Tag: music

So grateful

I live less than 10 miles from the White House. It’s hard not to feel demoralized by the astounding changes to the world around me since January 20, 2025. Federal workers laid off, the decimation of vital U.S. government agencies, blatant homophobia and misogyny masquerading as policy, and the dehumanization of immigrants. I’ve spent part of the year in mourning for the America I once thought I lived in.

However, the “sickening moral slum” of this presidency is countered daily by the activism of friends, colleagues and total strangers. As 2025 wraps up, I choose to focus on things that make me hopeful.

Fellow rally-goers. I’ve been to No Kings Day demonstrations, marches for immigrant rights, and sing-alongs in front of a courthouse. Every time, I am warmed by the spirit of civic engagement. I am proud to live in a community where we are (still) free to assemble in public and express disagreement with our government.

Musicians. I have joined so many sing-alongs, karaoke nights, protest-music nights, and other music groups that I feel like a groupie. Musicians carry the spirit of our times like few other artists. They can bring a group together in a way that uplifts the entire community in real time.

Colleagues. Teachers are the most amazing group of people. And teachers of immigrant students have a special place in my heart. I work in a school with an enormous ELD department (formerly ESOL). Even as the students stop coming to school (fear of ICE raids) and attendance is at an all-time low, my colleagues persevere. They help the students who show up and reach out to those who don’t. We support each other in the office before school, during lunch, and after school. In a job that can be emotionally draining, my colleagues make it better every single day.

So, as the meme says, have the best year. My resolutions for the new year are exactly those shared in this image.

My advice for the New Year: Get outside every single day, no matter the weather. Join a group. Honor your commitments to yourself.

Wishing you the courage to pursue the activities that give you joy.

The Power of Singing Together

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!