by Fox Rhett and friends, in an organic moment (see story below)
Election night 2016
Arr. Kaitie Ty Warren and Sara Stutz
(Tracks coming soon)
Arasa Maram and Sonya Dresser invited artists and musicians they knew over to their home on Tuesday November 8, 2016. The invitation was to partake in making and focusing on light, music, and connection; to eat homemade soup and turn off the news.
It was a memorable and intense night, for many reasons.
Among the crowd were many musicians and spoken word artists, and at one point, someone invited everyone to share “why are you here?”
This could mean here on the planet, here in this room, here in this conversation. People began to voice their answers from around the darkened room.
After a moment, singer/songwriter Fox Rhett started chanting the refrain, “We are here….we are here…” And very quickly I (Kaitie), Vadan Ritter, and others took up harmonies. It became a soundscape, over which people continued to share. Fox has said that was their intention, to add something like a floor to what was already happening so it could stand stronger.
The next day or so, I (Kaitie) shared the memory of this incredible moment with Sara, who caught the vibe immediately. Together, we retraced enough steps to come up with a teachable arrangement of We Are Here. With Fox’s blessing, we brought it to marches and to choir. When Living Room Choir performed it in 2017, Arasa Maram added his own improvised spoken word poetry over it.