DAY 77: Music Unites
By Merlijn Twaalfhoven, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 21 October 2017
Music for change — What I learned creating music in places of conflict
How music can create meaningful connections
For the Age of Wonderland project 100 Days of Learning composer and performer Merlijn Twaalfhoven didn’t only share his story about how music connects, but also invited participants to actively join in preparing the opening performance of the People’s Pavilion during the World Design Week.
Merlijn Twaalfhoven (The Netherlands) is a composer and performer of interactive music concerts. In art school, he was trained to deliver the highest achievements, fight competing colleagues and reach for reputation and fame. But when het started to work outside of the bubble of art music, when he travelled to places of conflict and turmoil, he learned a radical different approach to his profession. It’s not the performance on the stage, but the experience of the whole context that matters. When all senses are united, music can create meaningful connections between people and between people and their surroundings.
Merlijn Twaalfhoven is most known by the remarkable projects he creates, connecting styles, cultures but first of all people. Twaalfhoven’s intention is to bridge worlds of contrast, and to mix unusual elements to a new unity. Classic and modern, western and oriental, groovy and subtle music is combined into a lively metaphor for nowadays world.
We live in a crazy world.
We are so connected.
And yet we are so divided.
We have so much knowledge.
And yet we act so ignorant.
I want to share a hopeful story.
It’s about the role of music in conflict situations.
I hope we can work together to create change.
I want to invite you to become part of a movement and to join forces.
But let’s first look around us.
# Climate change
So, what’s happening with our world?
We just experienced temperatures above 20º C in October.
Highly unusual in The Netherlands.
We have the science — we can know what’s happening.
We have the technology — we can change for example our energy consumption.
If we were rational beings, we would NOT destroy our world.
We would change our behaviour right away.
But we are not.
You know why clever people have burnouts?
I don’t!
It’s a mystery!
Today, with all our science and technology we’re causing a global burnout.
It’s incredible.
And it seems not to bother us.
# We are social beings.
We need social proof for our behaviour.
No theory will ever drive us, but feelings do.
We will only change when it feels good.
And it only feels good when others approve.
If the people we like want something from us, we might do everything, even the most crazy things.
Our functioning in a group is crucial.
Our group tells us who we are.
Groups can follow rules or codes of behaviour.
You remember being in high school?
What happened when you connected to new friends?
I started to adore the music of Jimi Hendrix, because the largest guy in the group was a fan.
We are virtuoso’s in adapting our behaviour to our environment.
The human being is the only creature that can live in both the polar, the desert and the jungle.
But the environment is never in the future. We react on the present. We follow a leader when we can see him, when he or she is connected to the people we trust.
We need something physical to relate to.
# A theory has no authority
A theory of climate will not have any authority.
A book about equality or human rights can inspire us, but can it have any effect on our behaviour?
I doubt it.
What we need is belief.
A feeling inside.
Something that makes our heartbeat change pulse.
Trust in our blood.
Faith in our stomach.
In a time of uncertainty, we need to find our guide.
Who can be the authority?
Do we have faith in politicians that can only think until their next elections?
Do we have fait in big corporates that need to always grow and always make profits?
Do we have other leaders, like in the church? Not for me.
Do we have good storytellers? Yes — in Hollywood…
Who inspires us?
It is a scary question.
Do we have guidance?
Let’s see what musicians can do!
# Example 1: Cyprus
I traveled to Cyprus to make music, ten years ago.
You know this island is divided since the civil war, already for 30 years.
It’s an ugly situation with big fences, barbed wire and a lot of soldiers. Nothing seems to change there.
The politicians have some power, but they profit from the current situation. They prefer it the way it is.
The media loves stories of conflict and scandal. If there is a problem or conflict, people love to watch the news or buy a newspaper. So they don’t have any incentive to change the situation.
I listened to the music and heard how similar the songs were at both the Greek and Turkish side.
After a year of research and thousand conversations, I involved 400 children, students and all kind of local musicians in a concert that taak place on rooftops at both sides of the forbidden military zone.
It was a situation that shook up the whole community.
Since we were not creating any political statement, it was open for any interpretation. Suddenly, people could be open free from judgement ant listen to each other.
With a music project, I could not just create a theory about the similarities, no, I could create an experience. Direct knowledge about the fact that Greek and Turkish Cypriots belong together.
I could access not just their brains, but their feelings too.
# Example 2: Jerusalem
After the experience in Cyprus, I travelled to Israel and Palestine.
I was fascinated by the beautiful symbolism of Jerusalem.
It’s a city that is holy for three Abrahamic faits: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
But in reality it’s a place of bitter conflict and violence.
I imagined to create a big composition to symbolise the unity of these people and to create a sense of connectedness.
Sounds good?
Well, it was a mistake.
To compose something that is a symbol of peace might actually disappoint people when you can’t deliver anything real on this.
I spoke with many Palestinians that did not want to take part in another project about peace when in reality nothing changes.
So my project in Jerusalem did not work out, until I changed my plan completely.
Instead of thinking big, I started with something very small.
I asked families in the Old City to allow artists inside their homes to make music or theatre in a private setting. Nothing symbolic, but small stories about the life of the people.
We created a whole festival of living-room performances. We did not have any permit to do so, it was private and illegal.
But it was also very authentic.
What I discovered was not empty symbolism, but a true statement of reality. And that reality was beautiful! In this private and safe setting, people shared their feelings, their doubts and insecurity. This openness made me feel connected and involved.
# The conditions for change
I could see this logic:
Peace will only come when people respect each other.
You can only respect somebody when you understand him or her.
You can only really understand somebody when you have direct knowledge.
You will only create direct knowledge when you are curious.
You only become curious when you are open.
You only become open when you are not afraid.
You only become not afraid when you have mental strength.
Mental strength comes from a healthy sense of identity and the recognition of your quality: proudness.
Where can we develop a sense of identity and proudness??
In music!
# My mission
My mission became to find people who’s sense of identity and proudness is limited by their situation. That’s why I work with young people in poor communities and refugees for example. But of course it is vital for every child to discover their identity! I want to design music projects that help them to break out of the limitations of their environment and bring freedom and independence in their spirits.
When people are proud, when they gain respect in their environment, they will share their talents. They will become connectors. A connected society is able to function as a whole. When a society is divided, it is in peril, like when any parts of your body are disconnected from the whole!
What is true for the individual is also true for a society as a whole. A connected, healthy city, country or region can feel proud as a whole. It can develop a strong sense of identity, and only then can we create the change that’s needed to fight climate change.
We need everybody to help cure our society. Musicians can play a big role in this. They can do real and powerful work.
# A mission for all musicians
If you are a musician, you can ask two things:
-How can I become a good professional?
or
-What can I contribute to society?
It’s important to make a clear choice. And also to understand the consequences of the direction you are moving in.
What would happen when you become a good professional?
You might work for little money to entertain others.
You might create beautiful things, but why?
Just to live? To make others feel comfortable?
Nothing wrong with that.
But if you don’t know why you create, you don’t have control over what happens with your creations.
You might make nice recordings that nobody listens to… You might play nice concerts that don’t change anything…
You are dependent of critics to judge you.
You might isolate yourself, because there are many competitors, it’s a world where only the best can survive.
But what happens when you have an understanding of your role in society?
You can experience the results of your work. You can see how your music empowers others.
You can constantly improve, because you are not dependent of critics, but you see and hear how people react.
You can integrate your work with activities outside the music world.
You can connect to other inspiring people that share your vision.
# let’s be the change
So can music solve our biggest challenges?
Can musicians play a role in the fight against climate change?
Can music help us overcome poverty and inequality?
I say YES, because when people play music, they learn to express their identity.
This can make them proud. They will reclaim dignity.
Only when people have dignity, they will be able to change.
By creating this sense of dignity, it is the best way to empower them.
There are big changes ahead. It is time to prepare ourselves and to take up your personal role!
