Turn Up the Music! Let's Soundtrack the Future

This has been one of the weirdest years of all our lives, certainly. There are so many things that need attention and effort and resources, locally, nationally, and globally. It's hard to know what to do. But one thing I do know: RIOT RI helps me and so many other people stay the course through the chaos, and it's going to be so important for re/building ourselves and each other as we look into and create the future. 

RIOT RI is a volunteer-based non-profit that uses music creation, critical thinking and collaborative relationships to foster collective empowerment and the development of healthy identities in girls, women, trans, and gender-expansive youth and adults.

The reason that I continue to choose to put so much of own attention and effort and resources into RIOT RI is that I know, first-hand, how important this work is for keeping me and so many other people going. It helps me keep my head on and my heart intact, and continuously reminds me that bringing music and art into our lives is an essential piece of taking care of ourselves and each other. It can quiet the anxiety and uncertainty swirling all around. It can quiet the chaos, or it can make the chaos more beautiful.

We've had to be mainly remote this year, as so many things have, and in this time of disconnection, it's even more important that we find ways to connect, to ourselves and to each other, in meaningful ways. I have personally been playing music this year, for the first time ever (the keyboard! Plus singing!), and it has been so important. It's a weird time to be fundraising, for sure, but it is more clear to me than ever that this work, this organization, and this fantastic community is absolutely crucial. RIOT is envisioning the future by trying to navigate the present moment through music.

We're putting a lot of time and effort now into re-imagining programming in this weird new world, finding ways to reach folks across distance and making sure that we can stay connected and create a soundtrack for this string of strange moments. And we'll continue to put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that in-person programming can come back better than ever. I will be personally grateful for anything that you can give and any way that you can participate in supporting this work.