Local musicians encourage community members to find their own voices

On Sunday, Find Your Own Voice Singers, a group of around 20 musicians who perform throughout Carrboro, played at the Carrboro Century Center for the Family Fun Sunday Series. 

The audience members were given binders of lyrics upon their arrival and sat in a semicircle around the singers. The musicians took turns going up to the microphones and leading the audience in simple and uplifting call-and-response songs. Some audience members sang along, while others simply listened. 

The songs followed themes of resilience, camaraderie and love, and featured tunes such as “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, “The Rose” by Amanda McBroom and “I’ll Never Find Another You” by The Seekers. The group ended their set on a whimsical note with “If I Had a Boat” by Lyle Lovett. 

These songs were varied, but harmonious in performance. 

“There are few people in the world who can knit together a group of songs that seems impossible to knit together, and she does it,” Ken Kastleman, a member of Find Your Own Voice Singers said, pointing to Emily Brewer, another group member. 

Beyond this event, the group performs every Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at the Carrboro Farmers' Market, where everyone is welcome to listen to the music, or even participate in it, for free. The group does not hold auditions for membership and features no solos to emphasize inclusivity. 

“It’s not about performance, it’s about participation, and everyone feels included,” Brewer said. “You probably heard some imperfections today, but we embrace that.” 

Along with the farmers market, the group can be found singing in the Civic Building on Bim Street, at the Carrboro Music Festival and outside of Town Hall. The group maintains a symbiotic relationship with Carrboro, specifically through the Parks and Recreation Department, which provides performance spaces. In return, the Parks Department gets to provide free entertainment to the local community. 

Find Your Own Voice Singers started 11 years ago with a gathering of like-minded individuals seeking an intergenerational musical community. They originally gathered at Johnny’s Gone Fishing, a coffee shop on Main Street in Carrboro. 

“As you can see, there’s a wide range of ages here, and we really promote that as much as we can, get as many people as we can to participate,” Brewer said. “We feel like music is community building, it's something anyone can do. Even if you can’t sing, you can listen, and if you can't listen, you can play.” 

Each member has a unique story to tell about how the group has touched their lives. Brewer began bringing her son to music group gatherings when he was young, and he has since learned to play musical instruments by observing older members around him. She said that since most of her family lives far away, the group has become a found family for him. 

Conversely, Randy Tobias, another musician, felt drawn to the group when his eldest daughter moved away from home to Carrboro. He began making the commute to attend the group’s events with her. He found that he could strengthen their relationship through music. 

The group persisted even in the face of the global pandemic, meeting on Zoom for virtual sing-alongs. 

“People draw encouragement just from singing the same songs, doing the same thing from week to week,” Tobias said. 

The musicians often elect to perform songs that hold personal meaning for them. Brewer, who is from Asheville, said that the group sang songs about mountains and the feeling of home in light of the recent hurricane. 

“It seems to raise our spirits and make us feel better in the end,” Brewer said. “We’ve gotten through some hard times together.”

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