Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting where 26 were killed. Instead of being an isolated event, sadly there have been several school shootings since then. In connection with this singer-songwriter, educator, and community organizer Gabrielle Zwi recently released the poignant tune “Guns to a Playground Fight,” about the reality of growing up in the “school shooting generation”.
“I became active in gun violence prevention efforts in high school to support friends who had experienced it… even those of us who haven’t been directly impacted have been affected,” says Gabrielle. “The threat of gun violence, school shootings especially, has always been a component of the American Gen Z reality.”
Gabrielle wrote the lyrics the day after the shooting at Robb Elementary School, which was also a week after their college graduation. They never intended to share the song, it was meant for personal venting and processing. Gabrielle’s perspective changed when they came across lifehack TikTok videos demonstrating how common classroom objects could be used to barricade doors. Instead of being appalled by the fact that there was a need for these videos, the majority of the comments praised the ingenuity and creativity of the original poster. This tragic reminder that the potential for a school shooting is considered a reality for students and teachers across motivated Gabrielle to record and share the song. The lyrics potently highlight this new reality that the current generation of youth is growing up with.
“I’ve never lived a single day / In a world without mass school shootings / With Columbine in ninety-nine / You’d think by now I’d be desensitized / Sandy Hook when I was in seventh grade / How naive was I to believe things would change (they never change)”
All of the contributors to the song had their own experiences as it relates to school shootings. For instance, the cover art is designed by Mollie Davis, a survivor of the Great Mills High School shooting that took the life of 16-year-old Jaelynn Willey.
For Gabrielle, their art is an extension of their activism. As a Jewish Brazilian-American, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and being autistic and disabled “My life is inherently politicized,” says Gabrielle. “When I express my feelings through song, it has implications; when I write a love song it’s a queer love song; when I write about my frustrations in school, it’s with the context of my disabilities; the experiences we have are tied to something greater than ourselves.” Gabrielle has been actively involved with Students Demand Action, March for Our Lives, and Fridays for Future rallies, as well as TIME Magazine’s Guns in America project.
“Guns to a Playground Fight” is now available on all major platforms. Proceeds from the track will be donated to Lives Robbed, an organization founded by families impacted by the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde, TX.