Why Music?

Hope on a String's mission is to bring communities together to foster social transformation and economic development.  Music, as a primary pillar of Haitian culture, is a powerful vehicle that can be leveraged to achieve this goal.  It is universally accessible, touches hearts and minds, and gives voice to the powerless.

Anyone can benefit from music.  You don't have to be smart, wealthy, well-connected, or even musically-talented to enjoy music.   If it's happening, all you need is to witness its power -- and listen.  In a country like Haiti, where the roads out of an impoverished community require education, money, connections, and talent, Hope on a String will provide a proverbial map that everyone can access and that leads back to a strengthened community.

Music has the capability to heal deep emotional and psychological wounds.  The frustration and grief of the recent earthquake have further weakened Haiti’s social fabric, threadbare from two hundred years of social strife and corruption.  The expression of pain and suffering through music can heal wounds that hinder community unity and sustainable change.

Music gives people the opportunity for a voice.  Whether performing or listening, anyone can identify with music. When a community joins together on a physical and emotional level around music, collective power exists.  With a strong voice, the community can determine its needs and take action to achieve its goals.

Lastly, music is the lifeblood of the Haitian people.  It is a foundation of Haitian culture and has been a stabilizing constant through a long history of chaos.  Hope on a String will build upon this rich musical tradition to bring about solidarity, unity, and hope for the future.