If tonight was not a perfect example of why music is the most powerful resource in the world, I don't know what is. Tonight we were blessed with the new honor of hearing the story of Larry Joe and Aron Turest-Swartz. To give you the recap Larry was born in Northern Cape, South Africa- a neighborhood filled with drugs, gangs and violence with no positive role models, he said much like our projects and got involved with stealing and gangs by age 13. He was in and out of jail for years for small crimes and ran away from the police in his twenties to Cape Town. After sleeping on the street and saving up 120R (about $17) he bought a second hand guitar and began making 800R a day playing music on the street. Somewhere along the way he ended up with 2 daughters and a serious heroin drug addiction. Still homeless one night he explained his moment of clarity when he dreamed of playing at Madison Square Gardens (yes- literally what he said) and having 150,00 people cheering for him and a spotlight on him. In the morning when he awoke from his cardboard mat under a tree, his daughter was looking at him with so much admiration that he was inspired to stop being a fugitive and turned himself in.
Now for Aron, a South African rock star it sounds like. He played in a band for the past 10 years and quit a few years back to begin doing good in the world. He was booked to play at a Worlds AIDS fair in 2008, where a mysterious man names Larry opened for him. He explained how the crowd screamed and sang along with Larry, yet he himself had never heard of him.
At the time Larry was in jail near the fair grounds and had been released to perform for the evening, with wardens waiting for him on the side of the stage. Aron was so moved by his music that he got in contact with him and began a friendship.
Today, Larry has been out of jail for 629 days and has an album released and another on the way and is well on his way to being an international popstar, role model, success story and inspirational figure. Aron changed his life and he changed Aron's.
We were lucky enough to have a private performance and explanation of this entire, surreal, incredible and life-changing story from the two of them in our classroom tonight. It was truly one of the most touching things I have ever witnessed. Not only was music the way this man realized how to take the step to being a better person and admit himself into prison, it is also what got him out and is keeping him out. Aron explained to us that 7 out of 10 convicts return to prison after release. Larry will not be one of those 7, and is working to lower that number.
I don't know where to start with describing how much he touched me. Of course any male soul, folk vocalist is the key to my heart, but his voice is something special- incredibly unique, yet completely inviting. His voice is like warm butter on toast, full of comfort and coziness. He shared with us a few songs, including the first song he wrote about losing both his father and two year old daughter within the first month of being in jail. Of course he has committed crimes, but he has also suffered so much hardship and been given severely difficult circumstances to work with. His story was beyond inspirational and solidified every reason I love music and believe it is as, if not more, powerful as religion.
Larry still has dreams of being internationally recognized and playing at MSG- which made me realize how dominant American music is. While I am sure that American artists want to be internationally loved, they do not have to work too hard for it. Countries around the world turn to America for top songs, yet artists in other nations work to get their songs onto our top 10 charts. Yet another advantage of being from the ol US of A. But of course, music is internationally recognized because it is something that is appreciated and loved in every culture, ethnic group and country in the world and a part of life and society without any effort being applied.
It is experiences like tonight that make you put your life in perspective. Tonight's blog post was going to be about 2 for 1 drinks at Stones last night and all the great people I met and how I sank three pool balls in a row and almost beat the champion Indian man of the bar, and then woke up today feeling worse than a mop being dragged around at the end of its life and then eating Chicken Licken, aka food poisoning express, for lunch. But after complaining for hours on hours about exhaustion and stupid shit- this man shared his shocking, unique and motivational story and suddenly happiness and envy were all that was on my mind.
I cannot say enough how perfect Larry's story defined what and why I love music. I hope to never forget him and remember his ideals and optimism in every challenge I face.
See ya front row at MSG Larry.
please read more about him and LISTEN at larryjoelive.com
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