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Play Harder: Saving the Environment with Music? (Entry 6)
![Shawn Wyckoff, Maria Millar and Anna Millar at the People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21, 2014](/-/media/Images/CCA/Spotlight/2015/12/saving-the-environment-with-music/PeopleClimateMarchShawnMariaAnna.jpg?h=450&iar=0&w=600&hash=AF9078BBBD9B4A0459697DA0E007FD49)
Staying passionate about climate change is an uphill battle. Show me an image of starving children, animal abuse or yet another shooting and my heart jolts: “This must be stopped,” my brain (or voice) yells as I see red. But climate change? It’s the reverse – a brain-to-heart process of reminding myself, “Yes, this is what I should get fired up about, this is the biggest threat facing mankind!” Images of rainforests burning, tar sands churning and oceans swirling with micro-to-macro bits of plastic help; knowing that it’s animals and the poor who end up suffering the most helps even more. But how to make saving the environment a visceral experience for all?
I must digress: I do not believe my art changes the world. It’s a blessing and a curse – my realism protects me from illusions of grandeur, but prevents me from feeling like my art is contribution enough. I LOVE moving people with my music, and when I perform or compose, I devote mind, body and soul to creating a magical experience. I feel, though, that when someone is moved by my music, the gift is to me. They showed up, they bore witness; I spoke, they listened and chose to enjoy. How lucky am I?
Back to the subject at hand: climate change. As I plough through the plethora of e-mails from non-profits valiantly working to save the environment, I get overwhelmed. So many words, so many sobering statistics. Maybe this is where wordless music can help. By composing a symphony that encapsulates the sounds of the four seasons, the sounds of four vibrant cultures at risk, perhaps I can evoke emotion where words fail? And if I can tie that emotion into activities that connect people with nature – a hike, clean-up or get-together in their community – maybe I can ignite a passion that will burn steady and bright. This is how I came up with Four Seasons Rising. It’s a tall order of metaphysical proportions, but the synergy of music and action… that’s a challenge I like! Now if only I could compose at a speed faster than glacial…
Thanks for reading,
Maria
![The People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21, 2014](/-/media/Images/CCA/Spotlight/2015/12/saving-the-environment-with-music/PeoplesClimateMarch.jpg?h=800&iar=0&w=600&hash=FF3BA3A7687268AE69BAF59AAC19B7CE)