In 2020, during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, actor and filmmaker, John Krasinsky, created a youtube channel named Some Good News. This channel aimed to spread hope and inspire others during hard times. Influenced by this joyful sharing, I too wanted to write about the positive impacts, entrepreneurs, and friends in the world so that we can all be reminded of the possibilities of positive acts. For those looking to share the love, here is a bit of good news.
During Boston Landmarks Orchestra’s rendition of Florence Price’s “Adoration,” the violinist Adrian Anantawan led the audience in a wonderful, sweet solo. The Canadian violinist, “hoped when it was his turn to play, the audience would hear his violin and what it represented: the sound of possibility.” The featured violinist was born without the majority of his right arm and hand, with his limb stopping just above the elbow.
While all the other students in his fifth grade class played the recorder, Anantawan was instead drawn to the violin. To accommodate his condition, Anatawan and his family worked with a Toronto Area Hospital to create a device called a spatula. The Spatula is a plaster cast with a tongue at the end. By strapping this device to his arm, Anatawan could move the bow up and down and across the strings to create cords at first, and then with practice, beautiful music.
Now, as a grown adult, it is Anatawan’s mission to help other aspiring musicians with disabilities. Anatawan, together with an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, created the Music Inclusion Ensemble, a group of students with disabilities that provides accommodations so they can each pursue their musical dreams.
In other good news. During his time stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Air Force’s Sergeant Mike Alcala made a best friend. Sgt. Alcala and a German Shepherd named John worked together for three years and grew very close. Sadly, the three year tour came to an end and Sgt. Alcala was restationed away from his furry buddy. Before he left the base, however, Sgt. Alcala promised his canine colleague that he would come back for him. Happily, man and his best friend were reunited when John’s, the German Shepard’s, duty came to an end. Upon canine retirement, Sgt. Acala happily adopted the pup and warmly welcomed him to his forever family.
Lastly, in order to help reduce fashion waste, Taiwanese manufacturer Eddie Wang, has created a new type of textile made from oysters. In addition to reducing fashion waste, the use of oyster shells is also helping limit the amount of food and shellfish waste. To make this new fabric, oyster shells are ground up into small pieces and the small pieces are made into an incredibly flexible yarn.
The texture of the yarn resembles that of sheep, and it is nicknamed “see wool”. Wang was inspired to make this textile by low-income locals, who were already using this oyster yarn product to insulate their houses. Due to its positive mission and soft feel, scientists are working in collaboration with Wang to make this sea wool more competitive and practical in existing garment production.
Adrain Anantawan practices playing his violin.
Photo Credit: City of Melrose Massachusetts