Instead of hosting a discussion-filled seminar on what causes homelessness, artists and musicians told the tale through a concert.
Students who attended the concert in Gardner Hall Sept. 4, sponsored by The Leonardo, an art, culture and science center at the U, and the U School of Music, said they could actually feel the reality of the situation of homeless people through the disparity of the music.
More than 40 people showed up to “No Place To Go” to listen to the music and view the slide show presentation showing pictures of the homeless in Salt Lake City.
Kaitlin Mckinnis, an intern at The Leonardo, coordinated the event to raise awareness about the homeless situation in Salt lake.
Lisa James, a spokeswoman for The Leonardo, said the center is intended to provide a cultural environment that fuses science, technology and the arts in a way to inspire creativity.
The performance brought together music, speech and photography to give a comprehensive view of the homeless.
Morris Rosenzweig, a music professor at the U, opened the event with his song called “Rough Sleepers,” a three-part piece covering the experience of being homeless.
“At some point I began imagining what life might be like from the perspective of a homeless person,” he said.
Rosenzweig said the piece is not a propaganda tool and doesn’t explain how to solve the homeless situation. It is more about creating awareness, he said.
As six musicians performed the piece recorded voices played in the background and described their experience on the streets.
Tony Milner, program director of Family Promise and a former U student, has worked with the disabled and homeless community for two years.
Milner said that people often categorize homeless as middle-aged men, when they are often women and children with no place to go.
“When you pass the homeless on the street asking for help, are you moved?” he said.
Milner said homelessness is caused by various problems, including substance abuse and the loss of a provider.
“Homelessness affects everyone; it (is) a humiliating and stressful situation,” he said.
Milner said more than 3.5 million people are homeless at some point in the United States every year.
About 60 percent of the nation’s homeless population is made up of women and children.
Utah’s homeless rate matches the national average.
Milner said that the best way to combat the homeless situation is by sorting through the programs that work, like Headstart and health care programs, and supplying them with more funds.
Ben Kuhns, a junior in graphic design, and Bryan Allen, a senior in architecture, presented a collection of photographs they took of homeless individuals in Utah. The photographs show many people with grief-stricken faces.
“I thought (the concert) was good,” said Milagra McDee, a music major at the U. “I got a good picture of homelessness from the music. The song was very disjointed, (but) well put together.”
For more information on homelessness or how to get involved in prevention, please contact Family Promise at 801-961-8622.