Why the Arts Matter to Us
If you know us - Natalie, Renae, Torri, Kara, and me - you know the arts aren’t just hobbies we squeeze in on the side. They’re woven into who we are. Some of us are board-certified music therapists, so we see firsthand how music and creativity shape lives. Others of us have lived it in community theatre, church choirs, or playing CD’s/Spotify Tunes at home.
The arts are how we’ve always connected.
They’re how we celebrate, how we heal, and how we pass on joy to our kids. And as moms, we try to be intentional about it. We don’t just use music for fun - we use it for connection, to help our children regulate, to give them independence, and to create moments where our families feel rooted in something bigger than ourselves.
Because let’s be honest: Our kids are growing up in a world of screens.
Devices are everywhere. And while technology has its place, we believe the antidote to all that scrolling and isolation is creativity. Dancing barefoot in the grass at a concert. Belting out show tunes with your friends. Scribbling in a sketchbook. Playing drums in the basement. Scream-singing the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack together in the kitchen.
That’s why, at Harmony Gardeners concerts, we’ve been so purposeful about the songs we bring into our sets. Two new ones—Right Here, Right Now and The Light We Hold—were written with intention.
Right Here, Right Now is a grounding song.
Its words are simple, almost meditative: “I feel the sun shine upon my face… I feel the ground beneath my feet… I am right now, I am right here.” When families sing it together, you can feel the shift in the air - kids and parents alike settling into the moment, breathing, being present. It’s a song that slows the world down long enough for us to notice what matters most: that we are together, right here, right now.
The Light We Hold goes even deeper.
It’s about that inner spark each of us carries - the light in our bones that doesn’t go out, even when life feels overwhelming. With butterfly taps, deep breaths, and gentle movements, it teaches kids (and adults) how to regulate, how to listen to their bodies, and how to find calm in chaos. And when you hear the chorus rise - “There’s a light we hold, deep in our bones, rooted like trees in quiet tones” - you can feel the whole community breathing as one.
Those aren’t just songs. They’re practices. They’re tools.
They’re ways of giving our kids (and ourselves) resilience, joy, and belonging through music.
That’s why the arts are central to The Village Collective.
We know - because of both our training and our lived experience - that music and creativity aren’t extras. They’re essentials. They build life skills, strengthen families, and spark belonging.
