
In this video, Lisa Marcus and Dina Richardson speak of Dina's love of singing and of songwriting, and how Dina uses these as a means of expressing not only herself, but also what she meets in life - including what she meets in others.
Lisa
Good evening. My name is Lisa Marcus, and I have my friend Dina Richardson here today. And this is part of a series called Conversations. So I'd like to ask you a question, Dina. It's a broad question, but hopefully we can pin it down a little bit. What is it that you would want to share out from your life that is a passion, or maybe you have more than one passion?
Dina
I think my biggest secret passion is that I am trying to be a good human being that functions well, and that has something to offer life. And I think another passion of mine is singing, and writing songs. I love singing, because it helps me express what I meet in life. Like if this world is a kind of university, giving us clues on how to be and what we are. I collect the clues. And I collect qualities that I see in other human beings and I like to sing about it.
Lisa
That's wonderful. What a gift to have you reflect back somebody's qualities to them. I know that you do enjoy writing songs for other people, and how much it is always so received, as a very special experience to have a song written by Dina about them and then sung to them.
Dina
I think it feels good to be seen. I think human beings love it. Animals love it. To, for their best qualities, their endeavors, their efforts. You know, humans have to win their qualities, they have to choose them. And sometimes they forget what they want. So it's very nice to, to hear it. To see it. To feel it, returned to you.
Lisa
Amazing. Yeah, just to think about somebody who can really feel you, see you, and reflect that back is truly a gift. Which makes so much sense if your purpose is to be the best human being you can be.
Dina
And people, people want to be, don't they?
Lisa
Yes, they do. They really do. We all try. Most of us try, for sure.
Dina
Most of us.
Lisa
Yeah, and it's all in the trying.
Dina
Yeah.
Lisa
So tell me, like, what is your favorite song that you ever wrote to someone? Can you think of one? Oh, maybe I can give you a better hint. Because I hear that song from you recently, "I Got Your Back".
Dina
Oh, yes.
Lisa
Yes. A little prompt there. Would you share that with us?
Dina
I would love to sing that.
Lisa
Great.
Dina
This is a special song. It's really for... I think of it as being for newborns who, who have arrived recently. A way to say, you know, "Will you try? You're wanted here. You're safe here. You belong here." And so, this is the song.
♪ Go forward young spirit. Make your noise. Try hard if you can. ♪
I've done it again. That's a false start, but that's okay.
♪ Go forward, young spirit. Make your noise. Try hard if you can. For above the dark, the crooked path won't harm you, can't harm you. If you believe. If you choose well. Believe with me 'cause you can be our own miracle. You can be your own uplifting in the face of anything. And we've got your back. We've got your back. Gonna keep an eye on you, help you do all the things you came here to do. Trial and error (oh, well). We'll learn from these things. We'll grow Care and Patience. That will be our magic wand one day. It's like winning the lottery because you can be your miracle. You can be your own uplifting in the face of anything. And we've got your back, we've got your back. We're gonna keep an eye on you. Help you do all the things you came here to do. We've got your back. ♪
Lisa
Thank you so much, Dina. What a gift.
Dina
Thank you.
Lisa
Thanks. Bye for now.
Dina
See you soon.
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