The Edmonton Muse April 2017 | Page 16

I paid about $5 for a coffee today, that was gone in about twenty minutes…

I could go to iTunes right now and pay $1.29 for a song that I will listen to for the rest of my life. That song might help me through a difficult time, or it could be the soundtrack for an important moment in my life. In thirty years, I might turn on a radio (if we’re still listening to radios in 2047) and hear that song playing. Like a time machine, it will immediately transport me back to the memory I attach to that song, and I will remember just how I felt in that moment.

Music is so powerful; it is so much a part of our humanity, our lives and our existence. Nearly everyone inherently values it, yet it is often taken so much for granted. If we paid for music what it is truly worth, we could never afford it. What a bargain, at $1.29! Music is valuable, and music matters.

This column is to draw attention to where music is being used to make a difference, or to where the value of music is being demonstrated or celebrated, in and around Edmonton. I would like to, please, ask you, my readers, to point me in the direction of where music matters…the people, the places and the events. One subject will be chosen per month to be the focus of this column.

Some stories I might be interested in covering include, but are not limited to:

-Concerts and musical events as fundraisers or awareness campaigns

-Musicians using their music for a helpful or charitable cause

-Groups or individuals helping improve access to music programs or activities

-Individuals for whom music has had a significant impact

-Programs where music is used for therapy or rehabilitation

Please contact me, Shauna Specht, with your story ideas and tips, at [email protected] and put ‘Music Matters’ in the subject line.

- Shauna Specht

Column:

Music Matters

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