Do you like to sing? Are you looking for a place to use your voice and connect with other people in creating something special and beautiful?

Kinship Singers is a non-auditioned, SATB community ensemble based in Damascus, MD, that sings in a broad variety of musical styles and genres. The group started meeting in January 2024 and grew to about 50 members by the close of its inaugural season. We are committed to growing and representing the demographics of our community in our membership and programming. 

Kinship Singers is open to any singer who is ready to invest their time and energy, joyfully embrace the creative process, and join fellow artists in establishing a space of acceptance, support, and astounding musicality.

There is a place for you in the Kinship Singers if you'd like to join us (and can get to Damascus, Maryland) - we have some folks who learn by ear and some who read music, and we all work together to figure it out!

Kinship Singers meet throughout the year, and participation is welcome annually or by individual session.

Kinship Singers does not currently have its own facility, but we establish residencies for rehearsal and performance in local churches, schools, and community spaces.

Rehearsals are Monday nights at 7:30 pm when Kinship Singers are in session and preparing for concerts. Rehearsals are filled with voice instruction, stylistic coaching, music and cultural history, and motivational meditations.

Singers may join the group for a single concert session or for an entire season as performance members or rehearsal only members, depending on their schedules and intent. Rehearsal only members attend the practices until preparation shifts from learning mode into polishing mode, approximately 3 weeks before the concert.

Singers support the group in a variety of ways, including musical leadership, financial contributions, outreach, and audience development. A music rental fee of $50 is suggested per person for each concert project

Kinship Singers present concerts as an outreach to our community

• Kinship Singers Signature Concerts are intentionally crafted around a theme to share new repertoire and highlight our featured collaborators. The concerts tell a story, invite reflection, and create opportunities for the audience to be part of the singing. Our signature concerts are about an hour and 15 minutes in total, with no intermission. They may include a reception afterward. Signature concerts are made possible by the generosity of our supporters.

Kinship Singers is committed to making a positive impact in our local and extended community by focusing on these priorities:

• Engaging with the community is a priority, and Kinship Singers rehearses and performs in different local spaces as a way of establishing community support, capitalizing on the resources present in our neighborhood, and highlighting the character of local spaces and organizations. 

• Kinship Singers prioritizes the sustainability of artistic and educational programming. We work to pay an equitable wage and/or provide non-monetary benefits for the director, collaborating musicians, ensemble members, and community partners. 

• Kinship Singers seeks to celebrate the giftedness and uniqueness of its membership, giving leadership opportunities to varied people within the organization based on their willingness to communicate their desires and step up to share. Feedback from group members is regularly sought to steer decisions about programming, leadership, communication, and other organizational matters.  

• Kinship Singers share secular and sacred music and spoken recitations with a goal of honoring people, their traditions, and their lived experiences. We share historical context as part of our efforts to respectfully illuminate places of both uniqueness and commonality in musical, philosophical, and cultural expressions to uplift our shared humanity.

• Kinship Singers is established and organized under the banner of Giving Voice Project. A priority for the organization is establishing practices that will allow the Kinship Singers to thrive into the future and establish a broad base of leadership and support.