100 days of the Mad King and we’re all trying to cope with the chaos, fear, and profound sense of loss. How many times can we shake our heads at the absurdity of this moment in US history?
The democratic system of checks and balances may not survive this administration. Like many Americans, I sat in stunned silence for a couple of weeks after Inauguration Day, as executive orders started to tear down the institutions that make our country great.
Then people organized. Rallies, protests, Tesla take-downs. Letter-writing campaigns. Phone banking. Grass roots movements that start with like-minded neighbors, groups, and communities.
I found my people in a choir. It’s not a church choir, even though we sometimes meet in a church. It’s less than three months old, but we’ve already made it to 11 rallies, marches, and protests — some of them organized super last minute. We sing songs of inspiration and protest. We take old, familiar tunes and change the lyrics to suit the times. Or we sing old protest music from the 1960s. We bring tambourines, drums, shakers. We bring our voices and our shared passion.
Bystanders have approached us after every event and said how much they appreciate the power of singing together. Our choir does not perform in the traditional sense, but we help the crowd focus and unify. Rallies with group singing reinforce the emotional connection among strangers. We desperately need to feel connected right now.
The health benefits of group singing have long been studied. According to an Oxford University article, singing together in a group improves breathing, posture, and muscle tension. Choral singing enhances our sense of belonging and happiness through the release of neurochemicals.
Others pour their creativity into making amazing protest signs and banners, or grabbing a megaphone and shouting slogans. Singing in a group is how I plan to save my sanity. The thing is: you don’t even have to be a good singer to join this kind of singing group. All voices are valued. Together we fight the daily assaults inflicted by our own federal government.
If it’s Thursday, it must be community singalong time. I highly recommend it!
Eva K. Sullivan 