Dear World,

It wasn't until I was able to silence all the noise around me and find stillness, that I was able to empower myself through music again.

︎

I will never give up on music.

At a very young age I realized the power of music. And as I grew older I understood that being a musician is a gift that can be used to change people's lives for the better. I couldn't imagine my life without it, nor could I imagine not being able to share it with others.

However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I've experienced for the first time what it's like to not be able to perform in front of a live audience or gather with fellow musicians to create. For a while, I was consumed with anxiety about how I would survive financially as a musician and if a world grappling with the effects of a pandemic would prioritize what I have to say. It didn't help reading numerous articles about plummeting music streams and the decline of the music industry as a whole. It wasn't until I was able to silence all the noise around me and find stillness, that I was able to empower myself through music again. And at that moment I understood that music is now more important than ever and it has nothing to do with making hit songs, breaking the charts, or even making money. It has everything to do with spreading hope and light during this crazy unprecedented time. What's most important to me is showing others that we are in this fight together, life is still worth living, and music is still worth creating.


Sincerely,

Music Still Matters

About the photographer: iironic (also known as Renae Wootson) is a Visionary and Photographer with a passion for authentic, natural, raw stories and moments. Her aesthetic has been described as "Visual Poetry." Through her work, she aims to portray authenticity, while evoking strong emotion and feeling. She's always been drawn to dualities in life; she's a firm believer in simplicity and the idea that "less is more," but also knows that life and people are enigmas with complex layers and stories. She specializes in Portraiture, Music and Entertainment, Documentary, and Photojournalism and is based in Los Angeles, California, but available worldwide.