For the person who believes that how we treat each other, across difference & discomfort, might be the most important work of our time. And that song, of all things, might be where we learn how.
Lay Your Heart on My Soul
Song and the Courage to Stay
A Bridge-Building Workshop by Aaron Johnson & Xander Keller
Saturday, June 13th - 10:15am-1:30pm
Spirit of Peace | Downtown Missoula, MT
The peace & harmony we seek was never about sameness.
But we often mistake agreement as the goal, when what we need is the skill to stay present across difference.
In a thriving village, diversity isn't a threat — it's EXACTLY WHAT IS NEEDED.
WE ARE LIVING IN STRANGE TIMES.
When faced with differences, can we really hear one another?
Many of us believe in bridge-building. We know that:
Every person's life experience & opinion matters
Change happens locally, in the smallest places
Diversity makes any system stronger
Overcoming differences is necessary for our democracy
People are tired of hate and divisiveness
And yet, many of us avoid the very friction that makes change possible.
When differences arise, we quietly remove ourselves — or we reach for the same tactics we're trying to change: argument, debate, and a story about the other person we've already decided is true.
It's not wrong to do this, but it isn't very effective.
Aaron & Xander lead us in a gathering of song, story, and practical tools for people ready to step into the power & leadership of deep listening, so that we may actually build something different.
Who are we not hearing and what are the consequences?
IN OUR HOMES:
YOUR PARTNER
YOUR CHILDREN
YOUR NEIGHBORs
IN OUR COUNTRY:
LGBTQIA+
WORKING CLASS / POOR
THE DISABLED
BLACK & BROWN
IN OUR MINDS:
YOUR EX
YOUR POLITICAL "OTHER"
WOMEN
MEN (& YOUNG MEN)
Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a public speaker, song-leader, facilitator, and touch activist who fosters environments where people can express their full selves — with particular focus on Black men and communities chronically overlooked by mainstream culture.
As founder of Holistic Resistance, Grief to Action, and The Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project, Aaron holds people in their stories around touch, belonging, voice, and shame. He brings particular care to the ways homophobia, transphobia, and racism unconsciously show up in our lives and limit our ability to get close to one another.
Aaron's journey began, as it does for many Black men, with a lack of loving and platonic touch. From that starting place, he now helps others develop holistic touch practices — moving from a chronically undertouched state into balance. His work creates space for people to connect with each other and the earth, with special attention to People of the Global Majority (PGM/BIPOC).
He and his team are establishing retreats and workshops in the Mojave Desert and beyond, promoting emotional and physical tenderness, platonic connection, and song as pathways to healing for those mainstream spaces have long overlooked.
Xander (Al) Keller
Xander Keller (they/them) is a speaker, facilitator, writer, and community builder whose work explores disability, interdependence, and the power of care webs to transform isolation into connection.
As the founder of Held Together, they create spaces for honest conversation, storytelling, and relationship-building across lines of difference, helping people imagine new ways of caring for and being with one another.
Let's get honest with ourselves about the tenderness of real community.
Can you hear me?
So much of our pain lives in the gap between us. Separateness is the root of much pain, and it happens the moment we stop seeing the person in front of us and start seeing the story we've already written about them.
The problem isn't that we do this, but that we don't see it happening.
And it's not only with people whom we have great differences. We do this with our partners, friends, and family. We draw lines in our minds, separating "me" from "you," and it all happens on a nervous system level.
"To love one another is to hurt one another. It's inevitable. How we respond is what matters."
This workshop is about widening our lens, rooting into the Earth, and developing the skills to actually hear one another, and in doing so, gain a bigger world.
Because the places worth going, we can only reach together.
Date & Time
Saturday, June 13th · 10:15–1:30pm Spirit of Peace Church 506 Toole Ave, Missoula, MT 59802
The workshop runs 3 hours with a scheduled break— please plan to arrive on time so we can open the space together.
Getting here: Parking in the immediate area can be tricky — we recommend biking if you can or plan a few extra minutes to park in the surrounding neighborhood.
What Singing Teaches
Yes, singing is ancient and pretty magical. It regulates your nervous system. It reduces cortisol, releases oxytocin, and brings you into the present faster than almost anything else.
But the most powerful thing singing does? It makes us listen. Really listen. Not only to ourselves, but to each other.
But singing together has far less to do with our mouths than our ears. Where do I fit into what I'm hearing? What emerges from the difference between your voice and mine?
The magic isn't in the making of sound. It's in the hearing of it.
Song teaches us that our doing is only as good as our listening. And that is especially true for those of us who don't think we have a "good" voice — because the moment you stop performing and start listening, everything changes.
Lay Your Heart on My Soul
Song and the Courage to Stay
A Bridge-Building Workshop
Join us Saturday, June 13th from 10:15am–1:30pm at Spirit of Peace (506 Toole Ave) for 3 hours of transformative learning and singing, led by Aaron Johnson & Xander Keller.
Sliding Scale Available (No one turned away for lack of funds)
$75 Access, $125 Standard, $175 Sustainer