{"id":122222,"date":"2026-03-03T08:40:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=122222"},"modified":"2026-03-03T13:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T18:00:01","slug":"op-ed-can-music-art-culture-times-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/03\/03\/op-ed-can-music-art-culture-times-like\/","title":{"rendered":"OP\/ED | What Can Music, Art & Culture Do In Times Like These?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A theatrical performance (Photo: Mauricio Kell<\/a> (Pixabay) \/ COO)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What can music, art, and culture do in an era when headlines and social media seem to offer fresh new horrors on a daily basis? What good is it to attend a local performance when the future will be decided by forces seemingly beyond our reach and control?<\/p>\n

Is music and art frivolous when there are so many important issues at stake?<\/p>\n

At Ludwig-Van, we know the opposite to be true. In turbulent times, music, art, and culture are more important than ever. If you\u2019re feeling helpless, creating community through art is the best place to start feeling better \u2014 and take real steps towards change.<\/p>\n

When forces seem to want to pull society \u2014 and the world itself \u2014 apart, it\u2019s music, art, and culture that can bring it together.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re Better Together<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re better together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comment was made by musician and producer Corey Butler<\/strong> in a recent interview with LV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He was talking about a concert that used music and storytelling to bring people together, to relate histories, and promote understanding between different communities.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just a feel-good slogan, either. It works.<\/p>\n

Scientific studies<\/a> have shown that even the audience in a classical music concert begins to sync on a physical level, including heart and breathing rates. And, while various aspects of classical music performance make it easy to study, it\u2019s certain to be true of any shared artistic or cultural experience.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t even touch the psychological benefits \u2014 the shared experience of taking in a performance, or of creating together, builds community. It creates joy, and builds resilience in the face of difficulty.<\/p>\n

It opens up your imagination.<\/p>\n

In performance, simply bringing together works of disparate origins allows the audience to appreciate the beauty in all of them. Pianist Anastasia Rizikov<\/a><\/strong>, a former Torontonian now based in Paris, returned to the city for a recital earlier this year. In her program, she combined the works of Fazil Say, a Turkish pianist and composer who notably saw many of his concerts in Western countries cancelled after expressing his opposition to the situation in Gaza, and those of Ernest Bloch, a composer known for his commitment to Jewish spirituality both in his personal and musical lives.<\/p>\n

It may seem like a small detail, but it can change notions of what is possible and what is impossible in a society that is more and more divided along ideological lines. A counter to the constant juxtaposition of us and them.<\/p>\n

Not everyone has the time or inclination to become a concert-level musician or professional artist of any stripe. Creation is open to everyone.<\/p>\n

Community choirs are an excellent way to express your own creativity while sharing the experience with a crowd of like-minded people. Toronto\u2019s Choir! Choir! Choir!<\/strong> performs routinely in front of big crowds with a fluid participation model. Anyone can participate at one of their shows. Virtually every community across Canada has a community-based choir, and your voice is all that\u2019s needed to join.<\/p>\n