a song can safely hold us …
WHO ARE WE?
The Singing Soulutions program was created by Kath Fathers, board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) and licensed creative arts therapist (LCAT). Kath has 20 years of experience as a music therapist and has been witness to the power of music to connect with our emotions and to hold us in safety as we engage in process. Exciting new approaches within the field of therapy (e.g. Polyvagal theory) locate trauma as being held in the body rather than in our heads. The Singing Soulutions approach of free body, free breath, free voice activates the vagus(vagal) nerve, which calms our nervous system and enhances our sense of wellbeing. Polyvagal Theory is summarized in this way: “How safe we feel is crucial to our physical and mental health and happiness”, and this theory aligns with the approach of our singing groups, where we aim to wrap a ‘feeling of safety’ in music - to develop fun daily practices and resource individuals and communities.
Singing offers us a sense of belonging within a world where many of us feel excluded.
Our Mission
To celebrate and develop singing together for our health and collective wellbeing, with a focus on inclusive and embodied music strategies to nurture healing, belonging, solace, relational and spiritual connection, and fun!
Our Values
ROBUST WELCOMING & CARE FOR ALL
FREEING THE BODY, BREATH & VOICE
pROMOTING WELLNESS THROUGH MUSIC
nURTURING INTERCONNECTED COMMUNITY
SLOWING DOWN
Not-for-profit
We are a not-for-profit organization that seeks to embrace the music that is everywhere, to support each person to locate their own music, and then use it to nurture a healthful mind, body and soul.
We recognize that music is a gift that gives the more we are able to engage with it! - and we are excited to explore all the many ways we can exercise our bodies, our breath, and our voice for our own health and within community.
MEET THE TEAM
Leadership
eXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Christie is a social impact & strategy consultant based in New York City. After spending many years clerking to judges of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and community building through global impact projects & advocacy, she found Singing Soulutions to be a salve to many ills in the global development and civil service worlds. For her, Singing is Personal and Community starts Local.
A trained Singing Leader with two years of service on the Singing Soulutions Board of Directors, Christie is excited to lead Singing Soulutions in this new chapter of growth and steadfast resistance!
Christie loves teaching and practicing yoga, making kombucha and singing, of course!
CHRISTIE BORELY
SHE/ HER
Our Founder
Kath is a Welsh singer/songwriter and musician who trained and first practiced music therapy in the UK before moving to Syracuse in 2014. She is inspired by the uniqueness of each individual and passionate about the transforming power of music to offer a voice to the voiceless and a connection for those feeling isolated.
Born in Wales and therefore coming from a very small nation with a minority language, she understands both the challenges and the value of ensuring that every voice is heard, however small.
Kath is really excited to establish this singing program in Syracuse, as a gift from her home nation, which is known as ‘the land of song!’.
KATH FATHERS
SHE/ THEY
SINGING LEADERS
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KATH FATHERS
SHE/THEY
“Come and join us - with your laughter and your tears!”
Kath is a Welsh singer/songwriter and musician who is passionate about the transforming power of music to offer a voice to the voiceless.
Kath established this singing program in Syracuse, as a gift from her home nation, which is known as ‘the land of song!’.
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JONDRA HARMON
SHE/THEY
Jondra is a creative, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, community builder, and founder of Nurwood, a BIPOC, queer gathering space in Ithaca, NY. Her work centers the stories of Black and queer ancestors, shared through voice, memory, and sound. Through over 15 years on stages and in classrooms, she blends performance, pedagogy, and storytelling. In concert halls, community spaces, and intimate settings, she brings a voice grounded in connection, and truth.
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ALISON MULLAN-STOUT
SHE/THEY
“If every space incorporated movement, breath, and singing, we’d all feel calmer, more connected, and more alive!”
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TIESHA MCNEAL
SHE/HER
"Singing Soulutions joyfully reconnects you with your inner child through music."
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ZOË MULLAN-STOUT
SHE/HER
Zoë Mullan-Stout is an Irish-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who lives and performs CNY. She has often been seen performing with the sister harmony duo, Alison and Zoë. Zoë is a trained Montessori teacher and offers private guitar, ukulele, and songwriting lessons. She’s currently working on her Master’s in Music Ed at Syracuse University.
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JULIANNA WRYCZA-SABOL
SHE/HER
JULIANNA WRYCZA-SABOL, DMA (soprano) has enjoyed a long career as a singer, voice teacher, and voice faculty in Setnor School of Music’s Voice Dept. at Syracuse University. She has based her teaching on creating a safe place for students to experiment and discover their strengths while, developing their innate abilities.
BEHIND THE SCENES CREW
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THEY/ FAE/ SHE
MARKETING & MEDIA
"It's music that nourishes our souls and heals our hearts. What an honour to help people share in community and song!"
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THEY/THEM
ADMIN & MARKETING
"I believe that music should be accessible to everyone, and I am thrilled to be a part of this journey of growth."
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SHE/THEY
MARKETING & OUTREACH
“If every space incorporated movement, breath, and singing, we’d all feel calmer, more connected, and more alive!”