Interview: Sunny Ortiz on What it Means to Build a Positive Legacy
By Heather Nigro
At Panic en la Playa Sies, WSP fans joined Positive Legacy for a day of service and community connection in the Mayan village of Dos Palmas. Together with Sunny Ortiz, dozens of fans participated in getting their hands dirty by assisting with improvement projects to a school in need. No stone was left unturned as volunteers joined hand in hand to move hundreds of rocks to build an ancient ball court, paint, and supply books for the Escuela Javiela Chulim Uc school in Mexico.
Volunteers immersed themselves with the culture and heritage of the Mayan people after a morning of hard work. The afternoon was spent enjoying a traditional meal with homemade tortillas along with a swim in a refreshing cenote. Family members from the Campamento Hidalgo village made a 2 hour journey to share their traditional song and dance rituals with guests. The day concluded with a cleansing ceremony by a shaman to connect all human beings and bring forth health, peace, and to remove negative energies and replace them with positive ones.
WSP Fans had the unique opportunity to document the day and interview Sunny Ortiz on what the arts, culture and giving back means to him.
The world needs music and the arts more than ever as a way to not only express, but solve social problems. What are some of the ways you’ve used the lessons on stage to adapt in your life?
Sunny: Well, as you know, the arts have always been a special form of life for us, for me. I’ve been playing music since I was 11 years old. It was our platform of communication at that young age to the people that were a little bit mature and older than us, than me. Nowadays, I think the arts have been lost somewhat in the States. But, when you come to an environment like here in Mexico, you realize that the children especially still enjoy music, painting and just doing fun things that are important to life.
I think it’s important that we continue to initiate that worldwide. A lot of times the arts have been forgotten, misplaced or put on the back burner, so to speak. I’m hoping that it’s reinitiated into the daily school program even with this new system that everyone is going through now. It’s crucial to support the arts. Widespread Panic has always been supportive with benefits like Tunes for Tots, where we donate all the proceeds to a school that is in need of music, instruments, computers or marching band outfits. Anything that has to do with the arts, we are 100% behind it.
How did you start believing in your own work and talent?
Sunny: Initially I started playing music because my uncle got me involved in music at 11 years old. My parents, rest their souls, had no musical talent at all. I was raised as a strict Catholic. My uncle -- my dad’s brother -- asked my dad “Well I need a drummer. Will Steve play drums for me?” My dad said “no” and my mom said “definitely not.” Because they knew that my uncle was playing in a bar. Then my uncle told my dad, “But he’ll make 35 dollars.” And this was in the mid 60’s. So that changed the whole perspective.
I remember to this day: My dad would drive me to the gigs, and he would wait for me after the shows and help me load up my drums into the car. When we got into the car, he would put out his hand and the first couple times I would go, like, “Well”? And he said “Give me your money.” So I gave him the cash. This went on for years and I got older, had other jobs. For about five years, I was making some pretty good cash for a teenager. When I graduated from high school, my dad hands me a black book. Back then we had savings account books. It wasn’t all electronic through computers like nowadays. So that was my graduation present from him.
What bit of advice can you give to those looking to evolve their talent, or have children interested in pursuing music?
Sunny: My advice is follow your dreams, no matter what it is. And if you do, you’ll find the right niche. You’ll find where you’re supposed to be. But in anything you have to have a passion for what you do, for what your craft is. It’s like a marriage. You are married into it. You are in it. You have an option to change, but then you have to start back from square one. Pick something that you have a passion for. Whether it be music, art, bookkeeping or photography. Whatever it is, have a passion for it…and if you have a passion for it, then your inner self will come out and embrace that passion.
What does Positive Legacy mean to you and why is it important to be involved?
Sunny: Positive Legacy has always been a big forerunner of helping the people that need help the most - like today where we used manpower to build a soccer field, paint murals, or just learn more about the local culture. It’s important to know about where these isolated populations are and share with the rest of the community. I think it’s important to one’s self, too. I have all the respect in the world for those involved in Positive Legacy and what they are doing and showing to people like us…you…me. People from Phoenix, Chicago, from Austin, Texas have come together for one positive reinforcement of community life.
What was your favorite thing about today?
Sunny: You know, I love manual labor and working up a sweat. I love to see progress in small amounts, because that’s what it is. It’s not anything huge - we’re not building buildings. These people are. We are just here for a short length of time as we are in life, but we have to save it for our kids and our children’s kids. This is one way of doing it.
If you could leave the people of Mexico with one wish, what would it be?
Sunny: Happiness and sunshine.
WSP Fans Heather Nigro with Positive Legacy Team and Sunny Ortiz
WSP Fans would like to thank Positive Legacy, Dreams for Mayan Children, Sunny Ortiz, Widespread Panic and Cloud9 Adventures for beautiful day and memories to last a lifetime. To donate to Positive Legacy, click here.
