Blog Post 22 Pre-Protest Music in Sappho Square
Blog Post 22
Pre-Protest Music in Sappho Square
May 9, 2018
Gentle Reader,
As you might remember from a week or so ago, there was a peaceful protest by folks in Myteline, advocating for more efficient processing and placement of refugees, as well as better housing conditions, especially at Moria Camp. A Fascist group, clearly anti-refugee, showed up at the peaceful protest in Sappho Square and started flinging rocks at the immigrants. Police resorted to teargas, which we could hear going off up the hill from Sappho Square late into the night.
Tonight's gathering was an affirmation of continued support and care for the asylum-seekers on the island. It began with this chorus, joyfully singing many Greek songs. My roommate Ben, the tall guy in an orange shirt, was part of this amazing chorus. Ben tells me the director with the accordion may be short in stature, but she is a force in the universe of music.
I am envious of Greek culture, and many other cultures outside of America, who have so many folk songs that they all know. Such joy emanated from the chorus and the folks gathered in Sappho Square yesterday. There was this shared knowing of something beautiful and familiar and moving... and fun! In America, it would be difficult for a multi-generational crowd to come up with songs that were familiar and dear to all. Perhaps some holiday songs or even some traditional hymns, or maybe even some children's songs, or perhaps some patriotic songs, might cross those generational lines, but we are increasingly hard-pressed to have a shared music culture in America.
I sensed this same kind of music culture connection when I was teaching in China. In Beije, when the teachers (our students) were eating lunch together, they would frequently break out into song. Songs everyone knew and loved. A shared humanity. As teachers, we were told that we were to eat separately from our adult students, to keep those boundaries between students and teachers defined. However, after the first day of lunch in a separate room from our students, and after hearing the songs emanating from their lunchroom, I picked up my lunch and joined them for food and song. I wanted to be enveloped by their song, their laughter, their shared musical joy. They happily welcomed me into their circle, making room for me along the benches.
I will always remember what I witnessed one day at 15 minute break during our 3 hour morning block of teaching and learning. One of our charges was to share some American culture with our Chinese counterparts in education. I would always put on some American music during break. After all, many of them had Carpenters tunes as their ring tones on their mobile phones. We even performed a Carpenters song for the variety show. Anyway, when I returned to the room during break, I found all of my students doing a Chinese dance to an American song. I don't remember the American song, but their movements were graceful and in pairs, and I just stood at the doorway and cried. It was that beautiful and lovely.
Since we frequently had no water or electricity for 7 or 8 days at a stretch in Beije, we would spend our evenings out on the basketball court singing, dancing, playing table tennis, etc... I asked my students to teach me the dance they were doing in the classroom on break. And they did...
This is my roommate Ben, singing away! He has been here over a year now, I believe, so he has immersed himself in the music/theatre culture here on Lesvos. He is a musician and had a band when he lived in Australia.
I'd like to dedicate today's blog to all the good folks at First Christian Church in Madisonville, but most especially to Alan Courington, whose father died unexpectedly this week. The folks at FCC have a phenomenal music program, under the direction of Bill Thomas. Alice Chaney is the most versatile organist/pianist ever. All of this under the soulful leadership of Kara, the pastor who arrived in Madisonville almost exactly the same time I did in August. This was my first "musical home" in Madisonville, and I will never forget our first rehearsal of Christmas music out the the Mahr Park house, singing Christmas songs at a retreat in October. The welcoming spirit of all the choir and orchestra members embraced me with open arms, and I am so very grateful to each of them for making me feel at home and comfortable. Besides, I knew I had found my people when I noticed numerous Hilary bumper stickers on cars in FCC parking lot. A welcome relief from confederate flags and GOP tshirts and hats.
Here are a few quotes about the power of music...
The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere - in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion, and in ourselves. No one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming.
John O'Donohue
Music can change the world because it can change people.
- Bono
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
- Victor Hugo
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
- Plato
Where words fail, music speaks.
- Hans Christian Andersen
May your day be filled with songs that you can't stop singing, songs that generate joy inside you and around you like nothing else in your world...
Namaste,
marianne
Pre-Protest Music in Sappho Square
May 9, 2018
Gentle Reader,
As you might remember from a week or so ago, there was a peaceful protest by folks in Myteline, advocating for more efficient processing and placement of refugees, as well as better housing conditions, especially at Moria Camp. A Fascist group, clearly anti-refugee, showed up at the peaceful protest in Sappho Square and started flinging rocks at the immigrants. Police resorted to teargas, which we could hear going off up the hill from Sappho Square late into the night.
Tonight's gathering was an affirmation of continued support and care for the asylum-seekers on the island. It began with this chorus, joyfully singing many Greek songs. My roommate Ben, the tall guy in an orange shirt, was part of this amazing chorus. Ben tells me the director with the accordion may be short in stature, but she is a force in the universe of music.
I am envious of Greek culture, and many other cultures outside of America, who have so many folk songs that they all know. Such joy emanated from the chorus and the folks gathered in Sappho Square yesterday. There was this shared knowing of something beautiful and familiar and moving... and fun! In America, it would be difficult for a multi-generational crowd to come up with songs that were familiar and dear to all. Perhaps some holiday songs or even some traditional hymns, or maybe even some children's songs, or perhaps some patriotic songs, might cross those generational lines, but we are increasingly hard-pressed to have a shared music culture in America.
I sensed this same kind of music culture connection when I was teaching in China. In Beije, when the teachers (our students) were eating lunch together, they would frequently break out into song. Songs everyone knew and loved. A shared humanity. As teachers, we were told that we were to eat separately from our adult students, to keep those boundaries between students and teachers defined. However, after the first day of lunch in a separate room from our students, and after hearing the songs emanating from their lunchroom, I picked up my lunch and joined them for food and song. I wanted to be enveloped by their song, their laughter, their shared musical joy. They happily welcomed me into their circle, making room for me along the benches.
I will always remember what I witnessed one day at 15 minute break during our 3 hour morning block of teaching and learning. One of our charges was to share some American culture with our Chinese counterparts in education. I would always put on some American music during break. After all, many of them had Carpenters tunes as their ring tones on their mobile phones. We even performed a Carpenters song for the variety show. Anyway, when I returned to the room during break, I found all of my students doing a Chinese dance to an American song. I don't remember the American song, but their movements were graceful and in pairs, and I just stood at the doorway and cried. It was that beautiful and lovely.
Since we frequently had no water or electricity for 7 or 8 days at a stretch in Beije, we would spend our evenings out on the basketball court singing, dancing, playing table tennis, etc... I asked my students to teach me the dance they were doing in the classroom on break. And they did...
This is my roommate Ben, singing away! He has been here over a year now, I believe, so he has immersed himself in the music/theatre culture here on Lesvos. He is a musician and had a band when he lived in Australia.
I'd like to dedicate today's blog to all the good folks at First Christian Church in Madisonville, but most especially to Alan Courington, whose father died unexpectedly this week. The folks at FCC have a phenomenal music program, under the direction of Bill Thomas. Alice Chaney is the most versatile organist/pianist ever. All of this under the soulful leadership of Kara, the pastor who arrived in Madisonville almost exactly the same time I did in August. This was my first "musical home" in Madisonville, and I will never forget our first rehearsal of Christmas music out the the Mahr Park house, singing Christmas songs at a retreat in October. The welcoming spirit of all the choir and orchestra members embraced me with open arms, and I am so very grateful to each of them for making me feel at home and comfortable. Besides, I knew I had found my people when I noticed numerous Hilary bumper stickers on cars in FCC parking lot. A welcome relief from confederate flags and GOP tshirts and hats.
Here are a few quotes about the power of music...
The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere - in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion, and in ourselves. No one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming.
John O'Donohue
Music can change the world because it can change people.
- Bono
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
- Victor Hugo
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
- Plato
Where words fail, music speaks.
- Hans Christian Andersen
May your day be filled with songs that you can't stop singing, songs that generate joy inside you and around you like nothing else in your world...
Namaste,
marianne
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