Toshi Reagon created Songs of the Living as a way to center coming together, signing, and gathering with different creative expressions to find alignment with our living world. The musical experience draws inspiration from Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” set in the year 2024. The novel prompts contemplation of “Technology of the Living”: the profound idea that we are the predecessors of the machines we engineer, setting the precedent for them.

As we grapple with the implications of AI on our lives, the legacy of The Parables Experience serves as a guiding light for the mission of Songs of the Living. This transformative event highlighted the importance of creating spaces for solidarity, where individuals can come together and ideas can thrive. From these critical dialogues emerges the Songs of the Living experience.

The event will take place at Paradiso at Tolhuistuin.