Make A Rainbow

Teacher song collaboration with teaching artist Ray Flanagan and Sandra Manley. Sandra Manley is 79 and she carries a strong light of life in every word she speaks. Mother of 6 children, and an investigator for Cuyahoga County in her working years, Sandra prides herself on finding the good when things aren’t so great. The song I wrote is all paraphrases of things she said during our conversations, including that if you’re able to see the humor in life, you find a rainbow. “You might even say you MAKE a rainbow,” she said. Another favorite image of mine is that she often uses the metaphor of how when a storm is coming, the eagle doesn’t worry about it, he simply elevates his wings and flies up above it. I am proud to have gotten to speak to her and hear her philosophies on life. Sandra told me she will carry the song from this project with her for a long time, and I myself believe it was a meaningful experience for the both of us. I got to learn about her life and take in some of her tried and true wisdom, and through facilitating her own words with my guitar, create a permanent piece of art that stands to honor her.