The SONG Project just completed its first songwriting group at Rosie’s Place, which was funded through a grant received from The Blakeley Foundation. Rosie’s Place exists to “provide a safe and nurturing environment for poor and homeless women to maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.” This seemed like a great organization for The SONG Project to partner with, providing a safe space for women to come together and give voice to the many complex experiences that come along with homelessness, through song.
This was a unique group to work with because the women have many things going on that can conflict with showing up to a consistent weekly meeting — like doing laundry, finding shelter, finding a meal and a place to take a shower, meeting with case workers and social workers, going to AA meetings and so forth. The SONG Project has had to grow so that the workshop series can be a bit flexible with timelines and lessons, to fit the culture of these women’s lifestyles. The group has reached more women than the average closed group, since it’s been drop-in style and has seen new faces that contribute to the song each week! One woman will contribute a word or a line for the lyrics and the next might contribute a melody or idea, while others just come to sing along when we’re practicing the song. Women who wouldn’t normally interact with one another are encouraging each other, realizing shared experiences and creating together. I hope this sense of having a common community allows them to feel a little less alone in their struggles.
Here are the lyrics written by participants for our group song:
Rosie’s Song
Though my journey’s been hard and long
Just to much to put into this song
I wanna keep it real short and sweet
And show the different faces that make me
No matter what the struggle may be for each of us
We can still sing through the journey
Overcoming worry, tryin’ to find a space to call home
Where do I go? How do I settle? When will I know?
Be strong, Be open, Be honest
Don’t react, instead act with kindness
We can still sing, dance and rejoice
Overcoming heartache, pain and sorrow
Unnoticed suffering that’s oh so wrong
Selfish exploitation we have known
Stuck in the middle with what’s been done
A silenced death amongst us all
Be strong, Be open, Be honest
Don’t react, instead act with kindness
We can still sing, dance and rejoice
Overcoming heartache, pain and sorrow
Love can help you make it through the storm
Trustin’ and believin’ peace will come
When the ship is battered anchor holds
I call to God, waitin’ on answers
Be strong, Be open, Be honest
Don’t react, instead act with kindness
We can still sing, dance and rejoice
Overcoming heartache, pain and sorrow
I’ve also included a picture from one of our first sessions of the white board brainstorming session in which the women all through out ideas that they thought they’d like to write about. The song’s come a long way since then!