A Message to the City from Erin Jorgensen

Good morning. It’s the second day of June, another day in this rat race founded on slavery, and people have fucking had it.

For something soothing after another long night, we turn to the artist Erin Jorgensen. She begins by talking about the need to “dismantle this demonic, murderous presence of racism that’s present in every aspect of American life.”

She adds, “It’s also important for us to take care of ourselves and each other, and one of the ways I do that is with music.”

And then she plays the marimba.

Erin is playing an arrangement of a song called “I’m Going in a Field,” by Scottish artist Ivor Cutler. “If you don’t know him and are in need of distraction, I recommend getting into that particular internet rabbit hole,” she says.

If you want more marimba in your life, here you go. Or watch these. Erin is playing meditative marimba sounds every Sunday morning on the internet (Facebook + YouTube) at 10 am.

She’s also doing Happy Hour Bach concerts (online at the same links) on Thursdays at 5 pm, beginning June 4th. And giving quarantine music lessons on Instagram.

Thank you, Erin, for this beautiful performance.

And thank you for the message at the beginning.

Thank you for your reminder that white people need to take a look at their collective and individual responsibility in what is happening right now. Racism is a white-people problem—white people created it, white people benefit from it—and we need more white people to talk openly about what white people are going to do about it.

If you are a white person and you’ve never seen the word antiracist, start here.

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Previously in this series:

Brangien Davis and Daniel Spils’s message to the city on June 1.

Timothy De Clue’s message to the city on May 29.

Elizabeth Aquino’s message to the city on May 28.

Christopher Frizzelle’s message to the city on May 27.

Elby Brosch’s message to the city on May 26.

Mila Skyy’s message to the city on May 22.

Michael Lee’s message to the city on May 21.

SassyBlack’s message to the city on May 20.

Seattle Symphony horn section’s message to the city on May 19.

Lori Goldston’s message to the city on May 18.

Ibidunni Ojikutu’s message to the city on May 15.

RL Heyer’s message to the city on May 14.

Garth Stein’s message to the city on May 13.

Okanomodé’s message to the city on May 12.

Zoe Scofield’s message to the city on May 11.

Aham Oluo’s message to the city on May 8.

Pete Rush’s message to the city on May 7.

Trent Moorman’s message to the city on May 6.

Renée Valencia’s message to the city on May 5.

Justin Huertas’s message to the city on May 4.

Charles Mudede’s message to the city on May 1.

Kathryn Rathke’s message to the city on April 30.

Anthony White’s message to the city on April 30.

Miss Texas 1988’s message to the city.

Matt Bishop’s message on April 27.

Cherdonna’s message to the city on April 26.

Shenandoah Davis’s message to the city on April 25.

Lorena González’s message to the city on April 24.

Clyde Petersen’s message to the city on April 23.

David Ritt’s message to the city on April 22.

Sara Porkalob’s message to the city on April 21.

Julia Sweeney’s message to the city on April 20.

Linda Derschang’s message to the city on April 19.

Molly Sides’s message to the city on April 18.

Nick Garrison’s message to the city on April 17.

Tomo Nakayama’s message to the city on April 16.

Rebecca M. Davis’s message to the city April 15.

Heather McHugh’s message to the city on April 14.

Brandon O’Neill’s message to the city on April 13.

Kate Wallich’s message to the city on April 12.

Rebecca Brown’s message to the city on April 11.

Lucien Postlewaite’s message to the city on April 10.

Betty Wetter’s message to the city on April 9.

Amanda Morgan’s message to the city on April 8.

Nancy Guppy’s message to the city on April 7.

Jonathan Biss’s message to the city on April 6.

Chris Jeffries’s message to the city on April 5.

Lesley Hazleton’s message to the city on April 4.

John Roderick’s message to the city on April 3.

Bill Carty’s message to the city on April 2.

Price Suddarth’s message to the city on April 1.

Kary Wayson’s message to the city on March 31.

Ellen Forney’s message to the city on March 30.

Major Scales’s message to the city on March 29.

E. J. Koh’s message to the city on March 28.

Ken Jennings’s message to the city on March 27.

Demarre McGill’s message to the city on March 26.

Lynn Shelton’s Message to the City on March 25th.

Timothy White Eagle’s message to the city on March 24.

Cookie Couture’s message to the city on March 23.

Sarah Rudinoff’s message to the city on March 22.

John Osebold’s message to the city on March 21.

Ben Gibbard’s message to the city on March 20.

Nathan Chan’s message to the city on March 19.