Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher (2018) by Marcos Balter reflects on the horrors of the family separation crisis:

Rhythmic Pattern: This piece is built around several shifting patterns of quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes! For an exercise in deeper listening, raise your hand when you feel the rhythmic nature of the piece change, or if you detect a change in rhythmic pattern.

Program Note: "Thousands of children were separated from their families due to the Trump administration’s 'zero-tolerance policy.' Adults attempting to cross the border into the US were placed under custody and criminally prosecuted regardless of whether they were seeking asylum. This heartless policy resulted in children being taken away and put in detention facilities. The battle for humane treatment of immigrants continues.

 Thousands of migrant families are still detained. Children remain separated from their families. Recently, tear gas was fired upon Central American asylum-seekers at the border. The termination of temporary protected status for 406,000 immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras looms. The protections of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which prevents deportation for about 800,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived as minors (known as Dreamers) and offers access to work permits and education, are set to expire. A new proposal to replace the Flores settlement would allow migrant families to be detained indefinitely while their immigration case is pending. 

So what can we do? 
1. Check out 5calls.org. Stay up-to-date with the immigration issues and push your officials to act. 
2. Donate to groups doing good work on behalf of immigrant children. Here’s a portal to help over a dozen organizations. 
3. Lastly, keep caring about important issues even if they fall out of the news cycle. Continue to push for justice if there is work to be done." - Marcos Balter