Music has a way of bringing people together. For as long as anyone can remember, music has been a vital part of most cultures, serving a means of entertainment, communication, spirituality, and storytelling.
Take a minute and think about your day. There’s an excellent chance that music has been part of it in one way or another. Even if you didn’t consciously turn up your favorite song or artist, you probably heard some music on the television or the internet.
Music is present in each of our lives before we can even speak or truly understand what it is. Parents sing lullabies to help new babies sleep and quiet music is often played in a nursery. Some parents even make an effort for their unborn to listen to music in the womb.
For all these reasons, music is important and much more powerful than we realize. Music has historically been used to spread a social message, as it has the ability to speak to all walks of life and to help people find common ground. This is the mission of Playing For Change, a group of street musicians who perform all over the world from cities like New Orleans, Santa Monica, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, and even other countries such as Italy, Brazil, and Cuba. In this video, Roger Ridley from Santa Monica, USA, and Grandpa Elliot from New Orleans lead the bands in a much-loved song, “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay”.
It’s a simple thing, really, but something we all need right now. A favorite song like this one can remind each of us of a shared joy, and of the past and potential future—hopefully, one in which we all live in a world of kindness, respect, and harmony.
Watch the performance below and help spread the love! Please like and share this wonderful video if you enjoyed it!