It is my belief that we are most proud of the work we do when we express our humanity. The process of expression is deeply cathartic, and outside appreciation for our art also serves as an affirmation of our humanness. Merge seems to be linked intrinsically to the oppression that produced some of our greatest musical tools.
It is clear to me that Merge’s creator, Bill Rossi, has used these parallels to provide a light at the end of the tunnel for the oppressed youth population of today. The difference is clear not only in the students’ artistic productions but also the improvements in grades and relationships that programs using the Merge approach have documented. With hope and more programs like this, our society may begin to see that the problem is not with the student.
