In the wake of a tumultuous, tragedy-filled week, a word, well maybe more of a concept, has been flowing through my mind and surely the minds of others: Solidarity. Solidarity has been said so frequently in response to violent racism on college campuses and terrorist attacks around the world. Almost to the point to where you say a word so much it loses nearly all meaning. I am not as cynical to believe that the word solidarity has no meaning anymore, but I am still skeptical of simply throwing around the word “solidarity” as carelessly as an Instagram like.

Like always, this must now relate somehow back to music. Sure, John Lennon‰’s ‰Imagine‰’ is an obvious connection. And while I do feel that song is a clichÌ©, and honestly George is my favorite Beatle, the sense of community and solidarity ‰Imagine‰’ can bring about is still noteworthy. A pianist played ‰Imagine‰’ on loop outside of the Bataclan Theater in Paris this past weekend. The pianist said, “I can‰’t bring people back but I can inspire them with music and when people are inspired they can do anything. That‰’s why I played ‘Imagine.’‰Û

So perhaps what music can remind us in times of sorrow is the immense power we all possess. Each day we wake up and can decide whether or not we wish to be conscious of the greater world around us. To me, this means being aware of all injustices, and not having selective empathy. Praying for Paris should include praying for Beirut. As well as not forgetting to acknowledge adversities at home. The occurrences at Mizzou and on college campuses across the nation cannot just pass by. Something‰’s gotta give.

So while listening to the Peace playlist on Spotify, use music as a springboard for further action. Music can inspire us to truly stand in solidarity. Listening to a song can help us to view a situation in a new light. Music can facilitate the critical reflection process we all need. It is important to analyze our actions and ensure that we are truly doing all we can to show solidarity. Reflecting can be that moment before you post a status with what you feel are good intentions, and then realize you are in fact contributing to the issue at hand. This became apparent with people wishing to show solidarity with black students at Mizzou, in an effort to demonstrate political correctness, saying that they stand with ‰people of color‰’ when in fact Black students in particular were targeted. This also all ties in with checking your privilege and being aware of where you fit in to the struggle you wish to show solidarity with.

So I urge you to take a step back, throw on some tunes, and ponder the best way in which you can show solidarity with the struggles in the world around us.