When it works, a photograph distills the great issues of our time into a decisive, universal moment – one that invites viewers to recognize part of themselves in the life of another and open the door to deeper empathy, if not action. I have searched for these moments on the front lines of humanity, bearing witness to tragedy, triumph, and all that lies between. I have seen unfathomable grief give way to relentless purpose, joy burst from heartache. I have also seen people crushed, a devastation from which some never recover. But as I navigated the darkened hallways of despair, I found that people’s capacity for good, empathy, and hope lit the way forward.
Every day, I think of the stories entrusted to me, the tears that gave way to life-affirming laughter, and sprawling conversations that burrowed deep into the core of what makes us human. These shared experiences have shown me that we have far more in common than what divides us, and that despite having so many reasons to lose hope, people still, as Springsteen sang, find a reason to believe. Witness, a nine-song album, book and live multimedia performance, is my attempt to process what I have seen, appreciate those I have met along the way, and share the lessons I have learned through the healing power of music.
The songs reflect stories about a migrant family’s search for a better life in America, the El Paso Walmart shooting, the Pandemic lockdown, Hurricane Harvey, the Kilauea volcano eruption, and a few of the families I have had the privilege of getting to know in Uvalde. Through Witness, I hope these stories — some of which have long been eclipsed by the unrelenting news cycle — can linger, resonate longer and be remembered as part of our collective history. I hope this work inspires audiences to reflect more deeply on what connects us as humans and what responsibilities we have to one another. I often return to something my former University of Texas photojournalism professor Donna DeCesare once said to me, which I placed as the final lyrics of the album: “Pictures don’t change a thing, people do.”
Photo 6 by Marshall Tidrick, photo 7 by Sterling Steffen, all others by Tamir Kalifa. Concert photo by Sam Owens.