Music Can Change the World

... or at least my world again. A couple of months back both Philippe and I signed the One petition, lending our support to "making poverty history." And now Live 8 is taking place today. It's so great to see Sir Bob Geldolf and others out there reminding us that the world is much larger than our little neighborhoods.

Geldolf, Sting, Peter Gabriel and U2 first changed my life 20 years ago. Back then I was just a 16-year-old kid on the South side of Chicago who just loved all kinds of music - all kinds, from rock, metal and punk to soul, funk, house, jazz and classical. I remember getting up at 5:30 am to watch Live Aid on television, and there I sat on the floor of my mother's bedroom mesmerized for hours by the vast array of musicians hitting the stages in London and Philly. Live Aid changed not only the way I looked at other people living around the world, but it also made me more aware of those less fortunate than me living right in my own city. It fueled a need in me to act and I did. One of my first jobs was cleaning the parish church on Saturday mornings. I had been saving up my money for over a year for something, but I can't even remember why anymore. All I know is that I handed most of the saved money over to our priest and ask him to put it in the contribution box for Ethiopian relief. It was clear to me at that time that whatever I wanted paled in comparison to what those people needed.

Live Aid also made me want to see how people lived in other parts of the world. Now, I haven't made it to any part of Africa yet, but hey, back then I never thought I'd be living in France either.

I became more interested in politics and the current events. I started watching the news and reading the newspapers, making myself aware of the issues around me. I started volunteering at various organizations. By 1992, I was deeply involved in political campaigns (from the presidential elections all the way down to local elections) and haven't stopped nor do I ever plan to stop.

I'm getting the same feeling today as I watch the Live 8 streaming over AOL. Wow, who would have thought 20 years ago that this is where we would be! Sure times change and the lineup of musicians is different, but the sincerity, sense of urgency and motivation for action are all still there, and those are the things that matter most. My commitment to change hasn't change either. I have to keep going now so that my kids will understand that they also have a responsibility. It's working because they were rocking right along with Philippe and me. In between the music, I got a chance to throw in a simple history lesson for 8-year-old Chloe.

Kids are influenced by so many things. They are just as moved by seeing their heros committed to worthy causes as they are to watching we do as parents. So I want to thank these guys for putting on another great show. Just like I became more aware of the world around me, you can bet a bunch of kids are going to follow suit. Our future leaders are watching.