Sing Change
Sing Change
Kyle Pederson (2024)
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: piano
Text: Collaboratively crafted by Kyle Pederson and VocalEssence Singers of This Age
I'm gonna build you up, won't tear you down, I'm gonna sing change
Gonna share my joy all around, I'm gonna sing change
Gonna stand for you and hear your truth, I'm gonna sing change
Gonna listen, too, help get you through, I'm gonna sing change
Make the circle wide, come on get inside, everybody sing your change
We share respect, we won't reject, we're gonna sing change
Won't hold a grudge or be your judge, we're gonna sing change
We take a stand and lend a hand, we're gonna sing change
We won't divide, cast you aside, we're gonna sing change
Make the circle wide, come on get inside, everybody sing your change
We'll be courageous
It'll be contagious
It'll be outrageous how far love and grace will take us
We'll be tenacious,
Bold and audacious,
Come on and join us, how much stronger that will make us
Gonna sing, sing....gonna march, march .....gonna dance, dance.....
Gonna give, give, gonna hope, hope, , gonna love, love....
We're gonna sing change, We're gonna sing change,
We can proclaim the way where love wins the day
We're gonna sing change, we're gonna sing change
We can reclaim the way where peace is sustained
COMPOSER NOTE:
This piece was co-created with the passionate, profound, and hilarious high school students of VocalEssence Singers of This Age, directed by G. Phillip Shoultz, III. We read Amanda Gorman's powerful short story "Change Sings" as a group, and then asked the students to reflect on the following questions:
* What change would you like to SEE in the world?
* What change would you like to BE in the world?
* What does positive change look, sound, and feel like to you?
I provided a basic melodic and harmonic structure for 8 measures, and students divided into small groups and brainstormed both lyrics and additional melodic riffs for those measures. That brainstorming formed the "creative sauce" that inspired the eventual direction of the piece. I hope these collaboratively crafted lyrics and music inspire your choir and audience--and provide the foundation for powerful conversations with them.