Episode 8

TIM GRIMM is an award winning singer songwriter, whose work focuses primarily on community, family, and social issues. This one, BROKEN TRUTH, is both political and deeply personal. It’s a poignant, heartfelt Americana piece, written during Trump’s first administration, that expresses how heartbroken the singer is to see this country torn apart by “that laughing fool.” There’s so much emotion in Grimm’s refrain, “Damn that man,” you can feel it in your bones. The song alludes to our new president’s shamelessness, along with the usual seven sins he’s exhibited over the years. But hope is invoked toward the end of the song, with Dylanesque references like “ring them bells” and “the times they are a’ changin.” It ends with an invitation to all of us to spread the peace, as Dr. King asked us to – the ideals he gave his life for. The least we can do is to strive for that dream. In that pursuit, we can make for ourselves and everyone else a better place.

 JEAN ROHE hails from Brooklyn, NY. Her song is all about hope, and the journey from darkness to light. Jean is a multiple award winning, singer-songwriter and teacher. Her remarkable, gorgeous song, NATIONAL ANTHEM: ARISE! ARISE! is musically both simple and complex. Part folksong with guitars, part choral anthem, part orchestral brass ensemble—and sung in a church—it’s nothing so much as a mass. It begins singing about the great oceans and lands that sustain us – that we must cherish. And from which we must aspire to a more perfect union. And from that, her refrain, “Lift out voices from the fire.” Our history has led us through the darkest fires, but we always strive for that better place in our hearts and lives. We all came here from different places, “some by force and some by will.” But we’re all here together now, and together we’ll rise.

RODNEY WHITTENBERG is an Emmy award-winning composer and an Emmy-nominated film-maker based in Pennsylvania. Rodney’s passion for music and film is followed closely by his love of civics, history, and politics. In addition to contributing his song LOVE , he is also our guest host for this episode. Rodney personally interviewed and filmed Georgia’s US Representative, John Lewis, for a project called “We Stood Up…A Celebration of the Civil Rights Era“. Immeasurably inspired by Congressman Lewis—and other early Civil Rights movement leaders he interviewed for the project—Rodney wrote LOVE. In 2018,  Rodney and an old friend—David Heitler-Klevans—began co-producing the highly-acclaimed podcast Music for the New Revolution. He is also the founder of Melodyvision, an audio music and video production company. Rodney’s professional work centers around social issues, community service, and political action.