NPR’s Scott Simon talks with Minnesota Supreme Courtroom Justices Anne McKeig and Sarah Hennesy, about their new beginner all-judge band, The Cheap Doubts.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In Minnesota, one beginner rock band guidelines Supreme. It is an all-judge band known as The Cheap Doubts.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THE REASONABLE DOUBTS: (Singing) Nicely, they mentioned you was excessive class. Nicely, that was only a lie. Yeah, they mentioned you was excessive class. Nicely, 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: Nicely, it is one thing that I’ve wished 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 imagine that there is numerous gifted folks on the bench. So I simply despatched an e-mail out to the judges in our state, acquired a improbable response, and the thought simply was born. And did not actually assume loads 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: Nicely, you understand, I used to be a district courtroom choose for 12 years, and I have been on the Supreme Courtroom now for a bit of over a yr. And one factor that each of these positions have in frequent is we’ve 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 while you make troublesome selections that make their lives troublesome, that impacts you as nicely. And so this mission has been a manner 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 got, 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 acquired to let you know, 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 previous, standard day after day. Any person get me a sunshine getaway.
SIMON: Any authentic works, or is it sort of onerous to rhyme oh, yay (ph), oh, yay, oh, yay?
MCKEIG: It is a bit of onerous 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 prior to now. And a few of us are very gifted musicians. And they’re , I believe, in writing some originals. In order that could be the following factor we transfer into.
SIMON: I am afraid the tune – nearly the one one about judges I might consider is – you understand “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 known as to the bar, I might an urge for food recent 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 may have black T-shirts – proper? – I believe I’ve seen, proper?
MCKEIG: Positive, why not?
SIMON: Yeah, positive, why not? However why?
MCKEIG: Nicely, for one factor, it makes me look thinner, which is precisely why I might put on black.
HENNESY: Nicely, we do not put on the robes as a result of actually the being within the band and doing this on the aspect is one thing to get us out of the judicial mindset to do one thing actually totally different, you understand, transfer from one aspect 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 nerve-racking job, and likewise simply recognizing the entire nice work that our colleagues do after which attempting to make a connection, actually, with the general public. It is not like folks typically are in courtroom as a result of it is, you understand, an exquisite expertise. It is often 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 manner that simply normalizes us as people. That is most likely probably the greatest issues about it.
SIMON: So let me ask you each, what do you want these of us outdoors the chambers actually understood in regards to 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 absolute best. It is a very severe job. It’s one which all of us are honored to partake in, however that this can be very nerve-racking as a result of we actually need to get it proper, and after we do not get it proper, the results will be enormous, and we acknowledge that, and that weighs on us on a regular basis. It is not a job you could go away 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 could be good if the general public might additionally simply see us as common folks.
HENNESY: I need to make it possible for everybody acknowledges that, in being a part of this band, this isn’t one thing we’re doing throughout our hours after we must be working. It is at all times on the weekend, and it is an excellent 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: Folks 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 at all times hear that aspect.
HENNESY: Yeah, I believe they admire – I do know our clerks at the least actually admire coming to seek out out that, you understand, we’ve lives outdoors of the courtroom, that we’re not at all times severe, that we’re not at all times speaking about instances, that we’ve one other side of our character 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 in your curiosity.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THE REASONABLE DOUBTS: (Singing) Everyone desires to take a bit of likelihood.
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