During my travel to Tilcara, Argentina, I was impressed by local musicians singing and playing traditional instruments at restaurants. One of them talked to me, saying he had a concert tour in Asia too. When I told him that I was a musician and interested in their instruments, he said he made instruments and could sell them to me.
On the following day, I went back to the restaurant, and the musician welcomed me. Although he was at least 40 years older than me, he had a young spirit and seemed to live in the moment. He told me about his ancestors, religion, and music and made me realize the similarity between South America and Asia and the changes the colonial rule made. While many people in Buenos Aires have Italian ancestors, his ancestors are indigenous people of the Andes. They immigrated from Asia, and he said that’s why his features resembled mine. Then he showed wiphara, the original banner of his ancestry, and explained the meaning of each color in it. He told me about his religion which existed long before Christianity was introduced. He said tango music was also brought from Europe and not “our music.” The traditional instruments he showed me looked like shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute. He blew into the instrument so strongly that I heard the air sound. Western music considers the sound noise, but it imitates wind in nature, just like shakuhachi. I decided to buy two instruments, siku and quena, and he taught me how to play and take care of them. In Buenos Aires, I found it very difficult to get used to the Argentine lifestyle and culture and was reminded I was on the other side of the earth. However, thanks to the musician, who willingly shared the story of his culture and music, I felt Andean culture so much closer to mine. This encounter made me think that learning about music is learning about people: their cultures, gods, philosophies, and histories. By listening intently to each musician, we can be more respectful to and realize the beauty and uniqueness of each other. I believe that is the way to empower people against hate and build peace.
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Oh, and I knew I was really cool in my beloved black-leather zip-up Iverson’s. I remember listening to 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Trying” and the “8 Mile” soundtrack religiously, and I also can’t forget the look on my mom’s face as I listened to the explicit versions I convinced her to get for me. My first live concert ever was 50 Cent at the Coliseum in Morgantown, WVa., where Pusha T and No Malice were opening under their retired group, “Clipse.” My mom’s face wasn’t too relaxed then, too, especially when 50 Cent asked us to put our middle fingers up (and I did).
With my overflowing love for hip-hop music, I thought I’d also take a go at the craft. I used to battle kids at recess in the 5th grade, but I quickly realized that it was hard for me to make fun of people, so I kept to freestyle ciphers instead of battle rapping. Since 5th grade, I’ve been wholly immersed in songwriting, freestyling, recording, and studying the greats. At the end of 5th grade, I moved to Massachusetts and it was there that I started learning towards more underground, lyric based hip-hop as opposed to more melodic and rhythmic hip-hop. I would listen to the likes of Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Mos Def, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Wu Tang, and many more. Underground hip-hop, what I call hip-hop of the Titans, helped me to begin to start questioning the nature of my reality. Hip-hop and its street poetry stimulated in me the realization that what was absolute in my psyche was not absolute, that there is another side of the soul, something more timeless, something more ethereal, and that music could take you there as an “aeronaut of the spirit.” The artistic imagery and lyrical suggestiveness of hip-hop flooded my young, malleable mind with new concepts, suggesting a way of seeing the world beyond normal limits. Listening to and absorbing themes on existentialism, spirituality, politics, religion and more allowed me to learn outside of the classroom--not as a collection of mere facts, but as a Platonic revolution of the spirit. It’s like the Mark Twain line, “Don’t let school get in the way of your education.” I ended up graduating high school in Massachusetts and attended the College of the Holy Cross there, where I studied philosophy. My philosophy professor once told me that “philosophy often expresses itself best in art,” and that line has stuck with me since. In college, I still wrote very frequently and recorded when I could get the chance, but I still felt as if I had no real musical community. While in college, I joined Music In Common, a local, national, and international non-profit that empowers youths and communities against hate through dialogue and creative collaboration. I thought, “if only I had something like this,” and devoted myself to supporting a cause that would have surely changed my life. Presently, I am Board Vice President of Music In Common, and have been with the organization for almost four years. The founding of Music In Common was inspired by the life of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was murdered in Pakistan investigating the “shoe-bomber” Richard Reid. Todd Mack, founder and executive director of MIC, was Danny’s dear friend and bandmate, and carries on Danny’s legacy of empowerment, compassion, and commitment to change through MIC and its programs. This year, we held a JAMMS (which stands for Journalism as Music, Multimedia and Songwriting) at the original site of the ‘69 Woodstock music festival in Bethel, NY. Seeing those cathartic moments, seeing the poetic creation of something that didn’t exist before, made me smile and think, “These could be the next young people to do what Woodstock did.” I knew I had an overflowing devotion to philosophy, and music as well, but I wasn’t sure how to integrate my two “yogas,” my two ways of realization. And then I found out that my hometown university, West Virginia University, had a new Music Industry program (Music Business). I enrolled right away, remembering what my professor told me on how “philosophy often expresses itself best in art.” I mean really, how many people will sit down and finish Plato’s Republic the same way they might finish The Matrix? Or V for Vendetta? Or Cruel Summer? There is a special beauty in the truths of poet-philosophers, unmatched by classical, analytical pursuits of truth. As a part of my education in the music business, I also was a member of Mon Hills Records, West Virginia's own student run record label. I spent time as the associate manager of the legal and accounting department, as a social media assistant, and A&R manager. I’ve also worked part time as a marketing and research associate for Frisby & Associates, a public relations firm. Through my three years with Music In Common and my experience in public relations, I’ve gained unique insight into servicing communities and developing social entrepreneurship. I’ve also seen the nexus of music and philosophy in my one and a half years of experience as a mental health specialist, where I would often mix philosophy and music into the day as a way for patients to re-situate their psyches and come to lasting insights. Recently graduating from West Virginia University, I plan to manifest what I’ve always wanted to do, and that is to raise the independent, chaos inducing Titans of the hip-hop industry to the same level as the ruling Olympians of the majors. I’m not looking for a musical war per se, but for the birthing of a new world in hip-hop that would evolve from their synergy. It’s my vision to market, publicize, and promote musicians with artistic depth and brilliance in ways that will help them push through whatever gatekeepers the digital realm still has. I want there to be a rupture in hip-hop, where repressed, archaic hip-hop energy floods the streets and awakens the community to their invisible bars. It’s not impossible. The world needs it. If they didn’t, you’d never have heard of Wu Tang or Mos Def, Kanye or Kendrick. Hip-hop heads and fans who say they are “down with the culture” need to perhaps question what the culture really is, who that culture is really serving and to whose expense. If the mythos of our culture is represented by otherwise good artists, who are slyly commanded by music executive-magicians, we will be lulled to sleep under their spell, “music because of business, not business because of music.” And when our children can finally stand, they will fall asleep, dancing offbeat to the primal rhythms of life. “Raise our sons, train them in the faith Through temptations, make sure they're wide awake Follow Jesus, listen and obey No more livin' for the culture, we nobody's slave.” - Kanye West, Closed On Sunday, Jesus Is King Local non-profit, Music In Common (MIC), has partnered with Neighborhood Church in Candler Park and Music on Main Street (MOMS) in Lilburn to launch their MIC Community MeetUps series in Atlanta. Music In Common Community MeetUps offer community members from diverse backgrounds opportunities to build relationships through individual and collaborative creative expression. The September workshop topic is Creative Writing led by Corey-Jan Albert, on Sunday September 22 and Wednesday, September 25.
Neighborhood Church, located at 1561 McLendon Ave NE in Atlanta, will host on MeetUps on the last Sunday of each month, this month’s is on Sunday, September 22 from 3:30 - 5:30 pm. Music on Main Street, located at 113 Main Street NW in Lilburn, in partnership with the Grace Note Foundation, located at 113 Main Street NW in Lilburn will host MeetUps on the last Wednesday of each month. This month’s MeetUp will be on Wednesday, September 25 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Each Community MeetUp is free and open to the public. Pre-registration at www.musicincommon.org/upcomingmeetups is appreciated but not required.Community MeetUps are free and open to the community. This month’s topic will be, Creative Writing with Corey-Jan Albert, a board member of Music In Common. This Creative Writing is a hands-on workshop designed to jumpstart the creative process, especially when you don't know what you want to write about. Participants are encourages to bBring a pad or notebook and pen as well as an openness to trying new techniques for turning observations. Albert is a marketing strategist, copywriter, playwright, and songwriter, and serves on the Music In Common Board of Directors.. She believes in the power of creative collaboration and communication to solve problems. Neighborhood Church will host MIC Community MeetUps on the last Sunday of each month. Music On Main Street will host on the last Wednesday of each month. For more information, upcoming topics and schedule, visit www.musicincommon.org. Music In Common Community MeetUps are monthly gatherings that offer community members high school and college aged youth from diverse backgrounds opportunities to build relationships through individual and collaborative creative expression. Music In Common Community MeetUps are monthly gatherings that offer community members from diverse backgrounds opportunities to build relationships through individual and collaborative creative expression. MeetUps include workshops and master classes on songwriting, filmmaking, photography, singing, diversity training, and community building among others, and will feature special guests throughout the year. Each session integrates the creative arts and cross-cultural immersion as a platform for conflict transformation and civic engagement. Participants are welcome to attend any and all Community MeetUps they wish at no cost to them. MeetUps include workshops and master classes on songwriting, filmmaking, photography, singing, diversity training, and community building among others, and will feature special guests throughout the year. Community MeetUps integrate the creative arts and cross-cultural immersion as a platform for conflict transformation and civic engagement. Participants are welcome to attend any and all Community MeetUps at no cost. Pre-registration at www.musicincommon.org/upcomingmeetups is appreciated but not required. Music In Common is a non-profit organization that empowers youth and communities against hate through creative collaboration. Working across the U.S. and around the world, MIC programs bring together people from diverse backgrounds to discover and celebrate their common ground. Since 2005, Music In Common has directly served thousands of people in more than 300 communities across the globe and across religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial sectors. Neighborhood Church is a group of collaborative Christian neighbors building relationships for justice and community. Their mission is to work for restoration through relationship with God and community. Their building is a place where people from all over Atlanta come together for worship, human connection, justice work, creative arts, learning and growing, community collaboration, hard conversations, workshops and meetings, celebrations, neighborhood events, and more. Music On Main Street and Grace Note Foundation are partners on a mission to promote the role of music in child development, throughout adult life, and within communities. Our programs include individual music lessons, summer music camps, live concerts, and community events. Grace Note and MOMS founder Scott Mecredy said, “We are excited to expand our educational programs by partnering with Music In Common to host MeetUps.”
by Marisa Massery, MIC Program Director
Once we survive the sub-zero temperatures of the current polar vortex, those of us in New England will quickly and eagerly turn our attention to the excitement of Sunday night’s football game. Even for Patriots fans, the Super Bowl never gets old.
I grew up in a house where watching Patriots football was a sport in and of itself. My brothers, dad and cousins are serious and superstitious: pre-game chatter starts early Sunday morning, religious statues perch near the TV, and most importantly: non-football related conversation is restricted to only commercials. It was, and still is, serious fandom. Although I follow the game during the Superbowl, my focus is usually geared more toward the halftime show and the star spangled banner. Last week, however, a friend and musical colleague sent me the following video comparing football to music and it’s fabulous. In the eight minute video, Wynton Marsalis, jazz genius and cultural correspondent for CBS News, interviews Tom Brady and Alan Gilbert, the conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Marsalis explores how a well balanced football team in motion is much like a symphony orchestra performing a great masterpiece. He cleverly compares linemen to bass players, linebackers to cellos, and corner backs to violins. He talks about the leadership and tempo control that both the quarterback and conductor need at the helm, as well as the practice, preparation, and level of excellence contributed by each player for overall synchronicity. My favorite line of the segment, however, reads as follows: “There’s so much more to it than just the harmony of mechanics. Behind the perfect precision, nuance and finesse, there’s always that ever present human fundamental: emotion.” So whether you will root for the Rams or the Patriots, watch the game as a super fan or a casual spectator, or care more about Gladys Knight’s national anthem and Maroon Five’s halftime show, I encourage you to watch this video and perhaps even Sunday night’s Super Bowl with a new perspective. Creativity Isn’t a Thing: It is a Way By Corey-Jan Albert, Music in Common Board Member The synagogue where I belong has an innovative religious school program, centered around integrated curricula, hands-on learning and opportunities for creative expression. It’s exciting and fun – especially for someone like me who believes that creativity is all about process over product. But not everyone is as comfortable with thinking of themselves – or their students – as innately creative. So, the religious school administration asked me to give a short talk about what happens when we reframe a classroom environment to be about creativity, not being first or best or right or wrong. It’s a concept that’s so relevant to Music in Common that I was asked to share the transcript of my talk on our blog: Hello! I’m Corey-Jan Albert, and I’m here right now to talk with you about the importance of creativity in your curricula and in your classrooms. So, let me start by asking you this: How many of you think of yourselves as creative? [show of hands] Great! What I’m about to share with you should add validation to the way you already think and work. Now, how many of you have ever been told – or have told yourselves – that you’re not creative? [show of hands] Okay. To all of you, I have a newsflash: THAT. STORY. ISN’T. TRUE. Maybe you’ve never been taught the basics of painting or music or writing or whatever. Maybe you’ve been taught the basics, but you weren’t given the right outlet to really work with them. Maybe you’re unpracticed. But do you have a life of the mind? Do you think about stuff? And do you find that sometimes, you think about things differently from other people? Are you a problem solver? Then, guess what: You’re creative. If this comes as a surprise to you, then I’ll be you’ve got an inner editor and critic who is very… assertive. Your inner editor is the voice that says, “That’s no good.” Or, “so-and-so’s would be better.” Or, “Don’t do it that way.” Or simply, ”No. Just no.” Don’t get me wrong: there’s a place for that person. Your inner critic and editor are very good for honing creative work once a draft is done – but they don’t belong in your initial creative process. I know – that person can be very pushy sometimes. But I want us all to do an exercise that I do with a lot of my students before we get started on a new creative project together. Everybody, stretch your arm up, extending your fingers high toward the ceiling. Now, I want you to hinge your wrist and point your fingers down toward the ground. Now extend them back up toward the ceiling. And back at the ground. Keep doing it. This is all of you, waving goodbye to your inner critics and editors for a while. You can welcome them back later when you’ll need them. But we don’t need them now. You know what generally separates people who aren’t creative from people who are? People who consider themselves to be creative give themselves permission to try new things – to do it differently than the ordinary way everyone else might expect. We also give ourselves permission to do make mistakes. And here’s why that’s hard: Somebody tell me why I’m even talking about creativity to you today? [Here, one of the teachers answered, “So that we can be more innovative in our classrooms,” but I would have responded the exact same way no matter what anyone answered] RIGHT! When I just said that to you, it felt really good didn’t it? Of course, it did. Now, what if instead, I’d said, “WRONG.” That wouldn’t feel good at all – even if I immediately followed it with why it might still have value or why it’s just one of many reasons why this is important. That’s because we’re conditioned to believe that right answers are rewarding, and mistakes are bad. Except that they’re not. Mistakes are how we learn. Mistakes are how we grow. And mistakes are how we discover new ways of doing things. If you took one of my classes and you never made any mistakes, you wouldn’t get a good grade because you wouldn’t be learning anything. Creativity isn’t a thing. It is a way. And a lot of things change when you start with the knowledge that you’re a creative person – teaching a classroom of creative people. You get fresh ideas. You get more engaged students. You solve problems. And you have a lot of fun. Because creativity is is a way of retraining our brains to feel rewarded by something better than “Right” answers. So, how can you implement this in your classrooms? Lots of ways, but for a start: 1. Try to avoid the trap of teaching in terms of right and wrong. Of course – some facts are true, and some are not. I’m not saying to teach in an alternative-fact way. But when you’re asking your students questions, try ask questions that allow them to bring their creativity to the table. Ask them how things make them feel or why it’s important to study what you’re studying. Find ways to get them to solve problems rather than answer binary questions. 2. When you’re putting your lesson plans together, start with why you’re doing it – what’s the point of your lesson? And then, think of all the different routes you can take to get to that point. Don’t stop at one or two. Come up with a ton. 3. And remember that bye-bye exercise? Do it again. Send your inner editors and critics on vacation while you’re coming up with those approaches, until you have so many different ideas that you’ve got to hone them down to something manageable. 4. Give yourself and your students permission to make mistakes – and reward them! Any time you run into a dead end or a “wrong” answer, it’s an opportunity to be problem solvers, to learn new things, to think creatively! 5. And – this one is really important – about all those ideas: At some point, you’re going to have an idea that won’t leave you alone. The kind of idea that makes you chuckle a little and think, “I can’t really get away with doing THAT, can I?” The answer is almost certainly yes, you can, you should and maybe you must. If you’re concerned that it crosses some line that you don’t think belongs in this religious school environment, bring it to the attention of one of our education leads or our clergy. They understand this and will help you figure out how to make it work. But when you get those ideas that tickle the fun parts in your brain? Pay attention. Finally, encourage the kids in your classes to think about themselves creatively, too. You think that even at their young age they’re not conditioned to want RIGHT answers? They most certainly are. But make no mistake: they are all creative – each in a different way and it’s part of your job to give them permission to tap into that, to encourage them to tap into that and recognize that as good as a right answer feels, being creative feels even better. Dear Friends, Have you seen this video ? Or this one? These are just two examples of the FIVE JAMMS programs YOU made possible this year - programs that brought together diverse groups of youth including refugee, immigrant, American-born Black, White, Hispanic and others to work together to write a song and create a music video. But these aren't just any ol' songs. These are incredibly powerful messages written from a place deep inside - honest, vulnerable, real. Voices yearning to be heard, yearning to make a difference. How can we change the world if we can’t be heard How can we change? How can we change? How can we change the world if we can’t be us? How can we change? How can we change? The power we have, nobody can take it away And these songs don't just magically appear, either. They spring from the hard conversations about race, religion, place of origin, and so much more that our participants engage in before setting out to create together. As the world grows more enraged and polarized, we need those conversations more than ever so that we can better understand one another. Don't underestimate the power of your support to #EmpowerYouthAgainstHate. Just read the lyrics to their songs to see for yourself what YOU make possible when you donate to Music In Common. Thank you! Todd, Lynnette, Marisa, Patty, Avarie, Jason, Rosa Dear Friends, Today is Daniel Pearl's 55th birthday. Every year when today rolls around, I think a lot about my friend...birthdays we celebrated, gigs we played, camping trips we took. Those days were filled with fun, adventure, hard work, and laughs....lots and lots of laughs. There are many things I loved about Danny - his quirky sense of humor, his perfect pitch, his undying loyalty to friends, the way there was always room for at least one more at the table, his love of life and thirst for the truth. I loved how he embraced the simple things. One sunny Sunday many moons ago in Atlanta, Danny invited Carrie (my girlfriend at the time, now my wife) and me over for brunch. Danny's mom had just sent him a brand new bread machine. At this point in his life, Danny was the consummate bachelor living on his own. The bread machine was the perfect accompaniment to the only other appliance he owned, a juicer. It may come as no surprise that brunch that day consisted of - you guessed it - fresh baked bread and fresh squeezed orange juice...and that's it. But to Danny, sitting in his kitchen with good friends that sunny, Sunday morning, this was no less awesome than Sunday brunch at Murphy's, one of his favorite neighborhood bistros. And he was right. It was the best bread, the best orange juice, the best brunch I've ever had. I've often wondered if Danny were alive if he would still see beauty, wonder, and humor in the simple things, if he could still find the silver lining in today's complicated world. Somehow I think he would because that's just who he was. As the Octobers pass by, I wonder too, is the world forgetting who Daniel Pearl is? Do young people know his name, his story, and what he stood for? Has the unconscionable immorality of what happened to him started to fade? Have we lost our ability, desire, willingness to see the common humanity in one another? I confess these are the things that keep me up at night. But each year today, October 10th, I reaffirm my commitment to face those questions head on. To fight to my very last breath to eradicate the hate and violence that took my friend's life. To make sure the world never forgets Danny Pearl. It's not always easy and I'd be lying if I didn't admit there are days I want to give up. But I won't. I promise you that! I am beyond proud of the work of Music In Common these past thirteen years, work that could only have been accomplished with the unwavering commitment of an amazing team who see their involvement more as a calling than a job, board seat, or volunteer gig. When the hill feels too steep, the battle too fierce, and the world too complex we find strength and inspiration in the life of Daniel Pearl to embrace the simple things and keep on keeping on. Happy 55th birthday, Danny Pearl. I miss you like mad. Respectfully yours, Todd Todd Mack Executive Director Music in Common has had such a tremendous impact on my life. I no longer see music as just something to help me through life. I see it as a tool to break down barriers and stigmas and the things we’ve put up to avoid seeing each other. Music for me is now a way to bring people together that I thought would never talk to each other. This experience has truly been one I’ll never forget. I’ve made lifelong friends and I’ve gained so much self confidence. I’ve seen first hand that if you work together with people that you can really achieve anything. Music In Common is really not like any program I’ve ever done. Going in I didn’t know what to expect and I also didn’t expect it to shape my perspective on life and my perspective on music as much as it did. It teaches life skills. I teaches you how to care. It teaches you how to love people, how to see people… how to really see people instead of seeing them for the stereotypes that they’ve been put under. If everyone in the world experienced Music In Common I think it would be such a peaceful coexistence. I am really happy that I’ve had the chance to participate because it’s really changed my life. It's easy not to listen and gloss over the words on the television. Or the radio, or the newspaper, or what your friends are talking about at work. Amplify makes that harder. From the beginning, Amplify emphasized the great importance of not just listening, but feeling what the other young individuals in our community and our world are going through. It was incredibly eyeopening to connect with teens from around the world just by listening to their songs. Music is the most wonderful thing in the world to me. I believe that it is the universal language. It relies on the emotion and purpose of a thought, and not pronunciation. The beauty of it is, you are not required to speak, or even listen, to understand. All you have to do is close your eyes, and let the music trigger your deepest memories. I will never say music saved me, instead, it gave me the strength and courage to save myself. Amplify gave me confidence in my voice and reminded me that even I could make a difference in the world. Amplify has truly shifted the way I view music, opening up more doors of possibilities than I ever imagined. This program is proof that I can combine my greatest passions into something both beautiful and impactful. I am truly grateful for the memories and experience Amplify has given me, thank you for inspiring and bringing to light the people who care. ~ Elisabeth Enoch, Amplify Berkshires 2018 It makes sense that the unthinkable brutality this week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL would be a crystalizing moment, no? But the heart-wrenching truth is that since the massacre at Sandy Hook in 2012 there have been at least 138 people murdered in over 200 shootings in schools. Read that again and let it sink in… I’ll give you a moment… Like so many others, I am heartbroken, angry, disgusted, and bewildered. Even with an unimaginable number of mass shootings and deaths (my research to give you actual statistics led me down a rabbit hole of wretched oblivion), we continue to argue hatefully rather that to reasonably address the horrific realities that allow this to be happening. The fact that so much death is taking place in the place we freely send our children to learn, socialize, interact, express themselves, and discover the world and each other is utterly and deeply disorienting to my mind and heart. Are you afraid? You probably are and justifiably so. But, do we realize that for many of us, our very existence has come to be based in fear? Probably not. Our fears can overcome us to the point that we think they are the only truth. This leaves us only to argue, defend, react, and live from the pervading and all-consuming belief that we are all out to get one another. Self-preservation at all cost is crippling and, literally, killing us. So we pray and hope. Whatever you believe about life or God or the universe… there is no denying that we have free will. While we may pray or hope or wish for change for a better world for ourselves and our children and grandchildren, we must also realize that there is something else for us to do. And, whatever you believe about our right to bear arms, there is no denying that it is our responsibility to treat weapons with the same common sense caution as we do so many other (including far less lethal) of man’s astounding inventions. Lawn darts are outlawed but automatic rifles are not. We need training and a license to operate a car, but not to purchase an instrument of war. One man carried a bomb in his underwear and we have airport body scans. Not to mention fireworks and guard rails and glass containers and sealed packaging and having more that 5 cats… And there is this… After 58 people were murdered and 850 more wounded by a man at a concert in Las Vegas, House Resolution 367 – “The Hearing Protection Act” – is being proposed to make it easier to obtain the very type of “silencer” he used…. to preserve the shooters hearing. WAIT!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!! True. Have we lost our mind? Yes. Yes, I think collectively we have. But as I said, “there is something for us to do”. The doing, giving, saying, and acting may be different for each of us, but we must all DO SOMETHING. For me that something is Music in Common. As I hear the stories and visions and demands from the students who survived the shooting in Parkland, I think about MIC participants with whom we have worked over the past 8 years. Whether they live in the United States or the Middle East, they represent the generation that is about to inherit our rubbish. They have something to say. They have said it in over 40 songs that can been heard here. Like the teens in Parkland this week, they have questions and concerns and ideas and demands and perhaps even solutions. But do we hear them? Are we really listening and valuing and respecting their voices? They can’t vote, so do their voices matter? Let’s remember that teens sitting at lunch counters, riding buses, writing their stories, speaking out loud and marching in the streets have already altered our collective views of segregation, child labor, civil rights, and war. Do not underestimate the power of a generation whose inheritance is our collective madness. They are a generation who has more technology in the palm of their hand than the entire world had just 20 years ago. We use it to monitor them, sell to them, preach to them… let’s use it to hear them and to protect them. Music in Common gives young men and women a place to speak their minds, a place to listen to one another and to exchange ideas, empowering them with tools to collect their thoughts and put them to paper. We offer a platform to put creative energy to use, to use the power of music to express themselves and to share their values, questions, visions, hopes, dreams and yes, demands, widely. We give them a worldwide stage where they can be heard and feel valued. And, most inspiring to me is that from what I have seen, they are willing and eager to engage with open minds and they are far less divided and steadfastly opposed to one another than any government, community, culture, or religion. We can do better and be better by listening to them. Their collective mind is not lost, it is determined. This is me DOING SOMETHING. What are you DOING? In Peace ~ L Lynnette Najimy MIC Director of Outreach & Engagement |
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