Musical Insurrection.

I posted a logo on Facebook. I told everyone that more information was coming.

So, I suppose I can supply a few clues. It can all be found in the manifesto for New World Waking.

Political leaders are not providing role models of peace.

Religious leaders are not providing role models of peace.

Music [art] can cross all boundaries.

Therefore, creating peace becomes mandatory for the artist.

I was telling this to Amy Coleman as we were starting to rehearse, and both of us kind of, unexpectedly, got tears in our eyes. It's embarrassing to admit, of course, because we're all supposed to be immune to pretentious kitsch and sentimentality, but the fact is that music actually does have this power. It can reach across cultures and nations. It has no boundaries.

She punched me on the shoulder and said, "Look, whatever you're doing, this troupe you're putting together, I'm in. I'll do whatever you ask." All of the other singers, one by one, told me the same thing.

I told her I didn't actually have a "thing" or a troupe or an anything. But it got me to thinking that, yes, Jim and I probably do have a troupe. His show biz roots are long and deep. (Ba-dump). He runs into people he knows every day. Trying to get through the theater district sometimes feels like a meet and greet.

So, I was looking for a name for this troupe. From somewhere, I remembered the phrase "Musical Insurrection." I saw, in my documents, a folder called "Musical Insurrection" and found the song "Holy Dirt."

Of course. Before I had the title "New World Waking." That's what I called it.

I wondered if anyone else had used it.

I googled it and the first thing that came up was my own diary. The old original diary. It was the title of one of the books. Musical Insurrection. And it's about when Jim and I brought The Big Voice out here. On page two, we ran into Jeramy.

Well, fine. I'm stealing from myself. Perfect.

Not bad. What if we added a descriptor.

Populist movement! Now, there's some interesting rhetoric.

But, in a way, I suppose it really is.

I have singers from New World Waking, our Easter bonnet group, The Last Session members, past and present, along with many singers and musicians here on the New York scene, the Preoccupied Pipers, some musicians and singers in LA at Kulak's Woodshed, website readers who just happen to like these songs and would like to try some out for themselves.

That's populist, isn't it? But the term. Ick. It's so icky political. What would the equivalent be in today's language?

An open source chorus!

What are the rules? Who's in it?

Oh, please don't bother me with these pesky details. Learn one of my songs. Sing it somewhere. That's an excellent place to start.

Or make a dance. Or a painting. Or tell your local chorus or theater that you want them to perform New World Waking.

Now, there. See how easy that was?

When I was in Lynchburg with Soul Force, we did a Buddhist exercise.

Breathe in the violence. Breathe out the peace.

Become an instrument of peace.

A very nice idea for a Sunday morning.