The Music Matters Series
The Music Matters Series is presented by sound researcher/author
Joshua Leeds. This 3-part video and blog series consists of Why Soundwork Research Matters,
The Culture is the Patient, and the upcoming Public Music.
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These brief presentations suggest that challenged cultures–via climate change, pandemics, social fabric issues–benefit greatly from music structured as a community resource resulting in social cohesion, inspiration, and hope.
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Essentially, this is about music returning to its community roots – Public Music!
This is accomplished by music becoming ubiquitous; musicians teaching in neighborhood centers, free performances in neighborhoods, parks, street corners, shopping malls, etc., all with an emphasis on public participation.
The primary goal: music and sound for social cohesion.
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The profound impact of music on the individual nervous system is well documented.
The Music Matters Series explores the intentional use of music for communities in disruption.
Downloadable resources available at the bottom of this page.
Why Soundwork Research Matters
The current research of soundwork–typified by the $20+ million invested by the US National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Arts in 2019–speaks to a growing awareness in the academic and scientific communities that therapeutic music/sound are valuable assets for health and wellness.
Read more HERE
The Culture Becomes The Patient
In 2020, as Covid, global warming, and social issues convulsed, I explore the role of musicians in changing cultures.
Read more HERE
Public Music
As a life-long musician, my attention now evolves to the cultural considerations of music. Since 1986, I’ve participated in the therapeutic music and sound community. In 2023, I’m wondering about social needs, and how music might re-shape itself to serve a different function.
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These times call upon musicians to adapt and change. Beyond entertainment, a 21st century musician’s role includes being a sonic champion for disrupted cultures.
Read more HERE
Public Music video forthcoming