meet the choir
Austin Willacy (Co-Artistic Director) is a member of The House Jacks, a groundbreaking a cappella group with whom he tours internationally. For the past 23 years, Austin has directed ‘Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group that empowers youth to find their voices in many ways. In 2018, Austin won a Positive Music Award for Thrive, the theme song to the eponymous documentary with over 90 million views. Austin is a former board member for Rainforest Action Network and the Freight & Salvage. When he performed with Bonnie Raitt, she told him. “You can really F*ckin’ sing!”
Stevie Greenwell (Co-Artistic Director) is a musician, educator, and mentor working to connect people to their voice both musically and emotionally. She believes the voice is a tool of reflection and expression to help us learn who we are and what we want to express to the world. She works with people one-on-one in intuitive voice work, in workshops, and leading ritual and ceremony.
Joyous Dawn is a singer-songwriter, nature lover, circle facilitator, and youth educator. Through her floating harmonies and nature-inspired melodies, she creates music that is a balm for the heart & soul. A founding member of the Wildchoir, Joyous delights in vocal harmonies that uplift spirits, and ignite movements. When not singing or coordinating gigs for the choir, you can find Joyous tending to plants, concocting delicious plant-based meals, and soaking in the good.
Cecilia Lam (she'they) is thrilled to be a part of Wildchoir, where they get to explore the space where they can embody their social and political values, healing, desire for community, and their singing voice together at the same time. They normally sing in classical vocal ensembles, most recently with CappellaSF and Volti, and has tremendous love for Britten and Victoria as much as Bjork and Bobby McFerrin. In their spare time, they are working towards massage therapist certification with interests in craniosacral and acupressure.
Ali Rucker (She/they) is a humble student of music, spirit and liberation invested in social and interpersonal healing through somatics, meditation, ancestral connection, and therapy. Currently working in human resources, Ali is studying to become a therapist. When not singing with Wildchoir, you'll find Ali at a concert, dancing, climbing something, walking among the trees, or swimming at the beach. She is deeply grateful for this opportunity to be alive and dream a new world into existence.
Sparlha Swaby is a Jamaican-born border-straddler, a Psychotherapist and maker of maps to Spirit, a mother of two, and life long harmony-weaver who owes her healing and recovery to the art of Song. She scored music to the award winning film Pariah, starred in the off Broadway production of Fela!, is a NYFA Music Fellow, and has toured the globe from Japan to Amsterdam sharing her vocals and guitar.
Kyle Lemle (Founder and Co-Artistic Director) is a co-founder of the Wildchoir & Thrive Street Choir, through which he is blessed to write & perform his original soul-stirring music for justice & healing. Kyle is also a forester and climate organizer, having worked around the world on community forestry and climate justice organizing (kylelemle.com). Kyle is also the co-founder of Lead to Life, a collective of artists transforming guns into shovels, hosting transformative public rituals and planting trees at sites impacted by violence (leadtolife.org). IG: @lemle)
Masumi Maei (they/them) is a facilitator and music teacher originally from Coast Salish land in Tacoma, Washington. Currently, Masumi co-facilitates with RISE for Racial Justice, Alma Partners, and Intergroup Dialogue Collective. With training in Kodaly pedagogy (M.M.), Orff Schulwerk, and Waldorf approaches to music teaching, Masumi is active in conversations around conscientious use of materials, culturally responsive teaching, and relationships with culture bearers.
Kele Nitoto. Pulling from the cultures of the African diaspora to weave a tapestry of music and spirit, Kele Nitoto uses traditional drumming and singing as well as storytelling and hip hop, to explore the meaning of music in our lives; the connections between modern and traditional musics, as well as its connections with the wider, and inner worlds.
Eddie Junsay (he/him) is a musician, climate activist and organizer and social movement trainer and facilitator (among many other things) born and raised in the Bay Area. He currently leads the youth leadership development work at the Sierra Club empowering the new generation of climate activists. Outside of Wildchoir Eddie enjoys writing songs that mash together the genres of soul and basic gay bubble gum pop. He also is an avid runner, camper and tree hugger.
Jesse Sachs In addition to being a founding member of Wildchoir, Jesse is a guide, mentor, teacher and creative. He has been at the helm of Back to Earth since 2014, where he offers young people a direct, personal relationship with the Natural World. Jesse has been practicing Qigong in the Ren Xue system since 2014 and is a certified Level 2 teacher. He is currently a full-time acupuncture student at AIMC in Berkeley, CA.
Dyna Erie As a self love advocate, traveler, songwriter and performer, Dyna has been calling the Bay Area home since 2015 with the vision to support the movement with her voice. Having practiced at Green Dragon temple for 3 years, she is rooted in non-violent communication, meditation practice, and community skills. Currently deepening in community skills at Canticle Farm, which is an urban farm, educational center and intentional community, experimenting at the intersections of faith-based, social-justice-based, and Earth-based nonviolent activism.
Meet the Band
Jason Reeder (guitar, bass) plays music, writes software, and tells puns. His current musical mission is to help people shake up their hearts through inspiring them to shake their hips.