Our process design with Second Saturdays
Identify Chasm
If you ever find yourself saying “I want to do something to make the world a better place, but I just don’t know how,” then you have partially identified the impetus behind our Second Saturdays project. Late in 2009, we wondered why Americans seemed so apathetic, and whether actual togetherness (versus virtual) could be sparked anew. It was our hope that this venture would inspire people to identify an issue (like hunger or bullying) and utilize the talents of friends and family to impact change for just one day a month.
Create Change
This project was initiated the Second Saturday of February, 2010. We created free resources and tools for local grassroots involvement on creating the change…things like songs, posters, call-and-response YouTube videos, etc. (see below).
Amplify Success
In-house, we dubbed this project as the “Never Declare Failure Too Early” project. Just as we’d shelved it, Americans took to the streets in various ways, including Occupy Wall Street. Although we are not actively promoting Second Saturdays, we welcome your ideas and value your input. If you are interested in learning what we can offer for a Second Saturdays project, see below, or contact us.
Your great American DO SOMETHING Second Saturday singalongs
When we began this project, we wondered “what if there were a grass roots movement fostering an ethic of sharing and understanding, and open hearted compassion towards the last and least, right here in our country? We wondered, “why aren’t American’s making their voices heard?” This was before the protests of 2011.
Second Saturdays … Joining the Song
The issue dear to your heart might be your local school, or ‘Guitars not Guns’ or it might be kids and hunger. Let’s talk about kids and hunger for a moment. If, before the ‘Great Recession’ you thought one in five American children going hungry was a travesty, you must be bristling at the news that HALF of America’s children can expect to need food assistance at some point in their childhoods. This project asks: wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all join up in song, to raise awareness that this trend needs to be reversed? And, we envisioned that you could raise some funds for your local food bank in the process!
If there’s something that really makes you passionate enough to sing for a better, more abundant tomorrow, you can still consider a ‘Second Saturday Singalong’ event (detail page). Then, let us know, and we’ll Tweet about you and send you a copy of a film—and some microwave popcorn (while supplies last).
- Ideas for all sorts of old standby grassroots rally songs [scroll down to see our growing list!]
- Rally song: Such a Crime: Here is the free and easy Such a Crime sheet music (PDF) for the sing-along song Such a Crime (video). You can also download the Such a Crime chords & lyrics (PDF) if you wish. If you or your organization prefer, you can download a “vanilla” version of the Such a Crime sheet music (PDF).
- Solidarity song: Garden in My Soul: Download the full sheet music (PDF) or easy sheet music (PDF) for the sing-along song Garden in My Soul. Add to the verses as you go…
- Classical musicians? Contact us for sheet music from A Concert for Hope, La Povertà by Stanford composer / professor Giancarlo Aquilanti!
- Tip for making your event unique – check out our entry on how to put on an “inequality feast.”
- Easily customizable poster to promote your event.
- Printable PDF about Second Saturdays / Third Thursdays so you can explain the concept to your employer/group.
- Social networking tips to help bring in the crowds to your events.
- Help spread the word with a flyer about the Second Saturdays campaign! (PDF)
…Third Thursdays too!
For business organizations that want to get involved, or for schools that want to do this midweek (and religious groups that celebrate Saturdays and keep it holy) the sing-along concept can also work on Third Thursdays (e.g., Third Thursdays at Three, which is still in the middle of the workday and still during school).
Such a Crime
To get you started, we offer this singalong, with easy, downloadable sheet music for anyone wishing to put on a poverty-awareness event. Besides being posted here it’s also posted on our YouTube channel as a call-and-response. Viewers are invited to post their video responses online. As replies grow, our hope is that soup kitchen pantries are filled and the homeless find much-needed shelter. Such a Crime found its inspiration in a true story, an op-ed piece by Barbara Ehrenreich in the New York Times. The song is our effort to give a voice to the voiceless, questioning the increasing criminalization and hard-heartedness to the rising tide of poverty and inequality. The song asks simply: is it a crime to be poor?
Garden in My Soul
We also are offering, for another easy singalong idea, the full sheet music (PDF) or easy sheet music (PDF) to “Garden In My Soul”. Here’s an excerpt (you can learn more at CommodoreCallahan.com):
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Ideas for Singalong Songs
Here are some old grassroots rally songs that might spark your imagination as you create your own lists:
Poverty Specific
- Such a Crime – Commodore Callahan (YouTube)
- Coat of Many Colors – Dolly Parton – (YouTube)
- Hard Times Come Again No More – Stephen Foster (YouTube)
- This Land is Your Land - Woodie Guthrie (YouTube)
- Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer (YouTube)
- Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band (YouTube)
Love/Brotherhood
- Garden in my Soul – Commodore Callahan (YouTube)
- Get Together – The Youngbloods (YouTube)
- Love is the Answer – Utopia (YouTube)
- One Love – Bob Marley (YouTube)
- Ripple – Grateful Dead (YouTube)
- If Your Love Cannot Be Moved *or A Time 2 Love *or Heaven is Ten Zillion Light Years Away – Stevie Wonder (YouTube)
- Shed a Little Light – James Taylor (YouTube)
- Peace Train – Cat Stevens (YouTube)
- He Was My Brother - Paul Simon (in memory of his college classmate, civil rights activist Andrew Goodman, who was killed by the KKK in 1964, YouTube)
- I am a Patriot – Little Steven (Jackson Browne YouTube)
Spreading the Word Poster
Here, a customizable poster, which you can use to publicize your event. Just click one of the flyer images below to download a customizable PDF. Or make your own! Be sure to include time, place, etc., as well as the option to bring a donation…whether it’s a can of food for a local shelter, or a guitar to donate to GuitarsNotGuns.org. The only limit is your imagination. Just do something!
