Witness

When it works, a photograph distills the great issues of our time into a decisive, universal moment – one that invites viewers to open a door to deeper empathy and understanding, if not action. I have searched for these moments on the front lines of humanity, bearing witness to tragedy, triumph, and all that lies between. I have seen unfathomable grief give way to relentless purpose, joy burst from heartache. I have also seen people crushed, a devastation from which some never recover. But as I navigated the darkened hallways of despair, I found that people’s capacity for good, empathy, and hope lit the way forward.

Witness, a nine-song album, book and live multimedia performance, is my attempt to process what I have seen, appreciate those I have met along the way, and share the lessons I have learned through the healing power of music.

The songs reflect stories about a migrant family’s search for a better life in America, the El Paso Walmart shooting, the Pandemic lockdown, Hurricane Harvey, the Kilauea volcano eruption, and a few of the families I have had the privilege of getting to know in Uvalde.

Through Witness, I am seeking to create a space where these stories — some of which have long been eclipsed by the unrelenting news cycle — can linger, resonate longer and be remembered as part of our collective history. I hope this work inspires audiences to reflect more deeply on what connects us as humans and what responsibilities we have to one another.

I often return to something my former University of Texas photojournalism professor Donna DeCesare once said to me, which I placed as the final lyrics of the album:

“Pictures don’t change a thing, people do.”