Singing Resistance - Our Voices, Our Power

Recently, I went to a No Kings demonstration. As I approached the rally, the 1969 Rolling Stone’s (Jagger & Richards) hit, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, echoed in my ear… “I went down to the demonstration, to get my fair share of abuse..."

57 years later, this lyric stands strong. My third No Kings demonstration in eight months, and today as I’m walking in a crowd of mostly baby boomers, carrying hand-made signs, I’m thinking, didn’t we already do this? There was something so familiar… and at the actual event, on the stage were three women singing,

I ain’t going to let nobody turn me around

Turn me around, turn me around

I ain’t going to let nobody turn me around

I’m going to keep on walking, keep on talking

Marching up to freedom land.

But what was different was right in front of the stage was a singing group holding a large banner, Our Voices, Our Power. This is Singing Resistance. What was different from the civil rights marches that this song came from, was the upfront acknowledgement that our voices are our power.

Singing Resistance

We are peaceful warriors standing strong

We don’t have any weapons but we have many songs

And we’re singing in the world we want to see

In chaos making harmony

And we’ll keep singing

Won’t you sing along

Emerging from the cold and ICE of 2026 Minneapolis darkness came mostly women, shocked, enraged, fearful and saddened by the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Neighbors hiding in houses, children afraid of school, masked men with guns hunting non-white people.

What started with a few voices turned into an unprecedented movement of defiant and life-affirming song. Within a week, 300 people holding a walking vigil in the Minneapolis neighborhood of Phillips ballooned into singing in churches and streets and 70,000 followers on social media – all within a month. Their gatherings drew first-time demonstrators because of the welcoming ethos of this new Singing Resistance, emphasizing "nonviolence and joyful resistance."

Singing Resistance groups have formed all over the US, and are now ever-present around the US. Their gentle voices are like a prayer, soothing the inflamed hurts of indignation and disappointment.

Brief History of Political Singing

Solidarity forever

Immigrants make us strong

It is well known that music and song has been used historically for all sorts of celebrations and grievances. Politically, the Baltic Singing Revolution swept Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the late 1980’s and helped lead to the freedom of these countries. I doubt anyone would claim the singing was the primary cause of the Soviet dissolution. However, with a strong tradition of choral singing in the Baltic culture, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people would sing in large gatherings. Most noteworthy, music acted as a shared emotional language that unified people. What came to be known as The Singing Revolution is often cited as an important example of nonviolent opposition and the political power of music and collective voice.

In the US, singing within the context of political activism and change has a deep tradition: be it the famous Civil Rights freedom songs, labor movement union songs, or Vietnam war protests, Americans have used music and singing together as a way to express solidarity, grief, and political resistance.

Something's Happening Here

We shall overcome

I am a strong advocate of sonic activism, and I have often written about the power of social cohesion. Singing may be one of the most powerful musical tools for communities in transition. Here is the US, amidst severe community fracturing, we’re struggling with what it means to be a 21st century American. The previous upset of natural disasters has now moved into all facets of community decision-making. We don’t collectively agree on much these days, and this is causing great tension, stress, and devolvement of harmonious community action. However, when people do sing together, even with great under-riding disagreement, something happens to the collective psyche that allows us to remember we are all sharing these moments and life experiences. Collective musical notes help us soften into remembrance of common purpose. This is why music is always present when people gather. Not only does it sweeten us, but the mere act of singing together reminds us of a shared purpose and brings us courage to move forward. We will find a way… This is why so many people often gather to sing together.

There's an estimated 250,000 choirs in the US alone, with over a million organized gatherings of people singing together around the world. However, nobody really knows how many singing ensembles there are in addition to schools, places of worship, or community groups. What we do know is since the beginning of time, people have gathered to put their voices together.

Social cohesion refers to the strength of relationships, trust, and sense of solidarity. When we make sounds together, we are triggering the social cohesion effect on the nervous system. We feel safer, closer, unified.

Singing Resistance Information

No kings

No crowns

No kings in America

Here are some basic links for further information about Singing Resistance and related organizations. Singing Resistance is a new movement and they encourage people to join them.

• https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/27/us/video/mn-group-singing-resistance-ice-vrt-digvid 

• Singing Resistance Trainings:

  • https://docs.proton.me/doc?mode=open-url&token=K62WCNVTGW&linkId=GTV5g-g7uncMMS6r8v4W90YlOPNbw_zf6-xQDwdFvSH4JCps7oDceaoZoqxnmf5t73UMh-5d7cn9UUg3ZW3tUw%3D%3D#1w3AxzaKI3ph

• Singing Resistance Twin Cities: @singingresistance (Instagram)

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1203370647362217/posts/1609614410071170/

Related Organizations

• Rise Up Singing: https://www.riseupsinging.org/songs/resistance

• Interfaith Alliance: https://www.interfaithalliance.org/post/ice-out-resistance-songbook

• Resistance Revival Chorus: https://www.resistancerevivalchorus.com

Author’s note: Singing Resistance is a grass-roots organization that uses group singing as a form of nonviolent protest. There have been many singing-oriented organizations/movements before SR and there will be many afterwards. SR is a growing movement and there will be many on- and offline resources to come.

You may also want to look into song-leader group trainings and events.

Blog Summary

The Singing Resistance is:

• A decentralized network of protest choirs and gatherings

• People meeting in streets, churches, and public spaces

• Singing together as a way to express grief, solidarity, and political resistance

I've written about the Singing Resistance movement as a current form of sonic activism noteworthy in our culture. The simple act of people singing together is physically therapeutic, psychologically important, and fun. These are good things for all of us –especially in times of turbulence, uncertainty, and re-formation.

Joshua Leeds is the author of The Power of Sound, Through a Dog’s Ear, and Sound & Breath for Autonomic Balance. www.joshualeeds.com, @_joshualeeds