Music CALLS for change!

Today was the first day of the 6th Cribs for Kids National Conference in Pittsburgh, and it was a great reminder of why I do what I do.  Scientists, health professionals and policy makers concerned with the wellbeing of infants were all saying primarily the same thing - the goal of SIDS research is to gather evidence that will ultimately change behavior and create safe environments for newborns.  There also seemed to be a consensus that more pamphlets and information delivered as it's always been delivered are not necessarily the answer.  But that's where the arts come in.  What moves people to incredible emotional highs and lows, spurs empathy and creates understanding better than stories?  And drama?  And music?  Behavior doesn't change just because we have more knowledge.  Behavior changes because we've heard someone else's story and we relate to it on a profound level.  The story of how one couple, Maura and Sam Hanke, lost their son Charlie to SIDS is gut-wrenching.  That tragic story told onstage through music sung by Charlie's sister can be life-changing for others.  I say that's where we start.  We communicate, we develop empathy, we change behavior.  And we use the arts to do it.