Using Music to Open People's Minds

  I have to admit, when asked to do the first Big Splash concert, I knew only a little about hydraulic fracturing or fracking.  All that I knew was that it was bad, and was poisoning the water supply in other states.  I had watched Gasland, and had been shocked and devastated at what I saw.  They were getting ready to bring it here.  This would pollute our land, our air, and our water.  People tend not to deal with problems until they are hit in the face with them, until it effects them personally.  Like I said they are bringing it here, there was an immediate call to action.  Could we help stop it before it happened to us?  What could we do to stop it?  How could we use what we know to make a difference and educate people on what was to come if we allowed the gas and oil companies free reign in New York State?

  I have known Jon McNamera for about 10 years.  We have been friends a long time, and worked together on shows mainly from an artist to promoter type of relationship.  Later, I would realize that he would become someone that I would grow to respect and admire.  He had an idea.  He had teamed up with a group of people with a common vision, and went to work.  From this idea the Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative was born.  Their thought:  To produce a series of concerts and events to educate the public on the dangers of hydraulic fracturing.  To keep the water in New York safe.  Increase public awareness using music.  He started putting plans in place to change his entire life to support the fight against fracking.  I was asked to jump on board as a stage manager so, I joined the team.

 The Initiative has gained support from a variety of socially conscious performers including: Natalie Merchant, Willy Watson from Old Crow Medicine Show, Banjo Legend Ritchie Sterns and his projects The Horseflies, and Evil City String Band, Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Tim Carbone from Railroad Earth, Jim Lauderdale, Yolk, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Driftwood, Tim Herron Corporation, Dutch Bucket System, Sophistafunk, Thousands of One, House on a Spring,  The Burns Sisters, The Green Deeps, Cabinet, Ayurveda, Hee Haw Nightmare, The Double E, and others.   These musicians help to create and develop a unique musical vibe that transfers to music lovers of all ages.  All of them ideal to spread the message and, all excited to speak out against fracking.

  Four events later, I finally realized that we are bringing hope to people in the southern tier.  That what we were doing was changing our state.  We were successfully using music to open people's minds, and bring people together.  Author (Raising Elijah) and Acclaimed Ecologist Sandra Steingraber said of the Natalie Merchant event,  "Tonight, the Forum belongs to us. Which is to say it belongs to the biggest most epic human rights movement New York has ever seen."  The crowd erupted in agreement.  She has donated all of  the cash from her Heinz Award ($100,000) to the fight against fracking and a variety of groups she felt were leading the way in the anti-hydrofracking movement including some of the award to the Finger Lakes Clean Water's Initiative and their arts based activism.  She was treated to a Mayor's reception prior to the March 10th Natalie Merchant concert to honor her work and research against fracking.
  This is a fight that we all should relate to.  Without water there is no life.  There is no human life, no trees, no animals, no rivers, no streams.  There are several quotes about the next world war being about a shortage of water, not gas or oil.  We are making this a reality sooner than we think.  Please do what you can to educate yourselves on the dangers of hydraulic fracturing and help the organizations that are lobbying in your area against it.

Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative has several shows slated for Summer 2012 including potential dates in Binghamton, Hector, Rochester, Albany, Oneonta, and more.  Show support at these events, vote, sign petitions, call your elected officials and make your voice heard.  Natural gas is not the answer, renewable energy is.   Tell them you do not want natural gas drilling in New York State.

Get Educated on the Dangers of Hydro-fracking and get active in your communities to prevent it.  Here are some organizations that are leading the way in the fight and do need your help and support.  These are just a few.


Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Finger-Lakes-Clean-Waters-Initiative/207165332642028
http://www.fingerlakescleanwaters.org

Frack Action
www.frackaction.org

Gas Free Seneca
http://gasfreeseneca.com/

Sandra Steingraber's Speech from March 10th
http://shaleshockmedia.org/2012/03/13/sandra-steingraber-at-the-natalie-merchant-concert/