Karen Siegel
That Moment
KarenSiegel.com
chestnutoak press
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My thoughts are spinning In the back of my head. I feel like I’m drowning.
I’m scrolling, comparing, With everyone watching. I have to be perfect.
The stress is constant. It’s overwhelming. I must dissociate.
There’s too much distraction. I’ve too many worries. I can’t let them bloom.
Text
I go for a walk. I let myself feel, Releasing it all.
I’m hearing the river. Completely unplugged, I seek my own path.
We’re singing together. We’re building connection. We’re finding compassion.
And in that moment When the chord locks in We find ourselves.
Karen Siegel,
drawing on conversations with members of the Schwob Singers at Columbus State University and including quotes by the student participants.
Program Note
The text to "That Moment" is a result of a collaboration with the Schwob Singers at Columbus State University. Over a series of three small-group meetings and one full-group session, I asked the student singers about their perspectives on mindfulness, the distractions in their lives, and what helps them feel in the moment. The poem that this piece sets encompasses their words and feelings, sometimes in direct quotation. I'm grateful to these students for their willingness to open their hearts to me and share their personal stories, and to their director Dr. David Hahn for trusting me with this process. KS
Cover photo by Todd Trapani, via Pexels
That Moment
Commissioned by David Hahn, the Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Distinguished Chair in Music and Conductor of the Schwob Singers at Columbus State University
Overwhelmed q. = 104
Spin ning, spin ning,
spin ning, spin ning,
V
Spin ning, spin ning,
spin ning, spin ning,
Spin ning, spin ning,
spin ning, spin ning,
Spin ning, spin ning,
Overwhelmed q. = 104
(Rehearsal Only)
spin ning, spin ning,
Karen Siegel
bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom,
plete
plete
plete