“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism, or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”…. Mahatma Gandhi.
The Israeli/Hamas War rages on with no corridor of humanity, no feelings of remorse, no prospect of forgiveness. Recently Hamas invaded Israel with a surprise, unprecedented and savage attack. Some 1,500 terrorist stormed Israeli civilian communities. According to The Atlantic “they murdered babies in their cribs, parents in front of their children, and children in front of their parents. They burned entire families alive. They decapitated and mutilated their victims. They targeted elementary schools and kidnapped toddlers, and even a Holocaust survivor.” They abducted nearly 200 others as hostages during a peaceful rock festival leaving behind approximately 260 dead bodies. We must always remember everyone who dies or will be killed in this chaotic rampage was someone’s child.
Again according to The Atlantic “several months ago, Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, then European union ambassador to the Palestinians, performed what he considered the first paragliding flight to advocate for a future where “everything is possible in Gaza.” Hamas terrorist would later use paragliders to massacre more than 250 civilians at the peaceful, Israeli music festival. The brutal and unthinkable acts of Hamas are rooted, not in strategy but in sadism. In Hebrew the word hamas is translated as violence….
Although music has never stopped a war or changed an event ….it has the power to affect people so they are changed, enriching and encouraging them so that they act in a way that may affect the course of an event. Music can pierce the heart, it needs no mediation… Composer Randy Edelman’s song “Everything Is Possible” is a song that can literally transform the revolution into harmony if the world leaders and global citizens would just listen and take heed. Music’s effect on the self is far reaching, tapping into our memories, our subconscious thoughts, and our emotions. Music continues to shed light on the inequalities experienced by people around the world and will never stop acting as an agent for change.
“Everything Is Possible” is healing, it breaks down the barriers and the borders as it educates. The song is a victory for the underdog. The universe has a way of favoring the underdog. The act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. Such is the case of composer Randy Edelman who wrote the song along with an album with the hope and the dream of success. Trampled nearly to death in a stampede in a one sided conflict to get his music out to the wider world, he turned his focus as a musical warrior to creating some of the most beautiful music ever heard for films and TV including “Gettysburg”, “Last of the Mohicans”, “Come See Paradise”, and over 100 others. However, it is time to revisit what is probably the most relevant song for the savage climate of the world…..while it might not prevent this war, it helps us survive it and look into the future. It still reminds us that despite political differences, we are all human….and ….it drowns out the noise.
In 1862 according to history buff Dan Treanor, music actually stopped a war for a fleeting moment. On New Year’s Eve, both large armies North and South were facing each other outside of Nashville. In order to lighten up the somber mood of the soldiers, one of the bands played a patriotic song and the soldiers cheered. Shortly after the other side answered with a tune that was fitting for their patriotic stance. They were so close they could hear each other while the Yankees sung “Yankee Doodle” and the other side answered with “Dixie.” It was as if they were fighting the war with music instead of muskets. After a brief interval of silence both bands somehow began to play “Home Sweet Home”, a song familiar to both sides. Thousands of voices were heard and for that one short period of time the war was halted….
“Everything is Possible” is a very strong statement and can influence individuals, societies, and even governments. It can be used to educate, teach and transmit values that benefit social, intellectual, moral, and the spiritual development of an individual, and with its listening frequency it can promote global change.
In the words of Randy Edelman….
A gang of bandits once shocked me in an alley
I held my arms high
And screamed for some rescue
It on time arrived
You see lighting struck their eyes
I bolted out to some safe Avenue
When all the games I’ve played so long were ending
and all opponents seemed to know the score
When all the hope On earth
Won’t add to your net worth
That’s the time surprises are in store
You gotta dream that
Harmony is never ending
You got to dream that
All the good times they would last
You gotta dream that
Everything is possible
And all the pain
Is in the past
Some hungry lions
Once trapped me in a corner
A band of experts
Once told me I was through
It’s seemed like fate looked down
And spun me upside down
That’s the time to see if words are true
When all the fortune seems to just go round you
When even angels
Seem to block your way
You still gotta hope for a sign
When your down to your last dime
That’s the time to tap the strength in you
Stream “Everything Is Possible” By Randy Edelman on Spotify here:
The official website for Randy Edelman may be found at https://www.randyedelman.com