Tending the Flame
Annual Song Leader Reunion
May 30-31, 2026
Peterborough, Ontario
You’re invited to the Annual Song Leader Reunion.
Come, let’s tend this flame together…
Join us for a weekend full of song, inspiration, best practices, community connection, continued mentorship, and of course… outrageously delicious food.
The annual Song Leader Reunion is a place where you can return every year, as a community of practitioners, to fill up your cup with inspiration, connection, and learning to bring back to your communities.
Over two full days and one night together, you’ll have a chance to lead each other in song, explore different topics, and stoke the fire of our shared dream of bringing singing back to this aching, beautiful world.
This reunion is open to the three cohorts who have completed the Song Leader Training. All are welcome, whether or not you’ve started your own group, are leading folks in song, or are simply continuing to soak up the magic of our time together.
Check out the full details below. I can’t wait to sing with you again…
Schedule of our Reunion Days
Saturday, May 30th:
10:00 am: Arrive, settle in, explore the land, and drink some tea/coffee
10:30 am - 1:00 pm: Opening Circle & Morning Session
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm: Lunch Break
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Afternoon Session
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Dinner Break
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Evening Session - Around the fire!
Sunday, May 31st:
9:00 am - 9:30 am: Arrive, settle in, explore the land, and drink some tea/coffee
9:30 am - 12:00 pm: Morning Session
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch Break
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm: Afternoon Session
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Clean Up & Departures
Our Reunion Itinerary
The Song Leader Reunion will be a blend and balance of practice, learning, and community building. I want this reunion to be shaped by YOUR interests, and I’ll send out a questionnaire beforehand, to gather your ideas. In the meantime, here is what I’m envisioning for our time together…
Full-group and break-out sessions to practice song-leading in a supportive and encouraging environment
Workshop-style sessions and roundtable discussions to explore topics that YOU bring. For example, here are a few topics that we could explore, that we only scratched the surface of at the training:
How to build a singing community: tried and tested methods for community engagement
How to teach “harmony songs”, in addition to rounds, call-and-response, and layer songs
Song-leading on the front lines of change: song as a tool for social justice and activism
The business of song-leading: marketing, admin, and having your back-end systems in place
Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries! How to hold healthy boundaries for yourself and your group, while creating an inclusive and welcoming space.
Lots of opportunities for connection, to stoke the fire of our community of practitioners.
A treasure trove of new songs to bring back to your communities.
An evening Song Circle around the fire, co-led by all of us!
❋
About the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre
We are fortunate to hold this reunion at the inspiring and beautiful Camp Kawartha Environment Centre. Located next to Trent University’s stunning wildlife sanctuary lands in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough), the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre is renowned as one of the most innovative and sustainable building designs in all of Canada. Nestled amongst two hundred acres of cedar forest, we’ll gather in this warm and welcoming sanctuary for a weekend of song, learning, and community.
There are parking spaces available onsite for those driving, as well as public transportation options. The Environment Centre is wheelchair accessible.
Accommodations
You will be responsible for finding your own accommodations, for the Saturday night. For those of you who want to share accommodations, I encourage you to coordinate with each other through the WhatsApp group! AirBnbs tend to be more affordable (and shareable) than hotels in the Peterborough area.
For those of you who choose the catering option (see below), you will be responsible for providing your own breakfasts, before our days begin.
Cost & Registration
I am including two registration options, below: with catering or without catering. Lunches will be provided by the incredible Erin Copeland, here in Peterborough. And dinner will be made by Michael (our cook and my hubby from the trainings). All prices are in Canadian dollars.
Early Bird (until March 31st): With Catering - $365 + sales tax
Includes two lunches, one dinner, coffee, tea, and snacks
Early Bird (until March 31st): Without Catering - $290 + sales tax
Includes coffee, tea, and snacks
There is a small kitchen onsite that you can use, with a fridge and microwave. There is no stove.
On-Time Bird (after March 31st): With Catering - $395 + sales tax
Includes two lunches, one dinner, coffee, tea, and snacks
On-Time Bird (after March 31st): Without Catering - $320 + sales tax
Includes coffee, tea, and snacks
There is a small kitchen onsite that you can use, with a fridge and microwave. There is no stove.
A Note on Sliding Scale and Work-Trade:
If the price is a barrier for you, please reach out to inquire about a possible work exchange. I have priced this reunion at an amount that will make it sustainable for me to organize and hold it, with a minimum number of participants. And, it’s important to me that ALL of you are able to attend, regardless of the cost.
Terms & Conditions:
Please read the full Terms & Conditions prior to booking your spot. This includes information on payments, refund and cancellation policy, and more. Click here to read the Terms & Conditions.
I respectfully acknowledge that this gathering will take place on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. This area was originally called Nogojiwanong, Ojibwa for “place at the end of rapids”. We will gather near the shore of the Odenabe River, which was a gathering place for Indigenous people. Odenabe, or Otonabee, means the“river that beats like a heart”. I strive to learn to recognize my part in the ongoing history of colonization, and to understand how our community can work towards reconciliation, repair, and uplifting indigenous values and traditions.