to the stars and back : voicing alternate worlds

About this activity

In this workshop, we will explore our voices as living landscapes, as cosmic stardust, as interconnected layers of the natural, supernatural, and beyond-human worlds.

Working with gentle vocal warm-ups, moe will guide participants through the spirit markers, an original nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree language) alphabet that links humans to star world. Working with vocal improvisation, drum patterns, and the looping pedal, we awaken sonic portals into alternate worlds. 

Prompts for exploration will be based on what’s alive and in the moment for participants, with emphasis on locating ourselves, our helpers, guides, and beyond-human relatives in the stories we want to share. We’ll dive deep into play, as Moe demonstrates the looping and space pedals, and in a circle sharing format, we will gather our voices together to collectively create these alternative universes. Whatever calls us into imagination will be brought to life in dynamic ways through collective creation, circle sharing, and vocal practices.

A bit about Moe :

As a 2Spirit singing thunderbird, Moe (she/they) brings a wealth of sonic knowledge and capacity to shapeshift in their workshops. Armed with their elk-skin hand drum, cedar flute, looping and space pedals, and a performance career spanning two decades of music and poetry, Moe nurtures collective voice, 2Spirit + Indigenous resurgence in their work. They also bring in-depth nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree) language knowledge, oskapêwis (Elders helper) experience in ceremonies (sundance, sweatlodge, pipe, song) and a deep trickster energy ready to play, go deep, or tell bad jokes. 

nikâmotan mâmawi ~ let's sing together!