What can we do to make our little patch a place that reflects us - our beliefs, values and dreams?
The current situation with a government that doesn't value art culture and education, that commits human rights abuses including the racist incarceration of aboriginal people and locks innocent refugee people in prisons - this situation is dangerous.
One can feel powerless and I don't know what to do. We can't change the whole world, but what can we do to improve our own little patch and to contribute good into the world instead of suffering, ignorance and pollution?
I was thinking that we should do something collaborative here in Brisbane to highlight this... if you are reading this and would like to contribute please write to me!
What we can contribute as artists and musicians is a great deal. If isolation has taught me anything, it is how important the arts are. Stretching the imagination by reading a good book, listening to a soloist at the Philharmonie or joining a paint class are things that bring so many people joy. To live life in worry and anxiety about the future is a terrible thing. The arts can give us expression and suspension of these worries.
The arts can also challenge people’s ideas and perceptions. If we are stuck in a negative mindset that is only focused on material things that is when we can feel powerless to stand up for what we believe in/ or to ignore these problems entirely. Music and the arts bring so much richness and a depth to life that is such a powerful force for good. Individually or as a community we can make music and experience music. As a musician I may never know how the piece I recorded touched a listener, and that is part of its magic.