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Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Don Arbor

Don Arbor is an award-winning songwriter and video artist whose lifelong connection to music began before he was even born. As he tells it, his first musical influence was hearing his mother’s beautiful soprano voice while still in the womb. Not long after, he started singing himself—and he has never really stopped.

Raised on the music of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Motown, Don developed an early love for songs that combined melody, meaning, and emotional truth. He picked up the guitar as a young man and began carving out his own musical path, writing original songs and performing in clubs throughout the Northeast. His journey eventually took him to Paris, where he spent two formative years and became the accompanist to Gordon Heath, the acclaimed Black expatriate folk singer and Shakespearean actor. Their collaboration led to a Bicentennial concert at the American Cathedral in Paris, an experience that deepened Arbor’s commitment to music as both art and expression.

After returning from Paris, Don attended law school, but music never left his life. Even there, he continued writing and performing, using song to challenge injustice and provoke thought. One of his original songs, “Old White Men,” humorously and pointedly addressed the lack of women and minorities on the law school faculty. That spirit of awareness and accountability would continue to shape both his music and his professional life. In Don’s world, it is always better to be awake to injustice than asleep to it.

Over the course of his legal career, Don Arbor has dedicated himself to representing people harmed by powerful institutions and dangerous negligence. He has fought for women who were unknowingly exposed to a radioactive iron experiment, victims of toxic railway spills, and people injured by defective pharmaceuticals. For the last eight years, he has also been deeply involved in the national opioid litigation, working to help public entities recover compensation for the staggering human and financial costs of the opioid epidemic.

Through all of it, Don has remained committed to songwriting. His music reflects the same compassion, moral clarity, and resilience that define his legal work. His album Hope Is Hard to Kill is a powerful expression of that connection, blending strong melodies with a deep concern for justice, humanity, and survival. The title track, “Hope Is Hard to Kill,” is an infectious rock song built around perseverance in difficult times. Its message of strength and resilience resonated widely, and the song later became a music video screened at numerous film festivals.

Another standout, “Everyone Comes from Somewhere,” is both a welcome song for today’s Dreamers and a tribute to the immigrants who came before them, including Don’s own ancestors. The song was praised by the East Bay Express as “a perfect antidote to the current administration’s xenophobia.” It went on to receive Dual Gold Awards for Best Music Video and Original Song from the International Independent Film Festival and has drawn thousands of views online.

Don’s songwriting is not limited to social commentary. He also has a sharp sense of humor and a talent for finding meaning in everyday life. “Losing You Gets Harder Every Time” is a classic country song about a relationship that keeps ending and starting again, capturing heartbreak with warmth and wit. “Christmas on Mars” imagines escaping the over-commercialization of the holiday season, while “Lost” turns the familiar frustration of forgetting your keys, your hat, or what you meant to do into something both funny and tender. At the same time, it becomes a love song, built around the simple truth that life feels incomplete without the right person beside you.

Hope Is Hard to Kill is also elevated by an exceptional group of musicians. The album features Stef Burns, longtime lead guitarist for Huey Lewis and the News; Curtis Ohlson, who has played bass with Ray Charles and Branford Marsalis; Kevin Hayes, known for his work with Robert Cray; and acclaimed violinist Mads Tolling, who tours with Bob Weir and performs his own classical works with symphony orchestras. Their contributions add depth, range, and musical authority to a collection of songs already rich in purpose and personality.

Don Arbor stands out as an artist whose music and life are deeply connected. He writes with the heart of a storyteller, the conscience of an advocate, and the instinct of someone who has spent a lifetime listening closely—to people, to history, and to the world around him. Whether through song, video, or the law, his work continues to speak for hope, justice, and the enduring power of the human voice.

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