A Girl Who Sang the Blues

This just in: a moment for a musical interlude.

Most people who know me know that my college degree is in music. It’s no surprise that music, in one way or another, has figured in many of my blog posts: music in the County Schools, Music Education as a powerful tool in reaching at risk students, community music events, concerts at Merriweather and beyond, the influence of music in old age.

Since childhood music has been intertwined in every aspect of my life: school, church, my professional life, my leisure pastimes, the self-chosen soundtrack of my car rides, cooking sessions, parties,  hours of writing papers in college and hours of labor in the hospital before our younger daughter was born. One thing you’ll never find in my life or in my blog is any hint that music ought to be combined with violence. 

Yet that’s just what I have been accused of by members of an online group opposed to the Superintendent’s plan for redistricting. This is what I wrote:

I saw so many posts on social media yesterday about the Wilde Lake High School band that I began to imagine what might happen if the musicians (from a school that many of the opposition have smeared) intersected with the protestors. Nothing would have made me happier than a serendipitous confrontation between the anti-redistricting crowd and the Wilde Lake High School Band in which the band prevailed gloriously and the protestors dispersed in confusion.

I thought it would be humorous for the protestors to have to face down a bunch of earnest, fresh-faced high school musicians. The assumption being that they’d come to their senses and go home, embarrassed by their misplaced anger. Music would be the medium to reveal the inherent innocence of the Wilde Lake students about whom they have been incited to disparage and fear.

‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield.

I’m a musician. To me, music and love are made of the same stuff, embedded in the creative life force of the universe.  In my world, music always wins.

Instead, my words were twisted by people whose goal is to perpetuate fear and anger. One smoothly likened me to someone who beckons the innocent into ovens, (WTAF?) then suggested:

Even more interesting about this blogger is her hint at promoting violence.

And: 

Perhaps violence was not her suggestion, but I’m not sure what other kind of confrontation she may have sought.

That was enough the start the fiery rolling of trolls through the Internet, claiming that I was promoting violence and should be “exposed.” (Doxxed, if you will.)

Those who drop a lighted match into the dry kindling and walk away know full well what the consequences will be. No matter how  reasonable they may sound, or how carefully they tailor their message from day to day, don’t be fooled. They know what they are doing.

The truth is that on a day of sheer madness I imagined - -  music. If you think that’s sappy you are probably right. But it’s not the least bit surprising to anyone who knows me or reads my blog. 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.