There is a saying in vocal pedagogy circles that when words are not enough, we sing. And then in CCM (Contemporary Commercial Music) pedagogy, they add “when singing is not enough, we belt. When belting is not enough, we dance (!)”. There are days when it seems like nothing will be enough to contain our heartbreak, and how on earth would we dream of dancing?
And yet: singing, expressing through voice, seems to be the best way to get to the deepest stuff. Heartbreak deserves excavation and communication. And what better way to communicate than through sound, through song? David Whyte, in this short essay-poem on Heartbreak tells us that heartbreak is at the very essence of being human, a necessary component to our growth, our becoming. We wish to avoid it at all costs because, hell. It hurts.
And yet. And yet: our very beings vibrate with this grief when we give it voice, allow it to resonate. The Irish keen, the Muslims wail and ululate, the Buddhists chant, we sigh, we moan, we groan in pain. We let it out. We give it voice.
We lost a friend, colleague, teacher, mentor, partner in crime this week. The world seems so heavy with loss at present. There is much to grieve. But I am looking to face it head on, and work through and with it, to ride the wave of it, and to accompany the students in my care along that path. Let us sing, so that we can share our heartbreak with one another and find community. Rest in peace, Terry.