Thoughts on labels.
The power of language, albeit limited.
“My kids are at ‘farm camp’ this week.”
I shared this with a neighbor and she asked me which farm they were visiting.
“Oh,” I replied. “It’s not a real farm. It’s more of a homestead? It’s just my friend Lydia and Josh’s house in the suburbs.”
Farm Camp was created three years ago (with its companion week, City Camp): an attempt for us to put together a confusing puzzle of childcare in the summer while I was teaching and Brandon was working. We negotiated a trade with our friends: they’d take our three kids for five days, allowing them to enjoy #farmlife, and we’d take their three kids the week after for some city living (i.e., going to the local pool and eating wooder ice every day).
Farm Camp/City Camp was such a hit that we’ve kept the tradition going, as if it were a real thing. In truth, I think you can just put the word “camp” at the end of something and kids will immediately think it’s something fun.
“When is farm camp???” the kids ask each spring, eagerly awaiting this glorified version of community childcare. They put “farm camp” on their summer bucket list and talk about all the things they plan to do. They discuss it ad nauseam with their friends to the point that other parents ask me, “Where do your kids do farm camp and how can we register?”
In all the parenting books I’ve read, I recall little attention being devoted to the importance of labels —using words to evoke an emotion that can influence behavior.
Baked Ziti? Nope. It’s Pizza Pasta! Spinach in a blender? It’s Green Monster Rocket Fuel. Extra screen time mid-week because it’s the pandemic and I think we might lose ourselves completely and I don’t know what else to do? We Watch Wednesdays Summer Movie Day! (I should have workshopped this one a bit more.)
As a teacher, I’ve seen labels empower and change students’ self-perception.
You aren’t someone who writes songs, you’re a songwriter.
You come into the classroom as a musician.
Do you write things? You’re a writer. Do you make art? You’re an artist. How do you feel when you take on a label that you’re hesitant to accept?
You can be a plate of stale crackers and leftover Hormel pepperoni, or you can be charcuterie.
I’m writing this newsletter from the woods where I’m currently on a mini-vacation writer’s retreat with Brandon. We’ve outlined our Hallmark Movie, and now we’ll spend two days fleshing out the plot, dialogue, and scene structure.
I love the process of poring over language- of really thinking, “What am I trying to say? What meaning do these words have?”
These are important questions —more important than coming up with witty dialogue for a Rom Com. They guide how we assume responsibility, how we label actions on a global scale, how we speak to others, how we comfort, how we excite, how we connect.
What are we trying to say? And, how do we label it?
I told Brandon that we were Forest Bathing, and he said that sounded like something city people made up to call “going outside.” I guess some labels are better than others.
Inspiration
🎧 I finished Martyr! for book club this week, and it was a beautiful book to listen to, but it felt especially chilling in light of this week’s events. More stories. More humanization. More support for artists who create art amidst deep injustice.
🎧 I cannot stop listening to the newest Samantha Crain album. I can’t stop!! She’s coming to Philly in July, and you better believe I have tickets. I think I can say it’s my favorite album of 2025 so far. Susan Rogers describes the unique vocal timbre preferences we all have and how they form. Samantha Crain’s voice is in the center of my timbral preference (I described her voice to Brandon as a cylinder of glass with sand swirling inside, and he thought that was weird.)
Creative
🌟 New Enemies is headed to the studio this July!! We are recording one brand-new song and a song we’ve played live for a while but never recorded (you can find “Why You Gotta Break My Heart” somewhere in the depths of my Instagram feed). Follow along for bts.
🌟 Kat Reinhert and I are running a workshop for Philly Music Educators on July 16th and 17th. LMK if you’re interested and I’ll send you the deets! (PD credit! Songwriting with other educators!)
Thanks for subscribing and reading. I hope you take on a new label.
Connect with my work elsewhere:
🎧 listen to my podcast with Kimberly McGlonn
💻 order my children’s book, Rosie Rocks!
📚 visit my fair-pay publishing company, F-flat Books.
🎤 get songwriting support through Songwriting for M.E.
Ummmm, I love this! I feel like a lot of times people talk about labeling things differently in the pejorative—how they can harm or misinform. So I really enjoy looking at how they can improve things and make things fun and exciting! ❤️❤️❤️