You Didn’t Sign Up for This.

This is an open letter to the members of The SpeakEasy Cooperative.
I am writing it and posting it publicly because, frankly, I want to shine a light on them.

People in the world need to see that there are voice peeps and biz owners who are linking arms, and in the midst of an age of angst, hurt feelings, bickering, and unfollowing, are fiercely committed to the success of one another.

Yes, I’m bragging. Because we didn’t sign up for this whole pandemic thing. Still, we are embracing #immadoitanyway.

Dear SECO Members Near and Far, Current and Yet to be,

It’s been… interesting. And, awful. And, fine.

I’m writing you today because we’ve all be so head down, blinders on for the last several weeks months, trying to get our act together, or out of bed, or chin up buttercup, that we haven’t taken the same time to celebrate those victories.
You know how I am. I demand celebration. Annoying, I know.

This letter is to celebrate you and what you have accomplished, that I have seen first hand.

This letter is to remind you that you’ve accomplished these things under great pressure, pain, stress, and grief.

This letter is to point out that the smallest accomplishment, and the largest, is worthy of celebrating. YOU are worthy of celebration. Because, again, you didn’t sign up for this.

In the past few months, members have:

• Gotten out of bed
• Spent most days in clothing instead of pajamas, or at least daytime pajamas
• Taken an in-studio lesson experience and adapted it for an online lesson experience
• Learned how to emergency distance learning teach (I dare not call it homeschool as we have homeschooler parents and they assure us what we are doing is NOT homeschooling)
• Made a lot of bread
• Started new revenue streams and business ventures
• Slept when they needed to
• Cried honestly and openly
• Hired each other to give workshops and masterclasses online to other studios
• Created online recitals, choirs, studio parties
• Sat quietly
• Recovered from COVID-19
• Went for walks
• Asked for support in healthy ways by being respectful with “COVID TRIGGER WARNING, SCROLL BY IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE THIS” <—- I LOVE LOVE LOVE this kind of caring for each other’s mental health.
• Gotten under each others skin, big time, yet were respectful in conversation
• Had SECO kiddo get-togethers
• Had SECO happy hours
• Finished classes
• Started classes
• Watched a lot of Schitt’s Creek
• Written parodies
• Given us a daily hat-parade (you know who you are!)
• Shared tips, tricks, lessons, and how-to’s when we learn a new thing
• Sat around and were sad and felt the feels (VERY PROUD OF YOU FOR THIS!!!)
• Moved to a place “of course” instead of “maybe”
• Had real talks about race, diversity, anti-racism, and trans-rights
• Updated their language when they learned it must be done
• Wrote policies
• Erased policies
• Wrote policies again
• Updated pricing
• Did I mention you didn’t sign up for this?

I see you. I am proud of you.

And I gift you with these words, from my Grammy: Mile by mile, life is a trial, inch by inch, life is a cinch.

Keep gettin’ it, BeastyBosses.

Love,