In this special interview, we delve into the world of 'Magic: Music and Good in Concert™,' an international social venture with a unique mission that combines the power of art, philanthropy, and healthcare. Through a global community of performers known as "Magicians," 'Magic' aims to uplift marginalized communities while promoting diversity and inclusivity. From supporting underprivileged children's healthcare to fostering a sense of purpose among artists, 'Magic' offers a refreshing perspective on how music and creativity can drive positive change.
We speak with the founder, Vidur Sanghi, and explore the initiative's objectives, partnerships, and future growth prospects, allowing readers to uncover the magic behind 'Music and Good in Concert.'
In Vidur’s own words“All forms of artistic expression, like vocal, instrumental and dance performances, are a universal language that enable us to cross borders and touch hearts. Therefore, Magic performances are not just about entertainment; instead, they are a call to action to safeguard the physical and mental health of our future generations.”
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Q. Could you provide an overview of the initiative "Magic: Music and Good in Concert™," including its main objectives and the inspiration behind its inception, as well as how it has evolved since then?
A. ‘Music And Good In Concert’- Magic, is an international award winning social venture, dedicated to celebrate and benefit frontline warriors, seniors and children globally. Specifically, our beneficiaries include senior citizens, teachers, disadvantaged children, and frontline workers like doctors, nurses, first responders, police, armed force personnel, restaurant and delivery workers. Magic engages and encourages a global community of amateur and professional performers, affectionately referred to as ‘Magicians’, who soulfully express their creativity in collaborative and solo performances. Magicians of diverse ages and nationalities perform in various languages and genres to deliver instrumental and vocal renditions, dances, poetry, comedy, and other family-friendly content. The opportunity to connect with fellow artists globally and create collaboratively for a good cause, provides Magicians a sense of purpose and community, while also offering much needed relief from the stress we all experience in our daily lives!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Magicians collaborated remotely and delivered entertaining content digitally as YouTube streams. Now that the pandemic is thankfully behind us, Magic is delivering in-person events! Performances by Magicians at several past events are available on the Magic YouTube Channel! We are grateful for creative contributions by all Magicians! Finally, Magic has built a growing global community of donors, sponsors, volunteers and audiences, who continue to generously support our cause financially, and with their time and attention. We remain grateful for all their contributions as well!
Q. In what ways does Magic's initiative aim to address critical health challenges faced by underprivileged children, and how has it impacted their lives?
A. ‘Music And Good In Concert’ is dedicated to supporting life-saving medical treatment for young girls in India who lack necessary financial resources. With a fundraising goal of over INR 10 lakhs for the Magic of Diversity event (concluded on August 27, 2023), INR contributions from donors and sponsors in India will be directed to the Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), a respected NGO founded by the late Dr. KK Aggarwal. The Foundation collaborates with prominent healthcare institutions, including Medanta-The Medicity and National Heart Institute, to carry out the said surgeries. Beyond fundraising, Magic is dedicated to partnering with HCFI on promoting awareness about the importance of early preventive health measures. The initiative aims to emphasize the significance of detecting and addressing health challenges from a young age. This approach aims to bring about a positive transformation in children's healthcare practices, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Q. How does Magic promote preventive health measures and early intervention among children, especially in disadvantaged communities, and how does this focus align with its broader mission of raising awareness and funds for critical health challenges?
A. In addition to its fundraising efforts, Magic is also committed to promoting awareness about the significance of preventive health measures from a young age. Magic seeks to advocate the importance of early detection and intervention of health challenges, thereby ushering in a transformation in children's healthcare practices, especially in disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, artists who perform at Magic concerts, affectionately called 'Magicians', often acknowledge the stress relief they have experienced from the sense of purpose and positivity afforded to them by the Magic platform and its social goals! Many amateur Magicians have appreciated the opportunity to rekindle their long-lost passion for artistic expression and have in fact formed their own social music groups to meet and perform regularly.
Q. How does the Heart Care Foundation of India contribute to the partnership with Magic, its role in conducting life-saving surgeries, especially for the disadvantaged girl children, and the impact of this collaboration on improving healthcare for underprivileged children in India?
A. Magic has partnered with HCFI as its local India partner since 2021, with the goal of jointly supporting life-saving medical treatment and early health education for disadvantaged children in India. In this partnership, Magic has focused on its core strength of building and mobilizing a global community of artistic performers (Magicians), donors, sponsors and audiences - to deliver entertaining performances and raise funds. HCFI has strongly complemented Magic’s humble initiatives by promoting their events to its pan-India community of health professionals, identifying disadvantaged children, especially young girls in need of life saving treatment and early health education, and deploying funds raised by Magic to fund the above activities.
Q. Has Magic collaborated with any other social sector stakeholders? How can such collaborations expedite your efforts? Please elaborate.
A. Since its birth, Magic has partnered with many international agencies to benefit those in need. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Magic organized an online fundraiser to support ‘Off their Plate, San Francisco chapter’. This non-profit in turn partnered with small local restaurants, enabling them to pay their workers to deliver free meals for doctors and front-line workers at local hospitals.
In July 2022, when several ‘Magicians’ who were traveling in Europe as part of a high school band tour, Magic organized a street side performance(aka ‘busking’) at a town square in the city of Dresden, Germany, to raise awareness and funds for the children of Ukraine, whose lives have continued to be devastated by a war they didnotstart. This event was especially challenging for Magic to organize, since the Magicians, who were all school students, were in a foreign land where English is not the default language. Nevertheless, Magic was able to raise some funds from local German attendees, and donated the same to ‘Save the Children’, to support the children of Ukraine.
In January 2023, Magic organized their first in-person concert at the Saratoga High School in California. With this event, where dozens of Magicians performed, Magic raised funds from 100+ attendees and donated the same to support special education children, through another local partner –‘Best Buddies, San Francisco Chapter’. Best Buddies is dedicated to ending social, physical and economical isolation for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities by helping them improve their communication skills, find jobs, live independently, and forge friendships.
Most recently, Magic concluded the ‘The Magic of Diversity’ event, on August 27, 2023, Magic shall deploy INR funds raised with this event in India, through our partner HCFI, to benefit local disadvantaged children (as detailed earlier). Likewise, thefunds raised in US from ‘The Magic of Diversity’ event shall be deployed to fund a few Magic Scholarships for children devastated by the recent wildfires on the island of Maui, Hawaii (USA).
Q. What role do artists, known as "Magicians," play in the Magic initiative, how do they contribute to its overall mission, and how does the initiative integrate cultural diversity into its concerts while emphasizing the significance of this aspect?
A. When Magic was born, in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, we started building a diverse global community of performers, known as Magicians, including diverse age groups from 5 years of age to older people, disparate languages, and skill levels ranging from novices to professional artists like Shri, Brian Silas, Shri. Ashok Chakradhar, and UstadRshid Mustafa Thirakwa! Today the Magician community includes 150 to 200 artists globally, who have performed and collaborated to express themselves artistically on Magic’s non-judgemental platform. Magicians perform as vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, poets, and even writers. VidurSanghi, the Magic founder and our first Magician, is himself an Alto-Saxophonist who is trained in western classical music, and has also performed for Magic in other genres like Bollywood songs and western songs like ‘Watermelon Sugar’ British pop singer Harry Styles.
'Magicians', often acknowledge the stress relief they have experienced from the sense of purpose and positivity afforded to them by the Magic platform and its social goals! Many amateur Magicians have appreciated the opportunity to rekindle their long-lost passion for artistic expression and have in fact gone formed their own social music groups to meet and perform regularly.
Although most Magic performances initially featured participants of Indian origin during the pandemic, Sanghi says the lineups and content now represents a greater diversity of races, cultures and languages.
Q. What role do online platforms play in allowing a global audience to engage with Magic's events and initiatives?
A. Magic events, which are available to view on their YouTube channel, promise a feast for the senses with soul-stirring melodies, breathtaking performances, electrifying dance routines, and a delightful culinary journey through various cultures.
While the internet is filled with recordings of audio-visual performances by professional artists of varying popularity, Magic’s initiative enables diverse communities to collaborate and express themselves, resulting in content that evokes the organic sense of rain on dry ground. This marriage of artistic expression and technology, envisioned and created by a young student leader, presents a compelling platform to engage and build stronger global, cross-cultural communities - a breath of fresh air in the divisive times we live in today.
Q. What are the potential avenues for future growth and expansion of the Magic initiative, considering its current impact and unique approach to combining art, philanthropy, and healthcare?
A. I hope this social venture will remain active after I graduate from high school next year. I am toying with the idea of starting a similar club at whichever university I attend. In the future, MAGIC plans to support senior citizens, teachers, disadvantaged children, and frontline workers like doctors, nurses, first responders, police, armed force personnel and restaurant and delivery workers.
I have high hopes for the growth of MAGIC and would like for current underclassmen to continue the club after he graduates. I’m very satisfied with how far MAGIC has come and how much we’ve accomplished. Depending on where I go to college and what that looks like for me, I would love to stay involved and support whoever ends up running the club at my high school.
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