Membership Information
We welcome singers, drummers, musicians, anyone with good energy to share. Persons from any life-affirming spiritual tradition are welcome. Nearly all of our rehearsals are considered open auditions.
Four Winds Earth Chorus is based in New York City, most of our Members are from here in the city, with a few from the surrounding Tri-state area. Although we have friends, allies and past members spread thoughout the Northeast.
Rehearsal meetings take place on a shifting schedule about 3-5 times a month. We diliberately work with a non-regular schedule, this allows for Members to meet regular commitments from their day to day lives. All of our members belong to different covens, circles, societies, attend evening classes, so we don't want to always be meeting on the same Members' "Bad Night." Members need not attend every meeting, but must meet an attendance requirement to be eligible to perform. Members may go from active to inactive status and back as their schedules permit.
There are no dues or membership fees, however Members contributute to the costs of operations. Since we are SO not-for-profit, we endeavor to keep operating costs under control. In the interests of maintaining the cooperative, we offer Chorus materials, songsheets, scripts, workshop materials, study tapes, etc. to Members roughly at cost.
We do expect you to study and work hard, and have fun! But you knew that already, didn't you!
Members are required to follow our Guidelines, mostly pertaining to our Mission, respect towards our materials and sources, and general conduct.
Read the Four Winds Member Guidelines
Membership Levels
While membership in a volunteer orgnaization is usually pretty informal, we generally recognize the following classes of Membership, mostly for organizational purposes.
As of September 21, 2000 we have made the following changes to Membership in Four Winds.
The Chorus shall be separated into two components.
• The Chorus at large, composed of all Members at any level.
• A Performance Unit, composed of the Members most skilled and suitable for upcoming Performance events. The composition of this group would change based on what projects the unit was working on.
For flexibility, we will divide rehearsals into a split schedule. This will reduce the time commitment some for all Members and allowing us to work on both basic skills and advanced material as we see fit without overwhelming some members and wasting others’ time.
Part of the conflicts we have had to ground have been the widening gap between the skill sets and abilities of the Senior members and the less experienced. This has cost us Members from both the top and the bottom over time. And the necessity to work on specific material for performance events has been at odds with developing a solid foundation of basic skills
We will also be separating Performance Events from Teachings, Bardic Circles, Workshops, Rituals and Ceremonies and ritual support. Things with hard-to -define categories we’ll figure out on a case-by-case basis.
How this may work may be like this...
The General Membership (Apprentice Circle?) will:
• Attend training rehearsals
• Workshops
• Rituals
• Ceremonies
• Bardic Circles
• Assist with performances as support personnel.The Performance Unit (Bard’s Circle? ) will:
• Attend advanced and event-specific rehearsals
• Attend training rehearsals as needed
• Teach and Train Apprentice Members.
• Workshops
• Rituals
• Ceremonies
• Bardic Circles
• Facilitate Events
• Recording ProjectsWho goes where? Let’s just say that the Bard’s Circle is going to start off as a very small group. We will be bringing additional Members into the unit by invitation as we go, most likely based on the needs of upcoming projects. And by the way, as suggested by the above, I expect Seniors to kick in with some of the work of training the apprentices and facilitating events. Also, I am thinking that New members may be asked to devote a year and a day of service and training before invitation to the Bard’s Circle.
Make no mistake, the upper tier will be more difficult and more work than the Chorus at large, and require more spiritual, bardic and musical dedication. Not to mention, with our comntinued use of rented rehearsal spaces, a greater financial commitment in a Member supported cooperative effort.
Active Members (Bard's Circle & Apprentice Circle )
are Members who are currently attending rehearsals and meetings. Some folk are very regular and make most dates, while others can attend intermittently. All are considered active.(see Semiactive below )Performing Members (Bard’s Circle)
are Active Members who have a level of ability, commitment and responsibility to qualify to appear on stage at performance events. These are the people who have made the personal commitment to study and can demonstrate superior ability with the material. Performing member status can vary from project-to-project and is subject to the consensus of the Current Bard's Circle of Peforming Members. Must ba an Active Member in good standing/Inactive Members
are people who may be taking time off from Chorus Activities or whose lives have moved them on, but still wish to be considered members. For instance, we currently have one former Active Member taking time off to pursue a greduate degree, and another is currently performing on the East Coast festival circuit.Semiactive Members
are people who unable to meet the attendance requirements of Active Members, can attend occasional evnets but still wish to be considered members. Such members also make an effort to mantain their skills and retain familiarilty with the Material.Bardic Initiates
are Members, usually Actives, who demonstrate a basic level of mastery of the material suficcient for them to carry the music beyond the comfortable confines of the chorus. This is a new program within the Chorus this year, and several Members are working trowards achiving this recognition. This is tougher than you think, candidates are judged by their peers, the other members of the Chorus! A Bardic Initialte has absorbed enough of this material to support ritual and ceremony with sacred song and chant, and demonstrate abilty to teach, create or apply the Bardic Arts.Read the requirements of the Bardic Initiates Recognition Program
These varying classes of membership makes it possible for people to participate in the activities of Four Winds at whatever level of commitment they are comfortable with. Our intention is to make the songs, chants and music available and accessible to any interested person. If you find yourself in the New York City area and the Bardic Path calls to you, check our schedule and please come check us out.
Contacting Four Winds
If you are interested in joining the chorus, bookings, workshops,
rehearsals & performances, or participating in any way, please contact:Kurt Griffith/Talking Stone, Choral Director
The best way to reach Four Winds on the net is by E-mail,
please send to: khgriffith@verizon.net