ABOUT THE FERTILE VOID PROJECT
The Fertile Void Project began in 2011, and creates immersive experiences blurring the boundaries between musical performance, sound healing, storytelling, engagement with participants, and ceremonial journey work, and includes a story-web podcast of the same name. We invite participants into the liminal realms where creativity is sparked, to traverse the range of human emotions, leaving people feeling soothed, renewed, and inspired.
Our latest explorations have focused on “The Community Heart Wash”, an ongoing series of events, a response to these challenging and chaotic times in which we are living. We all need ways to make space for the range of our emotions, internally, and in community, and find ways of coming closer to internal and communal coherence in order to feel our agency and hope in these times. We are inspired by the quote by Belgian chemist Ilya Prigogine: “When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order.” The Fertile Void hopes to foster these islands of coherence within each of us individually, and as groups that come together to stand firmly in this sea of chaos, with clarity about what is important…like trees whose root systems meet each other underground and provide support to one another.
The musical iteration is, at its core, Carrie Rose Katz on vocals, shruti box, ukelele, percussion and other sound-making objects, and Beth Vandervennet on cello and loop pedals. Rose and Beth have been performing together since 1996, formerly in the band Rosin Coven, "the Bay Area's Premiere Pagan Lounge Ensemble". The Fertile Void expands over time, rotating in various musicians so that our sound evolves to attune to the feel of a gathering.
Rose is a somatic, expressive arts, and ketamine psychotherapist and psychedelic integration guide in Berkeley, CA. She finds a major overlap between the therapy process, working with non-ordinary states of consciousness, and the realms of music, art, and theater, all of which invite seeing the self and the world through new eyes. Creating community and sharing in these experiences is her current passion. She has created these kinds of gatherings with Rosin Coven, in her work as a psychedelic guide, and Dreamhive Collective.
Beth is a member of the Oakland Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Marin Symphony, and former Principal Cellist in Vallejo and Stockton Symphonies. She bathes herself in a wonderful variety of music making: From Orchestral masterpieces to Squid Inc. Strings mashups, previously from original Pagan Lounge sounds of Rosin Coven, to traditional chamber music of the grand masters, and Dreamhive Collective gatherings. Beth is a committed teaching artist, program director, and community team player throughout Oakland & Berkeley. Beth is committed to being a creative Arts Advocate for music, making our lives a richer place to be.
The Community Heart Wash is different every time and bridges musical performance, interactive storytelling, and guided meditations, weaving in delights of the senses to bring you into your body and connect with the larger collective body so that you may come out the other side sparkling anew.
Our current incarnation includes the lush vocals of Sonya Brewer and Lieva Whitbeck, and Oscar Westesson on upright bass.
Sonya Brewer, MFT, is a somatic psychotherapist in Oakland, CA. Using body-based techniques including breathwork, bodywork and mindfulness, she loves helping trauma survivors feel more alive, connected and authentic so they can create the lives and relationships they truly want. Sonya has been singing as long as she can remember and believes deeply in the healing power of sound.
Lieva Whitbeck finds joy in solving problems by building beautiful spreadsheets, baking up a storm, crafting with her hands, and communing with her fruit trees. Singing is her oldest embodiment practice, and harmonizing with others is one of her favorite ways to connect.
Born to a largely un-musical family in southern Sweden, Oscar Westesson took up the string bass in his teen years much to the puzzlement of his parents. In the 25 years since, his musical travels have taken him to New York’s Carnegie Hall, Sichuan province in China, and the hills of West Virginia. Musical expression forms a prominent pillar in his life, along with climbing in the high sierra, doing science, and practicing Zen Buddhism.