Sustainability. Social responsibility. Going “green”. These are all concepts that are thrown around lightly in our society, but what do they actually mean? This year the Earth Day Network asked just that to Sonicbids artists as part of the Music for the Earth competition. In a quest for increased awareness about environmental issues what better place to turn than the power of music?
As part of the competition Sonicbids artists were asked to submit songs that promoted environmental awareness. After a round of voting, the top 20 artists were narrowed to an overall winner by a panel of judges. When all was said and done Brazilian singer-songwriter Paulo Lara came out on top.
Lara’s song “Better World” took home the top prize, a Gibson Jackson Browne acoustic guitar, which was the first of its kind made for a left-handed player. When asked about the winning song Lara replied, “I always felt like writing a song about the planet, the issues we are facing; but at the same time something that people could relate to - both through their hearts and minds. “Better World” was one of them – it expresses my true feelings about life and our place in the world.”
Lara’s keen understanding of the environmental plight facing our planet was an inspiration to judges. When we caught up with Lara he explained that, “We need to understand that our passage through this world is temporary. We are all connected somehow and we must do our part to make the world better. Sometimes we might feel overwhelmed when we think about helping the world, mostly because we don’t know how or where to start.”
The logical place to start for Lara was his music and he set out to create a song that would motivate listeners worldwide to take action against environmental issues. For Lara, “Music has the power to cross many barriers and reach people, no matter their age, culture or background. Words and music can change the world, but it’s up to each and all of us to do our part.”
And further proof that giving back is good for the soul - Lara won the first-ever-created left-handed Gibson Jackson Browne acoustic guitar thanks to our friends from Gibson and Musician's Friend. To find out how you can do your part visit the Earth Day website and take your inspiration from Paulo as he plays a version of “Better World” on his new Gibson Jackson Browne guitar.
