It’s been six years since the tsunami devastated South & Southeast Asia, and just over a year since the massive earthquake in Haiti. There was a lot of coverage in January about how Haiti is faring, one year later, and hearing all about it has gotten me thinking again about being in Sri Lanka in December 2004 and January 2005.
I was in Colombo during the time just after the tsunami, and I remember being overwhelmed by a feeling of uselessness. I wanted to help in some way, but at first, charities weren’t interested in someone with my skill set. During that time, I began to question whether I had made the right choice in life by studying music. Is music ultimately useless?
It’s a question I’ve been pondering ever since, and this article appeared in the first edition of BoulderPavement about a year ago:
P.S. For some powerful audio about compassion and perseverance in Haiti, tune in to CBC’s Tapestry this coming Sunday, Feb. 6th. They’ve got a great show lined up.
Great article — you had me stewing this morning! You must have read Alex Ross’s Listen to This, or some of his other writing? I’ve found his take on music (including the why) to be very illuminating as well.