Vocalchemy

Opening up to new ways of creating & sharing together

Hey all,

You will have noticed we’ve shifted over to Substack - thanks for staying with us ;)

I wanted to quickly share why we’ve moved over from our previous system, and what we hope this space can grow to be. For myself and Philippa and the wider team, we know the most interesting work happens in the in-between moments - our late-night chats, rehearsals, studio dives, and the quiet exchanges that can’t easily be captured in a standard newsletter. We wanted a way to share more of that with you: the music we’re making, the field recordings, visual scores, mixtapes, and reflections on our process - without it constantly feeling like another product update.

So our intention for this space is about connection and curiosity, in rhythm with how we actually create, rather than on a fixed schedule. All posts will remain free to read, but subscribing gives you access to some exclusive stuff - it’s another helpful way to support this work and join the flow of what we’re exploring together.

Photo credit Andy Aquarius - NYX rehearsing @ Morphine Raum Berlin

We’ve spent the last 8 years growing and redefining NYX as a project, an “artist”, a community, a live experience, a collaborative enterprise (the list goes on), but at the centre of all of this work still remains the voice. Not just as a tool for performance or product, but as a way of being: a vessel for presence, for reciprocity, for remembering that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.

We’re in a constant state of flux trying to deepen and evolve the many arms of NYX, and our voices are continually changing and growing. Philippa and I are forever learning how to keep a music project afloat within the distortions of the music industry, maintain and nourish a community amongst all our personal and collective ups and downs, and re-negotiate where we stand, act, speak and show up for one another whilst making art under capitalism. Often exhilarating and sometimes just plain exhausting, it’s given me an amazing space to develop my voice in so many ways - as a composer, recording artist, music director, workshop leader, collaborator, colleague and friend.

So as we continue to learn and expand our listening voices, we know how important it is to keep sharing and connecting with others. I’ve been developing my voice workshop practice since 2015, and I still only feel like I’ve scratched the surface around whats possible for us when we come into an intentional space to listen and make sound together using only our bodies. I fell down this voice-sound-vibration rabbit hole a long time ago, but the layers of learning & awareness just keep unfolding and resonating in new ways.

Photo credit Andy Aquarius - NYX rehearsing @ Morphine Raum Berlin

Singing & sounding is free, it’s primal, it belongs to everyone. Your voice is as much muscle as it is magic - it softens, opens, strengthens with attention and play. Once we step out of our baggage around it being “good” or “bad,” there is only sound, vibration, breath. And from there, it really does start to feel like anything is possible.

So with that, I’m really excited to share some upcoming workshops:

Vocalchemy @ Om Being

I will be offering a gentle but powerful practice for reconnecting with the body, breath, and spirit through vibration at this magical sound & movement community studio in Hackney Downs. We’ll be blending toning, mantra-inspired chanting, vocal visualisation, and deep listening — opening pathways to resonance, renewal, and inner stillness:

Sunday 12th October

Sunday 7th December

Sunday 8th February

Bones, Tones & Drones

Soon I’ll also be announcing more sessions co-led with the brilliant Imogen Knight - these are gatherings that weave together movement, deep listening, and vocal embodiment as a tool for self-empowerment.

All of these embodied voice workshops are designed for anyone - singers and non-singers alike - who want to explore the voice as a tool for self-expression and collective release.

These workshops are just one way of continuing the NYX practice outside of performance spaces - chances to gather, breathe, and resonate together. If you come, bring your curiosity and your voice, however it arrives that day. That’s all that’s needed.

Thank you for being here, for supporting this community and its resonant, sometimes messy, ever-evolving practice. If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear about a time when your own voice surprised you - a place or a moment when sound carried you somewhere new.

Sent with love,

Sian ✨