Post Band Concert:  Music made it better. Friends since preschool.  Circa 2014.

Something is burning inside of me. I bet something is burning inside of you too. Crazy, crazy acts in our country and around the globe are making us feel as though we are living multiple decades all at once: wars, riots, twisted politics, discrimination. Times I only knew through school or movies and made me think, “Wow. I’m so glad I wasn’t around for that stuff or was too young to know.” In 2016, my high school textbooks have come to a fiery life and then some.

I wanna do something. I wanna do something that matters. I was inspired to write. With every shooting or hateful verbal jab I was sinking lower and lower. Being face to face with evil leaves a hole in your heart and an ache in your gut; I know a little bit about that unfortunately. How can people act this way and think it’s ok?

Ironically, it wasn’t the negative stuff that triggered a response, but a positive event: a small musical concert. My friend and host of the event, opened the evening with this quote:

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”- Berthold Auerbach

Her guest and my friend: Laura Zucker, a local singer-song writer and guitar teacher for my younger son. Laura told us to put away the headlines, newspapers, social media and enjoy the night. She strummed her guitar and sang with her back-up singer, fiddle-player Julia. Her songs of hope, love, faith and peace resonated with me.  Even Hubby, the non-fan of folk music, loved the messages. Break through! He might like my 70s music yet!

The STAR!

I didn’t know it, but I was covered in dust that night.  By the end of the evening, the dust disappeared. Both Hubby and I were happy-go-lucky as we walked to our car after the concert. It was like washing the windows of your house: you didn’t know it was bad until it was good. I woke up the next morning the same way: clean, fresh and happy.

So then I got to thinking about fixing the big messes? I don’t know what to do long term. I wish I did and so do a lot of people.   I started thinking about the concert again and how much it reminded me of the music in my early teens.  Laura’s music and the 70s have lyrics I can understand, as in “I can hear the words.” Unless you owned the album with printed lyrics, a lot of song were a big fat guess.  Anyone think the

In elementary school we sang songs that instilled peace and harmony around the world, echoing those very words: Let There Be Peace On Earth and I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing—in perfect harmony. Hearing those songs made me want to sing like all those bohemian dressed people standing on a hill holding a bottle of Coke in the TV commercial.

Can we try that approach again? Can we teach the whole world to sing so our hearts will burst with love and happiness? Can our planet be dust free and shiny clean? Something big has got to change our hearts!

Sitting together, 5 days a week 6th-12th grade.  Nobody does that in any other class.

My kids see social boundaries melt in music class: concert band and chamber singers.  Both boys developed incredibly strong ties because with music, whatever your persona, isn’t important.  Football player, swimmer, scientist, those cliques are shed, a little like the movie The Breakfast Club.  The environment is loving and safe.  Imagine if the whole world could be one giant music class, differences set aside to make a great song, together.

My lovely friend Laura from the concert, shared a gift of music to share with you.  Hard to Let Go is a about letting go of judgements and grievances. And what better way to get right to the heart of the matter, than through music.