- Hello, everybody, I'm Satori Shakoor.

Welcome to Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove, where Detroit's talented artists take the stage, and share insights into their performances.

This episode is curated by Audra Kubat.

She's come up with an episode of powerful women featuring "Detroit Women's Chorus".

Sit back, and enjoy right here on Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove.

(energetic jazzy music) - [Announcer] Funding for Detroit Performs is provided by the Fred A and Barbara M Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, The Kresge Foundation, the A Paul and Carol C Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS Station from viewers like you, thank you.

(upbeat music) (logo whooshes) (spotlight whooshes) - Hello, everybody, it's my joy to be sitting here with Audra Kubat, the Curator of tonight's Fantastic Performance.

So, who did you choose to bring to us?

- I decided to bring the Detroit Women's Chorus and Emily Rose.

Well, the Choir came to me through Shara Nova, my brightest diamond, who arranged the original choir part for "Oh Mother."

And so, yeah, so that's a real new relationship.

But I went out and practiced with them a few times and it was just glorious and they were so thoughtful and lovely and, yeah, and then Emily Rose, a longtime friend, and collaborator, and also, a incredible singer-songwriter.

She's a Award-Winning songwriter.

And so, working with her is really special and awesome.

And she's a great singer and great harmonist.

- What does it feel like to have those, the arms and voices around you?

(chuckles) - Yeah, there's no other feeling like it.

Yeah, you feel so supported, you feel loved.

I play a lot by myself, so when I have those voices, I really feel like I can kind of sit back and let it be there and not be alone in that experience.

And, yeah, you hear those voices rise up and it just makes the music more powerful.

- What is your vision, your hope that when the audience hears this music, these performances, what do you hope that they take away?

- I hope they're soothed, inspired, that they're changed in some way, that they want to hear more, you know.

That they look us up and find out more about us and support our music.

I can't do it without them.

And I want them to feel that so that they feel empowered, that the audience feels like they are part of it.

I mean, we as songwriters want listening spaces to happen, but they're very rare because you need to really bring people into it and invite them into a listening experience, so they can hear the words and they can be touched by it.

That's my vision.

- It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Audra.

- Thank you, Satori, so much for having me.

- And now, we're headed to the stage to see our first performer.

(spotlight whooshes) (feet stamping) (hands clapping) (fingers snapping) ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ Well, what happens, what happens ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she wears the crown, ooh ♪ ♪ What happens when she pulls her own body ♪ ♪ What happens when she sets the beat ♪ ♪ What happens when she talks to nobody ♪ ♪ What happens when she stands on her own two feet ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when the woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she wears the crown ♪ ♪ Whoa, we rise above ♪ Whoa, we leave with love ♪ Whoa, we have won, we are one because we're done ♪ ♪ Whoa, we rise above ♪ Whoa, we lead with love ♪ Whoa, We have won, we are one because we're done ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What when a woman won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens when she won't back down ♪ ♪ What happens when a woman takes power ♪ ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens, what happens ♪ What happens when she wears the crown ♪ (spotlight whooshes) I am sitting here with Jillian Burgam of the Detroit Women's Chorus.

Hi, Jillian.

- Hello.

- Oh, I mean such heavenly soft, beautiful voices.

You're the Artistic Director, correct?

- I am, and I just recently started this past Fall.

- Okay, okay, how long has the Detroit Women's Chorus been around?

- So, they were founded in 2016, and then officially started in 2017, so about six seasons.

- And what inspired the founding of?

- The two founders really wanted to create something that was specifically to empower trouble voices in the area and to provide a place where people could feel safe and could feel welcome.

It is a barrier-free choir, so that means we have no fee to join, and no audition, and because of that, we get every kind of singer, every kind of voice, and we really cherish that.

It's about community building, and it's about celebrating every person's voice.

- Everyone seems so happy, that's what I was struck by.

And your mission is?

- Our mission is that every woman, self-identifying woman has a voice.

And so, we want to bring voice to those people.

That involves being able to help them find what that is either singing or in a mission as well.

So, we connect with different parts of the community.

So, for example, they've connected with Gleaners in the past to during a concert.

They brought in food, and they brought in clothing to help raise those things for Gleaners and things like that.

- Thank you, Jillian.

- Thank you.

- Now, we're headed back to the stage.

(spotlight whooshes) (gentle guitar music) ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ While the soul assumes a body, there is reason to dance ♪ ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Treat your instrument like a precious friend ♪ ♪ Treat your instrument like a wise and precious friend ♪ ♪ It's a symphony of a living ♪ Ooh ♪ One must feel the comprehend ♪ To read your instrument like a wise and precious friend ♪ ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Aah ♪ While the soul assumes a body ♪ ♪ There is reason to dance ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Leave us with a song before you go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Leave us with a song before you go ♪ ♪ Aah ♪ It'll echo in the heart of everybody that you know ♪ ♪ Won't you leave us with a song before you go ♪ ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Aah ♪ While the soul assumes a body ♪ ♪ There is reason to dance ♪ Ooh ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands ♪ ♪ Fill the house with music while it stands.

♪ (spotlight whooshes) We're back from the stage from that phenomenal performance by Emily Rose.

Hi, Emily.

- Hi.

- How did you come to collaborate with the Detroit Women's Chorus?

- Well, that was Audra's doing.

She called me up and said, how would you like to sing your song with the Detroit Women's Chorus?

- So, your style is very, it feels home.

Is that where you want it to be?

- Yeah, "Fill The House", I wanted to write like a secular Gospel song about living while you're alive, and choosing to experience joy while you're still in this form.

And treating your body with respect, listening to it, and leaving your mark while you're here.

- Wow, that's a big message.

- Thanks, yeah, yeah, it's challenged right, like simple songs because it's so easy to like over-complicate everything but that one took a while to, even though it's like so simple and there's only like a few lyrics, it really took a matter of months to kind of receive them.

- Thank you, Emily Rose.

And now, we're headed back to the stage.

(spotlight whooshes) (gentle guitar music) ♪ Oh, mother of light, mother of days ♪ ♪ You wait for the words that we promised to say ♪ ♪ We stand in your shadow and we'll sit by your side ♪ ♪ To hear your song in the winds blowing wild ♪ ♪ And I trust in the world you have given to us ♪ ♪ I will fight with my bones and my fists if I must ♪ ♪ To shutter the walls, they put up with fear ♪ ♪ I will break all the rules just to keep her here ♪ ♪ Oh, mother of mountains, mother of fire ♪ ♪ I climb the highest ridges and I'll light the pines ♪ ♪ To burn down the kingdoms created by greed ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ We'll dance on their ashes, watch the power here ♪ ♪ And I trust in the world you have given to us ♪ ♪ I will fight with my heart and my mind if I must ♪ ♪ To tear down the places and take down the flags ♪ ♪ I will undraw the lines that divide us somehow ♪ ♪ Oh, mother of freedom, mother of hope ♪ ♪ I'll pull back the blinders and I'll cut all the room.

♪ ♪ And I'll smash all the windows, give away all my clothes ♪ ♪ And I'll walk through your valley ♪ ♪ Get your mud on my toes ♪ 'Cause I trust in the world you have given to us ♪ ♪ And I'll fight with my fingers to the nail if I must ♪ ♪ And I'll stay here by, more space in your day ♪ ♪ Stay here by ♪ With all that I am, I will work for the change ♪ ♪ Oh, mother of vultures, mother of grace ♪ ♪ Please, won't you tell me that it's not too late ♪ ♪ Your body's water soon will run clear ♪ ♪ And the men on the hill, they don't seem to care ♪ ♪ And I trust in the world you have given to us ♪ ♪ I will fight with my songs and my words if I must ♪ ♪ I'll gather the people that march to the drum ♪ ♪ And stand in the way 'til they lay down the gun ♪ ♪ Oh, mother of glory, mother of man ♪ ♪ I'll wait at your doorstep and I offer my hands ♪ ♪ So, take me and will me, and call me your own ♪ ♪ I'll stand and protect you 'til my days are all gone ♪ ♪ And I trust in the world you have given to us ♪ ♪ I will fight with my bones and my fists if I must ♪ ♪ Shutter the walls, they put up with fear ♪ ♪ I'll break all the rules just to keep her here ♪ ♪ Break the rules ♪ I will break all the rules just to keep her here ♪ ♪ Break the rules ♪ Come on, let's break rules just to keep her here ♪ ♪ Break the rules (spotlight whooshes) I'm back with Jillian Burgam of the Detroit Women's Chorus.

So, I love the collaboration between you and Audra.

- Mm-hmm.

- How did that come to be?

- So, Audra reached out through us because of Shara Nova, our Shara Nova Composer-in-Residence.

There is an amazing group of artists in Detroit that all collaborate and help each other.

Audra reached out to us and said, "I have this opportunity to curate this concert.

Would you be interested in singing with me?"

And then, we started working together, and she said, "Would you be interested in doing one of your own?"

Audra is just so incredible, such a great leader.

And we immediately attached to "Oh, Mother", the meaning of it and the message that she's trying to get across, and so, we were thrilled to be able to work with her.

And we put it together relatively quickly but it was worth it.

- And what is the message?

- It's a, I think it's an environmental message about taking care of our Mother Earth.

And we really resonate with that because again, we sing a lot of music about being a woman and a mother, and what that means to take care of it.

To stand with it to climb and fight for it.

And so, we felt really called and connected to that.

- How do people get in touch with you to book you or to join or?

- So, if they go to our website, DetroitWomensChorus.org, they can find our contact; they can find upcoming events.

They can find bios about us, videos, and then we are on social media, Detroit Women's Chorus, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

- And anything you want to impart last words or philosophy?

- I think the philosophy of the Detroit Women's Chorus is being together.

We always talk about the meaning of the music, and we take time to get to know one another.

We try to pick music that feels like it can relate to every person.

And we take a break in the middle of our rehearsals, so everyone can reach out and say, "How are you doing?

How's your week going?"

We provide that sense of community for people.

We really try to be a safe place and a home for everyone.

- Thank you, Jillian, and thank you, all the viewers who are watching Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Funding for Detroit Performs is provided by the Fred A and Barbara M Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, the Kresge Foundation, the A Paul and Carol C Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS Station from viewers like you, thank you.

(upbeat music)