Creating Together

While doing some chores and cleaning the house, I overheard the sounds of James Erb’s choral arrangement of “Shenandoah.” One of my family members has been staying with me for a few weeks, and she started to play it on her laptop. Instantaneously, this brought me back to a lot of wonderful memories.

I’ve sung that piece with several choirs, and I have especially vivid memories from my high school and college choirs. As I heard this last night, I realized that the instant remembrance was less about visual memory or place memory, and it was more of a memory of what it felt like — a feeling between us when we were aware collectively that we were creating a gorgeous sound and a special moment together. As we sang this piece, we would become very present to the moment in the beauty of the melody and the weaving together of harmony.

After hearing this piece in the background, I decided to put on some headphones and listen for myself. The sounds were lovely. And I realized, within music and and also in all the daily living beyond music, this is what I want in 2022: I want moments of feeling like we are creating something glorious together.

Have you ever had those moments? When you were in the midst of creating something together, and you were deeply aware of how special it is?

I want that,
in householding,
in working,
in community care,
in shared laughter (have you ever been aware in the moment that something is going to be a future inside joke for years to come?)
in music,
in community organizing,
in…
in so many things.

I want this.
I want to create together.

–Renee Roederer