An evening with Stephen Taberner
I know Stephen. I've been to his workshops before and attended Spooky Men's Chorale performances and I followed Stephen all through our lockdown with The Massive Singlet series. I have a fairly good idea of what the evening is going to be like. Yet my inner saboteur, my introverted self wants to hide away at home. It's Summer. I feel tired. I've been running around today. It's going to take me an hour and a half on the bus to get there, so there's a little bit of a hassle in my soul for me to get across town to the event, not that I think that's particularly a problem, but it's more that it's the amount of time it takes me to get there. And then of course, I have that same burden on the way back. Such is the life. Of someone who does not drive. But I thought Stephen was worth it. I really enjoy his work and I wanted to come out and maybe immerse myself in some awesome group singing to start out the year.
One thing we know is immersing yourself in practice and community is good for well-being. Using your voice freely, unleashing breathing practice, connecting to the group consciousness. While intentionally on your part, all helps with lowering stress and bringing you back centered place of well being.
I enter and it is like meeting old friends again. Many who have not seen since old choir days. Here we have all come to spend time with another great song leader.
We've got time to catch up and say hello and celebrate each other. I let go of my introverted capacities and become more settled in this fantastic place that we are in tonight.
A very clear invitation to begin this made.
We all meld back into a natural circle, then we start.
Rhythms, warmups, tones. Sparkling bright as we connect across the circle and we find our feet moving in time with each other. Enjoyment starts to form on people's faces as they start to find connection with each other.
It's not just the sound we are making, it's the polyphonic sound we are creating together. It's the solfege we are following in Stephen’s hands, the clear gesture with hands for the basses and voices for other parts. Two lines facing each other down with rhythms that interweave.
That knowing look, shared with a friend across the group, that we can trust in the person who is leading us. Because they know what they're doing and it's gonna be a great night, and it is.
“What a treat it is to be here and have leadership with Stephen Taberner. To have this experience with him. It is filling my cup as a leader after a busy day.”
It had shared heartbeat.
Connected breath.
A harmonic tone.
Resonant bass parts.
Brave alto's that came together beautifully in their tone.
Sopranos that matched and raised the roof up and lowered it down so the tenors and basses could shine.
The tenors singing so many beautiful words to compliment and accent the bass parts.
Everyone in crescendo, dancing about each other.
This is the magic of music and coming together and why you have to leave your house and not be incumbent at home.
Stephen Taberner hosted The Massive Singlet. He was so grand at keeping continuity and connection for people during lockdown of life force of joy and connection. A choir member mentioned with excitement how much this had meant to her and how delighted she was to met him in person, finally after all this time. Stephen, it meant so much to many of us, your impact of presence and being felt so deeply across Australia, New Zealand and The UK
But there's nothing like the presence of being with someone in the collective. Being together when something magical is happening and you all get to feel that togetherness because you co-created by choosing it. That was the gift.
““Not out of anxiety or out of laziness we step but actively seeing each other and finding our common rhythm, together”. ”
“It was so joyful to have permission to play”
When we go out and we have group experiences, life is mirrored back to us. We are able to reflect more deeply on the things happening in our own life. Able to grow and expand stretch.
Our own experiences reflect more deeply in a way that we might not have been able to; had we not ventured out of our homes in the first place. That's why it's really good to branch outside of our own world into more lived creative experiences because it gives us a chance to expand, delve into what's possible, forge new relationships, find joyful connection, and deepen our human experience.
There is so much more possibility on the other side of a personal expectation when we let ourselves be present. Truly present to just being. To what is going to unfold, it's a mystery and it is truly fabulous, the discovery. Things happen in the natural progression of the evening, it really can help you accelerate where you're going in your life, you also ground in a threshold of familiarity in the group where personalities start to shine and jocularity emerges. Humor and joy becomes the warmth of the group. All of a sudden it crosses from unfamiliar to homely and an agreed state of being together, held in the container created by the leader.
I am reminded of when you join the choir or group singing and I've been singing in choirs and groups for a number of years now. That there can become an awareness of the different things that you're seeking for personal development. That might have lead you to that class in the first place or you might discover it while in it.
For Stephen's workshop. I just wanted to see him. I just love him and being around him. I enjoy his exploration with body and sound and the way he brings people together. It's an absolute joy. I trust the process and whatever unfolds.
What I learned about myself was, that I like to fully unleash and I like to be in singing situations where I can fully unleash my full capacity. And obviously we're in one off group session, we get a tiny taste.
I am an unleash artist. I want to give you all of my singing soul. That's when I feel really connected. That's when I'm feel myself spiritually connected, I can communicate my soul to the audience. I'm truly present, purposeful, intentional.
My voice is at its purest. Gospel style. Boom, here I am. That is like the way I love to communicate. That and improv singing style. As storytellers it's beauty caught in the spontaneous moment. It's beautiful and so…
I want to thank Stephen for reminding me that an element of singing that I love is the ability to absolutely unleash my voice so I can reach that spiritual connection and just really be truly present in my body, grounded, connected, wholeheartedly in the music.
It was clear from the start we were in the hands of an extremely competent, knowledgeable, practiced song leader and there is nothing more enjoyable than putting full faith in that experience. Settling in and enjoying the ride.
Fresh off a tour in Europe with The Spooky Men's Chorale, coming through New Zealand from the South to the North, we are but a stop on the way and we are treated with a wonderful evening alongside Stephen Taberner. May Auckland enjoy the next pit stop.
Claire Hewitt