About Hope and those musical stories that Hope brings.
- Hans Ebert
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has an idea for something or another every other day.
Usually, this idea leads back to the person or organisation or even government that came up with it as some kinda return on time- and which is fine. It’s about looking after personal business.
What’s different and more meaningful is when this idea is offered free and for the sole purpose of helping people to find Hope.
It’s been a few years now that when meeting those in lofty positions who are able to give back to their communities in the way of a new hospital or a school etc- and which is great-I have mentioned the need for Hope.
Hope is not only something that money can’t buy, it comes in different guises and, sometimes, appears when you need it most- but don’t know that you do.
So, when speaking over the weekend with my friend Teresa in Melbourne about this need for Hope, and how Hope can come in very different shapes and colours and is something very much to do with whatever the individual has gone through or is going through, she mentioned a television programme in Australia called “The Piano” and the stories that has come from it.
Sure, there are two celebrity judges involved to give the series marketability and gain a bigger television audience for sponsors and interest from the mainstream media, but, perhaps there’s an even more simple and powerful idea hiding in there to do with the gift of giving?
I can only talk about Hong Kong as a “venue”, because this has been my home for almost forever, and how someone like the government could offer the community three or four pianos that can be placed in different locations around the city for people to just walk up to and play-and communicate their feelings and tell their stories.
At a time when I have heard and watched some rather hollow “acts” of pretending to give, I don’t see why an idea inspired by a programme like “The Piano” cannot work?
It will certainly have the backing of my team, and whatever I can give from my own pocket to make this happen.
I guess, this is a present to myself, and if deep diving into the inner me, also a gift to the memory of my Dad who played piano though perhaps not very well, but got such immense joy in playing for others.
Music will always be one of the greatest healers that we can have for free.
There will always be the naysayers whining about why this and that cannot happen. And it’s their choice to be miserable and drown in daze of whine and snoozes, so why would I care?
For me, and for Teresa, it’s about giving with no strings attached and not about fleeting attention seeking Instagram moments and seeing where this might lead- even when we’re no longer here.
When in advertising, my mentor and friend Keith Reinhard taught and guided us young creatives towards the importance of the clunky sounding PSAs- Public Service Announcements.
This led to me and my team at DDB creating the award winning Right Of Abode campaign that helped almost nine thousand “ethnic minorities”, and otherwise stateless people, myself included, get the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
Friends of mine from those days- Charlie, Stasch, David, Don and a handful of others- will know and understand.
If it feels right, Just Do It.
The world is watching and waiting to hear a different tune- one that’s not more about being for self serving purposes, and, instead, something coming from that place with heart and soul and- yes- Hope.
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