“We were ready to rock out and we waited and waited and finally it was our turn ... there were a half million people asleep. These people were out. It was sort of like a painting of a Dante scene, just bodies from hell, all intertwined and asleep, covered with mud.

And this is the moment I will never forget as long as I live: A quarter mile away in the darkness, on the other edge of this bowl, there was some guy flicking his Bic, and in the night I hear, 'Don't worry about it, John. We're with you.' I played the rest of the show for that guy.”

-John Fogerty recalling Creedence Clearwater Revival's 3:30 AM start time at Woodstock

1969 was a very eventful year for the United States, to say the least. The quote above comes from the lead singer of the very first band to sign on with Woodstock Ventures to put on a three (which ended up being four) day music festival in White Lake, New York. Amongst all the civil rights movements, the Vietnam War, the Charles Manson cult, sexually transmitted diseases and foreign communist regimes, four days brought nearly half a million people together to celebrate music, art, happiness and peace. All it took was one band to say yes, and everything else is history.

With the 46th year anniversary of Woodstock coming up on August 15, I feel like a tribute is owed to the festival that started it all. By starting ‘it’ I mean, it was the beginning of how music changed the world and how it still does to this day as we all attend festivals or concerts as a community solely with the intention of being happy. Music is an art that, when it is heard, triggers a chemical reaction in our brains that releases endorphins, therefore making us feel the emotion of happiness. It’s a fool proof plan for any festival or concert whether the attendees are familiar with the songs playing or not – chances are they will have a good time as long as music is being played.

Henry Wadsworth once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” You can travel half way around the world and not speak the language, but when Highway to Hell comes on by ACDC, everyone you’re with is guaranteed to know the song. It is how music works. It brings people together and gives them common ground. It doesn’t discriminate, and it doesn’t ask questions. All it is there for is to make people feel something.

In my opinion, if Woodstock didn’t happen, 1969 would have been seen as a year full of violence and anger. Don’t get me wrong, there were many victories achieved in this year through the violence and the anger, but there was not much happiness to show for it. The festival allowed people to escape for just a couple of days and believe in something again. It started the addiction of the atmosphere of music festivals. It showed that music is powerful and although it seems to be all fun and games, if you take a step back the next time you are at a festival or a concert or heck, even just passing a street performer as you are walking, think about how what these musicians are producing affects a community as a whole. It is truly mind blowing and so complicatedly amazing.

Thank you to everyone and everything that contributed to August 15-18, 1969 on a farm in White Lake, New York. Your hope in a better world and belief in the power of music has not gone unnoticed.

“If we join them, we can turn those adversities that are the problems of America today into a hope for a brighter and more peaceful future.”

-Max Yasgur, farm owner of where Woodstock was held