A4FC Rematriation of Song & Music
A4FC REMATRIATION of SONG & MUSIC:
A4FC Rematriation of Song and Music is a multi-day workshop series focused on rematriation to the land and waters of Felix Cove, Tomales Bay through the exploration of creating song & music.
Working with a cohort of Indigenous fem identified traditional & contemporary song/music keepers, participants will collaborate together to create song & music inspired by connection to the land & waters of Felix Cove, Tomales Bay. Participants will learn methods and techniques guided by Indigenous connection to song & music.
This is a 6 part workshop series - 2 in person workshops (Saturdays 10am - 4pm) & 4 online workshops (Tuesdays 6-8pm). We ask that each participant fill out the application questions and ensure they are able to attend the full series. Native/Indigenous identified & BIPOC people are encouraged to apply.
INDIGENOUS SONG/MUSIC KEEPERS:
A4FC Rematriation of Song & Music workshops will be led by Indigenous fem identified song keepers, professional musicians, traditional singers, cultural creators and multi-genre artists Desirae Harp, Nizhoni Ellenwood, Bernadette Smith, with guest teachers Lyla June Johnston & Saritah.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
Tuesday July 8th: Who We Are (Online) - 6:00pm - 8:00pm - Coast Miwok Land & People + the meaning of creating song.
Saturday July 12th: Intro To Traditional Pomo Singing Techniques & Rhythms + Visit to Felix Cove w/ Bernadette Smith & Theresa Harlan (In Person) - 10:00am - 4:00pm - Bernadette Smith w/ traditional Pomo/Coast Miwok Song/Prayer + Theresa Harlan will share about the history of Felix Cove & her Coast Miwok family living on the Tomales Bay.
This workshop is in person at Felix Cove/Lairds Landing, Tomales Bay, CA. Participants are asked to bring their lunch, wear layers, be prepared for warm and cold weather. We will walk approx. 1 mile downhill to Felix Cove.
Tuesday July 22nd: Step Into The Song Stream w/ Saritah (Online) - 6:00pm - 8:00pm - An Online Songwriting Workshop of Healing Expression - Together, we’ll explore songwriting as a spiritual practice, a therapeutic release, and a sacred act of remembering.
Tuesday Aug 5th: Creating Sacred Song w/ Desirae Harp & Nizhoni Ellenwood (Online) - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Tuesday Aug 12th: The Art of Becoming a Hollow Bone w/ Lyla June (Online) 6:00 - 8:00pm - Indigenous Musicology has always been a spiritual, communal, and healing art form. In this workshop we will explore the concept of making ourselves available to the Creator, the Ancestors, and a world in need, as musicians and artists.
Saturday Aug 23rd: In Community - Creating Song & Music Together (In Person) - 10:00am - 4:00pm - An interactive song sharing & gathering, at Fibershed Learning Center in Point Reyes, CA.
*All times listed in Pacific Standard Time
ARTIST BIOS:
Desirae Harp: Desirae Harp is a singer, songwriter, and emcee with a lifelong passion for music. She has trained in opera through private lessons and the Speech Level Singing program while performing across multiple genres, including hip-hop, R&B, and traditional native songs. A proud member of the Mishewal Wappo tribe, Desirae uses her music to amplify the voices of marginalized communities. She has been featured on the song Land Back by Rebelwise, which won the General Category Award at the Ubuntu Climate Initiatives 2024 Climate Arts and Storytelling Showcase. She has also opened for Grammy Award-winning artists like Ozomatli. @desirae_harp
Nizhoni Ellenwood: Nizhoni Ellenwood is a Native American Indian culture practitioner, educator, singer, traditional dancer, artist, medicine keeper, and community worker. Nizhoni teaches singing workshops and hosts groups through the Native American Health Center (NAHC) of San Francisco, CA. She has facilitated groups of Native American Indian women and youth in cultural education and exchange for many years through NAHC helping to build a vibrant community of strong women leaders and singers. Nizhoni loves being able to share songs with the women she has the opportunity to work with and has also sung in different women's groups throughout the years as well as with different bands and Native music groups. Currently she sings with Red Lightning Woman Power and the Sweetlodge Sistaz based out of San Francisco, CA, but is always happy to share songs and sing wherever she goes. @ellenwoodnizhoni
Bernadette Smith: Bernadette Smith, a member of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians, has been a cultural practitioner for over 35 years. Starting as a traditional dancer at the early age of 3, she has always known to have a great respect for her culture and ceremonies. She became the lead singer of her late fathers dance group, The Coastal Pomo Dancers and has since taken the position as leader since her fathers passing, a position not often held by a woman. Bernadette's voice continues to tell the story of resilience and her work within her community ensures that story will continue. @babydette_707
Lyla June Johnston: Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) is an Indigenous musician, author, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages. Her multi-genre presentation style has engaged audiences across the globe towards personal, collective, and ecological healing. She blends her study of Human Ecology at Stanford, graduate work in Indigenous Pedagogy, and the traditional worldview she grew up with to inform her music, perspectives and solutions. Her doctoral research focused on the ways in which pre-colonial Indigenous Nations shaped large regions of Turtle Island (aka the Americas) to produce abundant food systems for humans and non-humans. @lylajune
Saritah: Born in Seoul, South Korea – her ancestral motherland – and raised on Noongar country in Boorloo (Perth), Western Australia, Saritah is a radiant singer/songwriter whose music is a healing force— heart-opening, spiritual and deeply human. With a unique feminine blend of reggae and acoustic soul, her sound is at once earthy and ethereal, and her songs pour love and hope into a world in need of both. @saritahmusic
Learn more about the artists: (FULL ARTIST BIOS)