LOS ANGELES |"Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman | One-Day Choir

WHAT IS A ONE-DAY CHOIR?

Gaia Music Collective's One-Day Choir series is an opportunity to sing in a choir for one day only. A celebration of song and the connective power of singing in harmony. An opportunity to build community, make some new friends, and raise our powerfully diverse voices as one.

No auditions. No commitment. No need for perfection.

Just the joy of creating something bigger than ourselves with a room full of beautiful humans!

Whether you're a vocal ensemble veteran or have never sung in a group before, you are welcome here - all experience levels are valued in Gaia Music Collective!

OUR SONG THIS TIME AROUND

Join us as we raise our voices in harmony to sing queer music icon Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”. This beautiful folk-rock is a working class anthem, telling a captivating story about cycles of poverty and the questions of belonging and purpose that permeate modern life. This song has been covered many times throughout the decades, and has recently topped charts as covered by country artist Luke Combs.

Our version will be arranged by our founder, Matt Goldstein, and will set the song as a ballad of cinematic scope (as inspired by Jon Smith's beautiful arrangement for Hyannis Sound). We will go on a musical journey through the story of this song, building to a powerful climax that brings the burning questions of this song to life as we sing our hearts out.

Check out Tracy’s original music video here! Well worth the watch:

And here's a clip of Gaia's version of this beautiful song from our One-Day Choir in NYC:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0zkgZUOuF3/?igsh=MTR1MWxydHMweG02Mg==

LEARNING THE MUSIC

Sheet music and vocal recordings of each part will be available as learning resources before the event, and our collective goal is to practice the parts ahead of time so that we might come into the gathering with ! This way we can spend our time together really diving into the richness of music-making, rather than trying to teach the parts one by one. We don't need to know our parts by heart by any means (and you defffinitely don’t have to memorize it), but the stronger we are in our parts coming in, the more we'll be able to really dig into the fun stuff!

(If this style of learning isn't your cup of tea, we have other group singing events where you don't need to prepare at all! Check out our CircleSinging gatherings and House Shows.)

LED AND FACILITATED BY:

This session will be facilitated by the amazing Asher Blank!

ASHER BLANK (@asherbl_nk | he/him) is a composer of vocal and electronic music. His work ranges from intricate vocal chamber music and textural a cappella arranging to expansive recording projects and heart-centered songs. Inspired by music-makers like Steve Reich, Bobby McFerrin, and Caroline Shaw, his compositions pull from a diverse collection of vocal music traditions in search of new connections. His most recent projects include “the blooming of something freed from itself,” an hour-long written-improvised vocal piece (with Matt Goldstein), and the score for “Home Improvement,” an experimental film by Milwaukee filmmaker Marquise Mays (with Thomas Cabaniss).

Asher lives and works in Los Angeles, leading One-Day Choir experiences with Gaia Music Collective in downtown LA and collaborating with singers and ensembles around the country. He is an alumnus of the University of Chicago a cappella group Voices in Your Head and the internationally acclaimed Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and has taught at the LA summer youth program A Cappella Academy.

Kenter Davies (he/him) is a vocal arranger, music educator, and choral facilitator based in Brooklyn, New York. He dedicates his work to creating spaces where people can engage with music free from the need for perfection, but full of complexity and joy. He highlights the journey over the destination and firmly believes in making music for music-making’s sake. Kenter facilitates One Day Choirs and Folk Song Sings with Gaia, an organization that truly helped him find his voice. His greatest love is helping others find their voices and having fun doing it!

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY:

This space is ADA accessible!

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LOW-PRESSURE PARTICIPATION

Gaia Music Collective events are participatory, but low-pressure. You'll be invited to sing along and make music with us, but we encourage you to draw your own boundaries and engage at your own pace - we pride ourselves in creating a judgment-free community where you can express yourself however feels right!

LATE ARRIVALS

We ask that you arrive no later than 30 minutes after start time, after which we close the doors (lovingly) in order to preserve the intimacy and trust of the musical container we’re building. Thank you for understanding!

CANCELLATION POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 24 hours before the event, after which we are no longer able to offer refunds. This policy helps us keep these events financially sustainable for both our community and our team. If you RSVP but are no longer able to come, please let us know so that we may offer your spot to someone else! We want as many people to be able to experience these gatherings as possible, and since capacity is limited, each spot is precious.

For more info, contact us at Z2FpYW11c2ljY29sbGVjdGl2ZSB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t.

MEDIA CONSENT

Because we want to share what we’re up to with people who can’t join us in person, there may be photographers and videographers present — by attending, you consent to being a part of that media, some of which may be posted online! If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at Z2FpYW11c2ljY29sbGVjdGl2ZSB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t.

NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS

Gaia is funded by sliding scale ticket donations, with a “no one turned away for lack of funds” policy. It is of the utmost importance to us that these events remain affordable and accessible - we never want money to be a barrier to making music together. If a ticket scale is financially prohibitive to you, feel free to donate outside of the scale at whatever amount is sustainable for you, or to email us at Z2FpYW11c2ljY29sbGVjdGl2ZSB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t for volunteer opportunities or assistance!

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

At Gaia Music Collective, we are dedicated to building a community where creativity, collaboration, and care thrive. The values listed here shape how we work together, how we engage with the world, and how we move toward upholding these principles.

OUR MISSION

Gaia Music Collective is an NYC-based creative community seeking to foster a more connected world through collective music-making. Founded in June of 2021 in a living room in Brooklyn, this project was born out of a desire to create accessible, inclusive, playful spaces for people to explore connection, expression, healing, and release through collaborative song - spaces where folks feel empowered to make music free of judgment or expectation, and to make new friends as our full, beautiful, authentic selves.

We believe that communal music-making is a fundamental human practice, and this project seeks to build spaces for folks to nurture their relationship to music, whether they're shower singers, professional musicians, or anything in between.

All are welcome in this community: all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, classes, religions, abilities, national origins, languages, and musical experiences. All we ask is that you bring an open mind, a desire to connect, and a willingness to leave judgment of self and others at the door.

FAQ

Have any questions that haven't been answered here? Check out our Event FAQs!

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Also check out other Entertainment events in Los Angeles, Music events in Los Angeles, Workshops in Los Angeles.