September 29th | 5-7 pm PDT | Online Event
Songleading Practice Lab
A Live Online Practice Session with Lydia Violet
You learned the tools.
Now let’s practice using them.
Songleading is something we learn by doing: standing in front of a group, taking a breath, offering the first line, listening to what comes back, and learning how to guide a room of voices with more confidence, clarity, and ease.
After our first Song Leading 101 Training…
so many of you were hungry for exactly that: more chances to practice.
So we’re gathering again for a hands-on Songleading Practice Lab, led by Lydia Violet and grounded in her many years of leading community singing across cultures, movements, and gathering spaces.
Why Take this Follow-up Class?
This session will be less about talking about songleading and more about actually leading songs together. You’ll have opportunities to practice teaching a song by ear, experiment with different ways to cue and guide a group, troubleshoot where you get stuck, and receive supportive, practical feedback from Lydia and the group
We’ll Explore Questions Like:
• How do I start a song confidently?
• How much instruction does a group actually need?
• What do I do when people aren't following me?
• How do I teach multiple parts without over-explaining it?
• How do I use my body, breath, voice, and attention to guide the room?
• How do I recover when I lose my place, or something goes sideways?
No Need to Arrive Polished!
You do not need to be a professional singer. And you definitely do not need to have conquered your nerves.
Bring a song you'd like to practice leading or simply come ready to participate, observe, sing, and learn alongside others.
Who is this for:
This practice session is especially designed for folks who joined Song Leading 101, but anyone with some basic experience leading or participating in community singing is warmly welcome.
(If you missed the original training and want to get grounded in the foundations before joining us, you can purchase and watch the Song Leading 101 on demand class here.)
Facilitators, organizers, educators, therapists, clergy, community leaders, and emerging songleaders are all welcome.
You'll Leave With:
More practice. More confidence. More tools for navigating the unpredictable reality of leading actual humans in song. And, hopefully, a little less of that voice in your head saying, Who am I to lead this?
Because at some point, the only way to become a songleader is to lead the song.
Why This Training:
Community singing is one of humanity's oldest technologies for building trust, moving emotion, strengthening movements, and helping people remember they are not alone. Yet many people who long to bring more singing into their communities don't know where to begin.
In this experiential training, Lydia Violet and Sarina Partridge will share from their decades of experience leading songs in movement spaces, workshops, protests, and community gatherings. You'll leave with practical tools, increased confidence, and a deeper understanding of how song can become a powerful form of facilitation.
What You'll Learn:
• What to work on to confidently teach songs by ear to groups of any size
• Practices for cultivating cultural integrity in your song choices
• How to choose songs that support the emotional arc and purpose of a gathering
• Tips for navigating common challenges, including self-doubt, nervousness, and varying levels of musical experience
Who Is This For:
This training is for facilitators, educators, organizers, therapists, clergy, community leaders, and anyone who wants to bring people together through song.
No formal musical training is required, just a willingness to sing and a desire to help others find their voices.
Logistics/What To Bring
• A computer or tablet with Zoom and a stable internet connection
• A quiet space where you feel comfortable singing out loud
• Water, a notebook, and something to write with
Event Details
📅 Date: Tuesday, Sept 29th
⏰ Time: 5:00-7:00pm [PDT]
💻 Format: Live online (Zoom link sent after registration)
⏳ Duration: 2 hours
🎥 Recording included? Yes
💰Price: $40
Your Facilitator
Lydia Violet
Is an Iranian-Armenian-American musician, songleader, facilitator, and educator whose work lives at the intersection of music, social change, and community resilience. A lifelong musician, she has spent decades exploring how song can help people connect, metabolize difficult times, and build cultures of belonging and solidarity.
Lydia is the founder and Executive Director of School for The Great Turning, where she creates programs weaving together activism, spiritual practice, ecological education, ancestral skills, and the Work That Reconnects. A longtime student and collaborator of Joanna Macy, she has facilitated groups and taught internationally for many years. As a songleader, Lydia draws from multicultural community-singing traditions and the long history of music in social movements, bringing a grounded, playful, and deeply participatory approach to helping people find their voices and use song in service of community and change.