Cue Kirk…
I’m not going to post a list of we should sing about this or about that, however as #Growns we’ve been over the whole know better, do better ad infinitum but out of consideration and for our contemplation we could/should consider lots of subject matter to sing about than the rampant shallow and sometimes downright derogatory sonic sonnets that have taken over the airwaves and streets of the internets. No we don’t necessarily control the playlists but we do control what we allow into our temples and by extension the temples of those we love.
So when I say sing I don’t mean that we are performing the song, I mean the process of familiarity that causes us to hum and repeat lyrics to ourselves when we really have spent time with a song. We all do it and this is a judgement free zone as to the motivation for the why we choose to connect or sing a certain song or songs that may have questionable nutrients for our psyche. We often say that we just like the beat, but once the beat has long since faded and our ability to do the latest dance has faded as well the message remains somewhere with us.
For balance, great songs that implore us to sing about: Peace, Real Love, Freedom, Equality, Critical Thinking, Spirituality, Respect and on and on on the more positive side of the spectrum to balance out the omnipresent negativity is definitely a worthwhile reason to sing because what we’re left with after these beats fade will sustain us for a lifetime.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
