Playing for Change: Peace Through Music
Watching this amazing film left me feeling wonderfully inspired and uplifted. For 90 minutes I journeyed with the film makers as they traveled the world to bring people together through music. The songs, the stories, the people, every bit of it made me forget my woes and celebrate life and our ability to connect with other human beings. It’s nice to be reminded of that feeling that I had when I first discovered the power of music.
One of the musicians featured is a Nepali tabla player named Surendra Shrestha, who leads the group Sur Sudha. Their music strives to bring the peaceful message of the Buddha to the world, and show how we can all be brought together through music. This quote was one of many in the film that really stood out to me:
Music is a great power. Power to bring peace and to get enlightenment. Because it is sort of meditation. Because you need a lot of dedication in order to bring the music. Great art, when there is a great art, there is always heaven. That is why we believe that through music, if you practice a lot, if you mediate on it, you feel nothing else than peace. So we believe that through music we can get enlightenment. – Surendra Shrestha
I love the idea that when you’re really immersed in music you feel nothing other than peace. That’s a wonderful way to describe that feeling when your thoughts turn off and you’re completely in tune with the other musicians and the movement of the music. At that moment, there really is nothing but peace and exaltation.
If you haven’t seen the film you really should check it out. Here’s a video introduction from the website:
You can find many more beautiful videos and purchase the DVD/CD here.
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Nice post Jason! I also love that immersion in music brings peace. It reminds me that we are the physical form that bangs the drum, sings the song, blows on the trumpet or tickles the ivories and we say we are making music, but I wonder if we aren’t simply expressing the music that is already out there, already playing/sounding all the time. I wonder if when we are immersed, we are being the drop in the ocean that is returning (immersed in) home. In that divine union and perhaps, reunion, there is (and we find) peace.