Solstice calls for singing!

Theme: Solstice & Weaving Connection

As the natural darkness of our earth's turning descends, we must continue to gather together and honor the natural cycles of life while maintaining the truth of our interconnectedness.

In this series, we cultivated our inner holding of ourselves and each other, and fortified ourselves for what lies ahead. Together we are stronger, and our voices remind us of this truth.

Throughout this series we sang songs for the Solstice season. Our group cultivated connection, community, empowerment, self compassion and courage through our singing practice. We invite you to watch the recordings of our gatherings and join us in honoring Solstice, collective connection, and ourselves.

Recorded December 2024.

  • Group vocal coaching and warm up exercises for getting in touch and maintaining vocal health

  • Celebration of the Solstice holiday in community through song

  • Connection to ourselves and each other.

  • A healing and empowering space to love and recover our voice.

  • An experience of well-being and presence

  • If you would like access to this and all other content on Stellar Village, sign up for our membership! For a low monthly price, you can get access to all live events and recordings of all past offerings! Learn more here.

What to Expect

The songs are taught aloud in parts with repetition, with light use of written music and lyrics when necessary. The lyrics to the chat are in the course player.

This is a non-judgmental space with encouragement for exploration and growth of our musicianship and singing skills. We encourage folks of all skill levels and experience levels to try out this group singing practice.

  • On Demand Access

    Access Anytime, On Your Schedule

    View the recordings of the gathering whenever you want, and start/stop on your schedule!

  • Access to All 4 Session Recordings

    4 Sessions!

    View recordings of all 4 sessions of the Solstice Song Gathering

  • Full Course Materials

    Lyrics to all the songs are available in the course player so you can follow along!

FAQ

  • Is this a live event?

    No, this is 4 recordings of events that happened in December 2024.

  • Can my friends join me or do we all need to sign up?

    Online: You're welcome to create your own song circle wherever you are by inviting your friends to sing along with you.

    If you are in different places, you'll each need your own account, unless one of you has a Family Pass.

    In Eugene, Oregon: In person, each person must be registered for the event in order to attend. Thanks!

  • What if I don't think of myself as a singer?

    Singers of all levels welcome! If you don't sing professionally or believe you don't sing "well" we especially invite your curiosity! All voices are good voices.

  • What do you have for accessibility?

    Virtual song circles are an accessible option already, great for parents of young children, folks with limited mobility.

    The content player for this recording includes an automated session transcript and English captions. You also get a document with the words to the songs.

  • How do I access the material online?

    If you are a Stellar Village member or you've purchased this offering directly, you just need to be logged in and then click on "Start" or "Resume" at the top of the page.

    Or here's a direct link to the content player.

    If you haven't purchased yet, just scroll down.

Songleader: Katie Sontag

Zoom Host: Grisha Stewart

Katie Sontag

Song leader and singer/songwriter

Katie Sontag writes songs that are honest and vulnerable. Her vocals, lyrics, and melodic lines capture audiences and take them on an intimate journey.

She is both a singer/songwriter and song leader, weaving into her original works unique places for the audience to sing. At Katie's shows you will laugh, cry, and make new friends.

Her music has been described as "a big hug." She also writes, leads, and teaches acapella part songs that have traveled all over the country and been adapted for choirs in Portland, Boulder, Austin & Big Sur.

Katie performs with her band KT & the Love Notes and also leads old time sing-a-longs at residential care facilities. She has released two self produced albums, Still Breathing in February 2020 and Temple Under the Stars, a collaboration with her first band, in 2018.

Katie is also a mother to Calliope Joy, an adorable 3-year-old, who inspires her to continue making music that will be a small part of a better world that is yet to come for us all.

Grisha Stewart

Certified Dog Trainer, Author, Singer-Songwriter, Stellar Village founder

I'm a collaborative dog trainer, author, international presenter, singer-songwriter, and keynote speaker of European ancestry (best guess based on DNA and some genealogy is Scotland, "England & Northwestern Europe," Wales, "Germanic Europe," Ireland, and Norway). I've been helping people and dogs professionally since 2003. My passion projects are community weaving, grief tending, community singing, and woodturning.

I'm fascinated by animal behavior (including humans), somatic awareness, spirituality, psychology. My work is directed at wholehearted living for all beings, including dogs with a history of aggression, frustration, or fear as well as puppies and my other favorite species: humans.

My Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT 2.0 book and BAT 3.0) is used worldwide to help dogs gain confidence and social skills. Well over 200,000 people have learned about BAT so far.

Diane Redding and I co-host a podcast called The Lesson is Love.

As an outgoing introvert, I refresh my batteries by singing, expressing grief in community, and savoring life with my husband (Tom), Labrador (Joey), cat (Garbanzo aka "Adventure Kitty" and "Baby Panther"), and Little Brown Dog (Zuki). I identify as a queer (pansexual), neurodiverse, middle age, white, raised in poverty and now of middle class, and US citizen, spiritual non-Christian leaning toward neo-Druid (but raised in Christian culture). My pronouns are she/her. I am working to live in reciprocity on the stolen river watershed of the Siuslaw people, who are part of the CTCLUSI.

Option 1: Direct purchase of this event recording

This event is open to the public, and online access is also included with Stellar Village membership (options below). Use this option if you want permanent online materials access.

  • $60.00

    $60.00Solstice Community Singing Series 2024 | Katie Sontag | On Demand

    One-time payment to attend this 4-session live online community song event and add the bonus materials and recording to your library of courses. Attend online [In person sales discontinued after December 2]. Your access will not expire.
    Buy Now

Option 2: Get online-only access with a Stellar Village Membership

Membership is an all-access pass to the online village! The family pass also lets you share your Zoom links. For the individual memberships, the perks are the same no matter which payment plan you pick on the sliding scale. [Learn More]

  • $29.99 / month

    $29.99 / monthStellar Village Membership

    Family Pass! This is a great way to sing with with your long-distance family or friends, or have them visit other online Village events, including grief circles and classes.

    Full membership for you, plus you can share Zoom links for live sessions with up to 4 other people. Payment renews monthly and renewal can be cancelled at any time.

    [Learn more about Family Passes]
    Join Stellar Village
  • $19.99 / month

    $19.99 / monthStellar Village Membership

    Standard Individual Rate.This is fair energy exchange for the valuable service of creating online community for you. If this option is not a hardship (meaning you would have trouble providing your basic needs), please select this option.

    Payment renews monthly and renewal can be cancelled at any time.

    Please view the membership page for more options and a sliding scale.
    Join Stellar Village
  • $14.99 / month

    $14.99 / monthStellar Village Membership

    Community supported rate (sliding scale). Use if the full contribution is a hardship for meeting your basic needs.

    Payment renews monthly and renewal can be cancelled at any time.
    Join Stellar Village
  • $9.99 / month

    $9.99 / monthStellar Village Membership

    Community supported rate (sliding scale). Use this option if the other monthly amounts would pose a hardship for meeting your basic needs.

    Payment renews monthly and renewal can be cancelled at any time.
    Join Stellar Village
  • $10.00

    $10.00Stellar Village Membership

    PGM/BIPOC Pass. One-time fee for lifetime access! For our kin who identify as People of the Global Majority (PGM), also known as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), we offer lifetime Village membership for a low price.

    Your energy exchange contributes to the village and your sense of belonging, so we do ask for a small fee. You are also welcome to use any of the other payment options.

    That said, if you are PGM/BIPOC and would like a totally FREE membership, we invite you to click here!
    Join Stellar Village

If you choose to purchase a Stellar Village Membership, your subscription will go for a month from the start date and then renew automatically each month after that. You can easily cancel renewal at any time and your access to the content will just expire on your renewal date.

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Scholarships. We also have 6-month need-based scholarships. Contact us with the icon in the lower right to get scholarship information.