Ripple Effect
Ripple Effect was an immersive choral journey, walking the community through the Ashram’s natural and structural atmospheres. Ripple Effect’s theme contemplates foreseeable and unforeseeable influence: of humans and their surroundings.
Both the rehearsal process and the concerts modeled the theme so deeply. Ripple Effect as a wholesome venture, was an illustration of how we can consciously and sensitively develop and contribute to community, through choral art: From singing world music, and living together in the Ashram’s culture, to learning from our artistic leaders, to diving wholeheartedly into the concert experience with the community.
Ripple Effect ignited introspection and connection for choristers and audience. Throughout it, we all had the privilege of inviting ourselves and each other to safely absorb the journey in our own ways, within community. CTCA and Corazon went through five concerts with different audiences, and I was struck by the moment of communal speechlessness every single time it came to an end. The room was silent from Ripple Effect’s magic.
The show presented a culmination of the artists’ and their hosts’ explorations of connectedness and spirituality. Even more so, Ripple Effect was a wallow, in the brilliant unfolding and outcome, of our incomparable artistic director Allison Girvan’s envisioning of this project.
Ripple Effect was a once-in-a-lifetime learning event, which I believe began a ripple of more similarly unique experiences by current and future artist-educators like myself. I feel uplifted by this journey, and more hopeful for our world after having been part of it!
