Solabration! December 19, 2014

Solabration! On the eve of December 21 in Denver, Colorado, join me in celebrating the winter solstice at this engaging extravaganza.

Now in its 29th year, this fest is a well-oiled combo of things to do (dancing, eating, caroling in 4-part harmony; yes you can!) and things to witness (storytelling, “extreme juggling,” a mummer’s play, Morris dancing, Balkan singing). And it culminates with the ancestral European magic of the Abbotts Bromley Horn Dance).

I’m calling some of the dances.
Fun will be had. Hope to solabrate with you.

Full info at wsolstice.org (from where I nabbed the photos)

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The Grand March

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

Master of Ceremonies and master dance caller Chris Kermiet crowns the Solstice Queen and King

Happy dancers

Fall Has Sprung! contradance May 3, 2013

I had a blast calling at the “Fall Has Sprung” contra dance fest in Grass Valley, California.  Held every year in early November, this dance runs 12 hours long, from noon till midnight!

There’s potluck food and comfy bleacher chairs available the entire time, so participants can dance some, have a snack or meal, rest, dance more, go outside and schmooze a bit, do a community chore like taking out some garbage, drink some water, then dance a whole lot more.  Dance, rinse, repeat.

It is a super fun event that I’ve enjoyed going to several times as a dancer, and it was an honor and a delight to be invited to call for it this year.

What a luscious combo: calling 1/3 of the day with amazing bands, and getting to dance the other 2/3 to other amazing bands and great callers, for and with a hall full of zesty dancers.

This year, the bands were Hot Cider, KGB, and Raz de Marée, a.k.a. Tidal Wave, and the callers were Joyce Miller, Frannie Marr, and me.  Many thanks to the Foothills Country Dance Society and their stellar organizers, Eric Engels and Lisa Frankel.

This particular dance you’ll see in the video is “Square Affair” by Becky Hill. It is driven by music played by KGB, a  fabulous Seattle band consisting of Julie King, Claude Ginsburg and Dave Bartley. I found them to be not only breathtakingly good musicians, but also super easy to work with.

Video by dancer John Seto.   Music by KGB.   Calling by Tina Fields.

Queer Contra Dance Camp April 7, 2010

I’m the lucky songleader for the Queer Contra Dance Camp this year.

Excellent talent, super friendly people, dancing dancing dancing, redwoods, fabulous outfits – who could ask for more?– oh yeah, singing!

Saturday:  EnChantMent! Soul-uplifting chants and rounds. All songs will be led by ear.  Everyone welcome; you do not need to be a “good singer.”

Sunday: Community Choice Singing. More easy chants and rounds, plus rousing and funny chorus songs. (We will go around and each participant will choose a song for the group to sing. Some lyrics provided.)

There may still be room at this very fun weekend camp if you want to attend… click the link above. Or plan ahead for next year: April 8-10, 2011; same place, same channel.

EnChantMent! Sing Nov/Dec 09 October 28, 2009

EnChantMent!  Singing Group Invites You to Come Out and Play

I’ll be leading a new four-week session this fall and would love to have you join us.

DATES:             Four Thursday eves 2009:  Nov. 19 (none 26^th); Dec. 3, 10, 17.

**Note dates have been pushed back one week from original plan due to illness**

TIME:                6:30~8:30 PM

LED BY:            Tina Fields

PLACE:            TreeGirl Studios, 479 Florence Ave., Sebastopol CA 95472  (at Hwy 116N, behind Peter Lowell’s.  Please park on street.)

OFFERING:    $30-60 sliding scale for the series. Nobody turned away for lack of funds: barter happily considered.

CONTACT / RSVP: (707) 824-9318 or tfields8 at yahoo dot com

Pete Seeger exhorted people to “make your own music… if you would save your soul.”  I invite you to join your voice with others who like to sing – for joy, spiritual uplift, community building, activist oomph, or just plain fun.

The emphasis is on the group’s collective act of singing, not on finished product or individual solos. We break away from the performer/audience split so prevalent today. Simple percussion is the only accompaniment. You do not need to know how to read music as we’ll be learning the tunes by ear, and you are welcome even if you think you “can’t sing.”  The point is to have fun together. We will follow the joyful rule invented by the great songleader Doug von Koss: this group sings in a Perfection-Free Zone.

We will mainly sing simple repetitive chants and rounds from various spiritual traditions across the world. We can also play with working songs such as sea chanties, folk songs from America and the British Isles, goofy kids’ songs, lullabies and other trance-inducing songs, African part-songs in harmony, and protest songs both old and new.  Lyrics are provided. In addition, if you have favorite songs you’d like to bring to the group, they will be very welcome. It is a lot of fun. Even though it’s scheduled after a long day of work, I’m always amazed at how rejuvenated we feel afterwards. Singing together feels like a dip in a refreshing pool.

Participants will also develop practical skills in music, gaining more control over, and confidence in, their singing voices. To that end, we’ll do warmups that help extend our vocal range, and play with elements of a-capella sound production such as breathing techniques, rhythm, tone, mouth formation, dynamics of volume, and harmony.

Here are some statements from previous participants in my singing groups and sessions:

• “You rekindled my love of singing–which I haven’t felt in years.”

• “That was not only the First Glimpse I’ve had into using voice and instrument (and voice as instrument)  but you made it terrific fun!”

• “I am continually impressed by how rich and versatile your voice is; you can take it to so many different places, all wonderful — to say nothing of your whacky sense of humor.”

• “What a joyful sense of community you brought to our gathering.”

Please feel free to pass this announcement on to anyone you think might be interested or in need of more homemade joy in her/his life.

Hope to make beautiful music with you soon.