Shanties continue to be a mental-health pillar since I became a parent. While I barely played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, I was impressed by the music and

Shanties continue to be a mental-health pillar since I became a parent. While I barely played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, I was impressed by the music and learned many of those chanteys to sing while pushing the stroller or walking to work. Something I heard on NPR around 2010 said when times are tough (2008 recession) we tend to listen to music with a steady beat and no surprises. My wife and I almost went to a pub in St. Paul, MN for their monthly shanty night but opted not to because of a statement on their webpage to the effect of “if you can’t sing in tune, we don’t want you.” One of the best things about Concordia Language Villages is the use of song to get everyone forming the sounds; no one is singled out, and it really lowers the barrier to trying. Some other cultures expect everyone to sing, doesn’t matter how “good” because it’s something we do together and it is healthy. Together we’ll improve.