I recall participating in a church musical called “Bubblegum and Bifocals” when I was a child. As the title suggests, the musical involved children and senior citizens. I remember being hesitant to take part, thinking that it wouldn’t be any fun, and that we children would have nothing in common with the “old timers.” After hours of rehearsals, I changed my tune. I made some new friends, and I made an important discovery that has remained with me through the years: a love of music knows no age limit!
             I know now that music is a bridge that brings people together across divides of age, gender, class, and culture. The reality is that our world has these gaps; our schools have these gaps; our communities have these gaps; and, yes, our churches have these gaps. Trying to bridge them can feel like an impossible task. But, in my work teaching and volunteering in church and community theatres, I have seen diverse groups work together, relate to and bond with each other, and create music that reaches and inspires the world around them. I have seen music turn strangers into neighbors and bridge all manner of divisions. I have seen children learn the same lesson I learned in that long-ago church musical: music has the power to bring us together, regardless of age or other differences.