Gaia Music Collective is an NYC-based creative community seeking to foster a more connected world through collective music-making. Founded in June of 2021 in a living room in Brooklyn, this project was born out of a desire to create accessible, inclusive spaces for people to explore connection, expression, healing, & release through collaborative song - spaces where folks feel empowered to make music free of judgment or expectation, and to make new friends as our full, beautiful, authentic selves.
We believe that communal music-making is a fundamental human practice, and this project seeks to build spaces for folks to nurture their relationship to music, whether they're shower singers, professional musicians, or anything in between.
Gaia is funded by sliding scale ticket donations, with a “no one turned away for lack of funds” policy. It is of the utmost importance to us that these events remain affordable and accessible - we never want money to be a barrier to making music together.
All are welcome in this community: all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, classes, religions, abilities, national origins, languages, and musical experiences. All we ask is that you bring an open mind, a desire to connect, and a willingness to leave judgment of self & others at the door.
We host participatory music events of all sorts, facilitated with deep care and intentionality by a skilled team of facilitating artists. Our intention is to offer a diverse array of events that approach group music-making from a variety of angles, touching many genres and inviting in a multitude of creative modalities.
Currently, we offer a monthly calendar (~22 events/month) that includes:
CircleSinging ~ a collaborative vocal jam, singing spontaneously invented songs
One-Day Choirs ~ no auditions, no commitment, simply singing a vocal arrangement with strangers for the joy of it
Gaia Open Mics ~ an opportunity for local artists to share their music and invite the room to join in
Collaborative Songwriting Circles ~ playing games and writing songs with new friends
Vocal Flow ~ collaborative vocal improvisation, spinning music out of thin air
Instrumental Flow ~ jam sessions that center listening & play
Folk Song Sings ~ singing folk songs from cultures around the world
House Shows ~ interactive concerts that melt down the divide between performer and audience, celebrating co-creation & improvisation while uplifting the music of gifted local artists
and more! we’re always experimenting with new ways to connect people through music!
What is Gaia Music Collective - in numbers?
While we’re big on quality over quantity here, numbers can sometimes help to tell our story.
The things we're proudest of are the stories people share with us about their experiences with Gaia. Folks regularly share things like:
"I met some of my closest friends through Gaia"
"I feel more myself when I'm here”
“I've been looking for a community like this"
“I hadn’t made music with people for years until Gaia”
“I came from [Atlanta, Michigan, Norway, Japan, Australia] to be here!”
“This is my first time singing with people!”
We've seen so many friendships, artistic collaborations, and romances bloom through Gaia - there was even a proposal at the end of a One-Day Choir last season, and we recently learned that a couple who met at a Gaia event last year just got engaged! Members of our community have shared that Gaia has inspired them to create their own art, and even host their own collective music-making gatherings! The ripples of this work are truly astounding to us.
We're incredibly proud of building a robust culture of kindness, non-judgment, collaboration, vulnerability, and authenticity. A community where play, spontaneity, and imperfection are centered, and where people are supported in trying new things, showing up in new ways, sharing their art more boldly, and raising their voices louder than ever. These events are full of so many moments of laughter, of discovery, of joy, of reflection, and of beautiful, beautiful music-making. These are the milestones that really matter.
What is GaiaMusic Collective - in science?
Research shows that collective singing can be a deeply healing practice: improving mental & physical health, strengthening social bonds, and fostering a sense of belonging. Singing strengthens the immune system, stimulates the vagus nerve, and combats chronic pain and depression! Check out the Sing Up Foundation for more in depth information and clinical sources about the incredible health benefits of singing, and singing together.
Because of our donation-based ticket system and focus on keeping events affordable & accessible, Gaia’s income can be inconsistent and doesn’t always reflect the value we’re providing to the community. Some of our events bring in funding, while others come out net zero, or even at a deficit. In this current model, our capacity for growing is limited, and we aren’t able to fully financially support our team sustainably. We all love pouring ourselves into this project, and we need to be able to support ourselves in order to continue to offer our love, time, and energy to this project. So we’re asking you, our community, for help!
Your donations will:
Help keep Gaia’s events Affordable & Accessible
Support Our Team in a way that is Fair & Sustainable
Empower us to Grow, Dream & Expand Our Offerings!
We have so many dreams as to where Gaia Music Collective could go. Here are some of the dreams that we’re hoping to grow towards!
Launch New Programming
Activating new ways of creating together. A One-Day Orchestra? Sing & Paint nights? Community Sings in public parks with thousands of humans?
Take Our Music On The Road
Hosting pop-up events in cities around the world, such as LA, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, London, and wherever you want us to go!
Develop a Facilitator Training Program
Sharing the tools & frameworks that have helped us build our community, so people might foster their own
Build Musical Bridges
Connecting with community-minded artists around the world, visiting them with our music and inviting them to bring theirs to our community here in New York
Produce a Summer Music Festival
Creating a summer-camp-esque getaway for all ages, full of music workshops, interactive performances, free flowing play time, all while connecting with and learning from the music of nature!
Gaia Music Collective is led by a diverse team of 15 Brooklyn-based artists who manage, plan, and lead our community music offerings. Most of our team members are part-time players working other jobs as well, but many are throwing the weight of full-time work into this start-up effort.
Founder, Co-Director, & Lead Facilitator - Matt Goldstein
Co-Director - Hannah Tobias
Design Lead - Jocelyn Orante
Event Flow Coordinator - Aubrey Porter
Team Support Person - Miriam Bursky-Tammam
Communications Coordinator - Kenter Davies
Head of Volunteering - Brittany Ramos
Content Creator - Joanna Lee Johnson
Admin Assistant - Julie Peacock
Admin Assistant - Michelle Rocquet
Graphic Designer - Michelle DiMuzio
Facilitating Artists - Sofia Campoamor, Kenter Davies, Tracy LJ Robertson, Annette Philip, Dan Rudin, Simi Yuyu
If something here has resonated with you, we would so appreciate your support. Even the smallest donations will make a huge difference in supporting our mission to connect people to to themselves, to each other, and to the world through collective music-making.
