With history unfolding before the eyes of Haiti, I keep returning to the song, 'Cold Cash and Colder Hearts' by Thrice as it paints a picture of the tunnel vision created by a dangling dollar bill a few inches from our faces. While people are living outside of our daily interactions under different and often desperate circumstances, we are here at the top of the world, completely focused on ourselves.
There are great efforts being made by charitable organizations, church groups, and well-meaning celebrities to raise support in light of the devastating earthquake that rocked lives in Haiti on January 12th 2010. At the same time however, I wonder how many of us are still sitting at the top of the world and counting our cash.
I started to do some research to see what the music industry is doing to raise support and awareness for Haiti relief and sadly found it very difficult. There were a couple of big names that put oup a blog post or two, but I didn’t find anything ground breaking where a bands really stepped out of their comfort zones to do something spectacular.
At the same time, I do not want to be quick to judge. A simple search for through Google surely doesn’t tell the whole story. I was just a bit surprised to look on some record label web sites, radio station web sites, band web sites, and blogs to see no reference to the tragedy. While supporting a good cause is a personal decision, and offering to donate a portion of your sales can be seen as shallow marketing, I hope that everyone who has a voice in their industry uses it to direct the attention of their fans off of the dangling carrot and to something a little bit more important.
I do trust that each person, each band, each organization takes a sincere look at the situation and puts some effort forward to aid in Haiti relief. Below are a few examples of support that I saw through Google search results. I want to know more. If your favorite artist is doing something, or if you know of a benefit concert, or other story of how the music industry is helping support Haiti in this time, post a comment below.
Wyclef Jean Helps Haiti: This Haiti-born Rapper is helping direct relief through his foundation, Yele Haiti, saying, “My commitment to Haiti is a unique and everlasting bond.”
They are sick, they are poor
And they die by the thousands and we look away
They are wolves at the door
And they're not gonna move us or get in our way
'Cause we don't have the time
Here at the top of the world
Feeling alright
Here at the top of the world
We hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
Different god, darker skin
They are just not a burden that we'd like to bear
They are living in "sin"
There are so many reasons for us not to care
But I'm feeling alright
Here at the top of the world
Doing just fine
Here at the top of the world
We've learned money matters most
So we keep our cards held close
Here at the top of the world
We hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
And we've learned what matters most
So we keep our hearts cold
They are no one
They are nowhere
They are not our problem
Not worth saving
Nonexistent if we keep our hearts cold
They are no one
They are nowhere
Please comment below with more stories of how the Music Industry is reaching out to a people in need.
