"Thank you so much for conducting the Vocal Play workshop at the 2008 Speak Out! Conference for Young Women. It was easy to pick up on the positive energy of your session from where I peeked in from the hallway. (I couldn't resist belting out a few rounds of the Happy Birthday Round myself!)
"I am certain that you introduced many students that day to new ways of using and thinking about their voices. The evaluation forms for the session were overwhelmingly positive. I hope that in the fall we get a group of young women together regularly to explore the interaction of voice, confidence and healing. You are more than welcome to use the Commission's conference room as a meeting space. I would also be happy to talk more about ways we can enlist volunteers to recruit new voices for a girls' high school chorus.
"Karleena, I personally enjoyed meeting you, and very much appreciate your sharing your time and expertise with our participants. You have much to offer our community's young people, and I look forward to working together in the future—and attending one of the Tucson Women's Chorus performances!"
"I have always had trouble singing. In the glee club I could not really carry a tune even with people next to me. Yet lately I wanted to see if I could learn. After joining the Tucson Women's Chorus and having a couple of individual Natural Voice sessions with Karleena, I have been able to not only learn to sing the right notes but also to sing the melody while Karleena sings the harmony. As a result of having the experience of hearing the beauty of the harmony and being able to hold my own part, I cried. I never thought I would be able to sing successfully in a chorus setting, let alone all by myself. Now I have a deeper appreciation of why people love so much to sing in a group. Training and practice are so key!"
"The Natural Voice Workshop is not really about singing; it is about getting in touch with yourself through words and song. This workshop is designed to touch your soul and let it reveal your true character in a safe environment. Karleena's gentle way of having each participant find their inner self is a remarkable way to induce self reflection and personal growth. Believe in your own personal worth and there is nothing that will stand in your way.
"It's not the song per se; it's the music of the soul. Once the soul is set free from its past, the real meaning of freedom is experienced and lingers long after the workshop is over.
"As I have said before, you are a remarkable woman. Thank you for sharing yourself."
"My day spent with you and the others in your chorus where we explored our natural voices has been one of my favorite days that I've had in a long time. Not only did I learn about my voice, but I learned about breathing and being with people and taking risks and energy and what tones can do for us. Watching the water droplets dance in the crystal bowl was something I had to see to believe. Being surrounded by warm tones while everyone sang to me and through me and around me and over me was such an invigorating and healing experience. Singing my own little song and having others follow, and learning not to be shy and laughing from the heart--these were all things I did that day. The workshop nourished me from the inside out . . . and here I was so used to feeding myself from the outside in. We came together as single voices and by the end of the day, we were a single voice. I hope that more singers get to do what I got to do--it was the perfect gift to myself to learn more about my own tone, my own song, my own natural voice. That day and my voice have stayed with me. Thanks, Karleena!"
"I was amazed at the fact that, first of all, I could sing for eight hours. I have never done that before, but with all the warming up and exercising of my voice through various sound exercises and body movements, I found a new depth and resonance that I have not previously experienced before with my voice. The workshop allowed me to let go of whatever barriers I was holding on to about my voice. The wonderful experience I had that day is still with me! I want to sing whenever possible as this sound just wants to come out of my mouth! Thanks to Karleena Ravenwood and The Natural Voice Workshop for bringing out my very own natural and beautiful sound."
"While walking today I started tuning into and with the sounds around me. Tuning into the birds, the cadence of my own walk, the panting of my dog, I found myself singing them all and recognized this as an outcome of your wonderful day-long Natural Voice Workshop. I really enjoyed all the different things we did that day. My favorite was when each of us took a turn in the center of a toning circle. How very healing to be enveloped in that human sound chamber, to be surrounded by the naturally unified sound of the Natural Voice coming through the rest of the participants."
"I can't believe the good fortune I've had meeting you, participating in Tucson Women's Chorus and The Natural Voice Workshop last fall, and being able to finally see beyond my own little privately created space. I'm glad that others seem to feel the same way about the impact you (yes YOU) have had on each of us. As I read this from Pat [the above testimonial], I can just see her walking along and doing exactly what is written; perhaps with a little dance step here and there as well. Shingaway...I can still feel the reverberations."
Email: ravenwoodk@mac.com