For What it’s Worth, Something is Definitely Happening Here…
- Joshua Leeds
- Oct 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 4
“There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
A-telling me I got to beware”
- Stephen Stills and Buffalo Springfield
In 1966, these words didn’t feel all that much different than in present time – some 60-years later.
And here we are, doing it again. Really? What is it exactly, that we are doing again? Oh yes, we’re outraged and in the streets, “Singing songs and a-carrying signs, mostly say hooray for our side,” but in 2025, protests are all over the world, and who knows about sides? It’s a very confusing and difficult time and about to become even more agitated.
Last time, it was about a war and being sent a long way away, and people of color fighting our battles. It feels about the same… Black, brown, yellow, white! Just exactly what are our battles? Seems like the same ol' deal.
The people who help me now are rarely more than 40-somethings, many in their 20’s. Perspective… that’s what we gain as we watch the circle go round and round.
“Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?”
- Joni Mitchell
A few years later, in 1970, this extraordinary defining Lady of the Canyon took it a step further when she asked about things that disappear and new realities taking it’s place. Perspective…
The Sound Health Network was a brilliant example of art and science combined. I’ve written and spoken about them often. And one May day in 2025, the plug got pulled and brilliant research, interviews, articles, and networks disappeared because of a change of what it’s worth.
What Can Soundworkers do for Our Communities?
Anthropologically thinking, everything does change, whether in our lifetimes or shortly thereafter. This seems to be the way with human progression. We learn and evolve and then we go backwards for a bit. And we're heading into one of those human pivots. This decline might last a long time – generations, perhaps.
What can we, as soundworkers, do for our communities? Music and sound have always been there and undoubtedly always will.
I call myself a sonic activist. What this means is I think of myself as someone who cares about others, and I want to use my greatest love of all – music – as a tool of assistance when things get hard. I’ve had to think about what it means to be a sonic activist these days? So far, I’ve come up with a few ways that make sense for me to use music and sound to help out.
One of those ways is through group singing.
This is a well-worn road and there's a reason why group singing has lasted as long as two people could gather. When we sing, grunt or hum together – something’s truly happening here. We know about resonance and entrainment, but mostly we really know that it feels good to not be alone, trying to figure it all out by ourselves. When we sing together, we remember the unity of everything.
Another way I’ve figured to be activistic, is on the complete different end of the public spectrum – being just with myself, healing through humming and breathing. I call it SBTK (Sound Breath Toolkit). These new/old skillsets (sound, breath, and movement) are focused for new times; learning how to breath and make sounds that help rebalance a nervous system that feels unsafe in our world. For me, feeling unsafe started when I was a little boy and has taken a lifetime to manifest. Rapid change and foreboding really makes this propensity to not feeling safe emerge. The SBTK is my answer to that, and I want to teach these simple exercises to as many people as I can. I mention this because it is another form of sonic activism. And, you have to take care of yourself before you can really take care of others.
What skillsets can you offer at times of inflection and change?
If you are a musician, you are automatically a sonic activist. You just may be in a dormant phase. Or, you may be already out there sonic acting. What are you manifesting? The gig is up! It’s time to be aware. Maybe that’s the difference in the last 60 years: We’ve hopefully gone from beware to being aware.
What’s your new sonic activism gig? There will be plenty of opportunities in coming years, no doubt!
Many musical types are interested but don’t know where to start. I’ve gathered some easily accessible resources (below) to inspire and trigger imaginations. More than ever, the world is at your fingertips. Start plucking or tapping…
Go for it!
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Resources as exemplars
Organizations Using Music for Social Justice
Musicians Without Borders (Based in Netherlands) For a wonderful interview with Laura Hassler, founder and director of Musicians Without Borders, go here: https://mtflabs.net/podcast038/ (also available as a podcast)
JusticeAid (Washington DC)
Music to Life
RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities)
Love Music Hate Racism
Face the Music Collective
Individual Artists and Advocacy
Peter Gabriel (WITNESS for human rights documentation)
Angélique Kidjo (The Batonga Foundation for women's empowerment)
Alicia Keys (Keep a Child Alive for HIV/AIDS treatment)
I am so inspired by the organization, Musicians Without Borders, that I want to share the following. On their homepage (https://www.musicianswithoutborders.org), they announce:
Musicians Without Borders is a leader in using music for peacebuilding and social change.
Excerpted text from their opening homepage video follows:
“Music is powerful. It can influence behavior, shape culture, and strengthen social bonds. With two billion people living in fragile, conflict-affected states, MOB uses music to address the needs of divided societies.
“Music can help heal the wounds of war and rediscover connections. The voices of the unheard are raised with music. And it is music that is the collective voice of social justice and peacebuilding.
“Musicians Without Borders is a global network. Engaging with artists, change-makers and communities, world-wide. We share expertise with our diverse programs in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. We work closely with local musicians and organizations in response to local needs.
“Musicians Without Borders impacts thousands of young men and women and older people every day. All through music. Music is a steppingstone.
A steppingstone towards lasting social change.
“Musicians Without Borders will continue to use music as a tool to build connection, foster empathy, and transform communities. Today and every day, join us in opposing war and stand with us for peace with music.
“Musicians Without Borders.
“War divides, Music Connects."
© 2025 Musicians Without Borders (excerpts and image above). All rights reserved.
© 2025 Joshua Leeds. All rights reserved.
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