Bombs falling on their city, the ensemble of the Ukrainian national Tchaikovsky Academy of Music performed March 9, 2022 in Kyiv’s central square. “We are showing our strength through music,” said Louri Loutsenko, senior adviser to the academy’s president. Two students have been killed and fifty gather in basement bomb shelters when air raid sirens go off. But they continue to play music, to compose, to perform when possible, assuaging fear, soothing loss, lifting the spirits of their fellow UkrainiansWashington Post – 10 Mar 22. Some pieces they couldn’t play. Too many musicians had either fled or joined the fight against Russia.
Music as resistance: Kyiv’s orchestra plays on
Musicians keep making music, artists create paintings, writers write, poets inspire. We keep doing our best to keep our spirits and those about us alive, energized, creative, no matter what.
I am deeply moved by the courage and determination of the Tchaikovsky Academy in Kyiv and by the resilience of magnolia and cherry blossoms to thrive in bitter cold and snow today.
Life, love, energy and art are more powerful than the forces of death and destruction. We live as fully as possible in this moment…because in this moment is precious. We make peace, make music, tell the truth in this moment to stop war and oppression, because we must. Because we are alive.
“The present moment and eternity happen at the same time.” (Thich Nhat Hahn, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet)
Power of Love 