Transformational Troubadour

Few people are untouched by the humble power of music. When we're in the depths of grief or the quietude of mid-winter blues, little soothes—provides the same solitary comfort and seen-ness—as concisely as Nina Simone's throaty crooning or Yo-Yo Ma's haunting cello suites. We employ music to help us focus, to energize movement, to coax us to sleep. A good soundtrack, one that augments rather than detracts, is implicit in a successful film, offering an artistic interpretation of both the director's vision and the screenwriter's story. Playlists define parties — whether intimate dinner gatherings or all-night raves — with intentionality and grace, coaxing community through a nuanced alchemy of harmony, dissonance, rhythm, and frissons of indefinable energy. Music is everywhere, in the mundane trappings of daily life, the wild grace of nature, the amalgamation of creativity and emotion in art. Here, host Tate Chamberlin and esteemed public speaker, musician, and social activist Jurgis Didziulis talk about their recent work at the United Nations COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the windy roads intrinsic to seeking self and cultivating community, and the harmony in, and within, it all. Copy by Evil Red Pen Photo by Yarrow Kraner