Throughout history, music has had a stronghold on the human condition. Whether someone is a musician or not, music can play an important part in how that person sees and experiences the world around them. In moments of happiness and of great sorrow, music has always been able to mirror society. In today’s world, music’s role has not changed. The invasion of Ukraine is another stunning example of how people use music to cope and to show their bravery during this period of utter devastation.
This week, during a concert at London’s O2 Arena, Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer stopped his show to honor the fortitude of a pianist playing Zimmer’s composition “Time” from “inception” while the air raid sirens were going off in Ukraine. Zimmer’s “Hans Zimmer Live” tour was supposed to be about showcasing his own works, but this time, he felt that it was more important to talk about Alex. Alex, a pianist and native of Lviv, made the headlines recently by playing the piano in the streets of his city while it was being invaded by the Russians. There were police asking everyone in the streets to evacuate to the nearest railway station. Alex and one of his friends stayed as he continued to play louder and rebelliously amidst the chaos.
Honoring Alex was not the only way Zimmer brought attention to the conflict in Ukraine. Zimmer also spoke about the musicians in his orchestra that night that he was able to rescue from the devastation. He became emotional when he spoke about all the others that were supposed to be on tour with him that he couldn’t get out of Ukraine. Zimmer had originally booked several musicians from Odessa to be part of his ensemble before COVID disrupted life two years ago. Now, because of the Russians, not all of them were able to leave. As he bathed the audience in blue and yellow lights, his Ukrainian musicians received a standing ovation. His final thoughts on that evening were spoken in honor of the female members of the ensemble that couldn’t be there. And, with that, he proceeded to launch into his piece, “Wonder Woman” in honor of every strong woman.
