About
In response to recent mass shootings and rising gun violence across the United States, PROTESTRA will held “Music in Action: A Concert Against Gun Violence” on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 8:00 PM at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.
110 Americans die as a result of gun violence every day, and guns have become the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In 2022 alone, there have already been 253 mass shootings. The three deadliest—Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park—all occurred within just the last two months, leaving 40 people dead and 49 injured. In times of great tragedy, it can be difficult to find words to sufficiently express our grief, anguish, and frustration. “Music in Action: A Concert Against Gun Violence” served as a collective response spoken in our universal language: music.
Program
Chamber Program:
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dis[armed] by Yaz Lancaster, featuring percussion soloists Tamika Gorski and Tyler Hefferon. Scored for percussion duo with tape, this thought-provoking work is the composer’s attempt at exploring the conversation surrounding gun violence, particularly mass shootings and the killing of unarmed Black people by police in the United States.
Orchestral Program conducted by PROTESTRA Music Director Michelle Rofrano:
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Soul of Remembrance by Mary D. Watkins
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Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children) by Gustav Mahler, featuring soloist Alice Chung, mezzo-soprano.
Charities
Gun violence is a multifaceted, ongoing social issue that appears in many forms, including mass shootings, police shootings, gang violence, domestic violence, and suicides. This concert was a vehicle not only to memorialize and reflect, but also to share resources and calls to action to make our country safer. To that effect, PROTESTRA is donating a portion of ticket proceeds to two organizations working to end gun violence at the local and national levels:
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Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) is a Brooklyn- and Bronx-based program that seeks to end gun violence at the neighborhood level by changing local norms around violence and creating opportunities for meaningful educational and employment opportunities within the community. The core of the program consists of violence interrupters with first-hand knowledge of street and gang life who use their credibility and relationships to mediate conflicts before they escalate. In partnership with local organizations and faith leaders, S.O.S. holds frequent community events along with rapid responses to individual shootings, sending the message that the community will not tolerate violence.
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Everytown for Gun Safety is a movement of nearly 10 million mayors, moms, teachers, survivors, gun owners, students, and everyday Americans who have come together to make their own communities safer. Everytown works to keep guns out of the wrong hands, keep guns out of schools, prohibit assault weapons and dangerous hardware, hold the gun industry accountable, and ultimately keep communities safe.