Philanthropist and author Peter Buffett visits the university for a Sept. 23 musical performance that incorporates multimedia and personal stories.
Emmy Award-winning artist, philanthropist and author Peter Buffett visits Elon University on Family Weekend for a free musical performance that incorporates multimedia and personal stories to give the audience an authentic, inspirational and impactful evening.
Life is What You Make It: A Concert & Conversation with Peter Buffett
Friday, September 23
McCrary Theatre (Center for the Arts)
4:30 p.m.
Admission is free and no tickets are required. A book signing will follow the performance.
The event combines live piano and vocals with sounds from cellist Michael Kott, while incorporating video clips of Buffett’s film, TV and philanthropic work that chronicle his career. The ‘Concert & Conversation’ is the live companion to his New York Times best-selling book Life is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment, which discusses earning one’s own rewards, following passions over conventions and the importance of giving back.
Most people may think having billionaire investor Warren Buffett as a father would make life far from average. As Peter Buffett explains, the only real inheritance handed down from his parents was a philosophy: forge your own path in life. It is a creed that he says has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity and reap his own successes. Buffett conveys that it’s ones values—and what we are able to give back to society—that shape and define them as individuals.
Buffett began his career as the musical mind behind many of the early MTV bumpers of the ‘80s, and the climactic crescendo in the memorable “Fire Dance” scene in 1990’s Oscar winning film Dances with Wolves. He received critical acclaim for his Native American-inspired music, most notably composing the full score for 500 Nations, the Emmy-awarded CBS miniseries produced by Kevin Costner, and the musical production Spirit: The Seventh Fire, a Native American inspired show incorporating live native dancing, powwow singing and Imax-scale visuals that premiered on the National Mall as part of the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.
Since 1987, Buffett has released 16 records, including his most recent release on USB. He owns two independent labels, BisonHead and BeSide Records. Most of his releases had been instrumental recordings until 2006 when he began experimenting with vocals and a more eclectic pop/rock sound. Buffett has collaborated with Grammy-nominated recording artist Akon as well as Grammy-winning artist Angelique Kidjo on human rights inspired songs.