Video: What is Music for People?

In About Music for People by jan_mfp


[Onscreen] Music for People (MFP) is a nonprofit organization that promotes self expression through music improvisation and the creative arts.

Josh Oshinsky: What is at the soul of Music for People?

Lynn Miller: The soul. It brings you to your soul.

[Music playing – Remember from Eight String Religion, Recorded by David Darling, Distributed by Hearts of Space]

Mary Knysh: We get a lot of people of all ages that are looking for something in their life that has more meaning and they want to find the joy of music making again.

[Onscreen]  Music for People was founded on the belief that music is a natural creative process available to everyone and players at all levels of experience are welcomed.

Mary Knysh: They really access it in a new way, as a language instead of speaking for somebody else.

Jim Oshinsky:  There are career musicians. There are people that see music as a path to healing. What makes Music for People such a special community is its collective dedication to acceptance and not criticizing each other. Being able to give feedback to each other in a caring and detailed way without judgement and without harshness.

Breanna Metcalf-Oshinsky: Everyone walks in the door from whatever occupation they have — a dentist or a music teacher — and they come here and all of a sudden we’re all musicians sitting in a room trying to figure out how to play music from nothing. And this is the community where you can do no wrong in music.

Stuart Fuchs: Inherent in the Music for People teaching is to be authentic to yourself. Music for People gives you the power through a supportive, loving community.

Jim Oshinsky: What makes people shut down is self-criticism and criticism from others . If we can start from the exact opposite of that, there is no way to do this wrong. That communicate safety.

Mary Knysh: That place of wonder, that place of awe, where it’s in and it’s magic and it’s Ahhh. I learn it from children. I remind older people that have forgotten about that magic. We lose touch with that. And it’s how we learn. It’s play that teaches us. – That wonder, that play, that magic, that changes your brain.

Breanna Metcalf-Oshinsky: Music for People is an open minded technique. It’s not that we don’t have techniques. It’s that they are accepting and moldable to many different experiences. Music exists outside of a piece of paper. You are always playing a duet with the silence around you.

Todd Rodgers:  The process of uncovering and bringing out what your true music is gets into the fabric of who you are and changes it.

Elaine: It’s a place where we can be ourselves. It’s all right to be ourselves.

Jim Oshinsky: The child within us is simple and daring enough to live the secret.

Breanna Metcalf-Oshinsky: Mary Knysh says there’s a curtain in front of your face that’s all the criticisms and all the things that you just hold against yourself inherently. And you just have to open and step through, and once you get there the whole world of music is waiting.

[Onscreen]
For more information on music for people please visit www.music people.org

Music for People was founded by Grammy-winning cellist David Darling and flautist Bonnie Insull. Its work has been refined by the contributions of many gifted educators and facilitators including Julie Weber, Betsy Bevan, Jan Hittle, Joelle Danant and Arianna Rose. The teaching staff includes Dr. David Darling, Ron Kravitz and Dr. Eric Miller.

The Emily Metcalf scholarship fund was established after her passing in 2008 to help bring the work of music for people to new places by sponsoring were the candidates to attend music for people events at no cost.

Video produced by Ocean Sky Films in association with Imagine Motion Productions.

Special thanks to SUNY Fredonia for the generosity towards Music for People and the filming of this production.