Music is powerful. Done well, it allows listeners to absorb ideas and concepts in a way that inspires us to think about and see things in new ways.
I’m Kipp Kahlia. The message I share through my “Do You See Me?” show is all about diversity, compassion and social justice.
It’s easy for most of us to assume the people around us are living a quality of life similar to ours (or even better!). It makes it hard to see — or even wonder about — the REALITIES of other people’s lives and experiences. We ASSUME. We end up with a limited perspective on what other people’s lives are like, which, in turn, limits our capacity for compassion. Conversely, our lens is focused almost entirely on the people we feel are doing “better” than we are and we simply assume THOSE people’s lives are “just peachy,” on every level.
Yet, some of the people around us — regardless of how they appear -- are facing much deeper challenges than we could ever imagine. Having an understanding of that can lead to an opening up of the mind and heart.
In my show, I talk and sing about a variety of different realities, and introduce the audience to ideas they might never have considered. If I talk about immigration, for instance, I share a bit about the emotional struggle a person might go through when immigrating – especially if they don’t have a net to catch them if they fall. I’ll talk about the difficulties of leaving someplace familiar because it’s a dead end, with no possibility of a good life for their kids. I talk about the desperation that grips someone as they watch those possibilities dwindling day by day.
I then paint a picture of what that looks and feels like with a song that lets people feel – just for a few minutes – what that experience might be like.
It’s a joy for me to perform and actually SEE individual people in the audience thinking deeply as they glimpse a reality they may be seeing for the first time. I get to watch people’s minds expand in real time. I do the show in English and Spanish (when appropriate), and I use a variety of original and cover songs to illustrate different experiences and perspectives. The songs are in English and Spanish as well, I’d like to bring my show to your audience: your school, your conference, your convention. We’ve all seen that people from different environments, cultures, and countries CAN work together, and that when it happens, it's both beautiful and astounding.
We’re a global society now. This show is my contribution to helping that society become a peaceful, more progressive, compassionate reality. If your organization is interested in having Kipp deliver a talk/musical performance, reach out to our team at: Ph. (562) 380-1374 Email: [email protected]
