-♪ So many troubles ♪
-♪ The troubles of this world ♪
-♪ I can't hear you singin' 'bout it ♪
-Resounding Love is a choir that sings gospel,
that sings spirituals,
that sings songs of protest.
And so we try to bring all those things together
so that we can be the change that we want to see in the world
-♪ As we, we fight so hard ♪
♪ Don't stop fighting ♪
-There is so much richness and diversity and expression
of the human experience, right?
And we all bring those things together,
and we create this magical sound
that I call the Resounding Love sound.
-I would also say that it's,
for some people, it's a space of safety.
For some people, it's their space for release.
It's community.
It's where they come to, uh, get away from it all, right?
They come. They're able to use their voice to sing, to sing,
to actually use your voice for something good.
-♪ I believe that today ♪ -♪ I believe that today ♪
-♪ It will be ♪ -♪ The best day of my life ♪
-♪ I believe ♪ -♪ I believe ♪
-I think Resounding Love is a work
that I cannot measure in time,
because it is something that is such a big part of our life.
It's hard to quantify it in time.
What I will say is it requires a great deal of time.
-It does. -And it is also a careful dance,
because we have a product
that we have to create and perform,
but we also have to make sure
that the people are enriched by the product,
that they are seen, that they are felt,
that they feel respected and honored in their diversity.
Like, we're not trying to shove any kind of spirituality
down their throat. We're just literally trying to say,
"Hey, come in into this space of love."
And it takes a great deal of work for that to take place.
[ All singing warm-up vocalizations ]
Resounding Love has turned into a space
where people have maybe felt powerless,
-that they feel empowered. -Yes.
-They feel like they're not alone in their frustrations,
in their anger, in their spaces where they feel,
"I'm not able to do enough,"
they get to be joined with other people, like-minded.
-On this journey we call life. -Yes.
-♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
-Hallelujah.
-♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
-Hallelujah.
-♪ Hallelujah ♪ -Halle!
-♪ Hallelujah ♪
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪
-That's the focus that we're required
for every single part of singing that we do.
-Yes. -Have a seat.
♪♪
-We met in church, and I was just visiting.
You know, I didn't know that I was going to meet a friend,
'cause that's how we started off, as friends,
as a brother, as somebody who -- 'cause I was new to the area.
-And through our conversation,
we realized that we had so much more in common.
Our worldviews were aligned.
How we looked at music was aligned,
just making sure that it was equality.
But I will say there have been many, many nights
in our development together
where we sat right on the couch behind us,
and we just had profound conversations.
And there was a time when he did say,
"You know, I could see myself falling in love with you."
And I was like, I wasn't ready for that.
But I was.
Our proposal was at the 2024...
-Benaroya. -...Benaroya concert.
I proposed to him in front of over 500 people at that concert.
And I did that because I felt like there was a greater chance
that he would say yes
and not embarrass me in front of 500 people.
So it worked in my favor.
-Truth is, I told him, I said, you didn't have to do that.
We could have just -- You could have said it that morning.
"Hey, let's go get married." We would have went
to the justice of the peace, got it done.
But, you know, it was wonderful.
They surprised me. I do not like surprises.
They got me good.
-One, two, three.
-♪ Lift every voice and sing ♪
-I think love means
that I look beyond the things that divide us.
I acknowledge them,
but I also look beyond them and see what connects us.
I want to see a part of myself in you,
'cause if I can see myself in you,
then I don't want to do harm to myself.
-There you go. -I have to value you
as I value myself.
I think love also means telling the truth,
because we understand that this is not perfection.
We're not perfect.
But how we deal with injury makes us profoundly loving.
-Yeah.
[ All singing indistinctly ]
-We are one another's strengths.
And I trust that --
what I like to pray to is divine love in this space,
that divine love is already here,
already manifested
in the beauty of each and every one of you.
This is the sound of belonging.
-Mm. -Listen!
-This is what it sounds like to belong.
-♪ Walk on the water ♪
♪ Don't be afraid ♪
♪ I am here always ♪
-What this world needs is healing.
And everybody is deserving of it.
And if they can get into a space where they are impacted
by the message of the songs that we sing
and the spirit that we bring,
and it causes a transformation in them
that makes them better, stronger, more loved,
more cared for, more seen,
then that is what we want.
♪♪
-♪ Yet ♪
♪ Begun ♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
The change happens with you. It happens with you.
♪♪