We Began to Sing - Peoples Music Network

One of the first showings in the US of the new film "We Began to Sing" will take place during the Peoples Music Network Winter Convergence gathering. Polly Wells and Candida Paltiel, the Canadian documentary film makers who created this film, will be taking part in this workshop.

The film includes: —footage of time we (Annie Patterson & Peter Blood) spent meeting with Pete Seeger in the Seeger home in Beacon NY early in 2013 discussing plans for Rise Again (and the three of us singing “Song of Peace” together)—how our songbooks Winds of the People, Rise Up Singing, and Rise Again came to into being—footage from some of our singalong concerts over the past few years—exploring ways singing has been used in a variety of movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, the 2017 women’s march, and immigrant solidarity work. Information on “We Began to Sing” can be found at: https://www.songkeepers.ca/we-began-to-sing We will explore ways a film like this can be used to spur understanding of the role of music in peace & justice work in a wide variety of educational and social change settings. We will also talk with each other about what it takes for group singing to be a successful tool for community-building, consciousness raising, and empowerment. The film makers will be attending the full day at the PMN Winter Convergence through supper time.