Sonja Tengblad- Soprano

I have been craving a lot of things lately, but namely for these: connection, escape and reflection. (The latter two have been especially hard with a toddler at home!) I want to share a moment I had the other day, a raw moment that taught me a lot about the basic elements of humanity living on this planet together.

After shelter in place was ordered, I signed my 2.5 year old Soren up for a kids music class online. At the time of the class as parents signed into their Zoom accounts and their kids gazed into the screen at other kids - something my son hadn’t had in a while - smiles spread like wildfire. Parents and kids waved at each other, my son happily saying hi to total strangers. What was even better was the next 30 minutes that followed: all of us singing and dancing together like fools. I got tears in my eyes hearing our kids’ voices singing together in unsynchronized, delayed cacophony. We all said goodbye to each other, and all of the sudden, the house seemed a little bigger and brighter.

Before COVID-19, I was working hard on another facet of my life: climate activism. I founded a Mothers Out Front chapter in East Boston and through the hard work we had done over this last year, we had just begun collaborating with our local reps to draft legislation on air quality. When COVID-19 hit, not only did climate legislation efforts halt (and regulation in general), but the families in my team had to focus on other things. I did too. As their leader, however, I felt I had to maintain the bond we had developed. I decided that, as a K-12 music teacher, online music classes for our kids might be the perfect way to provide positive connection during this time. 

And it has. The classes have been so meaningful that they’ve also expanded into our community and even neighboring towns, bringing together kids and families of all backgrounds who just want the same thing. Soon enough, we’ll talk about legislation and how we can translate these experiences of driving, flying, and wasting less into patterned planet care. But for now, it’s back to the basics of music and humans. These classes wouldn’t have been as valuable through a pre-recorded, “follow along” video. We need to see each other singing and dancing in real time, to play off one another’s energy, and to really look at one another. 

We need each other. We need music. We need kids to show us how to be. These are the basics I’ve come back to and will hold on to, as other truths emerge.

I look forward to seeing you - really seeing you - soon.