Simply worth quoting….
37days: Take out your earplugs and sing together
Our last question was about that idea of “handing one another along.” “What would you like to teach young people today?” we asked as we ended our time with them. It was Candie who answered: “We live in such an individualist culture today,” she said, “but great change is communal. The power of song is a vast instrument to draw people together and deliver a message. I think we need to take out our iPod earphones and begin to sing together again.”
Some years ago I spent some time as a visiting professor at Oberlin College. A feature of the place is a great music conservatory with hundreds of musical students and professors.
I’m not terribly musical, but like to sing. I started humming and singing something from Pirates as I started walking on the main drag. Within seconds a student started singing along with me – in harmony and a much better voice. Halfway down the block we grew to three and then to four. We continued through another block where we stopped at the lights, exchanged smiles and parted ways.
It is wonderful being in a spot where the mean free path between people unafraid of expressing themselves like this is so short.
I’ve tried this in other areas with less success, but even a bit brings a smile. Last Fall two of us had a group of people singing the rounds in Donovan’s Happiness Runs.
Highly recommended!!!