Playing For Change CD/DVD

By Linda Callahan

Recently I viewed the DVD Playing for Change. Musicians from around the world which played the same song, but done as their culture would do. Then the tracks were overlapped. Amazing stuff! I enjoyed it very much!

I enjoyed the feeling of unity and fellowship. It was clear each artist was unified in happiness. He was joined with other artists expressing immersion in the culture, and facial expressions were clear the joy was internal. Lyrics also reflected the themes of a world culture of joy and unity. I thought this was a nice touch.

I enjoyed “traveling around the world”. I felt a part of the artists also. I wanted to be one with the idea of love of music and culture. Instead of a “professional” style, tapes were in the culture of the artist, backgrounds being balconies, streets and fields. This gave the DVD even more of an authentic feeling and a unique charm.

I would recommend this to anyone's library.  I think it is good for viewing as a group also. I was with about 50 people and I noticed that they also seemed unified: nodding heads, clapping with the tunes and a spontaneous clapping at the end. We are planning on adding this DVD to our personal family collection. I hope you enjoy it too.
Playing for Change began a decade ago, the brainchild of Grammy-winning music producer and engineer Mark Johnson.  In 1998 Mark teamed with producer Whitney Burditt to create Playing for Change: A Cinematic Discovery of Street Music.  Following this award-winning 2004 documentary, PFC saw the April 2008 premiere of its latest film, Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, at the Tribeca Film Festival.  The documentary features over 100 musicians around the world, combining their distant voices into a powerful group of collaborations.
Seeing great need in many of the locations where the crew filmed and recorded inspired PFC to establish the Playing for Change Foundation, which provides resources - including facilities, technology, musical instruments and education - to musicians and their communities.  Completed in January 2009 is the Foundation's first project, the Ntonga Music School in South Africa.  Its second, the Mehlo Arts Center in Johannesburg, will open later in 2009.
Playing for Change is headquartered in Los Angeles.  For more information, please visit the website: www.PlayingForChange.com

Linda Callahan writes from Medford, Oregon.