Community Song and Dance Leadership Training 2026/27 with Barbara Swetina is now open for booking!
Herzfeld Sennrüti Ecovillage, Degersheim Switzerland,
September 29 - 4 October 2026 &
April 19. - 24. 2027
Would you like to become a peace ambassador in our world through music?
To learn more, join our free Info Call on Monday May 18th 2026, 6 p.m. Berlin time (5 p.m. UK time). Please register your interest by e-mailing: songtraining@sennrueti.ch. The info call will be recorded and sent to all registered participants after the event.
Scroll down for:
An introduction from Barbara
Would you like to:
Wherever people come together—in families, schools, and communities of all kinds—there is a need for people who can bring harmony and peace to their surroundings. Would you like to learn how to bring connection and joy into the world as a peace ambassador through music?
In this training with Barbara Swetina, you will experience how music fosters a culture of love and respect that leads to the experience of a vibrant community. Barbara has a wide repertoire of songs and dances from around the world and, as musical director at the Findhorn Ecovillage, has contributed to building a culture of peace through music for more than 40 years.
Practice: During the training you can try out how to guide others in song and dance—in a supportive setting—or simply participate and let it enrich you personally.
Language: The 2026/27 program is open to German- and English-speaking participants, with translation provided as needed, as well as practice groups in German and English.
Participant feedback: ‘Barbara has a unique way of leading groups through music to a joyfully high frequency. Here our hearts open naturally and there is a deep and tender connection to both the universe and each other. It reminds me of the feeling I have when I hold my child in my arms. To inspire this tenderness in a group of strangers to me is a wonder. This is so healing for our world, and takes us far beyond a typical choir or circle dance experience. To experience this with Barbara and learn from her is a rare privilege, as well as a chance to practice this beautiful craft ourselves.’
— Jamie Brown Hansen
Focus: Participants can focus on the following areas:
No prior knowledge is required. Existing musical skills or experience in facilitation are welcome.
What to expect:
Materials:
Course Content & Experience
Fees, Payment and Support:
Registration:
More Testimonials:
From the very beginning, there is a sense of connection and belonging, and many participants return time and again to deepen their learning and experiences. The training is tailored to the needs of the participants. All levels are welcome—from beginners to professionals—and all abilities are integrated into the shared musical experience and it never get’s boring!
Click here to hear Barbara describe the programme directly.
Possible content includes voice work, singing in voice parts, improvisation, circle and peace dances, and simple instrumental accompaniment (e.g., percussion, ukulele, shruti box, one-handed guitar, as well as using the instruments you already play).
With Barbara’s MusicTrain approach and Green Zone Learning, you’ll learn to use instruments and understand and apply musical notation in an easy and playful way. Regular practice in small groups provides a safe space for guiding or joining in. The evenings are informal and may include singing, specialised topics, or creative activities.
Conclusion: During the training, you’ll experience how music opens a gateway to well-being, connection, and healing—for yourself, for others, and for the Earth—and how the spiritual dimension of music guides a group into a ritual, healing space.
Contact: Graduates can stay connected via Telegram and other channels to continue exchanging ideas in their own way and learn together.
The cost includes:
Course Fee:
Early-bird discounts are available until Aug. 1st, 2026.
Single Module: If you can only attend only one module, contact us to discuss options.
Discounts & Scholarships:
Scholarship request: To request a scholarship, email Tanya with a short description of your situation.
Meals and Accommodation costs per Module.
Prices are separate and can be paid in advance or before each module.
Meals:
Accommodation for 5 nights:
Please download this registration form fill it out, and e-mail it to songtraining@sennrueti.ch
We will confirm your place and assist you with payment options.
Questions
For logistical support, contact Tanya: songtraining@sennrueti.ch
For questions to Barbara: barbara@barbaraswetina.com
“The Sacred Songs and Dances contain old wisdom teachings that are repeated over and over while singing and dancing. Through this I feel comfort, healing and am connected to humanity in a loving way. Even in everyday life I feel the power and the healing effect of the songs. This training with Barbara has enriched my life immensely.”
Josephine S. course participant 2019
“You provided me with my 'template' of singing as a source of deep connection with Spirit, with each other, with intimacy in community. So you are also 'responsible' for all those who have come to the experience of singing through the groups and sessions that I have led. Thank you, you are a wonderful gift, connecting us to music, to spirit and to each other.”
With deep love and gratitude David Harrison, (current voice teacher and song leader in Findhorn)
About Barbara:
Barbara Swetina is a professional musician and music success coach, dedicated to building a unified heart field with music and voice. She graduated from the Mozarteum Salzburg in Recorder (concert level) and Piano and has a degree from the Orff Institute for Elementary Music Education. Since her teenage years she has been on a spiritual quest and was most influenced by Rudolph Steiner, the Findhorn Community, the Sufi message, the Aloha Spirit and Nonduality.
Barbara plays and teaches 7 different instruments.
For over 30 years she has been building a culture of peace through daily spiritual singing sessions as a musical director in the Findhorn Eco-Village in Scotland. Barbara published CDs and songbooks and is the creator of the MusicTrain Method, a game for learning to read music through play. Her love of music is contagious and can transform a group of strangers into a polyphonic choir with minutes. Barbara writes and arranges music and teaches internationally. By empowering people to develop their musical potential she wants to contribute to the creation of ‘the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible’ (Ch. Eisenstein).
