AUGUST 15 to 19 Berkeley, CA
REGISTRATION & TICKET PURCHASE
(via Freight & Salvage)
Sign up and register today!
Registration takes place on Freight & Salvage's website and Box Office.
QUESTIONS? - info@circlesongs.com
CONCERTS & EVENTS
Circlesongs Performance
@7:00 PM with Jam Session until 10:30 PM
Monday 15 | Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 | Friday 19
The Unbroken Circle (24 hour event)
Starts : 12 Noon Thursday 18th
Through : 12 Noon Friday 19th
“What I love the most about leading and teaching circlesongs is that we open up people to the creative spirit that we all have within ourselves… because we all have it! We just don't use it or we're not aware of it or we're afraid of it.”
QUESTIONS? - info@circlesongs.com
Show your interest today!
Registration takes place on Freight & Salvage's website and Box Office.
If you love to sing, you are welcome to join Circlesong School 2022 with legendary vocal virtuoso Bobby McFerrin and his inspiring team of master teachers for a workshop full of joy-filled improvised music-making and audience art, fun and games for singers of all levels of experience.
First developing Circlesongs as a solo a cappella performer, when Bobby needed other voices to help manifest his musical ideas. He gave the audience parts to sing, layering harmonies and rhythms, using call and response, conducting and composing his spontaneous inventions. During his years of worldwide touring, evolving along with his groups Voicestra and Gimme5, his Circlesongs concerts celebrated all kinds of music, like Americana or classical, R&B, gospel, folk, pop, rock, beatboxing—combined with any sound he could imagine.
Bobby McFerrin | Circlesong School 2022 will be hosted by The Freight and Salvage, a nonprofit community arts organization in the heart of Berkeley, California, founded in 1968 to support music artists and creators. We are honored to be able to host Circlesong School 2022 here with their support.
The Circlesong Faculty includes internationally acclaimed and diversely gifted teachers who have sung or taught Circlesongs with Bobby over many years: Rhiannon (Hawaii), Judi Vinar (Minnesota), Joey Blake (Rwanda) & David Worm (Oakland), Destani Wolf (Berkeley), Bryan Dyer (Oakland) & Tammi Brown (Santa Cruz), Christiane Karam (Lebanon), Gaël Aubrit (France), Zuza Gonçalves (Brazil), Tiago “Rizumik” Grade (Portugal), Varijashree Venugopal (India) ,Sofia Ribeiro (Portugal), Juan Andrea Ospina (Colombia), Goussy Celestin (Haiti), Daniela Plattner (New York), and Mark Johnson (New York).
This Circlesongs adventure with Bobby and the Circlesong Faculty builds confidence and trust, nurturing our creativity to deepen individual and community musical expression through improvisation. The program features sessions that might include harmony, body percussion, music theory, freestyle language, vocal embodiment techniques, exploration of musical styles and much more, for experimentation at all levels of experience.
When Bobby and circlesong participants gather in community to sing for hours every day, everyone feels remarkably stronger, clearer, and more energized. Circlesongs is not only transformational for Bobby, but sparks inspiration for singer-songwriters, teachers, composers, instrumentalist, conductors, classically-trained or self-taught in the shower.
While learning techniques for improvisation and ensemble singing (blend, balance, tuning, and sensitivity)m Circlesongs also provides an intuitive and direct experience that deepens our fundamental musicianship (including harmony, counterpoint, rhythmic precision, and active listening). Most importantly Circlesongs teaches how to include every singer regardless of their level of ability. The creative objective is to use our innate artistic resources to invent musical vehicles so that every voice in the community has a place in the circle.
“You get people together and get them singing, and you instantly knock down all the walls - the creeds, the gender, age and race differences, everything. You’re all one at that point, lifting your voices.”
Bobby is an inspiration to singers around the world who celebrate his innovative technique and spirit. His solo performances and collaborations with great artists – including Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, and the Vienna Philharmonic – and the stuff of legend. Along the way there were 10 Grammy Awards and a #1 global hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
Three Ways to Participate
This is our first time offering Circlesong School at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley; so please understand that some of this may be subject to change.
This experience is designed to encourage participation in several different ways, encouraging students to invite singing friends, family and community to join in as audience members and/or participants in our events.
-
STUDENT / PERFORMER $950 (Tuition)
Circlesong School: a week of learning, leading circlesongs and participating/performing in all concerts, jam sessions and The Unbroken Circle event.
INCLUDES: All Sessions and Events -
SINGING AUDIENCE MEMBER $45 /show
Evening Concerts & Aftershow Jam Session
Sing with Bobby and The Circlesongs Faculty & Student Circlesingers for the concert and stay after the show for a student jam session until 10:30 pm. -
SINGING PARTICIPANT in THE UNBROKEN CIRCLESONG $100 (for 24 hour access)
We will create 24 hours of continuous uninterrupted circlesinging, opening and closing with Bobby and Faculty, and lead throughout the duration of the event all through the night by The Circlesongs Faculty & Student Circlesingers.
QUESTIONS? - info@circlesongs.com
THE SCHEDULE
MONDAY
ENTERING THE CIRCLE
8:00 am to 8:45 am
Session 1 – Warm-up and Welcome
9:00 am to 9:45 am
Session 2 – Topic Group
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Main Session 1
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Lunch
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm
Lunch Session
2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Main Session 2
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Time Off / Dinner
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Circlesongs Concert
with Bobby, Circlesong Faculty & Students
Non-Student Tickets Available
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
After Show Jam Session
TUESDAY
MOVING THE CIRCLE
8:00 am to 8:45 am
Session 1 – Warm-up and Welcome
9:00 am to 9:45 am
Session 2 – Topic Group
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Main Session 1
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Lunch
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm
Lunch Session
2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Main Session 2
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Time Off / Dinner
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Circlesongs Concert
with Bobby, Circlesong Faculty & Students
Non-Student Tickets Available
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
After Show Jam Session
WEDNESDAY
EXPANDING THE CIRCLE
8:00 am to 8:45 am
Session 1 – Warm-up and Welcome
9:00 am to 9:45 am
Session 2 – Topic Group
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Main Session 1
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Lunch
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm
Lunch Session
2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Main Session 2
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Time Off / Dinner
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Circlesongs Concert
with Bobby, Circlesong Faculty & Students
Non-Student Tickets Available
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
After Show Jam Session
THURSDAY
THE UNBROKEN CIRCLE
12:00 pm
OPENING: The Unbroken Circle
Our 24 hours of continuous circlesong, starts at noon with Bobby and is lead throughout the night by The Circlesongs Faculty & Student Circlesingers.
LIMITED: Non-Student Tickets Available
for the full 24 hour event
FRIDAY
12:00 pm
CLOSING: The Unbroken Circle
Bobby concludes our 24 hours of Circlesongs at noon on Friday.
12:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Time Off / Dinner
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Circlesongs Concert
with Bobby, Circlesong Faculty & Students
Non-Student Tickets Available
8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
After Show Jam Session
Accomodations / Meals
Students are responsible for booking their own housing and transportation to F&S.
Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks will be provided at the venue. Students are responsible for their own dinners with plenty of options in the area.
We recommend you book this as soon as possible because it is move-in week at UC Berkeley and hotels are getting booked up quickly.
- ARRIVE Sunday 14th
- We begin 8AM on Monday 15th
- We close 10:30 PM on Friday 19th
- You will need 6 Nights of accommodation
HOTELS
Here is a list of some of the local hotels for your reference.
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley
Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley
Travelodge by Wyndham Berkeley
Quality Inn Univeristy
Super 8 by Wyndham Berkeley
Howard Johnson by Wyndham Berkeley
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Berkeley
Transportation
You are responsible for getting to and from the venue and your accommodation/hotel.
San Francisco BART
The Freight is BARTable! Downtown Berkeley BART station is a half a block from the Freight. Details at bart.gov website.
Great for if you are coming from multiple locations in the Bay Area including San Francisco and Oakland Airport (SFO / OAK), San Francisco, North San Jose and Richmond. Orange and Red Lines
FAQ
QUESTIONS? - info@circlesongs.com
Are There COVID Rules & Regulations?
Yes, as of April 1, 2022:
All audience members, staff and artists must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Boosters will no longer be required, but are strongly recommended.
Will Photo ID be Required?
Yes, we will check your vaccine information against a photo ID on your first day.
This will be the same for members of the public attending events in the evening or for the 24 hour circlesong.
I’m not vaccinated – can I provide a negative COVID test instead of proof of vaccination?
No, at this time all attendees must be fully vaccinated prior to attending an event. A negative COVID test cannot be used instead of vaccination.
What If I am Feeling Sick? Can I Get A Refund?
I Recently Tested Positive for COVID, Can I Still Come?
As long as it has been two weeks since your last negative test and you are symptom free, we look forward to seeing you.
If you tested positive at any point in the last two weeks, we regretfully need to ask you to stay home this year but look forward to welcoming to the next circlesong school event.
Updated June 10, 2022 @ 5:00 PM