In our final conversation of the year, we welcome music directors Jen Hayman and Paolo Debuque to share their reflections on the role of music in congregations and communities. Singing together can soothe and connect us, ground us in our bodies and our values, inspire and transform us. Music can foster liberation in our hearts, our families, our neighborhoods and the larger world.

Join the conversation as we share stories of what’s possible when we join our voices in song, in and beyond our congregations.

Jen Hayman (she/her) is a Thai-American choral conductor, educator, singer, and pianist who believes in the power of music to change lives and culture. Jen has nearly 20 years of experience in progressive religious spaces, serving UU congregations in Philadelphia (PA), Arlington (VA), Cambridge (MA) and Washington (DC), and Silver Spring (MD), and is currently the President of theAssociation for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM). She is also the director of women’s vocal group,bēheld, and the newly formed social justice youth chorus,Sound + Vision.

Paolo Debuque (he/him) is a Filipino- and Chinese-American conductor dedicated to music as a liberation practice. He is Founding Artistic Director of A Thousand Tongues, uplifting Asian-American experiences through music and story, and Artistic Director of Caritas Vocal Ensemble, serving the community through song. He also serves as Director of Music at First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.