Vocal Voyage

A Playful Container of Self-Exploration through Voice and Sound

Inaugural Vermont Edition

Saturday, June 27 – Sunday, June 28

*Please note that this is a personal invitation to you. While word of mouth is welcome and encouraged, I ask that you please have a conversation with me before sharing. Thank you for your consideration and understanding.*

Hello and welcome! A quick introduction for any newcomers –

The Vocal Voyage is a specific offering that I have been developing since 2021 as an intentional container to explore one’s inner world. Three-time participant Frederik succinctly summarizes the Voyage as, “An invitation to a magical journey unlike anything else. This feels like an ancient practice: to gather for spontaneous song and sound and enter a sacred place to connect with the soul, the group, and with the cosmos.” (full quote below)

While I have been exploring altered states of awareness – using breathwork, overtone instruments, voice, meditation, movement, and the wisdom of plants – in facilitated containers for the past decade, the Vocal Voyage has become one of my absolute favorite spaces to play in. I feel myself to be a steward of this practice and it is with great joy that I offer it in Vermont for the first time.

On this page, I will endeavor to communicate the ethos of the Voyage and some practical details. However, the truth is that it really must be experienced first-hand. In the Voices of Voyagers section, you will find some reflections from past participants to offer additional perspectives and insights.

And now, I welcome you to the Vocal Voyage!

What is the Vocal Voyage?

Throughout the Voyage, the voice is the ocean in which we sail, the air that we breathe, and your tool for navigation – all at the same time. We will be using our voices… A LOT! Sounding, singing, speaking (in invented language), and subliming in silence. At times we will also weave in overtone-rich instruments to support the vocal practice.

At its core, the Vocal Voyage is a nexus of creative inspiration and an opportunity to:

• • Practice trusting your own inner wisdom and guidance
  • Rediscover aspects of yourself that may currently be hidden
  • Embody your authentic expression
  • Allow all of your emotions and feelings to be present and welcome
  • Meet and alchemize old narratives you may have around yourself and your self expression
  • Step into a playful sandbox with fellow travelers
  • Celebrate the wonders of your voice
  • Listen and be heard
  • Experiment!

No singing experience required! Whether you are excited or nervous at the prospect of using your voice, you are welcome.

If you’re interest is piqued, read on…

What is the Vocal Voyage?

Throughout the Voyage, the voice is the ocean in which we sail, the air that we breathe, and your tool for navigation – all at the same time. We will be using our voices… A LOT! Sounding, singing, speaking (in invented language), and subliming in silence. At times we will also weave in overtone-rich instruments to support the vocal practice.

At its core, the Vocal Voyage is a nexus of creative inspiration and an opportunity to:

• Practice trusting your own inner wisdom and guidance
• Rediscover aspects of yourself that may currently be hidden
• Embody your authentic expression
• Allow all of your emotions and feelings to be present and welcome
• Meet and alchemize old narratives you may have around yourself and your self expression
• Step into a playful sandbox with fellow travelers
• Celebrate the wonders of your voice
• Listen and be heard
• Experiment!

No singing experience required! Whether you are excited or nervous at the prospect of using your voice, you are welcome.

If you’re interest is piqued, read on…

Details and Logistics

When? June 27th (voyage) & 28th (integration)

Saturday, June 27:

1:00pm – 1:30pm – Arrival
2:00pm – Voyage Commences
~10:30pm – Closing Circle with light meal

All guests are encouraged to spend the night. More details on sleeping arrangements below.

Sunday, June 28:

9:00am – Breakfast
10:00am – Integration
1:00pm – Departure

I ask that you commit to both days as integration is an essential component.

Where? East Central Vermont (exact location sent to attendees)

Who? A small group of fellow explorers, no musical or vocal experience required. Facilitated by Tobin Asher. Read more about your host here.

Food and Accomodation? I will be providing a vegan and GF meal following the Voyage. If you feel inspired to bring some food to share, you are most welcome. In the morning, there will be a light breakfast.

Even if you live locally, you are encouraged to spend the night to remain within the container until integration is complete. If you have any questions about this, we can discuss ahead of time.

I have a mix of private rooms, dormitory style sleeping, and couches. All bathrooms are shared.

Details of the sleeping options are listed below.

Suggested Exchange? I am offering a special inaugural Vermont rate of $345.

My intention is to make this experience accessible and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you feel excited about this experience, I would love to have you there. I’m happy to have an open conversation, so don’t be shy in voicing your needs.

The price includes post-voyage meal, breakfast, and couch / indoor camping style accomodation.

If you would like to reserve a bed, there a four options available for an additional cost:

$45 – Full or Queen Bed in dormitory-style arrangement

$70 – Queen Inflatable Mattress in a private room

$105 – Queen Bed in a private room

RSVP? Space is limited. To RSVP, please fill-out Part 1 of the registration form and schedule a 30-minute call with me for as early as possible. If none of the times on my calendar work for you, please email me at tobinasher@protonmail.com.

After our call, I will send you Part 2 of the registration form and you will need to send a non-refundable $100 deposit to confirm your spot.

A few more details?

The Vocal Voyage consists of six primary parts:

1. 1. An introductory talk
   2. Practices that support accessing altered states of awareness
   3. Warming-up our bodies and voices
   4. A free flow journey guided by our voices and instruments
   5. Connecting and sharing
   6. Integration

Spacious awareness and inner listening are the cornerstone of this practice. During our time together, should you feel called to this adventure, you will be encouraged to consistently tune into and follow your own resonance. As a facilitator, my role is to support you in your process. I bring a lot of experience and my own intuition, yet you are as much the guide of this experience as I am.

Together, we will establish boundaries of exploration to make our sandbox of play as safe as possible by listening deeply, communicating clearly, and acting from our integrity to the best of our ability.

Sharing voices in community is both an individual and a collective journey, so you will affect and be affected by others in the space. Therefore, the Voyage necessitates vulnerability and grace. You will likely find yourself on the edges of what is comfortable. We all must go in with the intention to trust the process and to support each other. The container we weave will truly be co-created.

Follow your heart, follow your truth. Love leads the way.

Voices of Voyagers

Reflections from previous participants

“How do you define an experiential experience that is transformative in so many ways? The opportunity to participate in a vocal voyage was something I was called to. I did not know what to expect, but truly felt it to be a unique opportunity for a transformational experience. So I lept with both feet and signed up. The journey itself is much like anything we do in life. It is what we are ready and able to step up and into that defines our experience. Our voice is our truest form of I AM. It is who we are and the tool that defines us in every aspect of our lives. The ability to surrender into this magical space of our voices allows the free flow of all that you are and all that you may be to flow. Allowing sound to expand, start, stop, grow and explore all within the divine you. There is no wrong or right…but the sacred space that Tobin holds makes this a supported, nurturing and precious journey to explore self and allow true divinity to flow in and through you. This is something I would recommend again and again. It was a magical journey and one I highly recommend!” – Jeanne K.

“For me, Tobin has a gift for creating a space where vulnerability is met with openness, curiosity, and playfulness. Within the container he’s created, I’ve been able to work somatically and energetically with parts of myself that have been guarded, and on the other side access a sense of creativity, connection with others, and an invitation to listen more deeply and participate more fully. The experience has extended beyond the experience it’s self, allowing me to access vulnerability without collapsing into it, and fostering a growing capacity to listen and engage in life from a more open, curious, and connected space. It’s difficult to fully capture what a Vocal Voyage is like in words, but for me, at its essence, it has been a discovery of what becomes possible when you’re invited into a supportive container for creative expression with yourself and others.” – Emily H.

“Both Vocal Voyages I participated in opened up a space of embodied insight. When I first stepped into the container I was just beginning to express my voice after a lifetime of mouthing the words to happy birthday. The idea of sharing my unfiltered and uninhibited voice was daunting, but shortly after the voyage began I found the somatics and experience of my own voice felt so good that vocalizing became easeful. It felt like I had undammed a river, and now my voice was just flowing. A couple years later I came back for another, much more comfortable with my own voice, and I again felt that familiar river flowing through me, however, with a foundation of ease I was able to intentionally explore a fuller range and expression of the landscape of my voice. Each time I was struck with how much of an embodied experience it was, with my thinking mind taking a backseat, leaving time and space for my body to familiarize itself with vibration, almost without interruption. I look forward to sitting for another voyage again to continue discovering more about my own voice!” – Adrian

“The journey opened a lot of possibilities for me. For one I realized that I can pursue singing.

At work, I am more open to change and finding myself more accepting of things that are beyond my control. Prior to the journey, our department is going through some changes. My first reaction was to resist. After the journey, I decided to lead my team to collaborate on the changes the management want to implement rather than resist.

I deal with the public a lot which used to trigger me. After the journey, I find myself more relaxed and not allowing the public to push my button. One of my colleagues told me that at the end of the day, his body hurts because he gets tensed whenever he deals with customers who feel they are entitled and tend to be abusive. I used to be that way, after the journey, I no longer react but rather more accepting and see the customers point of view.

In my relationship, I am more present, understanding and less combative. I asked my husband if he noticed any changes in me since the journey. He said I am more relaxed, listens and more understanding.” – Anonymous

“An invitation to a magical journey unlike anything else.

This feels like an ancient practice: to gather for spontaneous song and sound and enter a sacred place to connect with the soul, the group, and with the cosmos. All voyages were intimate, profoundly freeing, creative, joyful, and healing. No two were the same, all were beautiful gifts to the heart. May this space free a million voices and help heal the heart of the world.” – Frederik G.

Travel Tips

From NYC –

1. 1. Fly Cape Air from Manhattan (ZYP) to Lebanon, NH (LEB) // they bus you from midtown to the White Plains airport // $90 – $175 one-way // ~3 hours door-to-door
   2. Dartmouth Coach bus from midtown to Lebanon, NH // $95 one-way // ~5-6 hours door-to-door
   3. Driving or car rental // ~5 hours
   4. There is also Amtrak, but the stop is not the closest to here, so it would require some additional coordination

From Boston –

1. 1. Dartmouth Coach from either Boston Logan Airport or Boston South Station to Lebanon, NH // $40 // ~2 hours
   2. You can also fly Cape Air from Boston, but usually it is easier just to take the bus

From elsewhere –

1. 1. Fly into Boston Logan Airport and then take the Darmouth Coach as described above
   2. Fly into Burlington, VT or Manchester, NH and rent a car. We’re about 1.5 hours from both Burlington Airport and Machester-Boston Regional Airport 
   3. Drive!

I am happy to help you coordinate your trip.