Water Music

One of the many listeners who heard Monday's interview on NPR was Marjorie Ryerson, an award-winning professor, photographer, poet and journalist. Ms. Ryerson contacted me, and we were both astounded by the overlap between her project and Music for the People's "Sound of Water, Sound of Hope" project in Zimbabwe.

Her book, Water Music, is perhaps the best-known project of her non-profit group, Water Music, Inc., which is "an international collaboration of musicians, artists, educators, environmentalists and activists who inspire others to viscerally connect with and practically support water-awareness, water-protection and water-education efforts in their communities and countries."

Few people today realize the importance of access to water. In America, we can take it for granted, but millions around the world cannot. In Zimbabwe, it was Music for the People's privilege to use music to raise awareness (and funds!) to address this problem. I am thrilled to learn of Ms. Ryerson's effort, which represents another valuable effort to tether the cause of great art to one of the most tragic and wide-spread crises on the planet today.