YOU ARE ENOUGH: A MENTAL HEALTH SUITE (TTBB) & (SATB)
Music by Aron Accurso, Text by Aron Accurso and Rachel Griffin
Commissioned by The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club.
About the piece: Commissioned by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, “You Are Enough: A Mental Health Suite” was written to advocate for, and elevate conversations about, mental health awareness. It is available from Hal Leonard and the SATB version will be available soon after a premiere in 2021.
I.) “Inside the Storm.” Text: Aron Accurso. The first movement is a song of support; you don’t have to pretend things are OK, or do anything, you can just be with someone literally, or from afar, “inside the storm”.
II.) “A Thought Storm.” Text: Aron Accurso and Choir members. The second movement draws inspiration from a wonderful community art installation and social media movement: The Chalkboard Project. They take pictures of people with chalkboards displaying words that have hurt them in the past and replace them with positive words. It’s a tempest of positive affirmations and negative thoughts battling back and forth incorporating specific words from the Glee Club members.
III.) “You Are Enough”. Text by Rachel Griffin. There is a beautiful quote by Sierra Boggess and Susan Batson, “You are enough, you are so enough, it’s unbelievable how enough you are!” that was the inspiration for this movement.
