Latest / The Audacity CAT / The Voices of AudacityCAT - Music as Protest
Transcript
- Cynthia A Stancioff: welcome to the Voices of Audacity podcast. I'm Cynthia Stancioff. This is Paula Coil one of the prominent voices and most melodious, I might add, of the Voices of Audacity. Hi, Paula. paula: . Hi there. Cynthia A Stancioff: Paula, I remember the first time your voice came out of the crowd was a very cold day, but I don't know how long ago that was. How long have you been involved with the music of the weekly Audacity Standout? paula: ⁓ I was there at the first one and thankfully some friend mentioned to me that there was this group that was going to be at Chapman Park at noon. I live in Rockland and I said, where's Chapman Park? I didn't realize what the spot was called. yeah, ⁓ we went. There were maybe 20, 25 of us and ⁓ just different people came forward and helped. lead a song or two. ⁓ I got immortalized in my red puffer coat leading one of the songs we tend to sing every week, which the songs that we tend to sing every week. ⁓ lead with love, Cynthia A Stancioff: Which one? paula: which was actually written right after Donald Trump was ⁓ elected the first time. ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. paula: And that's kind of been an interesting thing is that I've discovered how many things came into being, you know, like in 2016 or in response to that first Trump. Session, experience, whatever we want to call it, administration, I guess. Yeah. Cynthia A Stancioff: That's nice to think of a lot of things coming into being, because I think of so many things being destroyed. ⁓ Well, so can you summarize what brought you there? paula: Yes, yes, yes. ⁓ Well, mean, besides my whole big life story, which I don't think I need to go into right now, I was, I had just moved back to Maine in 2016 and I didn't, from California, being in California for 20 years, and I didn't realize how deeply exhausted I was. I never considered that Donald Trump would be elected and then when he was, I was just really knocked. ⁓ thrown for a loop, knocked on my, you know, the whole, the whole thing. And, and ⁓ that, that deep exhaustion was just like there too. So I knew I didn't want to go through that again. Like it was, it was isolating, it was, you know, it was a tough, tough period for many different reasons personally as well as all the political stuff. But I wasn't aware at that time of anybody doing any organizing or anything. So The fact that people were going to be gathering weekly and singing and like breaking their isolation and getting their spirits up. ⁓ I just know a lot of songs from protest circles and ⁓ singing on the street in protest is like, I think the best. So my favorite, favorite way to sing, you know, around the campfire, around the street corner, whatever it is. Cynthia A Stancioff: So when did. Well, when you say it's something that's your favorite thing to do, how long have you been involved in that kind of thing, would you say? paula: ⁓ I said I wasn't going to get into my whole big life story, but as I was thinking about this, Cynthia, know, I grew up in a very, in the Midwest, in a suburban, you know, family that wasn't terribly communicative or political. ⁓ And Cynthia A Stancioff: Well, I'm noisy, nosy. paula: You know, as a, I mean, honestly, I'm now a bona fide senior citizen, but that child part of me is still very alive that, you know, is thinking about this stuff all the time and has had a lifelong journey of, you know, learning how to communicate and listen deeply to people and think about all these, you know, issues of the common good. ⁓ I mean, as a, this is... You get someone talking and people love to talk, right? So here I am, going to tell you about myself as a young child. Cynthia A Stancioff: No, well, I mean... No, that's, you know what? I think it's really important that ⁓ we realize how much we probably all have in common and how different we can be and still all end up in that same place every Saturday morning and with and feel community. So tell us more. paula: Yeah, yeah. Yes, yeah. Thank you. I thank you. I, you know, I honestly can remember as a young child when I learned that something like war was a reality. I was just like, you've got to be kidding me, you know, and and there's still ⁓ A big part of me is like, how on earth can this still be the state of affairs? It's just beyond, I mean, I'm not in complete denial. I'm not trying to put myself forward like that, but it's just unbelievable to me, really. Cynthia A Stancioff: It's, isn't it hard to relate to? mean, it's just when you see it accelerating and it's not getting for a long time, I think maybe when we were kind of contemporaries that it looked like we were on the road to world peace. I mean, that was a dream that people could work together toward. And it was like that was reasonable. We were making progress. And then all of sudden now it's like, it seems like it's getting more toward war and more and more and more into war and violence. paula: Mm-hmm. Right. Right. Yeah, I mean, I was definitely too young in the the 60s and the early 70s, especially given my sort of family background. I wasn't involved in any of the political stuff. And here we are now ⁓ on Saturdays, you know, with some updated lyrics and some, you know, some songs that are very familiar and I would argue ⁓ relevant. Cynthia A Stancioff: But anyway, yeah. paula: to this time that we're in. It's all sort of part of a long arc and it's kind of tragic that as a species we use our resources in the ways that we do. There's better ways to do this. ⁓ that's part of, I think, what people are showing up for. It's to protest, it's to demonstrate our displeasure. Cynthia A Stancioff: and paula: But I find myself challenging myself to think more about what is it that we want? And how are we going to create something out of this rubble? ⁓ So. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. so as part of like, well, music is an art and it's a creative thing. And you're moving, you're working with the forces of creativity against, you know, encounter, to counter the forces of destruction. That's what I think art and music are. And... paula: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Cynthia A Stancioff: And so, yeah, what are your thoughts on what music brings to a movement or a protest? paula: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I was just going to say that, you know, the that were around the table ⁓ sort of creating idea of Cat, I was not one of those but I'm very grateful ⁓ to them. And I believe the vision early on was to have it be a joyful thing, you know, and that music, ⁓ I mean, it's good for our bodies, it gets us breathing. ⁓ It's just on so many levels. Cynthia A Stancioff: what changes you ⁓ happening the music ⁓ over, the that you've been involved where do you think it's going or where do hope it's going? paula: ⁓ There was a list that people had brainstormed when we first started out and as time went on, you know, it just became clear there were some sort of favorites that people knew. ⁓ And so we incorporate those. There are some rewrites that are a bit more upbeat. ⁓ It's I mean, we're into our 14th month now with this. So we've been through a whole calendar year. ⁓ you know, on the days, I don't know if it was last April or what, but it rained for like, you know, nine Saturdays in a row or something. So you just show up and do your best, you know, and you sing, we're singing in the rain and whatever. I mean, we just, you know, do some of the regulars. what I noticed, you know, it's wonderful people. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yes, I remember. paula: There are definitely people who show up, you know, every time they're in town and that they can make it. Some people bring their drums, their homemade drums, their guitars. ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah, I didn't notice the drumming as much as I have recently. It's really good. paula: Yeah, yeah, yeah. The most recent No Kings, there was like a very solid sort of drum circle. think people had marched with drums and, you know, it was great. It was great. you really, I mean, every week is different. So, ⁓ you know, it depends on all sorts of circumstances, but, you know, some days you're just there like standing your ground in the wind. And, you know, really singing a cappella because there isn't much in the way of percussion or anything else. we're, you know, everybody, think when we show up, ⁓ used to greeting people and we say, well, how are you doing? And we say, good. And then we I know why I say I'm good with everything that's going on. ⁓ But then we recognize like we're here with each other. ⁓ And ⁓ and ⁓ I mean, that's a big part for me is ⁓ used to greeting people and we say, well, how are you doing? And we say, good. And then we I know why I say I'm good with everything that's going on. ⁓ But then we recognize like we're here with each other. ⁓ And ⁓ and ⁓ I mean, that's a big part for me is ⁓ you know, it's kind of saving my spirit in this time. I don't know what kind of shape I'd be in otherwise. you know, it's kind of saving my spirit in this time. I don't know what kind of shape I'd be in otherwise. So being part of Audacity, you know, the showing up and singing, the preparing for the singing, the helping to build our cadre of leaders is a big part of where I put my attention. So being part of Audacity, Cynthia A Stancioff: Right. paula: But the circle of coordinators, we're communicating with each other every week. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. ⁓ paula: if people have things to contribute to the newsletter or other discussion items, and just helping think as a group as a whole. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah, was more of talking about just, I was just thinking about the music actually. ⁓ Like it seems to me there are now like a number of people who didn't used to do it and who are helping out and it's kind of growing and like there's some harmony and you know, stuff like that. paula: Yes. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Cynthia A Stancioff: and paula: ⁓ And we have a ⁓ amplification system ⁓ makes things a little accessible. So some are able to come up and ⁓ lead a song that hadn't felt comfortable doing before. Cynthia A Stancioff: That's right. paula: ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: there's dancing. Right? paula: Sometimes there's dancing, that's right, that's right. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah, because you've moved into the center there by the monument and it's more of a space that you can dance if you want to. You can all be around together. When it was when you were smushed on the corner, like trying to stay off the sidewalk, it was pretty awkward. But now it so it has evolved. Right. And what do you think? How good do you think it could get? mean, like, what do you think would contribute to it improving? paula: Right. Yeah. Yes. ⁓ Right, right, right. Yes. Well, mean, I think, ⁓ you know, I would encourage more people to just try it out because, ⁓ you know, personally, I try to model making mistakes every week. I don't go out of my way to do that, but I do it. you know, we just just support each other. It's a very supportive, you know, scene Cynthia A Stancioff: You Thank you. paula: little bit of a party, you know, to encourage each other, to sing our Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Right. paula: our desires and with what's happened in Minnesota, music I think has been a part of every successful people's movement. ⁓ Some folks like some of these older from civil rights movement or whatever, like should we be singing those well? what has been happening Minnesota the song leading there ⁓ has been so powerful. So we've been ⁓ You know, we've adopted some of those chants. I've become more aware of other organizations that already have these, you know, vast songbooks and there's something called the Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership, which again started in like 2016, 2017. Yeah, so, you know, I feel like that piece of the resistance or the, you know, the flow of humanity is, I mean, it's big boost ⁓ and it's a powerful thing. flow of humanity is, I mean, it's big boost ⁓ and it's a powerful thing. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Yeah. Alright, so a question. I've been wondering if ⁓ somebody takes a known folk tune, something that you know that a lot of people would be familiar with, and changes the words, hands it to you, would you be interested in that kind of a contribution? Personally, I'm not going to lead a song at this point. ⁓ paula: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Cynthia A Stancioff: But if I had an idea, could I submit it? paula: Sure, sure. yeah, ⁓ and we, I I hear what you're saying. A lot of people will say that I don't want to sing or I don't want to lead a song. ⁓ What we find is that, you know, the shorter things that people can learn or if we can do something in a call and response way, ⁓ that works really well. But yeah, however people want to. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Yeah, it would have to be something that you could catch on to the words really easily and like yeah shorter verses longer refrains paula: That's right. That's right. Yeah. One of our newer leaders ⁓ had done a No Kings to Row Row Row Your Boat. So that was very, you know, people know that. And she introduced it. And the next thing we know, we've got people singing it round. you know, it is perfect. In the USA. Yeah. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Yeah, that's a perfect one. Wasn't it like, no, no, no more kings? Something. in the U.S. yeah. Then what? Then how'd go? paula: We love our democracy, hear us as we say. Yes, good, perfect. That's part of the call and response idea and sometimes asking people, okay, what else are we gonna, like there's, they're called zipper songs where you put in a new little phrase each time. And ⁓ we've worked at quite a repertoire. Cynthia A Stancioff: Oh, and I was saying, let's keep it that way. Okay, well, cool. Mmm, ⁓ yeah. I that it's great that we are a little protest has ⁓ a reputation statewide, at least for being ⁓ the one music. So ⁓ congratulations for your part in that. ⁓ And ⁓ paula: Alright, yeah. ⁓ Yeah, you know, we we've updated the audacity website and I still want to do the work to get some of our song sheets up there, maybe with some links. So not only people who show up in the park every Saturday, but other leaders statewide can, you know, this is all sort of like public ⁓ mutual support, public domain work. So, that be good. Cynthia A Stancioff: Well, is there anything else you want to say to people about the music or just about the audacity take out more more of a role if they're ⁓ tired of being a protester? paula: Yes. Yes, yes. ⁓ Well, the meetings that we have that are open are a good way for people to show up ⁓ and ⁓ be of that circle. ⁓ you know, there's several, I mean, the ethos the group is like, if you've got some great idea, ⁓ it's not for you to contribute and somebody else to execute. It's ⁓ like, you of help carry it forward. So, ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: right. I hear that word Wrangler a lot in the capacity meetings. paula: Yes, the Wranglers. We've been calling ourselves coordinators, but the Wrangler verb is good, I think. Cynthia A Stancioff: Paula, it's great talking to you Thank you much. ⁓ Alright. Bye.