Notably: Redemption ...

A mixed conversation on addictions, pleasures, sadness, moral values, pop culture, bits of music, recovery at Zankel Hall of Carnegie Hall. That was "Redemption Song", a program to assess the evolution of some artists on the pop culture arena. Each one had a history to tell, an anecdote, a feeling ... although emotions seemed to be under control in order to keep the audience entertained and engaged in laughs and applause. Evading the tears? Maybe ...

It was an opportunity to share with young supporters of Carnegie Hall. To remind all of us that success, luxury, money may not be the support of life and some times can bring some bitter ingredients to measure or even to avoid.

Listening to each participant of the forum was equivalent to discover a person who lost, perhaps, an important portion of their life. Someone who had an opera to write, a melody to compose, a song to write, and a voice to share. All of them trying to make us aware of their own existence, of their lost world, and praising the non-material goods that they are just discovering.

The nervousness in the hall might have been released through some laughs here, some applause there because there was a clear message: everybody is susceptible and no one knows when a rain drop will pop on one eye.

These kind of individual experiences, are consistent with what art is: an expression, a feeling, a thought, a canal for the human being to share their psyche (which was close to absent during the conversation). A shy Rickie Lee Jones, a humorous Steven Adler, a compromised Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and a distant Ace Frehley told to the audience about the evolution of their addictions forgetting to share where the weakness was before all of that.

It was good to be there that evening and hearing their stories. After the forum, a party (and drinks ...) followed in a private place.