Join Moira and special guest local teacher Ruth Hoffecker for an afternoon of joyful, accessible singing & community building. Discover and develop flexibility within your own voice and range – both technically and artistically. Develop simple body percussion and movement as a natural part of your singing performance. Explore phrasing, ornaments, dissonance and timbre. Moira will lead warmups, musical games, and the singing of new and old folk songs in rich vocal harmony. The workshop is open to singers of all levels and ages.

Ruth Hoffecker, founder of the Ashland School of Uncovering the Voice, will join forces with Moira for an unforgettable and powerful journey into the mechanics of sound and how to get the best expression from your instrument – your body!

Tickets are sliding scale, $30-$75, in order to make the workshop accessible to all. Please give generously. 5% of your ticket price will go to supporting a humanitarian cause through Humanitix.

Moira’s Bio:

Moira Smiley is a Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and educator renowned for her mastery of the voice and ability to inspire singers of all levels. Moira is a celebrated educator, teaching at leading musical institutions and inspiring singers of all backgrounds. She’s published over 100 choral works that are sung by millions of singers worldwide. With a deep respect for the cultural roles of singing, Moira blends teaching, composing, and performing to empower communities and celebrate the transformative power of music.

Known for her rich voice and dynamic stage presence, Moira has collaborated with some of the most celebrated names in music, including Tune-Yards, Eric Whitacre, Chris Thile, Hilary Hahn, and Morten Lauridsen. As a member of Tune-Yards, she has performed on major platforms such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the UK’s Later… with Jools Holland. Recently, she performed & recorded for Chris Thile’s project ‘Attention!’ and Laurie Anderson’s ARK.

Ruth’s Bio:

Ruth Hoffecker has loved singing since birth, so the story goes. Growing up in a community that celebrated together the turning of the seasons through song, she remembers the ancient importance of singing in daily community life.

Ruth studied for 10 years with Master Teacher of The School of Uncovering the Voice Christiaan Boele. She emerged from that apprenticeship able to guide people back home to their voice and to the quiet within from which all sound begins.

In her teaching, Ruth seeks to reawaken the ancient memory of tending the Earth with our voices, singing to feed the changing seasons, and singing together as we move through life’s passages of birth, growth and death. She hopes to help people touch this deep memory: that we are the song and our voices are needed.

Ruth is the founder of the Ashland School of Uncovering the Voice in Ashland, OR, where she teaches singing to all ages and stages and leads community singing projects, workshops, and retreats.