Interview:

Love, compassion, and empathy are such close emotions and can be hard to decipher. The way I see it is that forgiveness comes from compassion and empathy. Once we can understand and care for each another, we are able to forgive. Our house music culture is fertile ground for forgiveness because it’s all about love. No one would deny this, it’s palatable, and we are proud of this. It sets our music scene a part from others. There is a collective non-judgmental feeling of belonging generated on the dancefloor, harnessed and exemplified by the DJs ability to hold that space, creating a ripe atmosphere for compassion, empathy, and eventually forgiveness.

The power of love in our music community is much stronger than the strength of negative thoughts or actions. The feeling of love is even sometimes overwhelming, leaving no space left in the room for conflict or pettiness. In our house music culture, grudges and resentments are just plain hard to hold on to when everyone knows each other and we see the same people over and over again. We’re a community. Quoting Jimi Hendrix and interpreting and applying it on a micro-level: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power (anger, resentment, dominance), the world will know peace”.

Not only has history demonstrated time and again that music is a powerful vehicle of social change, but it also displays the sheer magnitude of the potential to manifest positive social change. We are able to use music and art to raise awareness, and to help individuals, groups, societies, and the world. This concept provides proof of music and arts’ powerful value to the global community while building social responsibility. It’s simple for us at Give a Beat. If we know we have the power to create social change through the power of music, then we have the responsibility to do it. This is what drives us. We know that we can change someone’s life, or raise awareness about some injustice, then there’s just no way we aren’t going to do it. We are the furthest thing from helpless, and we can actually create tangible positive change with the power of music, dancing, being together as a community, and actually having fun!

My creative life, working with music makers, has opened my mind to the infinite possibilities in all areas of life and has created a rich foundation for sprouting new ideas and nurturing further creation. When we look at art and hear music, we experience intricate pieces and parts that came from somebody’s imagination, that makes you realize anything we can imagine is potentially possible. Art and music are both expressions of unrestricted imagination, and proof that there is room for growth and change in all areas of life. What we’ve been taught to believe is fact, “reality,” or have been told is impossible, may very well have no basis to be considered truth. Anything is possible. Art and music say so.

“Our house music culture is fertile ground for forgiveness because it’s all about love.”
– Lauren Segal & Jordan Strong, Members of Give A Beat