Firing Line: Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma, a world famous cello player, spoke about his career in music and how COVID-19 had impacted it.

He grew up playing music his whole life, but did not realize that music was his passion until he was 49. He found his passion for music through trying to understand how people act.

“I actually can explore and find answers through music,” he said. He found that he can dive into the minds of living and dead people through music.

He spoke about the impact that playing Bach’s music can have on people. In general, people are not just interpreting the world through a modern day lens.

“We are the repository of generations – dozens, hundreds, even thousands of years of what’s preceded us,” he said.

He gave the example of how Bach used music to write about his life as an orphan. Through that, there is a kind of comfort that a lot of people can experience and understand.

He found that the jump from playing music in front of an audience to playing music in front of a screen has been a fairly smooth transition.

He can bridge the gap of playing music through a Zoom call to a hospital. He knows what its like to be inside of one.

“I’m not able to play in front of a large audience in a beautiful hall, but actually, I’m able to communicate with whatever I have,” he said.

Due to the intense rise in tension after George Floyd’s death, he believed that more people need to hear the Song of Change.

He said that music has a way to help people sympathize with victims who are feeling pain. However, more importantly, he said that perspective matters. Music can help provide that perspective.

“Music has apart to play because music, I think, attracts both the head and the heart.” By combining both analytical and empathetic skills, good decisions can be made.