What if there was a world where the dominant life form communicated only through singing? Imagine that, a living musical in which everybody would spontaneously burst into song! Now imagine that you could be a part of a movement of people who are working on making that a reality! Welcome, The Muppets. This group of passionate students came together to try and create this reality. They are a club on campus that is working towards the goal of making singing the primary mode of expression and communication. I spoke with their president, Mozzie Hugenes (sophomore, voice performance), about their mission.
Why did you choose to start this club?
Well, I have loved to sing ever since I was a child. Musicals were my favorite, and I often wished that real life was much more like that. Singing is so full of expression and meaning that speaking just lacks. Think about the benefits. Singing will make it easier for people to communicate their emotions and feelings and normalize the sense of joy that makes one just sing and shout! Also, imagine the memory benefits. People tend to remember melodies easier than words, making it easier to associate concepts, tasks, and meaningful conversations, as well as making it easier to recall them later. You will just need to hum the melody!
How do you plan to propagate your ideology?
It all began when three friends and I decided to just communicate with each other by singing. People saw us doing that and wanted to join the fun! Soon, our numbers grew, and we began to meet regularly, every two weeks! And it has been inspiring to see all our members singing and using their imagination to express themselves. We always try to encourage our members to convey their thoughts to fellow members by song and show potential new members how much more engaging and enlightening a singing duet is compared to a regular monotone conversation. Slowly, once people see the benefits of such communication, they will disregard regular conversation for the benefit of song!
What does a regular club meeting look like?
We begin with a vocal warm-up and then move on to describe different minor experiences we had throughout the day, thus allowing us to work on using vocal techniques to express even the most boring events excitingly. Then we catch up with each other through songs and sharing communication tips. Next, we usually finish with notes on how the campus is responding to our efforts and tips for recruitment. Lastly, we enjoy using only songs and having people guess what we describe! It is very smooth and flexible, with many voices blending and working together to communicate ideas! It is rejuvenating!
How can others get involved, and what would you suggest for those who are considering joining this movement?
Firstly, just join! We encourage you to sing and use songs to communicate your thoughts more often. It can be quite the transition to go from always speaking to always singing, not to mention that for one to communicate effectively using vocal technique, you need practice and skills that take time to build up. It will be a journey, but increased beauty and conversation benefits will be well worth it! We already have 100 members who sing greetings and communicate with each other via song. So, just give it a try!
Thank you so much, Mozzie!
Sure, the more people who join, the better!
So whether you are a musical enthusiast, a lover of music, or just want to try something new and fun, consider joining The Muppets Club here on campus! You can reach out for more information about them by contacting 1-800-Muppets or by emailing them at muppetersl@andrews.edu! So come along and join the real-life musical today!
Disclaimer: This article is satire. Happy April Fools!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.