Monday, April 25, 2016

The Sound of Divinity, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2016


Last week I presented my work from India at the doctor conference in Huntington Beach, California. The scene was as removed from my past two months in India as possible, with priceless homes lining the streets across the beach. The collective wealth in the room was unimaginable, and gave me further inspiration in presenting the story.

Usually such talks make me nervous, but a calm came over me as the first slide was projected. My mind was still with the girls in the villages. As the slides continued, the silence in the room became more intense. The mood was perfect as the slide of this young girl arrived, and she began singing. Here she was, thousands of miles away from her village, expressing herself perfectly to an enchanted audience.

I glanced at the faces now and then, only to find them speechless. Before the presentation, I thought it perhaps too much to include a two minute performance within a 15 minute presentation. Last night as we talked about the presentation, the supporting staff at the company told me over and over again to just show it.... they wanted to see the girls in more than two dimensions. So the video played, and their eyes and ears took it all in.


It was quite beautiful. After the presentation many came forward to express their sincere satisfaction. My hope is that tonight and this weekend, the snowball will continue to roll down the mountain and the talk will turn into action for her sake, and for the sake of her sisters in India!



Note: Above is her portrait from the previous year, made with a Sony RX100M2. When watching the video, please make sure to enjoy it in HD!

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