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December News at Lila Music and Nature Centre
Hello friends,
Wow, what an immense privilege it is to be alive and breathing fresh air, to watch the sun rise through the moss laden dogwoods, to walk amongst cedar, fern, maple and to hear the redwing blackbird sing on a sunset walk with my son. We are surrounded by so much beauty here. I send prayers everyday to those suffering, the lonely, orphans, elderly, sick, lost and I pray for their health and happiness. In these days, with the ability to get drowned in sorrow, I also invite you to hold both the grief and gratitude for what is alive around and in you.
For anyone struggling and not able to afford a ticket to the Winter Solstice Concerts and would like to join us, please reach out to me directly by replying to this email. We also have volunteer positions available for help with the shows, tickets, concession, assistance, clean up and prep.
I have always held my word to […Read More]
November News at Lila Music and Nature Centre
Hello community,
After a full and warming summer, I’m enjoying the autumnal activities as the Lila programs settle into a rhythm and tempo. It is so good to connect through the choir and nature programs, as we delve into the darkest days, and take comfort and warmth from being creative together, as the days continue to get shorter. I feel blessed and grateful to be able to share in all the ways that we do.
To honour our inner light, we are thrilled to once again join together to celebrate the sun’s return with our 9th Annual Winter Solstice Concert. We have two shows in Duncan and one show in Victoria (more info below). Our friends Anne Schaefer, Kim June Johnson, Adrian Dolan, Quin Etheridge-Pedden, Scott White and myself, will be sharing our musical offerings during these two darkest nights of the year, honouring our ancestors and celebrating bringing the light back in. We are excited to share with you harmonies, strings, original compositions, Roma, Celtic and French Canadian songs, together with some classics to warm your hearts. We have a special Early Bird Price Ticket available ONLY in NOVEMBER.
The Fire Within, a 5 month women’s offering, which together with Stephanie Mackay, we just completed our final gathering last weekend. What a wonderful gathering of women. We sat in circle, sang, crafted and dove into the mysteries held within myth. We launched this series to explore the deeper meaning of what it means to be a woman entering the Crone phase of life. With the myth of Persephone as our guide, and nature as our teacher, incorporating song and ceremony, we took a deep dive witnessing each other, and awakening new […Read More]
October News at Lila Music and Nature Centre
Welcome autumn!
What a vibrant, dynamic, full hearted, creative month September was, with much harvesting and canning, wonderful guests sharing their gifts, new kittens scampering around, and Lila Centre starting up its offerings of vocal and nature programs. I’ve so enjoyed welcoming back everyone as well as meeting new families and making new friends.
I also journeyed to Seattle to experience the healing power of community singing and ceremony. It lifted my spirits so much, and reminded me as to why I do what I do. With that in mind, I am excited to share that we will be bringing back the much loved Parent and Child Music Program this October, after a 5 year hiatus. This Waldorf inspired program previously ran for 14 years and a lot of past participants found it was a great way for them to connect regularly with other parents, and many of the now grown children say they still remember the songs that we all sang together. It just feels right to start again. Here’s an excerpt from my blog which explains what it is all about:
“There are many benefits for parents and young children […Read more]
September Happenings & Courses for the School Year at Lila
Blessings to you all,
Summer is drawing to a close with the elderberries ripening, the peaches falling …asking to be tended to, along with the apples, plums and the growing pumpkins… the river is a little cooler and the golden leaves are starting to cover the earth. The shifting of the season brings change, and with it, a shift in the ways in which we are in the world.
The change from summer to fall often stirs up questions inside of me. Did I allow for enough play this summer? Did I eat from the fruits and veg on my land? Am I planting a winter garden? Did I tend to my heart and home this summer and how does this prepare me for winter? Where am I in the bigger cycle of my life? […Read more]
Cari is a seasoned vocalist and music educator with a profound dedication to the transformative power of voice and song. Holding a Bachelor of Music in Performance Voice from McGill University and a Master of Music in Performance Voice and Opera from the London Royal Academy of Music, Cari is fluent in English, French, Swedish, and Italian, with the ability to sing in Russian, Spanish, German, and more.
With over 30 years of training in vocal improvisation under the guidance of Rhiannon, including an intensive year-long training program, Cari has honed a unique approach to voice as a tool for personal and community transformation. She has further enriched her practice under the guidance of Shivon Robinson and Dennis Donnelly in the first Community Choir Leadership Training in Victoria, BC.
Her commitment to the power of music in community building is evident in her involvement with the Ubuntu Song Network and her dedication to offering song and community choir to local non-profits, vigils, and community needs. Cari is also deeply invested in village making, rites of passage, and deep nature connection, working closely with local Indigenous Elders to honor the sacred unseeded lands she inhabits.
In addition to her work as a voice teacher at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and Camosun College’s Post-Graduate programs, Cari has completed extensive sound healing training and has a strong foundation in Waldorf pedagogy, having taught music from grades 1 to 12 at Sunrise Waldorf School. Her Master’s thesis explored the importance of music, improvisation and play in the healthy development of children as inspired by her mentor Par Ahlbom, Jarna Sweden, where she lived for fours years to study and work with him and his specialized Waldorf School “Solvik”.
Cari’s dedication to vocal arts extends beyond education; she is an award-winning recording artist, with her CD *Magnolia* and successful music tours receiving critical acclaim. Her work includes threshold singing in hospices, hospitals, and homes for over 12 years, bringing comfort and peace through song. Cari’s artistic journey also includes three music residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, further solidifying her place as a dynamic force in the world of vocal music.
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Cari Burdett and The Lila Music & Nature Center respectfully acknowledge that we operate on unceded territory within the ancestral and unceded traditional lands of the Quw’utsun, Malahat, Ts’uubaa-asatx, Halalt, Penelakut, Stz’uminus, Lyackson, Pauquachin, Ditidaht & Pacheedaht Peoples.
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