A new path: learning and connecting through music

 
_B7C3419.jpg

Words cannot express how excited I am to be back to writing and creating music. The journey through music school was inspiring, educational, painful, fun, and now I am ready to move on to the next chapter of my musical journey. It has helped me realize the things I truly value, and the direction I see my path heading. It has helped me see what those wiser than me have known for far too long - that we are at a crux in the human experience.

Our western world has been in awe of the material goods, luxury, and tools we have been able to create, relishing in the comforts and stability it can provide. Many others are joining in now. Still, it has been lacking in many ways in creating truly rich lives. People are devouring experiences, in lieu of material goods. We are just now seeing the costs we have paid, and can no longer pay. We are refusing to be cogs, so we can discover our own humanity. At the same time, there is a growing divide as too few have too much, and too many can no longer live stable lives. The middle is falling out from underneath us, and the cycle of humanity has turned to a place many civilizations have seen before. What to do?

My goal for each and every show I perform and produce is to give you music and art which can inspire you, soothe you, make you question your beliefs, create a space to gather with friends and loved ones, and give you an opportunity to reach out to a stranger. The only expectation is kindness.

This is a time when it is more important than ever to gather with our dearest loved ones, and also our greatest enemies. What life has taught me is true evil is actually rare, and pain, fear, ignorance, and laziness are much more common instigators of those nefarious acts we as people have all committed, some acts worse than others. This is not politics, but a call to people to try their best to be the best they can be, and to be open to an ongoing discussion of what the best of people truly entails. We can all be just a bit more humble, because we can be taught something by everyone. We are all better when we can come together, and the things we create together are much more rich, powerful, and beautiful.

 
Ariel Wang