Indianapolis, December 27, 2024—Continuing down “Memory Lane”… in 2021, Cultures in Harmony began two projects—one we chose, one we did not—in places where music, and the connections it facilitates, seems to matter even more than elsewhere.

In the Sierra Tarahumara mountains of northern Mexico, we began to work with the Rarámuri community, partnering with Romayne Wheeler, an American pianist who has lived there and donated the proceeds of his international career to them since 1992. The Rarámuri love the violin, which exists at the center of their society, so we often give them musical and medical supplies. Check out this new documentary about our visit there in July 2024, when we brought a violin and guitar to Chinivo, a community so remote it is inaccessible except by foot.

Later in 2021, tragically the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan, where I served as violin teacher and founding conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra at Afghanistan National Institute of Music from 2010-2014. Since music was illegal during their first time in power (1996-2001), and their cultural policies since 2021 have been identical or worse, Cultures in Harmony—with the help of you, our donors—helped get Afghan musicians to safety in Mexico, the USA, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Gul Mohammad, one of those Afghans (who is now in Minnesota) made the first donation of $500 to our 20th anniversary fund-raising campaign. 

In 2025, as part of our 20th anniversary, we will return to the Sierra Tarahumara and will continue to support Afghan musicians’ needs in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Please donate today to keep our mission alive!