"A song will outlive all sermons in the memory." - Henry Giles
It isn't difficult to recognize the power of song. It takes just a few moments to recall those tunes that have stayed with us through our lives, or marked important moments in our personal evolution and relationships, whether celebratory or challenging. It is pretty amazing how a three-minute story or idea set to melody and rhythm can have such a tremendous and lasting impact. Classic songs like John Lennon's "Imagine," or Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable," have left a seemingly timeless impression across countless cultural and generational boundaries, resonating in the hearts and memories of hundreds of millions of people.
Out of the song emerged an entire industry, celebrated this past week in Los Angeles and culminating with Sundays telecast of the Grammy Awards, otherwise known as "Music's Biggest Night." While some critics may turn their noses up at what they consider an over-commercialization of music recognized by the event, I am happy to report that music was also being recognized and honored for the value it has in our lives, and in critical areas of our society, like education.
A couple of notable events of Grammy Week that shined a light on these higher values, and on the importance of the song in the evolution of society, included:
- The Grammy Foundation Legacy concert, "A Song Is Born," at the Wilshire Ebell Theater: This event was a songwriter's dream, bringing together the crème-de-la-crème of popular songwriters doing rare performances of their own work. Some highlights included performances by Skylar Grey, Gaven McGraw, Dan Wilson, Paul Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Cropper and Bonnie Raitt. The cause uniting them, beyond the songs and community, was a commitment to keep music alive for the next generations by donating all proceeds to support critical music preservation and education initiatives.
The evening raised 5.5 million for MusiCares, which provide emergency financial assistance and addition recovery programs to musicians in need.
It is reassuring to experience these times when music -- something at the core of everyone's heart, can give heart to an industry that is often looked upon as uncaring. The power of a great song is that it sees no barriers and can, as Bono put it, "thaw the hardest hearts." Music is also essential to the development of our children's minds, social adaptability and overall well-being. As I like to put it: "A good meal can feed a man for a day, but a great song can feed a million souls for a lifetime."
My hope is that, after the glitter and glamor of Grammy week has faded, the spotlight can continue to shine bright on, and draw the world's attention to music's critical role in these other areas of our lives and society. Maybe one day there will even be a Billboard Chart for the year's top songs ranked by their positive social impact, and artists will be rated -- not by the number of records they sold, but rather by the number of hearts they have truly touched, and by their contributions to the betterment of humanity.
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