Chapter 6: The Potency of Love and The Power of A Thousand: Reflections on Gustav Mahler and Leadership for Social Justice

In 1988 at the Republican National Convention, George H. Bush accepted his party's nomination for the upcoming presidential election. During his acceptance speech, Bush spoke about the importance of leadership and service. Since trying to change the world on one's own was not just overwhelming to think about, but impossible to do, Bush encouraged citizens to come together in collaborative service and a vision for peace.

Bush's “Thousand Points of Light” speech was mocked by some, but affirmed by others; while for me, neither reaction was induced. Rather, I immediately heard the opening passage of Gustav Mahler's, Symphony of a Thousand: “Veni, creator spiritus! Mentes tuorum visita! (Come, creator spirit! Visit our souls!)” This was not the first time—nor would it be the last—that music would speak to my heart, inform my mind, and guide my personal and professional decision making. In fact, some of my other scholarship (Mansfield, 2014, 2016) has been inspired by two very different genres of music: classical baroque (George Frideric Handel's, aria “Every Valley”) and contemporary pop (“The Cool Kids,” by Echosmith).