Crane School of Music to Host Community Circlesong Residency with Guest Vocalists Joey Blake and David Worm

SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music Hosts Legendary Vocal Artists for Circlesong Workshops, Free Concert for Campus and Community from Sept. 18 to 20

Potsdam, NY (09/15/2025) — SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will host a Crane Community Circlesong Residency featuring two renowned guest artists from Thursday, Sept. 18 to Saturday, Sept. 20. The transformative three-day musical experience will be led by guest artists Joey Blake and David Worm -- long-time collaborators of the Grammy Award-winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin.

"With support of LoKo Arts funding, and in collaboration with the St. Lawrence County Music Teachers Association, it is an honor to gather and sing together as a musical community with these world-class artists," said event organizer Dr. Tracy Lipke-Perry, chair of the Department of Music Education.

The goal of circlesongs is to create a collective musical experience that is both creative and transcendent, with each singer contributing their own voice and energy to the group. The improvisational singing technique was developed by American vocalist, conductor and composer, Bobby McFerrin, known for his unique vocal techniques and ability to blend multiple genres of music. Blake and Worm, both long-time collaborators and accomplished singers in their own, right will lead an array of immersive musical events during their residency, culminating in a free concert.

Crane Community Circlesong Residency

• Thursday, Sept. 18: Workshops with Crane School of Music choral ensembles and vocal practica will be held throughout the day.
• Friday, Sept. 19: Local high school students will take part in a workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The guest artists will work with the Hosmer Choir beginning at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Two free community workshops will be held. The first will focus on sacred music, from 8 to 10 a.m., and the second session will focus on secular music, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Blake and Worm will also lead a workshop especially for Crane a cappella groups, from 2 to 4 p.m. That evening, they will present a guest artist concert at 7:30 p.m.

The public workshops and the culminating concert will all be held in the Performing Arts Center, in the Proscenium Theater.

Registration for the public workshops is now open online. To register for either session, visit https://forms.office.com/r/qH0QLD0AGC. Please note that the community workshops are for singers age 18 and older.

Blake and Worm were founding members of McFerrin's Voicestra, and will lead a series of workshops and performances designed to engage students, educators and the wider community in the art of circlesongs. Circlesongs is an immersion in sound, creativity and community. It is a group singing technique that involves creating music through improvisation and collaboration, challenging all participants to play, sing, invent, imagine and explore.

Circlesongs involves creating spontaneous vocal compositions in a group setting, often in a circle or semicircle, with each individual contributing through call and response, with one person leading the group, by singing a musical phrase and the other singers responding with their own unique vocalizations and variations. The music created can vary widely in style, from jazz and world music influences, to contemporary and experimental sounds.

About the guest artists:

Joey Blake is a gifted performer, recording artist, producer and recording engineer. He teaches vocal improvisation and ensemble development at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he also produces emerging artists nationally.

David Worm performs and records with his band, Glass House, as well as with SoVoSo', Left Hook and The Miribai Ensemble. He also composes for Bay Area dance companies, including Robert Moses' Kin, Stanford Lively Arts, Project Bandaloop and Axis Dance, as well as scoring for film.

To learn more about other upcoming events at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, visit www.potsdam.edu/cranelive.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution and was one of the first Yamaha Institutions of Excellence. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

###

Media Attachments