My Journey/Somewhere

<Somewhere Recording>

I created the music recording of the song Somewhere because despite the current socio-political climate I am holding on to the dream that everyone will someday have a place of belonging, health, peace, and connection.

There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us, somewhere.

There's a time for us,
Some day a time for us,
Time together with time to spare,
Time to learn, time to care.

Some day,
Somewhere,
We'll find a new way of living,
We'll find a way of forgiving.
Somewhere,
Somewhere . . .

There's a place for us,
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're halfway there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow,
Some day,
Somewhere!

About this recording and my journey:

The desire to belong is a timeless human experience– one that Leonard Bernstein captures so well in his 1957 West Side Story. As I sang this song, I was haunted by how deeply it resonates today, echoing both the tensions of our socio-political moment and the heart of my work as a music therapist and social worker.

Since 2017, I have worked as a music therapist with older adults. Over time, I became aware of an uncomfortable truth: while music could ease pain, reduce anxiety, and spark joy, it could not repair the systematic inequities shaping my clients’ lives. I was frustrated that music therapy seemed to only treat the symptoms of a system rather than root causes. I saw dedicated staff stretched thin, certified nursing assistants- many of them immigrant women- paid far less than their labor deserved, and witnessed older adults receiving subpar care in communities with low staff retention. I recognized that the quality of care often reflected economic status, not human dignity. My commitment to music and music therapy never wavered, but I felt called to understand the forces behind what I was witnessing. Social work became a path not only to deepen my understanding, but to engage with the systems that affect everyone.

As a social work student, my goal was to begin to understand the elder care system with hopes to fight to dismantle systematic ageism. During my time at Boston University I learned more about the policies that impact elder care. I especially became interested in Respite care, Intergenerational work, and social changes such as anti Ageism. A common theme in my classes was that- the solutions exist- but power, money and lack of agreement prevents the resolution to social issues. I believe that social workers must hold a dual responsibility—to support individuals and to transform the systems that constrain them. There is no social work without social justice.

It may sound optimistic, but I believe that someday we will “find a new way of living”—one rooted in imagination, connection, and collective liberation. Imagination, one of my core values, is not escapism; it is a tool for building the peaceful world we deserve. A world where everyone—regardless of age, identity, immigration status, or income—knows they belong.

We must work together to re-imagine the world.