Heyoka

Heyoka is all about developing relationships between individuals from different backgrounds, with different life experiences and different world views. This program encourages using laughter and the joy found within music-making to encourage individuals from disparate communities to go outside their comfort zones and come together to promote a deeper level of interaction. The process of inter-grating students, their communities and arts organizations can help provide the support system that students need to succeed as they pursue an education and career in voice.

Along with encouraging and providing frameworks for inter-gration, Heyoka provides customized workshops and recitals that schools and arts organizations can use to help teach students and administrators about the power of music, education and laughter to help different groups work together. In many Native American tribes/teachings, the “Heyokah” has been the sacred fool who has total wisdom and teaches others through laughter and by doing everything opposite to the way others expect. The contrary clown who seeks to upset the balance and rigidity in our lives. The comedian who uses humor to make us take a good look at ourselves and our beliefs — and who challenges us to break old habits, think for ourselves and ultimately make changes in our lives.

Here’s a sampling of some of the many workshops, recitals and other performances that Heyoka has brought into schools and organizations throughout the Greater Boston area:

Workshops

Theatre of Sound: Creating Cultural Authenticity
Audience: Choir directors, arts organizations
This two-hour interactive session designed to examine issues surrounding the choosing and programming of non-Western-choral music traditions and exploring alternate means of creating authentic performances of World Music through the use of theatre games and diversity awareness exercises.

Changing the Landscape: Creating and Maintaining Cultural Diversity
Audience: Choir directors, arts organizations
 This two-hour interactive session designed to examine the lack of racial and cultural diversity found within many of our choirs, expand the perceptions of (participants) about minority students and performers, and explore creative solutions for change.

Concerts / Recitals

Thought Through Song
An interactive vocal recital performed by minority college students.

A Mask Inverted
Featuring Art Songs by Black composers interwoven with the poetry of Autumn Van Ord, this musical roller coaster follows the explorations of one man as he struggles to expose his true identity, the roles he plays on this planet, his relationship with his partner and, in doing so, his voice. What begins as a struggle to reveal himself to his partner ends as a personal struggle to reveal himself to himself.

Composers featured: Charles Lloyd, Jr, Margaret Bonds, Charles Brown, John W. Work, Jr and Robert Owens, with additional selections from Chess, Into The Woods, City of Angels, West Side Story, and
Avenue Q.

Vocalist: Samuel Martinborough
Collaborative Pianist: Daniel Padgett
Poetry: Autumn Van Ord

A World Of Song Choral Competition & Festival

This combined competition and festival encourages a high level of music making where ensembles are judged against a standard rather than each other and allows for each group to hear the performance of the others. The Festival allows students to interact and perform with students from other ensembles and communities.

Contact us for more information about our Heyoka program or to schedule a recital, workshop or performance for your own school.