ARMY Magazine - Special Issues ARMY Magazine Yoongi Special Edition | Page 28

One of the reasons for BTS' success,
according to Yoongi, is the focus on
singing about their own experiences,
thoughts, and feelings. It's this
authenticity, this desire to not only be
heard but to be a method of help for
the world, that resonated with so many
people. Yoongi, in particular, sought
out music as a career path for that
very reason: "When I think back to
when I was a student, I listened to a lot
of music, and it was a way for me to
escape and to reassure my self." Thinking
of how much music has influenced
his life for the better, One In An ARMY
decided to celebrate Yoongi's birthday by
partnering with the Playing For Change
Foundation in Patagonia, Argentina.
The Playing For Change Foundation
(PFC) is an international program that uses
music to break boundaries and overcome
distances between people. Mark Johnson,
the creator of the foundation, says he owes
the start of the organization to a street
perform er he observed on one of
his travels. Mark had fallen in love
with the man's voice and asked him
why he sang on the streets when he
could easily win the hearts of even the
toughest CEO. The man said that he
had no desire for fame, just to be in "the
business of making people happy." It's
that philosophy that allows Playing For
Change to spread throughout the world
and bring the power of music to those
who need it most.
The organization believes understanding
culture is an important step to teaching
people about music. Music holds
different meaning and significance
depending on the culture. Once they are
able to identify this and share it with their
students, the emphasis on the student's
culture creates something magical -
something that all ARMY s are
familiar with. PFC does exactly that.
They teach dance, traditional music,
hip hop, graphic arts, and instrument
making as well as Mapuche and English
language classes.