectively. Register early to take advantage of early bird pricing.
Meeting times, places and days:
Tuesdays in Pacifica, 4 – 5PM, Private Residence in Sharp Park. View complete schedule here.
Wednesdays in San Francisco, 4 – 5PM, Noe Valley Ministry. View complete schedule here.
Sundays in Berkeley or Oakland, Morning, exact time TBA, Venue TBA. This cohort will run if we have a minimum of eight children enrolled. If you are interested in an East Bay cohort of Forest Voices, let us know at noevenable@gmail.com.
Final Concert with Mothersong Chorus (Optional participation)– Saturday, May 31st at the Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez St, S.F. (Concert at 3PM.)
My daughter was so nervous and told me before we arrived that she wasn’t going to like singing with strangers. When she got home she told me that it was fun and that she loved it!
— Leah, Pacifica
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – Can my child drop in to try the group before we commit?
A – Yes! Drop in trials are available for the first month of the session, or until a cohort is sold out – whichever comes sooner. When you click through to register, just look for the option to book a drop in for your desired group.
Q – Is this a drop off group?
A – Yes, but parents may also stay.
Q – My child is younger than 7, can they join this group?
While most children are between the ages of 8 – 10, most cohorts also contain a few younger children, some as young as five. This will be approved on a case by case basis, so if you’re interested in having your younger child join us, please reach out to me at noe@noevenable.com to discuss your specific situation.
Q – My child is reticent to join without me there. What if I want to I attend with them?
A – Simply put, you're totally welcome. In this case, please bring a quiet, non-screen activity to do such as knitting, a book, or a journal. (I will ask that phones and devices be set to silent and put away for the duration of our meeting.)
Q – Do you teach sight reading and music theory?
A – I do not teach sight reading or music theory persay. However, our embodied approach to singing does support the development of other aspects of general musicianship, such as pitch matching, blending, rhythm and listening.
Q – Can I pay in installments?
A – Yes! Here’s how to do it. When you click through to the shop page to register, you’ll see several cohorts to choose from. First, choose your desired cohort. Then, on the product page, under the “add to cart” button, click “more payment options.” That takes you to a payment window where you’ll see “Shop Pay” as an option. Click on Shop Pay to configure your desired payment plan.
Any further questions, please don't hesitate to email me at noe@noevenable.com.
COVID SAFETY:
Our Meeting Locations
- Spacious
- Well Ventilated
- COVID test required in case of known exposures
Minimizing the spread of illness is important to us, especially in support of immunocompromised members of our circe - please reach out if you'd like to discuss your child's specific situation.
"Singing is like a celebration of oxygen."
- BJORK
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.
You may apply for a scholarship here.
Thank you supporting Forest Voices Choir at the rate you can afford, and for letting us support you.
It takes a village!
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 tap into the power of community singing as a tool for healing and renewal.
Noe’s other teaching offerings include Mothersong Chorus for women and nonbinary folks and Noe's Garden Magical Music Class for babies and toddlers. She is also children's music director for the California Revels.
Noe's training includes a masters degree in education from Harvard and a Waldorf teacher training certificate from Antioch university. Prior to founding Forest Voices, Noe was the music director at Brooklyn Waldorf school, where she taught music to grades 1 - 6.
In addition to her work as a songleader, Noe maintains a one on one spiritual counseling practice, supporting highly sensitive women in healing through the modalities of Internal Family Systems, Depth Hypnosis, and Applied Shamanic Counseling.
Noe is also an ordained interfaith minister of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
Noe lives, works and plays on unceded Ohlone Ramaytush lands (Pacifica, California).
If you want to join us...
Word to the Wise – You’ll save with early bird registration if you register by February 4th.
But if you think you might like to join us, don’t wait until then to register.
Why? Well, because Forest Voices Choir cohorts are kept intentionally small, they can fill up quickly!
To be sure you get your first choice of cohort, early registration is recommended.
Not able to join us this time around, but want to stay in the loop?
All good! In that case, please enter your email below for occasional updates on future singing opportunities for children and families.