About Us
The mission of Wholehearted is to
create a more harmonious world
by singing together.
Wholehearted Chorus was officially founded in 2014 by Lisa Littlebird, growing from the song circles she had been hosting in Big Sur and Monterey since 2008. Wholehearted now has more than 230 singers in two chapters, San Diego and Carmel, CA.
Welcoming to all.
Singers of all ages and experience are wholeheartedly welcome in this chorus, and there is no audition. We do not use sheet music, instead learning the songs in the old way– by heart, through repetition. The songs – a mix of simple and complex – tend to be contemporary and speak to where we stand in this moment in history. We treat them as sacred, transformational technologies that become allies for life. We befriend each song as we learn, supported by lyric sheets, recorded practice tracks, and one another. Together, we do what none of us could do alone.
Music is magic.
We are not your average choir. We go deep! We sing not just for all the healthy benefits of singing or for performative excellence, but to cast spells of harmony, healing, and upliftment inside our world. Singers in the choir are invited to contemplate the songs and weave them into their lives as they learn them, and to share them within their families and communities. Audience members are invited into a participatory transmission at our concerts.
To support this, we have a podcast, A Song for All of Us, where we share conversations each season about the songs. Lisa talks with the composers and other respected guests, mapping their messages to personal practices and spiritual wisdom.
Non-religious, non-dogmatic.
This chorus has no religious or political affiliation and requires no shared worldview to join. We do have a manifesto of core values to guide our thriving, healthy community.
We aim for invitational ministry free from pressure or dogma, we offer belonging free from othering, we invite expression free from judgment.
Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.
Wholehearted is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. and we welcome your tax-deductible support!* While are not an official non-profit, we operate transparently and without profitable aim.
Artistic Director and Founder,
Lisa Littlebird
Lisa G. Littlebird is a respected, pioneering leader within the international community singing movement, a growing tide of people who recognize the power of singing together in service to collective liberation. She has traveled the world facilitating community singing for more than 20 years, and is the creator of Littlebird Flight School, a preeminent online training program for emerging community song leaders, with more than 1000 worldwide graduates.
Lisa is passionate about singing as a transformational personal practice, healing art, and pathway to facilitate healthy communities. She resides with her partner John in San Diego after many years living in Big Sur and Carmel, CA.
“The antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest.
The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.”
— David Whyte
Wholehearted Values
Wholehearted Chorus has a manifesto of core values to help guide us as
we navigate the challenges and joys of living in a diverse and growing community.
