Singing Mamas
NOURISH | CONNECT | RECHARGE
Thursday mornings, 10:00-11:30 am
Spring Series: April 18th - June 20th, 2024
Mark Street United Church
90 Hunter Street East, Peterborough
Join our weekly singing group to sing songs that will nourish your soul and uplift your spirit. We will learn gorgeous, simple harmony songs by ear. No sheet music, no pressure, no need to be a "good" singer, and no singing experience is required.
Women of all ages welcome. With or without kids.
Tea and cake included.
Tuition & Registration Options
$160 for 10-week series
$80 for 5-week block
$18 for drop-ins
Children are free
Tea and cake included
Pre-registration is required
Scholarships and sliding scale available
Spring registration is now open! Join us for the 10-week series, or you can register as a drop-in to give it a try. This season, we are also offering a 5-week option, for those who want to try out the first half of the series. Either way, pre-registration is required.
If you’d like to sign up for the series after we’ve begun, that is absolutely welcome. I will pro-rate your registration for the remaining weeks.
Sliding scale and scholarship spots are available, and nobody is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Please contact Mila if you would like to learn more about these opportunities: mila@singforjoy.ca.
At Singing Mamas, you will…
Build confidence in your voice in a supportive and empowering space
Exercise your body and mind through the practice of oral-tradition group singing
Learn joyful, diverse, easy-to-memorize songs that you can take home and weave into your daily life
Connect with a community of women who support and celebrate your gifts
Release the stress of your busy life and work week
Nourish yourself, and fill up the well that feeds you
What is Singing Mamas?
Singing Mamas is a global movement and non-profit founded in England, made up of midwives, nurses, musicians, teachers, doulas, mothers and community workers who are all committed to improving the wellbeing of women through singing. Founded by Kate Valentine, a registered nurse, Singing Mamas is rooted in clinically proven, scientific research showing that group-singing improves mental health, boosts our mood, and reduces symptoms of postpartum depression faster than the usual forms of treatment.
With over 100 singing groups globally, Singing Mamas is spreading far and wide, delivering singing groups to thousands of women. Our group in Peterborough will be Canada’s first Singing Mamas group! To learn more about this incredible organization, visit: www.singingmamas.org.
Why is Mila leading Singing Mamas in Peterborough?
As the Founder of Sing for Joy in Toronto, I was fortunate to lead Song Circles there for five years before I became a Mother. In that time, I saw firsthand the incredible impact of our Song Circles on the wellbeing of Mothers and Women. As a new Mom during the pandemic, singing groups were shut down and I yearned for a group like Singing Mamas where I could go every week and be in nourishing community with other women. A place where I could sing, connect, recharge, and find a sense of belonging in my new role as Mom. During this time of isolation, I discovered Singing Mamas online and was so inspired by their work. It awakened a deep passion within me to create something like this here at home, so I traveled to England in the summer of 2022 to take the Singing Mamas leadership training. I am absolutely thrilled to bring Singing Mamas home to share with you all.
Location of our Group: Mark Street United Church
Mark Street United Church is also known as “Friendship House”. This warm and welcoming church is located in the East City neighbourhood of Peterborough, on Hunter street. We’ll sing in the main meeting room called “Friendship Hall”, that has lots of windows for natural lighting, good ventilation, wheelchair access, washrooms, kitchen, and fabulous acoustics. The church has a large parking lot, and also a bus stop out front.
Testimonials
“Singing Mamas has been an amazing addition to my week - and one that I am truly grateful for. I have loved meeting other women in the community and coming together to sing beautiful, soulful and seasonal songs together. Mila creates such a welcoming environment and picks songs that soothe the heart. I would recommend Singing Mamas to anyone!” – Megan Nimigon
“Mila holds some serious song magic, and has a beautiful ability of weaving song, playfulness, and deep meaning into her song circles and workshops. These moments of group singing are cherished, and feed my soul in ways that are palpable for days after. Singing in this way has helped me to feel ever-more confident in my own voice and ability to share songs.” – Sammy Tangir
“Singing with Mila has changed my life. It has helped me to overcome my fear of singing out loud. Her loving and warm approach is deeply healing for the spirit and I feel so free when I am singing in a circle with her. I always leave her song circles feeling lighter and full of confidence.” – Edane Tobias
“Thank you a thousand times for creating a space where I felt safe, seen, heard, honoured, respected and valued. I felt that I belonged in the most beautiful way in the circle of women that you invited on this journey. Every song resonated in its own unique way and felt like a balm to a different part of my soul, one I did not even realize needed soothing.” – Sacha Salenik
“Mila draws you in with authenticity and opens you up with her joy. Then, you remember parts of who you really are, and you come home to yourself. Connection and healing happen in the safe, thoughtful, exuberant song-scape that Mila creates. As she moves our group, I experience myself as an essential part of an essential whole, and I know that singing is everyone’s birthright.” – Sarah Vandenberg
“Singing with Mila changed my life. Learning to sing with her group was a waking-up kind of experience. It felt like breathing. I now know that I'm going to be singing for the rest of my days.” – Parker Glynn-Adey
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never sung in a group before. Is this okay?
Yes, absolutely. Our songs are learned by ear, in the oral tradition of call-and-response. Simply, this means repeat after me! No singing experience is required whatsoever.
What are we going to sing?
At Singing Mamas, we sing songs that will fill up your cup. Songs that were made to nourish your soul, uplift your spirit, and offer a good helping hand to move through this journey of life. These "don't make me think" songs get us out of our minds and into our bodies, so that we can experience more deeply the beauty and power of singing together.
Can I come if I don’t have kids?
Yes! Our core focus is on empowering womens’ wellbeing through community singing. This includes all people who identify as women, whether you have kids or not. Singing Mamas is inclusive of all those with lived experience as a woman, including non-binary & gender fluid folks who feel comfortable in a woman-centred space.
How should I prepare for our sessions?
There is no need to prepare, practice, or rehearse anything! Just come as you are. Please know that you are welcome however you are – tired and weary, fully ablaze in your brilliance, or anywhere in between.
How are you dealing with covid, colds, and flus?
In an effort to keep everyone healthy, we ask that you stay home if you or your children are sick, or have tested positive for covid in the five days before, or have had an exposure with someone who has tested positive in the past five days.
The room that we will sing in is equipped with an air filter and windows that open for ventilation.
Masking is optional and welcome. For the purpose of creating a nourishing singing experience, Mila will not be wearing a mask.
As we continue to navigate these post-pandemic times, I warmly encourage everyone to check in with each other before hugging, hand shakes, and even close-talking. We all come with different comfort levels, and I trust that we can navigate this terrain together throughout our song circles.
I am on a fixed income. Am I still able to participate?
We are holding a few spots each season for sliding scale and scholarships. Please contact Mila if you would like to learn more about these opportunities: mila@singforjoy.ca.
Will there be snacks?
A very important question indeed! Yes, we will have a cake or some muffins for the group each week, as well as a warm cuppa tea for all. If you have specific dietary requirements, we will do our best to accommodate them.