Playing for Change
A Reason To Smile
We saw a remarkable video on social media this week, a new rendition of John Mayer’s Grammy-winning “Waiting on the World to Change,” performed by 100 artists from dozens of countries around the world. I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, so I can’t imagine what it took to get all those people in all those places to sing at the same tempo in the same key … and then edit it all together flawlessly. The collaboration, meant to shine a spotlight on the issue of climate change, was the brainchild of the Playing For Change Foundation. The song was produced in partnership with COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Dubai in December.
The anthem was chosen as a call to action, “a call to unite our hearts and create a world full of positivity.” Mayer said that he wrote the song to make a point. “I wanted to start a debate. Most of us are happy to wait for things to change,” he told the Daily Mail in 2007. A fitting sentiment, considering the cataclysmic consequences of waiting to deal with climate change. “The time is now; to unite as a human race,” said Mark Johnson, founder of Playing For Change. Now that is a reason to smile!
Playing For Change is a global nonprofit that offers arts education to marginalized young people in 17 countries. The foundation believes music can be a tool for social change. Since its founding in 2007, the organization’s on-site teachers have impacted more than 50,000 students directly, which doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who have been touched by the music Playing For Change creates.
There is no shortage of evidence that music is good for the soul. It is also great for the brain. Learning to create music enhances cognition and helps with memory, literacy, creativity, and self-confidence.
Running dozens of programs on four continents requires resources. One way Playing For Change fills its coffers is to offer subscriptions on its social media platforms for collaborative music videos peppered with professional musicians like Jimmy Buffett, Sara Bareilles, and Yo-Yo Ma. If you’re so inclined, check out their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages.
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Once again, Mr Rather, you have rescued me from dark thoughts. You’ve been doing it for many years, since I was a kid. This dazzling display of artistry reminds me that we still have a world full of good people and we can change things for the better. We all just have to find the beat. Keep banging your drum, sir!
Thank you, Mr. Rather. What a great way to wake up on a beautiful Sunday morning overlooking Lake Chapala. NOW is the time... CHANGE must start happening now. Lovely way to hear it put and to watch those magnificent artists sign and play and dance to help emphasize this 'must happen' event..."The World Must Change". A truly remarkable director and editor to put this all together so we could all not only enjoy it; but also to help us start with making our own changes (small or large) in 2024! Now IS the time!