From the David Lynch Foundation May newsletter, here's a recap of the April 4 Change Begins from Within Concert in NYC, during which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited onstage: Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Paul Horn, Angelo Badalamenti, Bettye LaVette, and Jim James joined the two remaining Beatles to thrill the crowd, as did Jerry Seinfeld in a brilliant guest performance Between acts, David Lynch showed powerful film clips of meditating students in Foundation schools, and celebrity personalities Howard Stern, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and Laura Dern spoke passionately about the benefits of TM practice. The global press responded to the event with thousands of headlines and front-page stories and hundreds of television and radio shows.
Paul said of TM practice, “It’s a lifelong gift. It’s something you can call on at any time…. Allowing children to experience something they wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise is a great thing.” And Ringo was delighted that he and Paul were able to come together to support the David Lynch Foundation initiative, saying, “I feel the aims of this charity are wonderful!”
In addition to their superb individual performances, the musicians at the concert sang together on many songs and created a powerful, joyful onstage camaraderie and unity, with everyone committed to bringing meditation to students everywhere and helping the youth reach their full potential.
Why Paul McCartney was happy to perform
In a videotaped interview with David Lynch, Paul spoke enthusiastically and knowledgeably about the work of the Foundation in bringing Transcendental Meditation to 70,000 students worldwide. “To be able to say the kids in Detroit love it, the kids in the West Bank love it, the kids in Brazil love it, and you are actually getting results…. that’s what I love about what we’re involved in now,” he said. “So that’s why I was so happy to do the concert. It’s very inspiring.”
Donovan: “It’s really simple. Change begins within”
“Schools are in trouble,” Donovan said at the New York press conference preceding the concert. “Teachers need help, and America’s youth are at serious risk. David Lynch saw the benefits of the TM program. Now that thousands of children are already receiving it and are raising their self-esteem, improving their well being, and turning around the most troubled schools, the proof is in. TM naturally unfolds any student’s full potential. This really works. It’s really simple. Change begins within.”
In the past three years, the David Lynch Foundation has provided scholarship funding for more than 70,000 students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate in the U.S. and Canada and throughout South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Half a million students in 60 countries are currently waiting to begin the Transcendental Meditation program, including students in over 100 schools in New York City alone. To create a less violent, more peaceful world, the David Lynch Foundation is continuing to raise the millions of dollars needed to fulfill its goal of teaching one million children to meditate.
Sheryl Crow says “This is the right thing to do”
In an interview on DLF.TV, Sheryl Crow said, “It’s the message that should be sent throughout the world—that all of us on this planet can talk about peace, but peace begins within all of us. And so I feel like this is the right thing to do, and it’s what should be in the school systems but also should be a part of our daily lives throughout.”
Students comment on the Quiet Time program
Students who participate in the TM/Quiet Time program in schools across the U.S. are testifying to its powerful and peaceful effect:
“I used to get angry a lot, but now I’m calming down.” —A Detroit middle school student
“Slowly everything started changing and now it’s a lot better. Nobody’s fighting in our school.” —A Hartford, Connecticut, high school student
“Our school used to be really wild. Now it’s all mellow and calm, just how a school’s supposed to be.” —A San Francisco middle school student
“I needed to relax. I needed to get a hold of myself again because I think I lost her somewhere. I think what draws people to want to meditate is for their personal gain, to excel and be a better person.” —A Hartford high school student
“I looked at my transcript and in freshman and sophomore and junior years I had C’s all across and D’s and everything. Now I have A’s and B’s. The only thing I noticed that changed is that I started doing the meditation and I saw that as the reason it happened, because I’ve been able to concentrate much better.” —A Hartford high school student
YOU CAN HELP
You can help. If you would like to contribute to changing school environments for the better—if you want to help create safe, healthy educational institutions where students want to learn, violent incidents are a thing of the past, students’ grades improve, and suspensions are almost nonexistent—please contact the David Lynch Foundation: info@davidlynchfoundation.org.
To learn more about the Transcendental Meditation program
call 1- 800-Learn TM or visit www.tm.org
For more information about the “Change Begins Within” concert
visit DLF.TV at http://dlf.tv/change-begins-within/ .
Note: These exclusive DLF.TV video interviews with Paul McCartney and friends will be included in a documentary film of the concert, to be released soon. Stay tuned!