:Author:   Allison Coyne Carroll
:Date:     Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:19:39 PST

Ben, 
Thanks for posting this.  I think there is a tremendous potential for community building through music.  

I've seen it happen again and again through my life. I have a music ed. degree, have been a symphony chorus manager, and work for a visiting artist series.  When asked "Why do you do what you do? (wdydwyd)" my answer remains "because for me, every performance feels like world peace; achieved in 2 acts, with a 15 minute intermission."  Just see `my profile`_ for more info.

Here is a recent `NYTimes article`_ that might be of interest to you.

  *America’s Music*
  *Shared Song, Communal Memory*

  By BEN RATLIFF
  Published: February 10, 2008

  "From Hawaii to the Philadelphia suburbs, community sings, or singalongs, draw together the average-voiced and bring old songs into common memory." (See the `NYTimes article`_ for more.)

  .. _`my profile`: http://www.ned.com/user/u983740906/
  .. _`NYTimes article`: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/arts/music/10ratli.html?ex=1360386000&en=4ce71090aab0cc4b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink