Summary: Jason Hamacher was a drummer in several punk rock bands that had a positive message. Setting out to write heavy metal music to old Christian chants, Jason was surprised to learn that precious little had been done to preserve the ancient prayers, hallowed rituals, and sacred music of Syria's religious minority communities. Beginning nearly 10 years ago, he began his travels to Aleppo, Syria, and has been working on several preservation projects through Smithsonian Folkways, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and the Sephardic Heritage Museum. The kind archbishop who provided Syrian entre' to Jason has since been kidnapped by rebels; and Aleppo is in shambles. His company, Lost Origin Productions, has preserved the music and photos of a life that barely exists today. For more information about Jason's projects, go to lostorigins.com.
