It was just an xls spreadsheet, an online document with lines and columns used to collect and organize data. But this one may have helped all of Southern California.
Soon after the January fires, a longtime music publicist started a spreadsheet to keep track of all the people in the music industry whose homes were lost of damaged. She posted it online and allowed people to add to it.
Soon, it ran to hundreds of names, from foundational figures like Lou Adler to production assistants. It described what happened to them, what they needed, and - crucially - the link to their GoFundMe campaign.
It also, in a single document, encapsulated the devastation and the recovery, and showed the importance of music to Southern California.
The publicist is Judy Miller Silverman, of Motormouth Media, and Notes from the Fires host John Rabe spoke with her about the simple act that touched hundreds of thousands of people.
After today’s episode, a contemplative piece by Emmy Lindstron, “Song About Em.” It’s performed by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra led by Stefan Solyon, with Emil Jonason on clarinet.
