A fellow musician and I were talking the other day about some of the older songs that purveyed positive messages. Both of us have been musicians for a long time, so we’ve seen a lot of powerful results, from all kinds of music! Some of the songs that made our long term list include ”Put a Little Love in Your Heart”, “What the World Needs Now is Love”, “He ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother”, “Love Train”, the entire Abbey Road album–most anything from Woodstock–the list goes on and on. What are some of YOUR favorite commercially popular positive songs?
For centuries, music has been used to heal, to educate, to move people, to transform and bring about change. And, it is subjective. In my work playing music in the hospital I have seen a song I wouldn’t necessarily think of as “positive” change a patient’s mood from sorrow to joy. A personal memory associated with a song gives it added emotional impact. Pete Seeger gave the song “We Shall Overcome” a whole new meaning when he led civil rights marchers in singing it.
Pete Seeger singing with grandson Tao Rodriguez
Empower Music and Arts produces the PosiPalooza! Music Awards and mini-Posi concerts throughout the country, with an eclectic, talented array of performers sharing the stage. Empower co-directors Richard Mekdeci and Sue K Riley also host the annual Sound Connections conference at Unity Village. This year’s conference was exceptional, ending with one of the most inspired and inspiring concerts I’ve ever seen. Sometimes singing solo and sometimes supporting each other’s songs, David Roth, Sloane Wainwright, Harold Payne, and Daniel Nahmod each gave an extraordinary performance, moving people easily between laughter and tears. These are just a few of the many successful artists from different genres who’ve stepped forward to participate more fully in purveying positive messages through music. It is an amazing and powerful use of their talents.
(David Roth, David Beede and Cathy DeWitt, Gainesville FL)
If you go to the Empower website, you will find a schedule of the mini Posi concerts, and if you’re lucky you may find one in your area! You will also find out about the 2010 Posipalooza! festival and Awards ceremony, which takes place in Orlando, Florida on January 18-20th. You won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to experience firsthand the music of so many of these amazing artists at one time–Jana Stanfield, Harold Payne, David Roth, Jan Garrett and J. D. Martin, Devotion, Freebo, and many others.
One of my favorite quotes about music comes from Arlo Guthrie. “Never doubt for a minute,” he said, “that music can’t change the hearts of men–or even of nations.” At the very least, I know that your own heart will be changed from the Posipalooza! experience.
