Can musicians pave a road to world peace?

Santur: Persian hammer dulcimer

Can musicians pave a road to world peace? This question was posed as promotion of the Silk Road Project television program Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, which I had the pleasure of viewing last evening on HIFI music & art, a Canadian HDTV channel.

The show was not so much a performance as a thorough exploration of ancient instruments, culture, technical execution, composition, individual learning curves, and dynamics of musical collaboration.

I was transfixed by the concentration, raw mastery, and technical problem solving culminating in an effective, polygamous marriage of musical thought. The joy of discovery marked each musician's foray into uncharted musical territory. Their mental and physical flexibility spawned pure beauty.

If every facet of mankind embraced unfamiliarity with such non-judgement, commitment and mindfulness, life would be luxe.