September 17, 2004

Back to the table of Contents Page

Classifieds

Palo Alto Online

Just like Lilith

by Alex Doniach

Donne Davis rediscovered the power of song the first time she sang with Betsy Rose.

Davis had grown up with music -- she sang for her local temple, at summer camp, at family celebrations and to her children -- but with no vocal training, she had discounted her love for it.

Things changed in 2001. At a woman's retreat in Marin, Davis was invited to sing in a circle of women led by Rose, a professional singer, singing instructor and founder of Womansong Circle.

"Betsy showed us how to use our voices to release tension, to express our emotions and she showed us how singing together can be a powerful force for change," Davis said.

Davis wanted to share her experience with friends. She invited Rose to Palo Alto, where a group of women gathered in a circle and sang for more than an hour. A tradition of local women singers had begun.

Today the group continues to thrive. Nearly 50 women gather quarterly at Subud, a meditation center in Palo Alto, where they sing folk songs from around the world. The group, open to the public, doesn't give performances and they don't rehearse. Rose doesn't care what your voice sounds like. The point is simply to sing.

"Women come in the door and are flushed and embarrassed," Rose said. "This group is exactly for women who think they can't sing. A highlight is watching the transformation from feeling awkward and shy to singing and laughing. Song is incredibly wonderful and powerful."

This Saturday, the group will meet for about an hour and a half of song. Rose will lead the group in a program of music written specifically by women, dealing with themes of motherhood, sisterhood, war and the seasons, among others.

"We laugh, there's anger, there's yearning," Rose said. "Singing is a vehicle for any emotion that a human being can have. Singing is a body experience. When women sing, they uncover feelings they didn't realize they had. It can be intense but it happens in a wonderfully supportive setting."

Lucia Ryan, another founding member of Womansong, said the group is more than just women singing songs; it is also about connection. The fact that a group of about 50 women who don't know each other can come together and feel close instantly is a testament to the group's power.

"By allowing the mind to focus, you allow yourself to get lost in song," Ryan said. "By reconnecting with parts of yourself, you are also reconnecting with all the women sharing this experience. It's powerful."

The songs vary from "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to "Mama's Milk," the latter written by Rose. Some of the songs bring laughter, some bring tears.

"Before we start, I put three boxes of Kleenex around," Ryan said. "People often say 'Don't sing that one, I'll start crying!'"

Rose lives in Berkeley, where she started the idea of a women's song circle six years ago. She grew up in a world of folk music, when people used song as a vehicle of protest, she said. A performance-singing career developed from her involvement in a woman's movement during the '70s.

"It was like a precursor to the Lilith Fair," she recalled. "It was a chance for women to carve out their own musical world, and an opportunity to reclaim their voice without being tools of pop culture."

Rose discovered the emotive powers that song carried, especially among groups of women. Most women have had wounding experiences around their singing voice, whether in the form of rejection from choir or someone telling them they weren't good enough, she said.

"All that has put the whole activity of creative expression into the wrong category, into a professionalized category," she said. "In a pre-professional stage of human history, everyone danced and sang and it wasn't about performing or sounding good but about having fun and connecting."

The idea of a woman's song circle is nothing new, she said -- it's just been lost in today's culture.

Sheri Morrison began singing with the group about two years ago. She arrived not knowing what to expect and was surprised by her experience.

"It is just so incredibly wonderful," Morrison said. "Rose is a teacher and just an incredibly warm and wonderful woman who brings out the best voice in everybody. She tells us that all women can sing and is so full of openness and encouragement."

A personal life coach, Davis has made a career of instructing people on the power of ritual. She has lectured at parties, schools and retreats on the importance of daily rituals that strengthen relationships -- Womansong Circle being a perfect example of this.

Before the group begins, Davis creates an altar covered in fresh flowers that the women sit around. Once all the women gather, a moment of silence ensues.

"Rituals do two important things," Davis said. "They help focus and they help connect."

Once the beginning ritual is completed, the group begins in nonstop song for more than an hour. The time flies, Davis said.

"I like how the group makes me feel," Davis said. "I feel light, I feel joyous, energized and I laugh a lot. Just to look at smiling faces and hear the beautiful sound."


What: Womansong Circle

When: Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Where: Subud House 330 Melville Ave. in Palo Alto,

Cost: A $5-$10 donation is suggested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds

Info: Call Betsy Rose at (510) 525-7082.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.