7. Songs for the People by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper
9. Inspiring Change Activity
11. Coloring Pages
19. Program Offerings
21. Season At-a-Glance
22. Bibliography
WELCOME,
Thank you so much for joining us for Songs for the People. This performance celebrates the power of music and storytelling to bring us together and inspire change. Through heartfelt songs, moving poetry, and captivating performances, our young artists explore themes of unity, resilience, and the shared experiences that connect us all.
These pieces were created with dedication, passion, and a desire to spark conversations that resonate across generations. We hope you find joy, reflection, and inspiration in Songs for the People as much as we’ve found in creating and sharing it with you.
Enjoy the show!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The concert is inspired by Frances Ellen Watkins’ poem Songs for the People, which speaks to music’s ability to uplift and unite.
. How do you think music can help bring people together, even during difficult times?
. Can you think of a song that has given you hope or comfort?
2. Many songs in the concert, such as Steal Away and We Shall Overcome, have been used as tools for resilience and activism.
. Why do you think music is such a powerful tool for change?
. Have you ever heard or experienced music that inspired you to take action or think differently?
3. The concert highlights three eras of Black music: traditional gospel, Civil Rights-era soul, and contemporary songs that call for unity and reflect the struggle for liberation.
. How do these different eras of music show the journey of Black history and culture?
. What connections do you see between these styles and the music we hear today?
BLACK HISTORY IN SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE
Black music has always been a powerful force—preserving culture, resisting oppression, and inspiring change. From spirituals to jazz, blues, and the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement, it has shaped the world.
As we celebrate Songs for the People, we honor this legacy, drawing inspiration from the pioneers who used music to amplify voices and envision a brighter future.
Let this segment serve as a bridge between the history that shaped us and the stories we tell today.
BLACK HISTORY IN SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE
SHARECROPPING
After the Civil War, sharecropping became a way for newly freed Black Americans and poor farmers to work the land in exchange for part of the crops. But instead of offering a fresh start, it often kept newly-freed slaves trapped in a cycle of debt and poverty. Despite these hardships, sharecroppers created music that reflected their struggles, dreams, and perseverance. These melodies—spirituals, work songs, and blues—laid the foundation for the rich tapestry of Black music we celebrate today. Songs like Steal Away and Wade in the Water honor those roots and remind us of the strength that music brought to people in even the most difficult times.
JIM CROW LAWS
From the late 19th to the mid-20th century, Jim Crow laws were a series of statutes that enforced racial segregation across the South. These laws denied Black Americans basic rights, freedoms, and dignity, mandating separate schools, transportation, and public facilities, while fostering discrimination and inequality. Black communities resisted through resilience, creativity, and self-expression. We Shall Overcome became a rallying cry for change, and songs like Someday We’ll All Be Free and Nina Simone’s Young, Gifted and Black and inspired hope and pride. Their harmonies and resilience echo through history, reminding us how music has always been a powerful tool for pushing boundaries and creating change.
CURRENT CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS
Today, movements like Black Lives Matter continue the fight for racial equality and justice. Just like in the past, music remains at the heart of activism. Songs like Jon Batiste’s We Are, H.E.R.’s Fight for You, and Pharrell Williams’ Freedom amplify the voices of change. They remind us of the resilience, hope, and determination needed to push forward. These songs show how Black artistry continues to unite communities and spark meaningful conversations about justice and equality. From the streets to streaming platforms, these anthems remind us that music doesn’t just accompany the movement—it is the movement.
YOUNG ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Jadyn, 3rd Year Singer
Mosaic Singer
Mumford High School
1. How did you find Mosaic and become involved?
Interestingly enough, I was already kind of connected. My relatives have been in the program before, so that’s how I learned about Mosaic and eventually auditioned.
2. What was the audition process like? It was interesting, trying to put yourself out there. Because when I first auditioned, it was all online. It was during COVID, so I had to, you know, record a video. So it was a little different than what you would have to do now. Now it’s less of sing this in front of in front of a camera. It’s more of a let’s see how you do with the group and the process, or how your mentality is when you are faced with challenges like changing how you deliver your piece or picking up choreography.
3. Are there any other opportunities or things that you’ve got to do because you’re in Mosaic?
Mosaic has opened up a lot of school opportunities. One of the main reasons I got into Cass was because of being in Mosaic. There also are other programs, like New Voices Detroit, where I composed two songs, It Must Be Love, and Dreams.
4. What was your experience like working on Songs for the People, and how would you describe the process of being a part of it?
It’s puzzling, because some songs, the meaning is right there in front of you just screaming at you, but other times, it’s a little more cryptic. And I feel like because of the vast differences between the songs, the actual meaning of the entire show is difficult to find, but when you don’t overthink it, it opens up.
5. What do you think the meaning of the show is?
Well, exactly what the title is, Songs for the People. It’s about movements, like, for example, Civil Rights Movement, or moving people to vote, that type of stuff. Songs for people to come together.
6. During this process, how have those themes affected your performance of the songs? They’ve made me change my movements and almost the way that I sing certain things. For example, whenever I’m doing big, broad movements, I’m broader. If we’re singing and we’re at a very small peak of the song, I might scrunch up a little bit, get lower, stuff like that.
7. Is there any song in particular that you noticed that happening? Where you find that your body is changing?
Wake up everybody the very end of the show. Because right before that song, it’s something that’s kind of calm, more collected. And then, we get right into it, “Hey, wake up! Get up out your bed, go vote!
8. Is there any advice, or anything you want to say to people who may be thinking about being a part of theater, music, a performance of some sort?
Make it you. Put you in the performance. If you’re doing a move and you want to add your own little flair to it, do that. It’s you, you’re performing. Sure, it’s choreographed. But you also want to find yourself in the music, to better understand it and sing better.
SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE
By Francis Ellen Watkins Harper
Francis Ellen Watkins Harper’s poem Songs for the People reminds us of the power of music to heal, inspire, and unite. As we reflect on her words, we also honor her legacy as a champion for justice and progress, connecting her message to the themes in our concert.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825–1911) was a groundbreaking African American poet, author, and activist. A champion for abolition, women’s suffrage, and civil rights, she used her writing to confront issues of injustice and inspire change. Her poem Songs for the People captures her belief in music and art as powerful tools for healing, connection, and progress.
SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE
By
Francis Ellen Watkins Harper
Let me make the songs for the people, Songs for the old and young; Songs to stir like a battle-cry Wherever they are sung.
Not for the clashing of sabres, For carnage nor for strife; But songs to thrill the hearts of men With more abundant life.
Let me make the songs for the weary, Amid life’s fever and fret, Till hearts shall relax their tension, And careworn brows forget.
Let me sing for little children, Before their footsteps stray, Sweet anthems of love and duty, To float o’er life’s highway.
I would sing for the poor and aged, When shadows dim their sight; Of the bright and restful mansions, Where there shall be no night.
Our world, so worn and weary, Needs music, pure and strong, To hush the jangle and discords Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.
Music to soothe all its sorrow, Till war and crime shall cease; And the hearts of men grown tender Girdle the world with peace.
Discussion Questions:
1. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper writes about singing for little children to guide them with “love and duty.”
• Which songs in the concert seem to carry these messages for younger audiences? Why do you think it’s important to include those themes in music?
2. The poem talks about songs that can “stir like a battle-cry” but also bring “more abundant life.”
• What songs in the concert feel powerful and inspiring like this? How do they make you feel, and why do you think they’re included in the performance?
3. The poem highlights music as a way to connect people and ease their pain.
• How does the concert show this idea through themes of unity and liberation? Can you think of a moment when music helped you feel connected to others?
4. Modern songs in the concert continue the poem’s message that music can inspire change and hope.
• What examples in the concert show how music can make a difference today? How does that connect to the world you see around you?
INSPIRING CHANGE
In Songs for the People, we explore how music and art inspire connection, healing, and change. Using this Social Change Map, think about how you can contribute— whether through storytelling, building connections, or offering care. Write your own ideas in the speech bubbles on the following page, and challenge yourself to take action by doing one each day. Small acts of kindness and creativity can lead to big change!
SOCIAL CHANGE MAP
Weavers:
We see the through-lines of connectivity between people, places, organizations, ideas, and movements.
Experimenters:
We innovate, pioneer, and invent. We take risks and course-correct as needed.
Frontline Responders:
We address community crises by marshaling and organizing resources, networks, and messages.
Visionaries:
We imagine and generate our boldest possibilities, hopes, and dreams, and remind others of our direction.
Builders:
We develop, organize, and implement ideas, practices, people, and resources in service of a collective vision.
Caregivers:
We nurture and nourish the people around us by creating and sustaining a community of care, joy, and connection.
Healers:
We recognize and tend to the generational and current traumas caused by oppressive systems, institutions, policies, and practices.
Disrupters:
We take uncomfortable and risky actions to shake up the status quo, to raise awareness, and to build power.
Storytellers:
We craft and share our community stories, cultures, experiences, histories, and possibilities through art, music, media, and movement.
Guides:
We teach, counsel, and advise, using our gifts of well-earned discernment and wisdom.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Programs for young people wanting to get involved with Mosaic
• Ensemble Program: With arts as the motivating catalyst Mosaic’s Ensemble program develops and inspires the behaviors and critical li fe and learning skills youth need to have successful, empowered lives through adulthood. Young artists (Grades 7-12) transform as they engage in intensive training, workshopping tried and true, as well as experimental works and cultivating their artistic voice through the creation of original work. The Ensemble program is comprised of Acting, Singing, and Technical Theatre companies. It runs Sept ember-May.
• Jr Ensemble Program: Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit’s Junior Ensembl e is comprised of young artists between 5th and 8th grade. Junior ensemble rehearsals emphasize growing young artists’ confidence and skills, technical and interpretive, fostering emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills, and providing them with developmentally appropriate performance and community service opportuni ties. It runs October- March.
• Summer Camp: Through theater & music games, craft projects, dance breaks, mindfulness moments, and play rehearsals, each session will provide young artists with an opportuni ty to create incredible memories that will surely last a lifetime. Scholarships available. To regi ster, visit: https://mosaicdetroit.org/our-programs/summercamp/ Summer camp last for 3 weeks. Scholarships available.
• New Voices Detroit: This is a six-week paid mentorship experience for young composers and playwrights in 8 th through 12th grade. Students will submit an idea or rough draft for a play or a musical composition. 16 young artists will be chosen to participate in professional workshops, field trips and indivi dual mentoring sessions where they will take their ideas and develop them into full-fledged works of art. The pieces will then be performed at our New Voices Detroit Festival on August 2nd. Please appl y at https://mosaicdetroit.org/new-voicesdetroit/ Compensation for participants is $15 per hour.
• Summer Ambassador Ensemble: Mosaic’s Summer Ambassador Ensembl e will consist of 16 paid young artists (aged 14 and up) hailing from all around the metro Detroit area. These young actors, singers, and technicians will work collaboratively with professional theatre and music direc tors to mount a play geared toward 3rd-8th grade audience members. The young technicians will design and build the technical elements of the play while the actors and singers rehearse and perform it. The play will tour recreational centers, summer camps, and other settings in communities throughout Detroit. Compensation for performers is $15 per hour.
• Summer Teaching Interns: Summer Teaching Interns (ages 14-24) will be paid to work alongside seasoned teaching artists and arts administrators to offer a safe, high-quality summer artistic experience for youth in grades 3-8. Interns will become proficient in: Program delivery & evaluation, student evaluation, and classroom management. Compensation for teaching interns is $15 per hour.
Programs for Program Leaders that want Mosaic to be involved with their programs
• Ambassado r Touring Show: Mosaic’s Ambassador Ensemble will consist of young artists (aged 14 and up) hailing from all around the metro area. These young actors, singers, and technicians will work collaboratively with professional theatre and music directors to mount a play geared toward all audiences. The young technicians will design and build the technical elements of the play while the actors and singers rehearse and perform it. The play will tour in communities throughout Detroit. If you are interested in hiring us to come out to your community function, please email jcome @mosaicdetroit.org. $1500 non-profit, $2500 corporate
• Mosaic Mobile: Mosaic Mobiles are dynamic one-off micro-workshops that engage young people in the metro-Detroit community who have not encountered Mosaic before. It also serves as a training opportunity for our Youth Ambassador Ensemble members. Mosaic young artists in the Mosaic Ambassador Ensemble conduct a workshop full of collaborative games and activities to expose young people ( 3rd-8th graders) to musical and theatrical skill building and exploration. The workshop culminates in a short sharing of what the young people learned and created. $500
• Acting and Singing Residency: Young people in the Mosaic’s Acting and Singing Residency will take part in beginning level acting and singing exercises. Participants will learn the basics of playwriting and songwriting, then write their own show. In addition to this they will learn important acting and vocal techniques. Through rehearsal, participants practice reading skills and understand literary elements, such as character, setting, and plot. By the end of the class, participants were exposed to a Mosaic experience sample. They will have a lot of fun while acting, singing, and feeling the sense of achievement that is the result of working together as an ensemble to make art. ( $2,000 -8,000 depending on length of classes)
• Empower Hour Tour: We would love to invite you all to a tour of our space. You will receive a brief history of mosaic programs and gain insight into the work we do with the young artist we serve. You can register as a group here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ in-person-empower-hour-tours-tickets-429314289597
SEASON AT-A-GLANCE
SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE: MOSAIC IN CONCERT
Performed by Mosaic Youth Ensemble
JAN 16, 2025 (7pm) & JAN 17 2025 (10am School Matinee)
Detroit Institute of Arts
This year’s concert will celebrate the power of Black music with heart-calling melodies, infectious rhythms, and soulful voices. Inspired by Frances Ellen Watkins’ poem, this concert honors the resilience, triumph, and cultural impact of Black artistry, past and Present.
JULIUS CAESAR
Performed by Mosaic Youth Ensemble and select Jr. Ensemble members
The show will be a modern devised adaptation that incorporates original music and Black Greek step. Mosaic will hire a local guest director to support expanding the young artist’s professional network and exposing them to other styles.
GLOBAL LEGENDS: FABLES FOR ALL AGES
Neighborhood and Summer Camp Touring Performances (30 Min duration)
Available JUL 7 - 19, 2025
Using infectious rhythms, theatrical movement, and incredible creativity, the Mosaic Summer Ambassador Ensemble whisk audiences on an exciting, educational journey through Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas in their collection of short plays, Global Legends: Fables for All Ages. Ancient fables presented with a contemporary twist offer a fun-filled exploration of various folk traditions while celebrating the cultural differences and the unifying commonalities among people all over the world. This show is recommended for K-5 and family events.
NEW VOICES DETROIT: FESTIVAL OF YOUTH PLAYS & COMPOSITIONS
AUG 1, 2025
Detroit Public Theater
Creating pathways for the next generation of prolific storytellers, Mosaic’s NewVoices: Detroit empowers Detroit-area youth to be the authors of new narratives. Youth submit concepts for short plays or songs for an opportunity to be paired with a professional mentor who helps them cultivate the skills needed to move from ideation to actualization. Youth whose work is showcased receive a cash prize. Join us to celebrate this new generation of artists, ambassadors, and advocates for a thriving Detroit enriched by arts and culture!
