Changing the World, One Song (Or Blog) At a Time
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Michelle Koffel during “On Wisconsin,” her show on WSUM, the student radio station (after which she asked me if I wanted to be her regular co-host, a question that still blows my mind, mostly when I’m on the air every Monday from 4-5 and can’t think of a single question that would fit into whatever interview we’re currently conducting…). Myself and the rest of the guests that day (a few representatives from the Madison World Music Festival Committee and the World Peace Day Celebration) were asked the question, “Can music stop war?”
Huh. There’s no denying that the folk movement during Vietnam marked a powerful period in musical history, but did it help stop the war? I don’t have an answer to that question (just an English major, remember?). And for that matter, did that “Proud to be an American” song released after 911 make any of us genuinely feel more patriotic? Can the right lyrics in a song change the outcome of an election? Stop hunger? Keep your landlord from overcharging? (Hmm….let’s imagine this, shall we? “Gee, Lauren, I never saw it that way before. Thanks to that beautiful song, I’ve come to realize the error in my ways. You live here for free now.” Mmmmm, lovely). Exactly what is the quantifiable impact of music on society, if any?
Natacha Atlas works with Amnesty International to stop violence against women. Eddie Palmieri received an award from Yale for his work on building communities through music. Vusi Mahlasela, one of our Acoustic Africa performers, has been nicknamed The Voice for his powerful anti-Apartheid lyrics. (Says Dave Matthews on Vusi: “It’s people like Vusi that give me hope that culture and civilization will survive.”)
The point of this little entry isn’t to come to any conclusion, just to throw these questions out there. Maybe it’s the open discourse for which music helps open the door that can change the world. What do you think?
