CDSS Resource Portal: Singers & Song Leaders

Resources by Topic

This section includes a wide range of resources organized by topic.

A few highlights include:

• CDSS Starter Kit for Folk Song Organizers
• October 2019 Web Chat on Connecting Community Sing Organizers. Slides, recording with video, and Q&A responses are available.
• Also - take a look at the Dance Organizers section of the portal. There are resources on topics such as marketing or community safety that have been created by the dance community which can be modified and used in the song context. That is also where we have placed all of the resources relating to doing sound for dance, song, and music events.
• And - check out the Educators section of the portal if you work with school-aged participants. That section contains all the resources specifically designed for teachers/educators of traditional dance, music AND song.
• Reminder: The CDSS Online Store also carries a wide range of resources for singers and song leaders. View those resources here.

We are working to expand this section of the resource portal.

In January 2019, we asked some song organizers what they wanted to learn about. Here is what they said:

• Vision (e.g., mission and goals; why we do what we do; motivations)
• Community culture and vibe (e.g., how to make sessions inclusive and welcoming; what do inclusivity, accessibility, and community actually mean; how to lead by example in creating the culture you want to see)
• Singer ability, confidence and participation (e.g., how to support singers who lack confidence or experience; how to be supportive of people who may have issues around tuning and tone; managing singers who take more than their share of airtime; ability, fear, personalities, politics; how to satisfy different levels of trad song knowledge)
• Running/managing sessions (e.g., styles of facilitation; what makes a good facilitator; flow)
• Venues (e.g., what makes an ideal venue; how to communicate with venue managers.)
• Fundraising
• Launching a new event/community
• Growing/evolving your event/community
• Marketing (e.g., how to promote in ways that attract new participants)
• Advocacy/benefits of singing
• How to support intergenerational community building at song events (e.g., encouraging youth participants)
• Repertoire (e.g., setting norms for technology and lyric use; songs to pull people in and get them singing right away or otherwise carry a session; places to find songs; how to cultivate appropriate repertoire to make all singers feel welcome; how best to handle problematic or offensive songs)
• The tradition past and future (e.g., the history of social singing; how to keep the tradition alive and evolving)

Our goal is to have a wide range of resources on all of these topics. Your contributions are welcome!

Song Repertoire

This section of the Portal contains links to many of the best collections of traditional songs. You could get lost for days in these collections so grab a coffee or tea and dig in!

Also - the CDSS Online Store carries a wide range of song collections. View those resources here.

Online Discussions

Do you want to connect with other singers and song organizers right now? Then check out the following online groups. You can ask questions and get immediate responses from singers and organizers throughout North America and beyond. These online communities are full of supportive people who share similar interests with you.

In-Person Gatherings

There are many in-person networking and learning opportunities for both singers and song organizers. These types of events are a great way to be inspired, learn about new techniques that you might want to try, and gain answers to questions you may have.

Check out the regional/national gatherings below!

If you have an event to add, please email portal@cdss.org. Please note - events that are listed here need to to have a regional or national scope and include some level of training, preferably for song organizers. If you have a more local song event, you can submit it to our events calendar.

And - Consider organizing your own gathering for traditional song organizers. It could be as simple as a one-hour discussion as part of pre-existing event or as complex as a full-weekend conference. Here are some resources that the dance community has created which can help to get you started.

• How to Facilitate an Organizers Discussion: This resource not only provides a number of tips on how to facilitate a discussion but it also includes a how-to on including a session at a pre-existing event or creating your own day-long gathering.
• CDSS News article on how to include organizer discussions at regional events: A fantastic read for regional organizers of dance, music or song!
• Mastering the Art of Facilitation: A great resource on facilitation skills developed by Delia Clark (community & contra dance caller based in Vermont).
• A how-to on Impact/Feasibility Assessment as used at the Puttin’ On The Dance 2 conference.
• A how-to on Peer Feedback Circles as used at the Puttin’ On The Dance 2 conference.

CDSS offers grants for weekend workshops and more. Grants are usually between $250-$500. Get in touch with us at resources@cdss.org if you have an idea that needs a little financial support to make into a reality.

Other Resources

This section contains even more resources that may be of interest to traditional singers and song organizers.

Share your resources: Do you have a resource you think should be shared on The Portal? Fill out this easy form to let us know about it!