Drunken Singing and a Better World

I always liked music, but I never thought about what music could do for the world. This all changed when I saw a set of youtube clips by a group called Playing For Change. They are a nonprofit lead by Mark Johnson, a producer who won Grammies, but got tired of the music industry. Instead of producing more hits, he traveled the world to record street artists in New Orleans, France, South Africa, India, Nepal, everywhere. He connected the artists by having them listen to the recordings of the other artists and play along. It sounds kind of confusing, and it probably was confusing to organize, but it’s actually kind of irrelevant, just watch the clip. It’s “Stand By Me”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

They have a couple other awesome songs, including Bob Marley’s “War” and one called “Chanda Mama.” I found they are really really fun to watch along with someone else, especially if you’re video chatting and at a lack for something to talk about. Anyways, these clips really convinced me that music is an essential part of bringing people together, and must be a component of a better world. Locker rooms bond with stupid but loveable songs. Everyone has that random song that will always bring up warm feelings, whether it reminds them of their first girlfriend or some random childhood memory. And of course, drunken singing will be one of my all-time favorite memories from college.

What I always loved about music was how some musicians just looked like they were so into their music. A great example is Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah”. It always gives me an eerie feeling, but I appreciate how much of his heart he must have put into that song. That’s one thing I love about these street musicians playing in Playing For Change, just watching them, you can tell they really love what they do.

Anyways, if I thought music was really a component of a better world, I figured I should get involved. So, I decided to try and pick up an instrument. I wanted it to be portable, so I could show off in the off chance that I ever became good, and easy to learn, because I’m lazy. I settled on the harmonica as my instrument of choice, only partly because I liked the harmonica solo in that “She likes me for me!” song. I’ve been practicing on and off since I got out to Portland, and I’m not quite sure if it’s going to be one of my random new activities that sticks. I can’t quite tell if it’s one of those things I like the idea of, but in practice don’t love, or I just need to stick with it a bit. Well, regardless, I definitely encourage you to check out Playing For Change.

from ken

Are you trying to change your life? I'd love to hear about it! ken.e.noguchi@gmail.com