More often than not, it is utilized to convey love.
Other times, it is used for emotions like sorrow or jubilation. Local singer/songwriter Janice Moro is using music to express gratitude. Moro has penned a song called Will You Stand. It is a big thank you to politicians for last year’s formal apology by the federal government to former students of native residential schools. Approximately 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were removed from their communities throughout most of the last century and forced to attend residential schools. Many of them suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse. “It is about personal and collective responsibility and the fact that the government took a stand,†Moro said. “The question is ‘Will you stand’ and the government did.†The Oakville woman, who juggles motherhood, a job at Appleby College, a music director position with the local Anglican Church of the Incarnation, as well as charity work, was inspired to write the song after watching the news while waiting to catch a flight at Pearson Airport on June 12, 2008. “The government actually took a public stance and recognized that they made errors in judgment,†she said. “In my lifetime, I’ve seen the impact of the displacement of native Canadians. In terms of their culture being preserved and consideration of who they are as a unique people, so much of that was missed. I was literally brought to tears in the airport. Immediately the phrase, ‘There is a day of reckoning’ with a melody began in my head.â€
“You could see they were going through a difficult time and that had a huge impact on me,†she said. “I remember my father telling me that it was important for us to help preserve their culture. I’ve always felt a sense of responsibility due to the fact that as a Canadian, we have a moral obligation to deal with this issue that is a blight on our history.â€