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 stated you was excessive class. Effectively, that was only a lie. Yeah, they stated you was excessive class. Effectively, that was a lie.
SIMON: Minnesota Supreme Courtroom Justice Anne McKeig started the band, and she or he 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 at all times had a love for music, and I additionally acknowledge the stress of our jobs and consider that there is a whole lot of proficient individuals on the bench. So I simply despatched an e mail out to the judges in our state, obtained a unbelievable response, and the thought simply was born. And did not actually assume so much about it. We simply jumped in and began training, and it has been a tremendous expertise.
SIMON: Justice Sarah Hennesy, what’s the lifetime of a decide like?
HENNESY: Effectively, you recognize, I used to be a district courtroom decide for 12 years, and I have been on the Supreme Courtroom now for a bit of over a 12 months. And one factor that each of these positions have in frequent is now we have individuals in our courtrooms who’re coping with very tough 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 while you make tough selections that make their lives tough, that impacts you as effectively. 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 simply play, Choose McKeig?
MCKEIG: We’ve, as you’ll be able to think about, a variety of music tastes. However we do a whole lot of cowl songs. We’re doing a little Mellencamp, some AC/DC, throw in some Beyonce.
SIMON: I obtained to inform you, I wasn’t anticipating that. However go forward, sure.
(LAUGHTER)
MCKEIG: I imply, after 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. Someone get me a sunshine getaway.
SIMON: Any authentic works, or is it type of exhausting to rhyme oh, yay (ph), oh, yay, oh, yay?
MCKEIG: It is a bit of exhausting to rhyme that.
HENNESY: Sure, it’s. It is humorous that you simply 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 up to now. And a few of us are very proficient musicians. And they’re , I believe, in writing some originals. In order that may be the subsequent factor we transfer into.
SIMON: I am afraid the tune – nearly the one one about judges I might consider is – you recognize “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) Once I, good mates, was referred to as to the bar, I would an urge for food contemporary and hearty.
SIMON: (Singing) However I used to be, as younger many barristers are, an impecunious social gathering.
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 will have black T-shirts – proper? – I believe I’ve seen, proper?
MCKEIG: Positive, why not?
SIMON: Yeah, positive, why not? However why?
MCKEIG: Effectively, for one factor, it makes me look thinner, which is strictly 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 totally different, you recognize, 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, an especially tense job, and likewise simply recognizing the entire nice work that our colleagues do after which making an attempt to make a connection, actually, with the general public. It is not like individuals usually are in courtroom as a result of it is, you recognize, a beautiful expertise. It is often a disaster time of their life, and it is not one thing that individuals 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 in all probability the most effective issues about it.
SIMON: So let me ask you each, what do you want these of us outdoors the chambers actually understood concerning the lifetime of a decide?
MCKEIG: I might ask that individuals perceive that we’re simply that, which is human. We make errors. We do our best. It is a very critical job. It’s one which all of us are honored to partake in, however that this can be very tense as a result of we actually need to get it proper, and after we do not get it proper, the implications might be big, 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 might additionally simply see us as common individuals.
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 after we needs to be working. It is at all times on the weekend, and it is an incredible outlet for anybody on the market who has a tough job that they are coping with. I can not inform you 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 who we all know are clerks – they’ve liked 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 at all times hear that facet.
HENNESY: Yeah, I believe they recognize – I do know our clerks at the very least actually recognize coming to seek out out that, you recognize, now we have lives outdoors of the courtroom, that we’re not at all times critical, that we’re not at all times speaking about circumstances, that now we have one other aspect of our persona as effectively 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) All people desires to take a bit of probability.
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