See how quickly music can break down barriers and bring joy to people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM

-Scott

When times are tough, people are forced to focus on the essential things in life, like food and jobs. The first to go are things like fancy cars, vacations, and entertainment. 

Music is often labeled as entertainment, something enjoyable, but not essential. But I question that.

Music helps us make sense of our world. It expresses feelings that mere words cannot. It transcends countries and cultures. It helps us understand things with our hearts when our minds can’t. 

So what musicians are doing matters. No religion or government or corporation is capable of doing what we do. Music speaks to the soul of people everywhere. It nourishes us, like the basic necessities of food and water.

Here's an inspiring speech (and podcast) by Karl Paulnack, pianist and director of the music division at Boston Conservatory, that I think you'll enjoy:

http://www.positivemusicassociation.com/blog.php
http://www.ascboston.org/downloads/podcast/080824.mp3

Scott

Dear PMA members,

The inaugural Harmonizing with Humanity (HwH) House Concert in Phoenix on June 29 was a great success and we can't wait to set up more (see links to videos below).

Besides having each of you sign up as an artist on the HwH site (http://ocalawebsolutions.com/harmonizing/), we'd like your help in finding hosts for upcoming house concerts.

And the best way to do that is to host one yourself. Invite your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Have a pot-luck dinner, or offer cheese and wine, or dessert. Ask for a donation of $15-20 each. Sell CDs. Invite a fellow PMA member to perform with you. Then invite your guests to host house concerts themselves.

Nathen Aswell from Vancouver recently hosted his own house concert which turned out wonderfully. He even filmed it (with 3 video cameras) which he plans to sell as a DVD.

So sign up with HwH as an artist, host your own house concert, and invite your fans and friends to host a concert for you. The role of HwH (Randy, Joe, Jodi) is to connect hosts with artists, and coordinate their touring schedules with dates and locations of hosts around North America. PMA members will be promoted to these hosts on the HwH site and will be part of an ever growing database.

And if you're from outside North America, you can still begin by hosting your own house concert or having a friend host one for you.

Here are videos from the first HwH house concert, featuring Faith Rivera and Jessika:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAcS9FAKoG8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch5AafcDlrU

Thanks for helping the PMA and HwH community to find new hosts and to jump start this global network of house concerts.

Imagine making a living through your music inspiring and uplifting people in their own homes.

Scott

. . . .

Scott Johnson
Executive Director
303-581-9083
www.PositiveMusicAssociation.com

An essential element of the Positive Music Association and Harmonizing with Humanity is community, the conviction that we're stronger together than apart.

I encourage all of us to promote this sense of community. And one way to do that is to promote each other. So let me start it off.

I'd like to invite all of you to listen to Laura Berman's music. I still get chills up my spine every time I hear the piano version of Laura's song "When I Speak." Listen for yourself and be moved: http://www.myspace.com/lauraberman

-Scott (July 1, 200