PROTESTRA Presents:
Music in Action: A Concert Against Gun Violence
Thursday, July 28, 2022 @8:00 PM
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” is intended to serve as a collective response spoken in our universal language: music.
This benefit concert will open with (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. The orchestral portion of the program, conducted by PROTESTRA Founder & Music Director Michelle Rofrano, will feature two works: Soul of Remembrance by Mary D. Watkins and Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children) by Gustav Mahler, featuring soloist Alice Chung, mezzo-soprano. These compositions center around themes of immense loss, but they also afford us a solemn moment to remember and mourn the lives that were lost and begin to heal together as a community.
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 will be 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 will donate a portion of ticket proceeds to two organizations working to end gun violence at the local and national levels:
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.
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.
Tickets are “pay-what-you-can,” with a suggested donation of $25 (minimum donation: $1). PROTESTRA strives to make classical music accessible to everyone, and those who are able to donate are encouraged to do so. If the cost of a ticket presents a financial burden, please email PROTESTRA at team@protestra.org to request free access.