RockOm

An Interview with Playing For Change: Peace Through Music filmmaker Jonathan Walls
By Tom Crenshaw, tom@RockOm.net

“To travel the earth and to absorb its spectrum of differences and similarities became frustrating, enlightening and exhilarating all at once. To ponder our path is overwhelming, but when I simplify its core, I realize we are all still humans being and we are all one. When this understanding sank in, as it did for me while filming, the mysteries of life disappeared. And then I listened to the music.”
[Jonathan Walls]

As with most revolutions Playing For Change: Peace Through Music began with the sound of one voice. That voice belonged to a street musician named Roger Ridley who was often referred to as "the voice of God" by the other street musicians on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. That’s where Playing For Change co-director Mark Johnson came across Roger performing the song “Stand By Me.” Witnessing this performance inspired Mark to return and to film and record Ridley and his anthem-song. Four years later, and after a whirlwind journey to various continents capturing musicians on film, the world is gifted with a second award winning documentary, Playing For Change: Peace Through Music (the first being Playing For Change in 2003), a ten song CD and seven track DVD. The CD/DVD album, Playing For Change: Songs From Around the World, is a collection of songs and videos featuring over 100 musicians across the planet that have never met in person, but have been brought together through the power of music.

"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world."

Utilizing innovative mobile audio/video techniques, Playing for Change recorded musicians outdoors in cities and townships worldwide. They've traveled from post-Katrina New Orleans to post-apartheid South Africa, from the remote beauty of the Himalayas to the religiously diverse Jerusalem. The players' talents are captured in a myriad of environments: under the sun and beneath the streetlights; in public parks, plazas and promenades; in doorways, on cobblestone streets, and amid hilly pueblos. Their performances are subsequently mixed together, allowing them to collaborate - even though they are separated by hundreds, or even thousands, of miles.

Bill Moyers calls Playing For Change a remarkable example of "the simple yet transformative power of music... to touch something in each of us." Variety acknowledges it as "a great showcase for just what incredible, thoroughly accessible popular music is being made worldwide." Playing for Change is an extraordinary effort to unite musicians and vocalists from diverse parts of the globe, while at the same time seeking to immerse audiences in a multimedia movement to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.

RockOm recently had the opportunity to speak with Playing For Change co-director Jonathan Walls about the documentary Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, which has been airing around the country on PBS (click here for airing schedule). In October the full length documentary will be available on DVD for purchase at PlayingForChange.com.

RockOm: You wrote in April of last year in The Huffington Post that to “travel the earth and to absorb its spectrum of differences and similarities became frustrating, enlightening and exhilarating all at once.” Now that you’ve had some time to reflect on making the documentary, what has the experience taught you about music and the human condition or spirit?

Jonathan: Music is one of the most beautiful expressions we have. It has shown me and all of us who are involved that it is a language that anyone understands and there are really no limitations to how you express yourself with music. As far as bringing in the human connection, it opens you up to other people even if there's uncomfortableness because of cultural differences. On this journey, music was a path that connected both parties, both us as filmmakers and the musicians. Our best way of communicating with them in the beginning was with a video iPod showing them the rough stages of [Playing For Change's first video] "Stand By Me."

RO: Playing For Change has consumed 10 years of your life thus far, which you’ve shared with the 100 or so musicians who’ve appeared in the two documentaries. Did you and co-director Mark Johnson ever dream Playing For Change would have the impact it has produced?

Jonathan: No, we never really thought it would impact so many people. I never would have imagined that in the very beginning. We always had the hopes that it would be inspiring but it has been a little overwhelming in feeling the impact it has had.

RO: There’s a quote in the movie, “Music knows no boundaries, knows no races… it is possible for music to bring peace around the world.” How do you answer those who would say this is being naive or is simply wishful thinking?

Jonathan: I would say it's also naive to think otherwise. That is a strong statement and it's not going to bring peace ultimately but it could start to crack down the barriers, which is a step toward peace.

RO: While filming the musicians, what did you see or discover that was cause for celebration in some of the most desolate places on earth - where disease, poverty, and conflict are commonplace?

Jonathan: In the township of Gugulethu, outside of Cape Town, South Africa, is really a poor and impoverished area where a lot of people are living. We were in the back yard of a musician named Pokei Klaas in a sea of shacks and small homes. Once he assembled his band and got the music going, people starting coming out of their little homes and dancing and celebrating in the music. From what we were told, that kind of excitement and jubilation hadn't been witnessed in some time. That was a very wonderful experience in that there was celebration in music and they forgot in that moment whatever things were bringing them down.

RO: Is that the township where the Playing For Change School is now at?

Jonathan: Yes, we built that in Klaas' back yard.

RO: How did that come about?

Jonathan: We were talking to Pokei after interviewing and getting to know him and he said that a dream of his was to have a school to help all the kids in his township. So that was kind of the birth of the idea of the [Playing For Change] Foundation - to build schools around the world and give the kids a future. Yes, it was born in that moment of the performance in Pokei Klaas' back yard. [laughs] A year and a half later we were there building the school.

RO: A quote from an Indian musician in the move says, “Through music we can get enlightenment.” Do you agree with his statement and if so, what does this enlightenment look like to you?

Jonathan: I agree with that statement. I'm not a musician myself but in witnessing all sorts of music, it can be a tool for meditation. If you do get into the music and express yourself with your music, I think it can give you some enlightenment and a more pure understanding of everything.

RO: Who are some of the most memorable musicians that stand out in your mind in the documentary and on the CD?

Jonathan: Grandpa Elliot is a special soulful musician that really sticks out. He's definitely a character and he's now one of the main musicians in our band. He's also the musician I spent a lot of time with. And then the Asian musicians, Sur Sudha, one of whom gave the quote about enlightenment, really had an impression on me because I really hadn't listened to that kind of music but I just love the tablas and sitar. There's another musician who plays the veena in India named Rajhesh Vaidhya and what he does on that veena is absolutely incredible. It compares to Jimi Hendrix! [laughs] It's phenomenal.

RO: Tell us about the Playing For Change Band that was just recently featured on The Colbert Report as well as those musicians comprising the band presently on a world tour.

Jonathan: The Playing For Change Band wasn't even one of our missions when we started. It came about on its own, basically. When we were talking with Starbucks and Concord Music Group, there was a Starbucks convention in New Orleans and they suggested that we have a little concert for all the store owners who came for that convention. So we assembled the musicians that were available and whom we thought would play well together and the crowd loved it. When our CD was first coming out, the label wanted to do a promotional tour so we brought more musicians together and throughout our travels, it was a really amazing experience. We got positive feedback from all audiences. So now it has become an entity that people want and there's going to be a fall tour in I believe 30 cities.

RO: Are you and Mark Johnson doing a documentary on the tour?

Jonathan: [laughs] No, I don't think we are. We might go out on a little stretch and do some filming and we're going to have a Foundation benefit during that tour here in Los Angeles that we are going to film. You never know down the road. We have filmed a lot of the concerts; we went to Glasbury recently and shot that concert. There might be a special release some day of live performances in different venues.

RO: Is there something you're working on in the future that's centered on music or would you like to move away from musical projects?

Jonathan: Music has become a very important part of my life as a filmmaker. Playing For Change was a concept that may really live on for quite some time, so we are talking about doing other music related projects. I think right now I'm going to stay on that train of music. There are other things I'd like to do as a documentary filmmaker, but right now I'm enjoying the ride of Playing For Change.

Visit the Playing for Change website for video samples, CD/DVD/MP3 purchases and much more information.