Your voice contains powerful magic,
but most people keep it locked away
You were born with an unabashed bawl that announced to the world, “I’m alive!”
That voice commanded your caregivers to feed you and hold you. You wielded your voice to bend the will of the grown-ups assigned to care for you. Effortlessly, you learned the tones and facial expressions and words that change hearts and minds.
…and then you grew up.
The world told you to tone it down.
The humans whose job it was to lift you up said to “Stop being so bossy” or that “Children should be seen and not heard.”
Little by little, you forgot how to wield the most powerful magic within you.
No wonder that when you sit down to write sales emails and website copy and newsletters, your first thought is, “Who am I to talk this way? What will people think when they read this?”
It is essential you reclaim the voice that you tucked away.
The world needs you to be a person who speaks up, who shouts out about the injustices happening in the world right now, the same way you shout out about the value of your work and why people should pay you. The world needs you to be a person who refuses to be silenced.
Becoming that person, reclaiming the voice that you tucked away, is what the experience is all about.
Song & Story is a 4-day experience where you will sing your authentic voice back to life.
Who This Retreat Is For
For every person who’s ever read Tarzan's emails and thought, “Where is that voice in me?”
Inside you there is a voice that could shake the world, but you aren’t sure how to wake it up.
You probably tried writing classes, or hiring a copywriter to find your authentic voice for you. (Sorry! Not possible.) You want to "show up authentically," but in the age of AI, who even knows what that means anymore?
This experience is a reclamation of your voice. You will:
--> Discover the authentic voice within you
--> Work through your very understandable “stage fright”
--> Teach your body that it's safe to sing
--> Open a channel for wisdom and direction to flow through
--> Get reacquainted with your original medicine
Over four days in the forest outside Toronto, you will sing, tell stories, walk the land, and wake up the sleeping giant within you.
"The voice is a bridge to something greater than ourselves, it is our connection to the prayer we carry. "
~ Nessi Gomes
Experience The Unique Medicine of Singing
No experience or special skills necessary.
Your voice is your original medicine.
It is a tool no AI can come close to replicating.
The voice is the bridge to nearly everything your heart longs for — the business you wish you had, the podcast interviews you want to book, the groups you want to be leading, the healthy relationships with your nearest and dearest.
Every song is a prayer that draws your heart's desire a little bit closer.
At Song & Story, you’ll practice wielding your voice in a way that opens the door for personal transformation.
(And yes — you are welcome here even if you do not consider yourself a singer. You are also welcome to simply sit and receive. Participation is always an invitation, never a requirement. Though my personal belief is that everyone secretly wants to sing 😉)
I Am Everything
Beautiful Chorus
This Joy
Resistance Revival Chorus
I’m Not Alone
Aly Halpert
Singing together might sound like...
The Itinerary
Not the official agenda, but your experience might look something like this
Initiation
Friday, October 16
5pm - Shuttle arrives, settle, walk the land
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Song Circle & Container Setting
Descent
Saturday, October 17
9am - 12 pm - Morning Circle
2pm - 5pm - Mastermind Sessions
7pm - Grief Singing & Ritual of Letting Go
Emergence
Sunday, October 18
9am - 12 pm - Morning Circle
2pm - 5pm - Story Skills & Group Sharing
8pm - Campfire Storytelling
Homegoing
Monday, October 19
9am - 12pm - Capturing Future Plans
12pm - Final Meal
2:30pm - Shuttle departs for airport
Click to Listen
The land that will hold us
We’ll be meeting at a retreat center that sits on acres of forest land in Mono, Ontario, about an hour from Toronto Pearson Airport. The kind of place that works like a big exhale on your nervous system.
During your stay, you'll have access to:
A spring-fed pond for cold plunging and swimming
An open-air 12-ring labyrinth
Direct access to the Bruce Trail, one of Canada's great long-distance hiking trails, stretching 900km through the Niagara Escarpment
A huge campfire circle for late-night stories
Unscheduled time — real, unhurried, unstructured time — to let things settle
The Tools we'll work with
The Ritual & Magic That's Been Missing From Your Daily Life
A Singing Experience That Wakes Up The Voice
A Million Neon Post-Its, Bristol Board and Fresh Markers
Storytelling Around The Campfire
Grief Singing, and Ritual Practice for Letting Go
What's Included
A NoTE On TRANSPORTATION
All meals from Friday dinner through Monday lunch
Accommodation for 3 nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
All facilitated sessions, song circles, and activities
Access to all retreat centre amenities: Bruce Trail, labyrinth, spring-fed pond, campfire
Once you arrive, you won't spend another dollar and we will not be pitching any additional offers (except maybe - maybe - an offer to return again next year)
Airport pick-up and drop-off is available for an additional $75 CAD (or $50 USD). You'll be picked up at 3:30pm on Friday from Pearson Airport, and we'll depart on Monday afternoon at 2:30pm to head back to the airport.
The Price
Early bird pricing extended! Save $250 when you sign up before August 20.
$2000 USD | $2750 CAD
Private Room
Your own private room. Bathrooms are shared.
$1750 USD | $2500 CAD
$1600 USD | $2200 CAD
Shared Room (2-Person)
Get matched, or tell us who you want to room with!
$1350 USD | $1950 CAD
$1200 USD | $1600 CAD
Shared Room (3-Person)
Get matched, or tell us who you want to room with!
$950 USD | $1350 CAD
Early-bird pricing ends August 20.
Questions? Email tarzan@tarzankay.com.
You have the choice to pay in CAD or USD. Prices are inclusive of taxes. All prices include 13% HST as required by law for events held in the province of Ontario. The tax portion will appear on your invoice so you can claim it back.
Payment plans are available. Choose from a 3-4 month plan at checkout.
How it works:
Naomi Clement,
naomiclement.com, past retreat participant
"It was everything I didn't know I needed and more, both for myself and my business. Tarzan is a gifted and thoughtful facilitator — she made me feel so welcome and supported in all my messy humanness. I was able to show up as fully myself in a way I didn't think was possible.”
Lisa Kilgour,
undieting.ca, past retreat participant
"There's nothing like a retreat with Tarzan :). She creates a magical space where laughter and tears are equally welcome and come easily. I could see myself and my business so clearly that I walked away with a path for my business that I'm so excited to experience. There's so much more I can't put into words...and I think that's kind of the point :)."
NICOLA MCLENNAN,
clinical PRACTICE Growth Expert
"Considering I'd had a month of stressing about whether I'd even be able to go, plus grief, plus all the travel angst of pulling it together — I don't think I've ever felt that centred and that chilled in a business development environment in my life. That's a testament to the community Tarzan has built."
A love note about roommates
If you have a roommate in mind, let us know. Otherwise, you’ll fill out a survey and get connected with someone we think will be a match for you. We’ll introduce you before the event so you can check in on each other’s preferences and desires for rooming.
Please note that by signing up to room with someone, you accept that your roommate is a human with their own habits and quirks. They might snore or talk in their sleep or scroll TikTok for forty-five minutes in the middle of the night. By selecting this option, you are agreeing to work with challenges that may arise.
If you decide mid-retreat that you need to upgrade to a double or private room, we will accommodate wherever possible, and you will be charged the difference.
Meet The Facilitators
Lead Facilitator
Tarzan Kay is a Community Song Leader, trained by Mila Redwood and initiated into music by Bambi Donnison. She is a Certified xchange Guide, currently working toward a certification in Appreciative Inquiry. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her two sons and two canoes.
Guest Facilitator
Zöe Gillis is a licensed therapist, meditation teacher, and wilderness guide who spends her time leading retreats and backpacking adventures that help creatives cross those critical thresholds that create real change in business and life.
Guest Facilitator
To be revealed
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sing?
Participation in song circles is always an invitation. Sitting and listening also works. You are welcome exactly as you are. Just know that singing is a birthright and you do not need special training or talent.
Is this a business retreat or a woo-woo retreat for spiritual people?
Is transportation included?
Airport pick-up and drop-off is available for an additional $50 USD or $75 CAD. You'll be picked up at 3:30pm on Friday from Pearson Airport, and we'll depart on Monday afternoon at 2:30pm to head back to the airport. Only one suitcase per person, please.
What will the food be like?
One of the reasons we chose this retreat center is that the food is incredibly well-reviewed, consistently for more than 10 years. We can accommodate most dietary needs (ask us if you’re not sure - tarzan@tarzankay.com). The kitchen asks that you not use this retreat to try out a new diet or way of eating, but they are happy to accommodate your restrictions, and take into account your preferences too.
What if I've never been on a retreat before?
Many past retreat participants were nervous about all the people-ing. It’s okay if you are too. Everything is held carefully, and everything is an invitation. We put a lot of effort into creating enough psychological safety that you can participate fully (whatever that looks like to you), and we’ll have several facilitators holding this experience, not just Tarzan.
Say more about the grief singing.
The grief song circle is a chance to acknowledge what has been hard, what has been lost, what you are ready to release. It is held with experience and care. Remember, it’s optional and you don’t have to decide right now.
What if I don’t like my roommate?
By signing up for a shared room, you accept that your roommate is a human with their own habits and quirks. There will be a robust intake form and we’ll do our best to match you with someone compatible. By selecting this option, you are agreeing to work with challenges that may arise. If you decide mid-retreat that you need to upgrade to a private room, we will accommodate wherever possible, and you will be charged the difference.
What should I bring?
October is unpredictable in Ontario. It could feel like summer or winter! Bring comfortable layers for all weather, hiking shoes, a journal, maybe some throat spray just for fun. We’ll bring the Post-Its. A full packing list will be sent after registration.
Listen, I’m the biggest woo-skeptic out there. I’m also a person reclaiming and discovering spiritual practices that are supportive for myself and my business, and I’ll be sharing those freely. You can expect ceremony and magic, right alongside practical business conversations.
How do I register?
Follow this link to request an invoice. You’ll be able to choose your currency and payment plan. Your registration is confirmed when your first payment has been made.
What if I decide to cancel?
If you let us know before Sept 16, we’ll do our best to find someone to take your place, in which case you would receive a full refund, minus credit card processing fees.
How many people will be there?
The center can hold about 35, depending on how many participants purchase private rooms. Since this is our first time offering this experience, we can't say for sure how many participants there will be. My best guess is twenty.
