Roger Ridley and his music embody everything that music is : soul, perseverance, and talent. He has often been called "the voice of God" by the other street musicians on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. His dedication to his audience is clear, traveling from his home in Las Vegas, Nevada to his spot in Santa Monica every Saturday and giving his best performance before returning home that night. It was Roger's performance of Stand By Me that sent Playing for Change¹ off on its mission to connect the world through music by adding other musicians to his recording.

One day while walking down the promenade, Mark Johnson², creator of "Playing for Change" heard Roger singing "Stand By Me" in the distance. He ran to witness the performance and realized that Roger's voice, soul, and passion had to be shared with the rest of the world.

1. PLAYING FOR CHANGE

2. Mark Johnson, creator of Playing for Change:

"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world."