What is Resound Community Choir?
Resound Community Choir is a queer-centered gathering of singers with a wide range of singing experience and cultural identities, operating on the unceded ancestral lands of the Aniyunwiya (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), near so-called Asheville, NC (ᏙᎩᏯᏍᏗ, Togiyasdi, “the place where they race”).
Resound is a directed experience, with sliding-scale fees, meeting weekly, for a 12-week season.
Registration is currently open for our Spring season, beginning on March 5, and ending with our Season Finale on May 30.
If you aren’t able to join us this season, but are interested in signing up for future seasons please fill out this form.
Facilitated by: Francis Cimarron (they/them), song weaver, ritual artist, grief tender, and somatic practitioner (SEP).
(Read more about my journey here.)
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Who we are: Anyone who wants to find healing through vocal exploration and harmony, and who wants to experience the radical joy of working towards communal liberation. Every level of vocal experience is welcome!
Although we welcome all identities, the aim is to create a haven for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, disabled folks and anyone else who is struggling to find a place where they can open up in this way.
We learn to sing by singing, and yet so many of us have struggled to find our voices, or to feel safe enough to explore them. Our voice is such an integral part of our physical experience, connected to our traumas and fears as much as it is to our joys and celebrations. This is a trauma-informed space, where we will strive to practice at that edge where we feel nourished enough to get a little bit uncomfortable.
Our last season was capped at 75 singers, with about 40-50 attending most weeks. This season will likely be a bit larger.
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What we do: We spend most of our time singing in a circle, sometimes seated, and often standing and moving. We begin with a grounding exercise, and incorporate somatic practices throughout the session.
The level of challenge will vary from simple rounds and heartfelt layered songs (learned by ear), to meaningful, multi-part choral pieces, using written sheet music (for those who like a challenge). We will be singing some originals, written by myself and other community members, some by modern composers, a few Eastern European polyphonic harmony pieces, and a few other traditional pieces. There is something here for everyone!
Although the weekly sessions are a sustaining practice exclusively for choir members, we have a tradition of ending with a Season Finale that’s open to the public, so we can share the joy and inspiration with the wider community!
Please read the FAQs for more information:
When we meet: Thursdays, March 5 - May 28, 6:15-8:30pm, with a Community Sing on Saturday, May 30.
Where: First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak St., Asheville, NC, 28801
Accessibility/Safety: There is accessible parking behind the UCC, and a wheelchair ramp from the back entrance to the room where we will be meeting, with accessible restrooms on that floor. There will be chairs for everyone, and we do spend a portion of our time standing (and walking/moving). Many of us here are disabled (including myself) and we welcome individuals to participate to the degree that works for them!
Although Covid may not be of high concern to everyone these days, there are community members whose state of health requires more vigilance. Indoor singing can be a high-risk environment for many folks who would love to join us. We do not require medical masks, but we do encourage them (and provide extras at the registration table), and remind folks to stay at home if under the weather. - Please contact our Accessibility Coordinator, Mack, with any questions.
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Please pre-register, and pay BEFORE attending (unless you have arranged to pay cash). We look forward to singing with you!
