Art like music has infinite variations as our creativity expands and changes over generations, the impact depends on the creator and the listener. Music has impacted myself in such a way that when Arn talked about how some remote Cambodians had never heard music in their lives, it was hard for me to comprehend. I don’t remember the first time I heard music and can’t even begin to imagine what going years without hearing it would be like. Sure, maybe some could have heard “natural” music like the songs of birds but I think it would be just noise to them. This makes what Arn and the musical masters of Cambodia doing incredibly powerful, they are teaching people art of their own culture lost and suppressed over there years. I’d imagine it give many a sense of pride and make them eager to learn as much as they can. The Khmer Rouge knew music was a form of art and free expression that could be used to unite people against them so they, like many dictatorships before them, sought to take advantage of it. They either killed people for playing music or play their own propaganda, controlling music to protect themselves from the people. But as I saw at the event, the musicians were able to freely perform songs of love and unity. They all told stories of how they weren’t able to practice music during the Khmer Rouge times and felt discouraged and alone, even after they were hesitant to return to music because they feared they’d be judged. Arn specifically was encouraged by his foster father and others to tell his story and after many had shown compassion to him, he decided that music would be the way for Cambodia to recover its former culture and identity. He was lucky enough to be secretly taught traditional music by a teacher during Khmer Rouge time. He and the master musicians of the Khmer Magic Music Bus have been able to create joy and harmony for many Cambodians. Their tour in the U.S I think is also essential in showing how music has created peace, their stories and music had not only taught me about Cambodia culture but moved me deeply. I felt their emotions in every note, it was interesting to see the audience and musicians dance together towards the end. It wasn’t impassive westerners observing the traditions of a foreign country but people coming together and enjoying the music. Everyone there felt the energy, the passion, of the music despite that most of the audience had never seen or heard of the instruments and didn’t understand a word of the language. That’s the harmony and peace music creates; it surpasses the barriers of language, ideology, and identity. It can heal by restoring energy and hope in a person, music can bring people together through the beauty and passion of songs.