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Women sing the praises of music's power
By JAMIE MALERNEE © St. Petersburg Times, published January 16, 2001 Trish Bartholomew can't sing. But that isn't stopping the 23-year-old mother of two, who says she has discovered a voice that she never realized she had until she left an abusive boyfriend. Bartholomew, who is also five months pregnant, is one of several women joining a new choir started by the Dawn Center, a domestic violence shelter. The point of the New Dawn Singers, members said, is to provide support for one another while making music. "I don't really have a good voice, but I want to help others," said Bartholomew, who is in the process of moving into her own apartment. "This isn't just about music. It's about letting others know that no woman should be abused under any circumstances, and that help is out there." Lori Hoban, executive director of the Dawn Center, said the choir is open to people who have been abused recently or in the past. Hoban said that people who have been able to get out of abusive relationships and now wish to join the group can be great role models to others still struggling with troubled home lives. "I think there's a feeling of unity and love. The whole, "I've been there, too, and I can help you,' thing," Hoban said. "Many of these women are so broken down emotionally, feeling that they are worthless. I want them to see and feel they are part of something. That they can change their lives." Only two months ago, that is how desperate Bartholomew says she was feeling. Pregnant and stuck in a cycle of violence, she said she was desperate for help. Her boyfriend followed her whenever she tried to move. In desperation, she called the Dawn Center. The center has since helped her with counseling and advice on how to start a new life. "My whole outlook has changed," she said Monday. "I'm not so down on myself. I don't think I'm responsible for everything. . . . And I want to share that with people." The group will hold its first rehearsal Wednesday and, within a few months, members hope to be performing at civic functions, Hoban said. Those members who do not feel comfortable appearing in public don't have to, she added. Hoban said she got the concept to start the group from a church newsletter that described a choir that helped give homeless people hope and self-respect. Hoban said that coming from an abusive childhood home herself, the idea struck a chord with her. "I grew up in a highly, highly dysfunctional family. And the only thing that saved me, honestly, was music. I was always singing. There was always music in my heart and my head," she said. "We're all excited about this. I think it will be healing for everybody." To joinFor information on how to join the New Dawn Singers, call 796-9747.
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