Join Us For
Mothersong Chorus
Unlock Vocal Courage
Find Belonging
Awaken Joy!
After a three year hiatus due to the COVID 19 pandemic, San Francisco's one of a kind, intergenerational women's community chorus is starting up again! We welcome singers at all levels of comfort and ability to join us weekly for singing-as-self-care in our warm, supportive community. No prior singing experience required.
Find out how good it feels to let go and SING!
Spring session starts Tuesday, February 7th in a hybrid format.
Join us either in person or online
New members try it for FREE
Come make vocal magic and lose yourself in the FLOW
You know that feeling where you're tapped out and drained? When you're too busy and you just can't seem to find time for the things you really enjoy?
Well, I want to share with you a doorway to the opposite of that feeling - a path to greater connection, aliveness and presence.
That doorway is singing!
You might be shy. You might feel like you don’t have any particular talent for singing.
But singing might still be a powerful practice for you!
Why?
Because when we sing, we lift up more than just our voices. We lift each other up too.
If you're shy about singing, please know this - this gathering is come as you are. No matter where you're at with singing, our nurturing circle will help you feel safe to dive in and explore.
The Details
WHO IT'S FOR: Mothersong is a musical sanctuary space devoted to the feminine.
We welcome all those who currently identify as female, as well as children of all genders.
Non binary folks warmly welcome too. This space is trans affirming.
For those joining us in person, COVID-19 vaccination and at least one booster is required.
(Scroll down for our full COVID safety protocol)
Cohort 1: Tuesday Nights
WHEN: Tuesdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PDT (9PM - 10:30 PM Eastern)
February 7th through May 23rd
ALSO Friday, May 26th, 6 PM - 7:30
Cohort 2: Thursday Nights
WHEN: Thursdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PDT (9PM - 10:30 PM Eastern)
February 16th through May 25rd
ALSO Friday, May 26th, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PDT (9PM - 10:30 PM Eastern)
WHERE: Private Residence in Pacifica
just a ten minute drive from Stonestown
Address will be given with registration, but here's a nearby address so you can calculate the drive:
Look up 200 Eureka Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044
Well-ventilated room, multiple high quality air purifiers running
Or ONLINE on a computer near you, for those joining us via Zoom.
Both cohorts will COME TOGETHER for our final concert
Saturday, May 27th 2:30 - 5:30 PM
Final Sharing, Community Sing, & Reception
at the Noe Valley Ministry
Show 3 PM - 4:15
What You'll Get from This Experience
- Increased confidence in your singing voice
- The songs! Our season includes about twelve beautiful, easy to learn, multi part songs. Learn them today, enjoy them for a lifetime.
- Connection. Embrace community in our intergenerational circle of wise, caring women
What We Sing
- To celebrate the return of this group, the repertoire for this season will include members' favorites from past Mothersong seasons, as well as a few new pieces, including -
- Hypnotic sacred rounds and chants
- Easy to learn parts songs in two or three part harmony - uplifting anthems that call to the best in us.
- Gorgeous world folk songs.
- Songs so beautiful, you won't believe how easy they are to learn.
- Note re: cultural respect. As a white bodied song leader, I take responsibility for avoiding cultural appropriation in the circles I tend.
- Currently, I avoid teaching traditional songs in the public domain that come from BIPOC cultures, where correct attribution and right compensation can be difficult.
- Instead, I prioritize songs by specific BIPOC composers and arrangers, and only in cases where I have the composer's direct permission to teach the song.
Hear the Music
Here's one of the songs we'll sing, by Maggie Wheeler.
(Shared with permission. Thank you, Maggie!)
COVID Policy for In Person Participants
We offer the following safety protocol to help minimize the possible transmission of COVID and other illnesses. We ask that you...
- Be vaccinated against COVID 19, with at least one booster.
- Get a negative result on a COVID rapid test, to be taken before each meeting. I provide these tests, which you can do on site upon arrival. (Children will need to test too, hence the slightly higher cost for those bringing children.)
- Join us in following the "Bird Cat Dog" system for interacting physically with others. This fun system allows each of us to self-identify how comfortable we are with physical proximity, so that we can honor one another's needs around distancing.
- Review our COVID Health Questionnaire the day of each meeting. This easy checklist will help you identify any possible symptoms and rule out the possibility of known exposure.
- If you feel iffy, even with a negative COVID test, we ask that you stay home, and join us online instead.
- Given the above precautions, masks are optional. If you do wish to wear a mask, we recommend one that keeps the fabric away from your nose and face.
- Masks will also be optional in our final concert, which takes place in a large, high ceilinged space.
In addition, we guarantee the following:
- Small group size. Number of in person participants limited to no more than 18, not including children, for the San Francisco cohort, and no more than 12 for the Pacifica cohort.
- Adequate space and ventilation in our weekly meeting space, where we will open the windows and have two high quality air purifiers running
Important: All of the above guidelines are subject to change if the situation with COVID should worsen. However, they will not be made more lenient. We commit to at least the above for the duration of the season, for the safety of all.
We're confident that the above protocol should greatly reduce the possibility of transmission COVID-19 and other illnesses. We've based this protocol on extensive research and communication with songleading colleagues, who have had great success (zero transmission) using similar policies, even in times when case numbers were high.
All that said, by registering for in this group, you acknowledge that you participate at your own risk, and you will be asked to sign a waiver to this effect.
Our Meeting Locations
- Large
- Well Ventilated
- Air Purifiers Running
Your Registration Includes
COMMUNITY
Participation in a vibrant musical sisterhood of women who all share the aim of freeing our voices - your ticket to vocal bliss this Spring!
VOCAL INSTRUCTION
Seventeen ninety-minute in person or online sessions of energizing group instruction in choral singing, plus our final concert and celebration!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Access to practice recordings of the songs. Recordings are high quality and have the parts separated out. You'll also get complete lyrics to make learning easy.
MINDSET PRACTICES
Learn practices to strengthen vocal delivery and reduce performance anxiety, drawing on Noe’s expertise as a hypnotherapist and interfaith minister.
What We Ask of You
To provide the most nourishing, powerful experience for all participants in this group, we ask all those who join this group to commit to the following
To respect and abide by the rules of our COVID protocol. (Thank you!)
To commit to regular attendance. (Required of in person participants only.) By "regular attendance," we mean prioritizing this group over optional activities that overlap with our meeting time. This helps ensure that we'll have enough people to carry the parts. In the event that you need to miss for circumstances beyond your control, (it does happen sometimes!) we ask that you either
Join us via Zoom instead of in person or
Make up the missed meeting later by reviewing the Zoom recording, which will be made available the day after the event.)
For those registered to join ONLINE, you do not need to commit to weekly attendance. However, for reasons of group continuity as well as my administrative bandwidth, we do not have a drop in registration option. Those who wish to join us online will need to register for the full season.
Listen to the practice recordings. To help you learn the songs, I create multi-part recordings for each song. Please plan to set aside twenty minutes or so each week to listen to these recordings. (Can be done while going about your day - driving, washing dishes, etc.)
Sing Daily - Beyond attending each weekly meeting, we ask that you sing regularly, ideally every day, to continue to nurture and develop your voice. Like listening to the practice recordings, you can weave singing in wherever it fits for you. (We encourage you to really have fun with this!)
Bring your authenticity, and show up in the loving fullness of yourself. Together, we can maintain Mothersong as a refuge where all can feel safe, seen and supported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q - Can I bring my child?
A - Yes, children of all 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.) Please note that any children attending will need to take a COVID test the day of the meeting.
Q - Do I have to be a “good singer?”
A - You do not need to be a confident singer, or an experienced one. This is a "come as you are" group. All voices welcome!
Q - Do I need to know how to read music?
A - Sight reading is not required. All songs are taught the old fashioned way, by ear.
Anything else you'd like to know? If so, please don't hesitate to reach out. noevenable@gmail.com
What People are Saying
It's a real trek for me to get my daughter and myself to a singing circle with Noe but I have repeatedly found that I am energized, inspired, nurtured and SO glad we made the effort. Noe is such a gifted song leader, teacher and spiritual guide. We are supported on multiple levels when we spend time with her. The songs are always magical and a doorway to so much more, too. Can't recommend her singing circles highly enough!
- Sasha (San Anselmo)
Beautiful heart warming 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 this isolated times.
- Victoria (San Francisco)
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.
- Francesca (San Francisco)
Singing in Noe's singing circle is a powerful experience. It is restorative and magic. I feel the wonder of becoming whole every time!
- Hilde (San Mateo)
Hear the Music
Sample another of the songs we'll sing:
"Now the Sun is Rising Up" by Sammy Hurden.
Payment
If you're new to the group, we warmly welcome you to try it for FREE. (You'll see that option when you go to register.)
After that, if you decide to continue with the group, the financial exchange is as follows:
In Person
The cost to join us for the in person Thursday night cohort is $425, payable up front or in installments. (Choose monthly or bi-weekly option at checkout.) For those joining after the start of the season, this cost will be prorated.
This fee covers:
- Use of the spaces we sing in, including venue rental for our final concert
- Licensing fees for music
- Recorded resources - specifically, the creation of beautiful, high quality multi-part practice recordings for each song
- Noe's teaching and planning time
- One COVID test per person, per meeting
Please note that if you plan to bring your child, the slightly higher registration cost for that includes the price of one COVID test for them, too, per meeting. (If you wish to provide your own test for your child, then this cost will be waived.)
Online
The cost to join us online, via zoom is $340 for all eighteen meetings, which will be prorated for those joining after the start of the season.
Scholarships
While the sustainability of this group rests upon most participants in this group paying the amounts listed above, accessibility is important to us.
For this reason, for online participants, there will be no-one turned away for lack of funds.
For in person participants, where space is limited, we will have a limited number of scholarships available. You may apply for a scholarship here.
About the Songleader
Noe Venable is a songleader, singer-songwriter and spiritual therapist who lives and works on unceded Ohlone Ramaytush lands. (Pacifica, California.)
Noe teaches singing as a technology of connection, helping individuals and groups awaken joy and find belonging in community. As a songleader with more than fifteen years experience, Noe has served hundreds of women and families with her magical musical offerings, including Noe's Garden Magical Music Class for young children and Mothersong Chorus.
In addition to working with groups, Noe maintains a one on one practice as a spiritual therapist, helping creatives and highly sensitive people heal through the modalities of Depth Hypnosis, Suggestion Hypnosis, and Applied Shamanic Counseling, (this is core shamanism, not a lineage based practice.)
Noe holds an MTS from Harvard Divinity School, a CHT, and is ordained as an interfaith minister of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
