Letter to The Overture (Professional Musicians Local 47)
Musical Healing Beyond These Shores
This past summer I journeyed to the war-torn area of Croatia with hopes of healing those who crave spiritual and emotional renewal. One of my goals was to bring music to the villagers in the Northern Zagorije area (my maternal ancestry) and to those living along the Dalmatian Coast - most heavily targeted by the Serbian Army.
With two days preparation, I performed at Samobor's historic museum with Davor Lahnit, from the Samobor Music Academy. Professor Hetterer from their academy graciously loaned me a cello as I prefer not to travel with my own instrument. I had an hour-long radio/newspaper interview which I focused on my experience as a classical musician who had gone to hospitals and to areas where the "language of sound" was instrumental in the healing process, alongside the wonders of medicine and prayer.
Many more performers should take the initiative to bring music beyond concert stages and take it to those most in need - to those craving spiritual and emotional renewal. Not knowing what to expect when I visited Croatia following the war, I did know that the war trauma each Croatian had to endure would be long lasting, regardless of one's age. Therefore, I believed that this would be the place to see how music could effectively assist in their healing process.
It was towards the end of my trip, in a small Murter chapel (one of the few tons spared from the Serbian bombing), where I experienced something miraculous. As I finished the closing bars of Boureé (third Cello Suite of Bach), I noticed everyone had stopped in their tracks to listen. A thunderous applause soon erupted which completely took me by surprise. I cannot recall such a moment in my entire life. Does it take a war to preserve a society's artistic value or is it that technocratic societies feel that Art is not essential to one's daily living as it was in times past? With less technology and fewer distractions in one's daily life, are the Arts appreciated more and the artist revered as well?
Dr. Janice Foy, Local 47 Member
P.S. Visit website: Dr. Janice Foy for details and more on my trip to Croatia. See photo on page 9 and et cetera on page 2.
(Efrem's note: Page 10 has the photo and et cetera is quoted here: "Dr. Janice Foy will be presented in the premiere of Stephen Chandler's Cello Concerto on Sun., Apr. 1st, 2:00 p.m. at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, Maestro Chandler will conduct the work. This concert is co-sponsored in part by New Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Recording Industries' Music Performance Trust Funds as arranged by Local 47. Adelphia Cable TV will air interview with Janice re this premier on Fri, Mar. 23 at 9 p.m., and photo on page 10.")
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