. . .  Use music to facilitate peace

 

Music – even in its most primitive form – is a huge part of all cultures and dates back to as far as historians are able to date. It has – and remains – dominant in society and can bring people together, regardless of gender, religion, skin colour, nationality and all the other inane reasons why wars are started.

Music is a way to communicate. It transcends languages – it has no barriers. It expresses feelings and sentiments in ways words often cannot. It can evoke memories and reactions deep inside us. It can provoke calm and it can provoke craziness. It touches our souls.

It bonds and unites humanity. It does not judge. It connects.

There are many common themes in music, notably love, but the horror of war and the longing for peace are long-standing themes.

Many artists use music to express the violence of war, the terror, the injustice, and expose the human waste and destruction, where peace is still longed for. Indeed, music was used in war. The drummer boy marching ahead of the army.

 

Photo Credit: Gavin Whitner – musicoomph.com

 

Take, for example, Vaughan Williams’ Pastoral Symphony, which echoes the sense of the lives lost, to the more modern artist such as U2 with Sunday, Bloody Sunday, which again echoes the destruction and waste of war.

But what of peace?

For us at Rock Project Berks, John Lennon’s continual cry for peace stands out. The words which accompany the rich, emotive music of Imagine are still so very relevant today. Particularly in a world where musical events are targeted but where also musical artists and musical lovers unite.

We have written this blog to highlight the connection between music and peace and the power that music has, however, we have kept this purposely short because the focus is on peace.

“All the disorders, all the wars which we see in the world, only occur because of the neglect to learn music.” Molière.

“Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too. Imagine all the people living life in peace…” Imagine by John Lennon

 

 

#InternationalDayOfPeace #21September #JoinTogether #WhereWordsFailMusicSpeaks #EmpowerThroughMusic

September 21st, 2017

Posted In: Uncategorised