Tonality's approach of using choral programming to highlight issues of injustice resonates deeply with me. I attended a Jesuit university that ingrained the value of using my education and gifts in the service of others, and I joined Tonality to put that same impulse to work—channeling my passion for artistry-forward choral singing in service of something greater.
Art isn't just beautiful—it can be uncomfortable. It can help people mourn. It can enrage. It can soothe. It can highlight divisions. It can unite. Tonality is important because it encourages the audience—and the performers—to move beyond our internal emotional responses and toward outward action and solutions, both through the music itself and through the educational and philanthropic components of our concerts.
Earlier this year, we sang Caroline Shaw's To the Hands in a concert that highlighted the plight of immigrants and refugees. Surrounding the audience as we counted the number of displaced persons was such a powerful experience—especially since we followed that piece with a Requiem to mourn those who had died in the process of seeking refuge.
