About Nancy Watters
"Singing with you brought out confidence in my voice I had never experienced before, and filled me with that pure spirit and divine creative energy." - Cynthia Wand, Utah
Chant master Nancy Watters, M.A., is founding director of the Sacred World Song Project, a growing network of people from many spiritual paths who practice the ancient art of devotional, communal chant. She’s been passionately pursuing the study of chant for over a decade, learning first-hand from Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Indigenous peoples, Jews and Sufis. She is an ardent Bahá’í who strives to create bridges of love between people of diverse faiths.
Drawing on community choir training and an M.A. in Adlerian counseling psychology, Nancy trains people to use musical energy for healing, personal transformation and community building. Her presentations feature beautiful, melodic, world chants in nine languages, accompanied by sonic tapestries created with Tibetan singing bowls, native and African drums, ektara and other world instruments.
Nancy travels widely giving chantshops, concerts, and private sound healing sessions. Appearances have included Vancouver’s Sacred Music Festival and ChantFest.
The Tlingit people and Bahá’ís of Southeast Alaska are especially close to Nancy’s heart. In 2007, with their usual large-hearted hospitality, they generously organized several concert/chantshop tours. In October Nancy was adopted by Elder Mary Brown of the Wooshkitan Eagle clan and given the name Kaa Sei. Photo tour
The CD, Joyful Tidings of Light, is a collection of Nancy’s most popular chants. Free music downloads are available at the virtual chant circle at www.myspace/sacredworldsong
Musical Influences
Chloe Goodchild, Snatam Kaur, Robert Gass, Jai Uttal, Russill Paul, Taize, Benedictine Monks, Myrna Rabinowitz, Wah, Snatam Kaur, Lama Gyurme, Deva Premal, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Joanne Shenandoah, Jonathan Goldman, Krishna Das, Sharon Burch, Yofiya, Matthew Levine, Margie DeRosso, Rabbi Shefa Gold, Paramahansa Yogananda, Kevin Locke, Rose-Marie Peterson, and Steven Halpern.
Choir Involvement
One Human Family Gospel Choir
Voices of Bahá, a 150 voice international touring choir
Gettin’ Higher Choir
White Lake Area Community Choir, Whitehall, Michigan
Specialized Training
Nancy is grateful to the following inspiring teachers (and others too numerous to mention):
Denis Donnelly and Shivon Robinsong--Community Choir Leadership Training
Eric Dozier –One Human Family Gospel Choirs
Chloe Goodchild –chant
Anne Mortifee –vocal discovery
Laura Teuschler –sound therapy
Ysae Barnwell –African American music
Laurel Murphy – improvisation
Gwendolyn Watson –improvisation
Padma—Sanskrit language and mantra
Jerry DesVoignes –chant and overtoning