There’s something about music that’s incredibly powerful. Certain songs can transport you back to moments in time – perhaps there’s a piece that soundtracked a treasured summer holiday, while others have helped you through life’s struggles, with every lyric resonating with your emotions. And now, one duo are hoping to use music’s unique ability to move people by putting on a concert that’s themed around the environment. The show is the brainchild of pianist, Jonathan Darbourne, Systemiq Associate Scarlett Benson and James Cameron, a leader in the global climate change movement and environmental law barrister. They hope the concert will allow music to do what it does best – speak to the audience’s heart, and remind us why we need to sit up, listen and act now on issues of sustainability. Here, Jonathan tells us more.
I think everyone living now has a feeling of discontent and a slight anxiousness about the environment. When we go about our lives, we’re asking what can we do to change things and I, as a classical musician, spend a lot of time in concert halls and churches. They can be forums where people arrive and listen to beautiful music, then leave. It’s all very nice – but after a number of years in the profession, I realised I was in a position to set up a group or a project and do my own artistic thing, but with a reason or point behind it, that is going to make myself and others feel good. There’s so much beautiful music inspired by nature, so I thought I would create a concert that is exclusively to do with the beauty of the world around us. James now works for an amazing company called Systemiq (systemiq.earth) who are trying to cause good disruptions in the political world. The two of us came together and thought –instead of people leaving immediately after classical music concerts, why don’t they come and also have a TED Talkstyle, inspirational event happen as well?