About the Event
There’s nothing that brings people together better than singing our favorite songs. It recalls summer nights around the campfire: someone strumming the guitar and all singing a mix of folk music, familiar songs we heard on the radio, and occasional new songs that someone shares.
Join us the second Monday of the month for Song Circle at The Marsh, 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley, just steps from Downtown Berkeley BART.
Nobody has to worry about whether you know the songs or can sing like a pro. This is our chance to share the joy of singing simply for the fun of it.
Date and Time
SONG CIRCLE RETURNS THIS FALL!
Second Monday of the month | 7:30 p.m.
Sep 14 | Oct 12 | Nov 9 | Dec 14 | Jan 11 | Feb 8 | Mar 8 | Apr 12 | May 10 | Jun 14
Who should attend?
Everyone who wants to sing favorite songs and learn some new ones, too.
How should I prepare?
No preparation is required! Just join us for an hour of musical fun with friends.
Is there a cost?
Sliding scale: $10-$25
How do I attend?
Register HERE in advance – or just show up and get your ticket at the door.
Meet the Mentors
Cary Sheldon is a singer, songwriter, and beloved Berkeley voice teacher with 30 years’ worth of grateful students. She has been playing and teaching in the Bay Area for the last 40 years. Her love for R & B music led her to be part of Zazu Pitts Memorial Orchestra in the 1980’s. Other affiliations include The Henry Kaiser Band, The Henriettas (a recreation of DeZurick sisters, a popular country music duo from the 1940’s), who appeared on Prairie Home Companion, and most recently her band DanceChant, a joyful community-inspired R&B band that encourages audience participation. She continues to be inspired by her love of singing in community. “Singing together with others is one of the greatest joys in my life.” Now in her 60’s, she returns to influences from her early life. Her grade school music teachers included John Langstaff, creator of the Christmas Revels, and the repertoire was based on the American folk tradition, including old English ballads, spirituals, freedom songs, and the popular folk and protest songs of the 1960’s. She hopes to inspire others to explore the depth of this material and rediscover the joy of community singing.
Photo by Jeanette Yu
Guest Artists
Song Circle features a rotating crew of wonderful Guest Artists who join Cary (and sometimes even take over for a session).
All our guest artists bring their expertise and love of community to inspire us to join together in singing. We explore multiple genres and styles, all grounded in creating an hour of fun in song.
Check out some of our past (and returning) guest artists!
Upcoming Song Circles
On DECEMBER 14 join Cary and friends Kathy Kennedy & Randy Craig for a special holiday sing-along!
Kathy Kennedy has been singing professionally in the Bay Area for over 20 years with groups like The Charmers, the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra, and later Big Bang Beat. She has performed at resorts all over the world in Hawaii, Europe, Istanbul and the Caribbean. Kathy has also performed as a back-up singer with many big names over the years. As part of an in-house band, she sang with Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes), Barbara Lewis, Eddie Money, Bill Spooner (The Tubes) and also with The Wrecking Crew, featuring Hal Blane and Al Jardine (The Beach Boys). She also toured with Mickey Thomas Starship, singing lead on Grace Slick’s “White Rabbit” and “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now.” She currently sings Motown classics and buried song treasures with The Soul Delights, and is consistently in demand to perform at parties and events with a wide variety of Bay area bands.
A Marsh regular and popular favorite, Randy Craig has been delighting bay area music lovers for decades.
Randy is a founding member of Pickle Family Circus, and of San Francisco Make*A*Circus. He’s been an Academy Award nominee and has won an OBIE, a Bay Area Criitcs’ Circle Award, and is a two-time winner of Best of San Francisco Fringe.
He’s performed in most of the United States, including Alaska, and internationally in Germany, Denmark, London, and Istanbul.
He has scored “too many shows!” including “One of the ten best shows of the year” (SF Chronicle theatre critic Rob Hurwitt) “Scapin” with MacArthur Award winner and clown supreme Bill Irwin.
We’re taking a break in January but we’ll be back on February 8 with another fun Song Circle for you!
Workshop Materials
Access song lyrics at the Song Bank
THE SONG BANK is where we stash the song lyrics for our sing-alongs. And we’re adding new songs all the time.
We might not get to all of them, we might bring in some others.
Note that sometimes the key of the recording on YouTube is different from what we will sing together. This is because not all these recordings are in keys that are ideal for all voice parts, and we want everyone to be able to join in.
Songs for the upcoming session: December 14
Specialty genre: Broadway & Showtunes
Specialty genre: Holiday Songs & Carols
Visit the Archive from AMN’s Virtual Song Circle, 2023-2025
Song Circle began as a virtual sing-along during the pandemic. Hosted by Cary Sheldon from her home in Berkeley, Song Circle invited participants stuck in their homes from near and far. It was a nourishing affirmation of the power of raising our voices together even when we were forced to be physically apart.
Thank you to our partner!
