[This site is still under construction. Many of the links are not yet finished. Thank you for your patience.]
The Survivors Concert is a project to promote and honor the healing of adults who have suffered childhood sexual abuse. The theme is "We Will Speak, We Will Listen" -- a direct counterpoint to the silence that usually surrounds this issue. The concert is composed of about 15 songs, in the folk-rock, indie and R&B genres, performed live with vocals and instrumentation. Each song, as well as brief commentaries in between, addresses what it's like to live with this history and what it's like to do the work of healing from it.
At this time, the concert is planned for women and men (adults only): those who were sexually abused as children, as well as for their loved ones who are in genuine support. [Why both women and men?] [Why adults only?] There will be no admission fee to attend, and the performers are not being paid. Most of the songs are "covers" meaning that no money can be earned for performing them. A modest budget exists for publicity and the rental of the venue(s).
Although the sexual abuse of adults is also prevalent, the focus will be for people who were sexually abused during their childhood, . [Click here to read why.] The breaking of silence on the taboo subject of abuse, especially sexual abuse, is both confronting and, with time and in the right circumstances, can be healing. The concert itself is informational and experiential, but is not therapy. [Click on any blue link for more information.]
The word "survivor" here means a victim who has healed, is healing, or who feels a hope of healing. "Healing" means recovering a sense of self-respect and a vision for a positive future. There is no religious agenda to the concert. Forgiveness is not a theme in this project since it is too often used to stop people from telling the whole truth. Instead, the grieving process is recognized as a way to fully acknowledge and respond to the magnitude of the betrayal, the losses, and the otherwise unending consequences of childhood sexual abuse.
The overall tone of the concert is upbeat confidence that healing can and does occur. The necessary factors are: 1) awareness of the problem, 2) freedom to talk about it, 3) knowledge that we will be listened to and respected, and 4) accountability for one's healing. The concert provides an opportunity for the first three, and implicitly and explicitly encourages the fourth. Since this is a charged and potentially painful process, the plan is to have volunteer therapists on hand to address (on only an ad-hoc basis) any overwhelm that may be triggered by this difficult subject.
The songs' lyrics and the introductions will recognize the extreme difficulties that this healing involves, including the confusions of dissociation and of repressed memories, the validity of the phenomenon of repressed memory, the attraction of addiction as a means of relief/distraction, the difficulty of ending dysfunctional patterns in relationships, and the dangers of self-disregard (ranging from poor decision-making to suicide.)
Bewell McKinley is spearheading the project and is looking for other singers and musicians (women and men) who have a passion for this topic, to contribute to the production by forming a band. It will be an all-volunteer collaboration, and the hope is that more than one performance -- possibly many -- will be held locally and regionally. All current ideas for the production, including everything described on this page, are provisional in the hopes that a truly collaborative effort will unfold as musicians/singers join the project and form a band. The final song list, lyrics, instrumental arrangements and overall presentation will be decided by the group.
Click here to see the proposed Play List and (where applicable) the adapted lyrics.