Cari Burdett has devoted over 40 years to the study and practice of voice. Her path has always followed a single, unwavering thread—rooted in her breath, bones, and blood—woven through with voice, nature connection, and ceremony. She holds a Bachelor of Music from McGill University and a Master’s degree in Opera from the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Alongside her classical foundation, she has spent the past 30 years immersed in vocal improvisation, studying with master teachers including Rhiannon (Vocal River) and Par Alhbom of Sweden (Intuitive Pedagogy).

Cari’s training and embodied learning span multiple disciplines: two decades of Way of Council practice and facilitation; pre- and perinatal trauma training with Myrna Martin; choir leadership and vocal pedagogy; and certification as a CCLT (Certified Council Leader Trainer). For over 20 years, she has led community choirs, including 15 years with a Threshold Choir, and has organized countless singing events, concerts, and fundraisers in service of healing, belonging, and cultural renewal.

She is deeply engaged in One Heart One Mind – Naat sa maht Squluwun in the Quw’utsun Valley, where she works closely with local Elders. Together, they offer song circles, storytelling gatherings, workshops, and ceremonies that honour ancestral wisdom and support intergenerational healing. Her work is grounded in the knowing that singing is our birthright—a vital part of healthy village life, alongside dance, silence, nature, and story.

Cari is also deeply rooted in the soil—literally. She is a mother of three beautiful children and a steward of a vibrant piece of land where she grows food, hosts events, and tends the rhythms of life in community. Over the past 20 years, she and her family have welcomed more than 2000 guests from around the world to their farm—whether to sing in choirs, work the land, gather in ceremony, or join parent-and-child music programs. It is here, in the everyday cycles of soil, song, and shared meals, that Cari’s work is most alive.

Her practice is steeped in Deep Nature Connection, with training in the 8 Shields model and Coyote Mentoring, and she brings a strong focus to rites of passage—supporting youth, women in menopause, and those called into deeper service. Her life is lived in service to the whole: in reverence for the Earth, in collaboration with community, and in honour of the ancestors and the generations yet to come.

Cari is also an award-winning recording artist. Her first album, Magnolia, received national recognition for its artistry and emotional depth. Her forthcoming album of original songs, Where Is Love, will be released in November 2025.

At the core of everything Cari offers—whether in voice, silence, ceremony, or song—is an invitation to return to what matters most: to listen deeply, live rooted in truth, and remember the ancient, alive song that sings through us all.