Playing for Change
Emil sent me this video this morning! Wonderful!
Playing for Change is a reminder to me that along with politics, activism, research, writing, & work, that love, beauty & inspiration are essential ingredients of unity. I often forget those.
Edward Said and David Barenboim’s intellectual and musical collaborations were also about that. They created an Arab Israeli orchestra, music school and foundation to support the arts in the region. This continues to bring young people from all sides of the conflict together to play, discuss and perform. It is expected that this orchestra will be on par with the Philharmonic in a few years. NPR has assembled a number of their conversations into Parallels and Paradoxes: Explorations in Music and Society. In this they discuss their intellectual and musical collaboration. Interestingly, NPR has made the transcript of this conversation available for free as part of its contribution toward positive change. The film about the East-West Divan Orchestra, Knowledge is the beginning was shown by Madame Said in Ottawa last year and it was truly wonderful to see this orchestra in the making and the challenges they have faced overcoming prejudices, and playing in the occupied territories. Both Said and Barenboim are clear, that music will not change the world or stop the conflict, but while people are playing and listening for a couple of hours, they are not hating. And that is a fine start!
The 1990 One World one Voice collaboration was the first international assemblage of musicians following one song line! It is based on the same principal as Playing for change.
It was created as a “chain tape” started by Kevin Godley. The multitrack tape was sent to various studios around the world where local artists added their contributions to it. Sections of the video were also filmed in the performers’ home countries and edited together.
I came across it when living in Japan in the early 90s. 250 musicians globally joined in on the performance. There are 12 clips in all and they are all worth watching & listening to, I included clip 8 because my favorite Ryuichi Sakamoto is in it playing the piano and its strings along with Peter Gabriel, Stewart Copeland, Geoffrey Oryema, Suzanne Vega, Lou Reed.
ohm!
Tracey- I don’t know why I didn’t go to this concert. For the longest time I used to wear the t shirt from the concert that somebody gave me. I love the bands that were there. I played many of them for my anthro students this week when I did my world music unit. They weren’t terribly impressed. However, Tuvan throat singing got their attention.
Comment by Ron Eisenman — May 20, 2009 @ 9:17 pm
Hey Ron! I wanna be one of your high school students. I was thinking about a trip to Vermont maybe in the fall! Also, been thinking alot about you kids lately. And just finished watching the wire, and sure hope the school you are in is better than the Baltimore system. Lots of love to you kids!
t
Comment by Administrator — May 21, 2009 @ 8:48 am
Hey Tracey- it would be great to see you in Vermont. I just started watching the wire too. A fellow teacher who saw me teaching linguistics in my antrho class suggested that I watch the wire. I really like the storytelling, but one of the things that bugs me about the show is that they don’t have a real Baltimore accent. It’s very distinctive. I grew up about one hour north of there, but I always associated with Philadelphia more which is a northern city, while Baltimore is very southern.
Comment by Ron Eisenman — May 30, 2009 @ 7:13 pm