As an orchestral drummer and recording artist, Marv Dahlgren knows the power of music.
Whether it was songs denouncing the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War during the 1960s and ’70s, or megastar collaborations to fight world hunger and poverty — particularly in Africa — in the ’80s, Dahlgren, 87, has seen it all.
In 1985, he helped organize a concert to raise awareness for world hunger. The concert was one of many like it across the county, shortly after Michael Jackson’s “We Are the World” became a hit.
Though more than 925 million people around the world are malnourished and starving, people don’t rally like they used to, Dahlgren said.
“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of concern for (world hunger) these days,” he said. “In 1985, it was much different. There were benefit concerts across the country, people trying to raise money to help people.
“Maybe it’s our busy lifestyles or interest in other issues, but there just isn’t as much concern.”
Dahlgren and the Global Drummers Alliance for Hunger Relief decided to reach into the past and unite drummers for The Hunger Beat Down, which takes place at 2 p.m. today at the Peace Pole at Fire Station 1 on Lampkin Street and in hundreds of cities across the country. Drummers will play “Three Camps,” a Revolutionary War-era drum rhythm used as a reveille in military life, in unison for a little over a minute.
“Now, it’s too complex to raise money,” Dahlgren said, “so that’s why I decided to raise awareness instead. We’ve gotten really good response. Just today (Friday), in the last hour, four people have called from around the nation to tell me what they’re doing. In some cases, they’re reaching out to drum shops, high schools, band directors. It’s pretty amazing.”
In Starkville, Mississippi State University music professor Robert Damm and MSU student J.C. Long will play army snare drums. For Damm, who has studied and composed music featuring African drums, The Hunger Beat Down strikes a deeper nerve than for many of the people who will participate nationwide.
Damm has traveled to Africa, played drums with natives and heads the African Student Association’s African Drum Ensemble at MSU.
“Music brings people together, and in most cultures, especially in Africa, the drum communicates a message,” Damm said. “The names in some drums have meanings, like ‘Jembe,’ which means ‘there is a gathering.’ The first part can also mean peace. It’s pretty unique.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to organize anything bigger here, but I wanted to be involved.”
The Hunger Beat Down is aimed to raise awareness for starving people across the world, not just in Africa, Damm said. People are encouraged to donate money to charities UNICEF (www.unicefusa.org), Feeding America (www.feedingamerica.org), and Regional USA (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org).
Long’s perception of poverty and hunger changed when he was deployed to Iraq. He recalls children working at local bases, cleaning floors and whatever odd jobs were available to make enough money to buy food.
“That was the best paying gig around for them,” Long said. “We’d have to search them, and going through each person, one at a time, it’s definitely eye-opening the level of poverty on the street over there.
“Over there, there’s definitely a wealth gap, and extreme poverty is the norm,” Long added. “If you saw children on the street like that over here, you’d ask why they’re not in school. But hunger’s in our own backyard. It’s just a lot harder to see it.”
Dahlgren expects at least 5,000 people to participate today, though he’s hopeful that total will be near 50,000.
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