NPR’s Scott Simon talks with Minnesota Supreme Courtroom Justices Anne McKeig and Sarah Hennesy, about their new novice all-judge band, The Cheap Doubts.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In Minnesota, one novice rock band guidelines Supreme. It is an all-judge band referred to as The Cheap Doubts.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THE REASONABLE DOUBTS: (Singing) Effectively, they mentioned you was excessive class. Effectively, that was only a lie. Yeah, they mentioned you was excessive class. Effectively, that was a lie.
SIMON: Minnesota Supreme Courtroom Justice Anne McKeig started the band, and he or she joins us now with a bandmate, Justice Sarah Hennesy. Justices, thanks a lot for being with us.
SARAH HENNESY: Thanks for having us.
ANNE MCKEIG: Thanks for having us.
SIMON: How did this concept come about, Justice McKeig?
MCKEIG: Effectively, it is one thing that I’ve needed to do for some time. I’ve all the time had a love for music, and I additionally acknowledge the stress of our jobs and consider that there is numerous gifted folks on the bench. So I simply despatched an electronic mail out to the judges in our state, received a improbable response, and the thought simply was born. And did not actually assume so much about it. We simply jumped in and began practising, and it has been an incredible expertise.
SIMON: Justice Sarah Hennesy, what’s the lifetime of a choose like?
HENNESY: Effectively, you realize, I used to be a district courtroom choose for 12 years, and I have been on the Supreme Courtroom now for a bit over a yr. And one factor that each of these positions have in frequent is we now have folks in our courtrooms who’re coping with very troublesome moments of their lives and who’re in ache in your courtroom, and you’ll’t assist however tackle a few of that ache. And if you make troublesome choices that make their lives troublesome, that impacts you as nicely. And so this challenge has been a method for us to make use of music, to make use of artwork, actually to heal.
SIMON: What are among the songs that you just play, Choose McKeig?
MCKEIG: We’ve, as you’ll be able to think about, a variety of music tastes. However we do numerous cowl songs. We’re doing a little Mellencamp, some AC/DC, throw in some Beyonce.
SIMON: I received to let you know, I wasn’t anticipating that. However go forward, sure.
(LAUGHTER)
MCKEIG: I imply, once I say a variety, it is a variety.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THE REASONABLE DOUBTS: (Singing) It is simply the identical outdated, standard day after day. Any individual get me a sunshine getaway.
SIMON: Any unique works, or is it type of arduous to rhyme oh, yay (ph), oh, yay, oh, yay?
MCKEIG: It is a bit arduous to rhyme that.
HENNESY: Sure, it’s. It is humorous that you just ask, although, as a result of it’s one thing that a number of of us who’re within the band have been in bands in our former lives and have written music previously. And a few of us are very gifted musicians. And they’re , I believe, in writing some originals. In order that could be the subsequent factor we transfer into.
SIMON: I am afraid the music – nearly the one one about judges I may consider is – you realize “Trial By Jury,” Gilbert and Sullivan?
HENNESY: I do not know that.
SIMON: Oh, you guys are such rockers, aren’t you? You actually are.
(LAUGHTER)
SIMON: It is…
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TRIAL BY JURY: WHEN I, GOOD FRIENDS, WAS CALLED TO THE BAR”)
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN: (Singing) After I, good associates, was referred to as to the bar, I might an urge for food contemporary and hearty.
SIMON: (Singing) However I used to be, as younger many barristers are, an impecunious celebration.
What do you assume?
HENNESY: Are you free on September 26?
(LAUGHTER)
SIMON: Oh, my phrase. Do you put on black robes on stage?
HENNESY: Completely not.
MCKEIG: However we do put on black.
SIMON: You could have black T-shirts – proper? – I believe I’ve seen, proper?
MCKEIG: Certain, why not?
SIMON: Yeah, positive, why not? However why?
MCKEIG: Effectively, for one factor, it makes me look thinner, which is precisely why I might put on black.
HENNESY: Effectively, we do not put on the robes as a result of actually the being within the band and doing this on the facet is one thing to get us out of the judicial mindset to do one thing actually completely different, you realize, transfer from one facet of your mind to the opposite.
MCKEIG: Yeah, I imply, it actually has been lifting the spirits, I believe, of, as you’ll be able to think about, a particularly demanding job, and likewise simply recognizing all the nice work that our colleagues do after which attempting to make a connection, actually, with the general public. It is not like folks usually are in courtroom as a result of it is, you realize, a beautiful expertise. It is normally a disaster time of their life, and it is not one thing that folks need to be part of. And so I believe this permits us to attach with the general public in a method that simply normalizes us as people. That is most likely the most effective issues about it.
SIMON: So let me ask you each, what do you want these of us exterior the chambers actually understood concerning the lifetime of a choose?
MCKEIG: I might ask that folks perceive that we’re simply that, which is human. We make errors. We do our perfect. It is a very severe job. It’s one which all of us are honored to partake in, however that this can be very demanding as a result of we actually need to get it proper, and once we do not get it proper, the results may be large, and we acknowledge that, and that weighs on us on a regular basis. It is not a job you could depart on the finish of a day and go residence and never take into consideration. And that is a heavy burden, one which we settle for knowingly. However it might be good if the general public may additionally simply see us as common folks.
HENNESY: I need to be sure that everybody acknowledges that, in being a part of this band, this isn’t one thing we’re doing throughout our hours once we must be working. It is all the time on the weekend, and it is an important outlet for anybody on the market who has a troublesome job that they are coping with. I can not let you know how a lot bringing music into my life on the weekends has actually helped me to course of that.
SIMON: Are you able to inform us how bailiffs or clerks really feel about it?
MCKEIG: Those that we all know are clerks – they’ve cherished the enjoyment that it is bringing and the constructive response that it has been bringing as a result of once more, being within the courts, we do not all the time hear that facet.
HENNESY: Yeah, I believe they recognize – I do know our clerks at the least actually recognize coming to seek out out that, you realize, we now have lives exterior of the courtroom, that we’re not all the time severe, that we’re not all the time speaking about instances, that we now have one other aspect of our persona as nicely that’s attention-grabbing.
SIMON: Minnesota Supreme Courtroom Justices Anne McKeig and Sarah Hennesy. They’re members of The Cheap Doubts. Justices, thanks very a lot, and rock and roll on.
HENNESY: Thanks a lot. It has been enjoyable speaking.
MCKEIG: Thanks on your curiosity.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THE REASONABLE DOUBTS: (Singing) Everyone desires to take a bit likelihood.
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