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Throughout history, music has inspired social change. It penetrates the ranks of oppression, shapes our perception and awareness of the world around us, and opens our minds to new perspectives in a very personal way. Lyrics unify us in tacit agreement, bringing our notes of individuality into accord and organizing us around commonly held beliefs. Because choral singers already seek unity in making beautiful music, attaching a vision for social change to this goal can motivate and engage singers at an even deeper level.
Yet within the choral movement this situation produces an underlying tension pertaining to each chorus's mission: Is it our purpose primarily to entertain, at times effecting social change as a consequence of our singing? Or is it to deliberately seek out issues with the expressed purpose of effecting change?
Today, this tension couldn't be more palpable than in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) choral movement, which is spearheaded by the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). While politicians are poised to rescind numerous laws restricting LGBT rights, the GALA choral movement has been thrust into a maelstrom of political debates and has embraced its role of changing hearts and minds through music.
But in doing so, LGBT choruses risk becoming so preoccupied with looking outward, that we may forget to look inward at ourselves and our communities to address the matters directly affecting our lives and wellbeing. Striking this balance can be difficult, but is necessary in being effective advocates for social change.
Effecting Change from Within
A chorus can expose issues hidden from plain view that society would rather not discuss, providing a powerful catharsis and an inspiring will to fight a problem; but only if we're willing to take the risk. One such topic that gay men's choruses around the country have recently taken on is the epidemic of methamphetamine ("crystal meth" or "meth") use.
It is estimated that crystal meth use is five to ten times more common among urban gay men than the general population. Moreover, health experts estimate that 22 percent of all gay men have tried crystal meth at least once. Because individuals cannot predict in advance how addicted they may become, one use may be all it takes.
In gay communities throughout the country, the crystal meth epidemic runs rampant in the shadows of meth-awareness billboards and highly visible media campaigns targeting this risk group. Many of those in recovery contend that "silence" is a prevailing theme for crystal meth use, shrouding the problem in secrecy and isolation, regardless of where one lives.
In June 2009, the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington (GMCW) broke the silence of this epidemic by performing Through a Glass, Darkly (TAGD), a provocative rock-oratorio by Michael Shaieb and commissioned by the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus in 2007, which brings crystal meth addiction out of the darkness to the bright lights of the stage.
The piece tackles the crystal meth issue by exploring the life of an addict, Sebastian, and how his addiction to the drug affects both himself and the lives of those around him. It debuted at the Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis, on March 29, 2008, and was subsequently broadcast on PBS, for which it received an Emmy nomination.
From the outset it was clear to GMCW artistic director Jeff Buhrman that the Chorus faced a monumental challenge of not only marketing a show with such serious subject matter, but also convincing the chorus members that it was worth the trouble. To some, the subject felt too personal, too preachy, or too much of a departure from the mission of the GMCW ( "to entertain through excellent musical performance, to affirm the place of gay people in society, and to educate about the gay experience"). We knew we first had to address all of these issues within the Chorus if the members were to buy into this cause and genuinely support this effort to both promote the program a nd to change our community for the better.
Building Ties to the Community
To address these challenges, Buhrman organized a TAGD advisory committee to tackle the myriad issues that were sure to arise. The committee was comprised of healthcare providers, psychologists, therapists, recovering addicts, and people with strong marketing/PR backgrounds who could advise on how to handle chorus members' responses during the rehearsal process and our eventual outreach to the community.
We began with a film screening of the Twin Cities' production and invited representatives from the various crystal meth addiction/support groups in Washington, DC to provide input and compile a network of resources and organizations on this issue. We also forged relationships with organizations such as the DC Crystal Meth Working Group, which later helped in marketing the performance.
Additionally, the committee provided a "preamble" to chorus members, detailing the scope of the crystal meth problem in the gay community, how GMCW could address this problem, and what specifically GMCW planned to do. This document served as a reference point for chorus members, ensuring that we were conveying a unified message to the public. It also outlined our three-pronged goal: to help prevent LGBT individuals, especially youth, from ever using crystal meth; to provide resources to those considering recovery; and to support those whose loved ones were struggling with addiction.
According to the DC Public Schools Youth Risk Behavior Survey, local LGBT teenagers are ten times more likely to have tried crystal meth by their senior year in high school than their non-LGBT peers. The GMCW youth outreach program made a special effort to offer free tickets to local LGBT youth organizations to encourage them to attend. To provide resources to those seeking recovery or more information about crystal meth, the committee created a webpage with an overview of the organizations and materials available, as well as information on the specific types of resources available.
Finally, to support those indirectly affected by crystal meth, the committee felt it was important to have local addiction organizations available at the Through a Glass, Darkly performances to answer questions and connect them with services or other resources. These concrete efforts broadened the impact of our message in tangible and lasting ways. However, in devising this strategy our biggest concern remained an internal one: How do we truly make this problem more germane to those chorus members who may not have been exposed firsthand to the destructive effects of crystal meth through a loved one or through their own experience?
During the TAGD advisory committee meetings, we realized that members became more comfortable and open about their experiences with the drug after others also shared stories of their struggles, so we asked chorus members and friends to give testimonials of the effect crystal meth had on their lives. This was a critical step in breaking the silence around this problem. These powerful and moving reflections helped make TAGD much more relevant and personal to the singers, and for many, galvanized their commitment to participate in the show.
The Challenge to Be Relevant
Now more than ever, choruses must take risks and challenge themselves to commission creative and thought-provoking music on issues relevant to their communities.
Many LGBT choruses' missions speak of educating the world about what it is to be gay, with the implicit assumption that we only mean the positive and affirming qualities of our lives. This presents a skewed picture that can neuter the power of our collective voices if it is not balanced with an honest depiction of the challenges we face. Sometimes we need to look at ourselves critically, examining the problems of our culture in order to grow from them.
There is a lyric from Through a Glass Darkly, "If you only knew, that you are beautiful," which framed our marketing campaign for the show. The words provide a silver lining to the black cloud of crystal meth addiction and reveal that if we hold fast to the belief that we are there for each other, there is no problem that the collective human spirit cannot overcome. For even in our darkest hour, our fellow singers, friends, and loved ones can remind us that we are all beautiful and that our lives are worth both saving and celebrating.
This notion mirrors why many of us choose to sing in a chorus anyway—so that we can join together in a single voice to affirm our commitment to our fellow singers and our communities. This is our charge for a new era of social change within the choral movement.
This article is adapted from the Voice, Winter 2009-10.
