Where Music And Transformation Can Intersect
ServiceSpace
--Lahar Mehta
2 minute read
Aug 9, 2014

 

Yesterday, about 30 of us huddled in a loft, listened to songs and stories, shared insights on "true sound" and service, explored edges around culture of ambition that strips away at the heart of music.

It was a beautiful space anchored around music and transformation, as world renowned pianist Gwhyneth Chen shared her inspiring story of finding her calling on a gifted keyboard at the age of 5, then giving away all of her first major award ($100K!) "so all can share", deepening her journey in search of "true sound", and now opening herself to the unsettling paradoxes today's world of music.

In the post-event conversations that were bubbling up, here are a few experiments around music, social change and inner transformation that were shared via email ...
 

Gift music to cultivate kindness -- Rev. Heng Sure came out with a CD few years ago, that you could download with a commitment to do a pay-forward act of kindness. Hundreds of people around the globe reported some beautiful acts.

Gift music to build community -- after traditional success as a hip-hop artist, Nimo is now traveling the US for 6 months just singing value-based songs to school kids, signing people up for 21-day kindness challenges, and more. His whole "Empty Hands pilgrimage" has been entirely supported by unsolicited offerings -- someone even bought all his CD's so he can gift it.

Gift music to support nonprofits -- apart from the traditional fundraising model, there are platforms like usemusic.org which allows any artist to upload a song for a charity that is doing good work in the community.

Gift music to nurture underprivileged -- David France is a world class musician, but inspired by his work with El Sistema in Venezuela, he started using orchestra as a "model community" in one of the poorest communities on the East Coast: Revolution of Hope

Gift music to foster collaboration -- Playing for Change brings musicians from around the globe and remakes old classics -- like Stand by Me -- that have received *billions* of views worldwide. (See also: Bill Moyers Interview)

Gift music to create spontaneous joy -- flashmobs are all the rage, whether for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 to British Army musicians to Sound of Music ... from place ranging from airports to an unemployment office in Madrid to Copenhagen's Philharmonic playing Handel's Messiah in the Subway. :)

As we concluded, with smiles all around, Rev. Heng Sure sang the Dedication of Merit: "May all become compassionate and wise."      
 

Posted by Lahar Mehta on Aug 9, 2014