Make a Joyful Noise!

Make a JOYFUL Noise: Singing as a Spiritual Practice

No singing or musical experience is necessary, just curiosity and a willingness to create sound and share joy with others!

We offer a safe space to sound/sing/find our voices – freeing the sounder/singer in us for use in spiritual ways. “The idea of singing as a spiritual practice for me is to give witness to the power, the energy, the Mysteries that I am unable to explain in other ways by going within and producing sound from the heart” (Bucklin).

Things we want you to know:

Our goal is not necessarily to make us into singers or better singers, but to help us express our authentic selves and free the joy within us through sound and movement—engulfed by love, without judgment.

• We will discuss and experiment with HOW we can perhaps go deeper in our use of sound/song/chant in our daily lives, as well as offering sounds of healing, peace, and joy especially to the HSI land, the world at large, and whomever or whatever we feel need our support.

• We will sound/sing in organized large and small groups and unstructured soundings out in Nature, using vocables, soundings, chanting, and singing to reach and try to express the knowing of our hearts.

• We will offer morning soundings to welcome the day, as well as evening soundings to welcome the night.

• We will spend the time needed to be able to carry the songs in our hearts and minds when we leave.

• We will offer time for personal needs (naps, walks, visits to the Spirit House, chatting with friends, etc.) as well as plain ol’ sing-a-long time.

  
  

Facilitated by joyful singers and Hope Springs advocates Mary Bucklin, April Theriot-Hammon, and Stacey Pickering.

THIS YEAR WE ARE ADDING AN OPTIONAL EXTRA DAY - if you want to stay Sunday night as well, be sure to add the Extra Sunday Night Ticket to your order . The plan for the extra day? To continue to celebrate the sun, the light, and the beauty of Winter on the Land. Specifically, we will have Sunday lunch, during which we say goodbye to whomever is leaving, and then take a break. Then we will meet up again and consider options for the rest of Sunday—including time on the Land, a supper session dedicated to community building, or whatever we want. Then Monday morning, we will have a final singalong, a closing, a meal, and take our leave.

Registration

Pricing is for this 3 day / 2 night retreat and includes lodging, all meals, and optional programming. You have the option to choose between a Standard Double (shared room/shared bathroom), or a Guaranteed Single (shared bathroom).

Standard Double Ticket: Price may be paid in full at the time of booking or reserved with a $375 deposit (half of the Standard Ticket).

Guaranteed Single Ticket: Price must be paid in full at the time of booking.

Registrants that reserve their spot with a Deposit Ticket will also need to purchase a second Standard Double Ticket at least 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the retreat to complete their registration.

Scholarships

Committed to accessibility for guests and stability for the organization and its staff, Hope Springs Institute sets its fees and rates to reflect reciprocal exchange and mutual support. The Scholarship Fund Donation offers a “pay it forward” model to off-set reduced tuition for folks in need of assistance. This will help to make these gatherings more possible for a broader range of folks with different circumstances and resources.

If you are in need of a scholarship, you can apply for one here.

If you are able to help fund scholarships, we encourage you to donate using the "The Scholarship Fund Donation" ticket by denominations of $100.

Meet your Facilitators:

Mary Bucklin [Bucklin] is a prominent Cincinnati-area educator and community leader, best known for her tenure as a lecturer and director of the Women's and Gender Studies program at nearby Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She is highly regarded in the region for her advocacy, progressive social change efforts, and her long-standing involvement as a singer in MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir. Bucklin's teaching style focuses on empowering the individual, and making learning an enjoyable and positive experience. Bucklin is most admired for her sense of humor, passion for learning, and her ability to connect with students of all levels and ages.

April Theriot-Hammon is a lifelong singer and gifted harmonizer exploring the intersection of song and ritual. April sung with MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir for 7 years and now raises her voice singing and teaching in communal singing spaces focusing on Circle chants and songs. April is also an ordained High Priestess, a trained Death Doula, and a Green Burial volunteer passionate about using her voice in the service of death and dying. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, 2 children, and 2 cats.

Stacey Pickering is an advanced Sound Healer, Wellness Teacher, and Retreat Facilitator focused on collective liberation. Crafting modalities that bring healing to body, mind, and soul, Stacey's offerings include Polarity Therapy, Reiki, Elemental Reflexology, and various Sound Therapies. Advocating for peace from within, Stacey is dedicated to creating a ripple effect of love and light that can spread out across the globe and heal the world.

You can find her work at https://www.staceypickeringwellness.com.