I have tickets to give away for the Playing for Change concert this Saturday at 7pm at Old Town School (here is the event page).
To enter for a chance to win one pair of complimentary tickets, leave a comment below. The winner will be selected randomly and notified via email tomorrow June 7, 2014 in the morning
Playing for Change is a multimedia music project that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. Mark Johnson, the founder of the Playing for Change Movement was kind enough to answer some of my questions about it.
What is Playing for Change?
Playing For Change is a Movement uniting people all over the world through music.
A small crew travel the globe recording and filming musicians live outside creating Songs around the world such as “Stand By Me” and “What’s going on”. As we travel we meet different musicians and assemble some of the best to be a part of the Playing For Change Band, a group of 10 or so musicians from 8 different countries who bring the power of music live to the stage and create a world with the audience where we are going to make it as a human race. Playing For Change also created a separate Non-profit titled the PFC Foundation establishing music schools around the world in the communities we had met while traveling and recording. Today there are 9 music programs in 6 countries.
How was this collective created?
The PFC Band was initially created to perform a benefit concert to fund and support the PFC Foundation’s first music school in Gugulethu, South Africa in 2009. The idea was to combine on the stage many of the musicians from our songs around the world who had never met in person. They had only met through the videos so when they finally got together on the stage there was so much love and talent we knew this musical group was destined to play together all over the world. Five years later, the concerts are on Fire and audiences everywhere get to join in the global family through the music.
Any famous musicians involved in this collective?
As the project has grown more and more musicians have joined in, including Keith Richards, Bono, Sara Bareilles, Stephen and Ziggy Marley, Keb’ Mo’ and Jackson Browne and the list keeps on growing…
Any touching stories or outcomes as a result of this collaboration?
One great story features PFC Band member / singer Titi Tsira. She is from Gugulethu Township, a very poor area outside of Capetown, South Africa. While we where there to open the very first PFC Music school, Titi came to perform and I remember hearing her voice and falling out of my chair. Titi reminded me of an South African Aretha Franklin!! She has been in the PFC Band ever since and she is also featured on our upcoming PFC 3 CD/DVD Songs around the world singing with Keith Richards and Sara Bareilles. Titi has come a long way from home to bring the spirit and love of South Africa to the world.
Why should we go see your show?
People should come to see the PFC Band so they can join the world wide family using music to connect hearts across the globe. The band is filled with so much talent and soul and the concerts mix Blues, soul, Reggae, Salsa and Zulu Funk together into a performance you will never forget!! There is so much talent in this band from so many different countries and cultures and they unite to create something new and powerful, music for the poeple.
One Love, Mark Johnson
Chicago Urbanite 