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PageThe Request:
> Greetings! I'm a lurker from the Yukon Territory, Canada. I've enjoyed
> reading your list from my remote setting.
>
> A particular interest of mine is music/song on environmental topics and how
> they can be used for teaching, particularly for young people. I'm part of a
> team that's organizing a workshop in this topic at the North American
> Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) conference in Vancouver this
> August.
>
> We're looking for performers that specialize in this area, sources for
> songs that could be used for environmental education, and success
> stories/anecdotes/tips for presenting environmental music. We'd also
> appreciate learning of existing internet discussion groups or web
> pages/links, journal citations, etc. on this topic.
>
> Your input is welcomed, and will form the beginnings of ongoing dialogue on
> this subject.
>
> THANKS!
This request was posted on these listservs early in 1997:
Folk Biz (the business of folk music):
Northwest Passage (Canadian folk music):
The Responses (thanks all!):
******
From: PoetUSA@aol.com
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Remy,
Let me highly recommend Michael Johnathon's ballad
"Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau" from the Dreams of Fire CD and
"Water of Life" from the Troubadour CD.
Michael started his career by singing 2400 Earth concerts in schools and
colleges to over two million students in the USA.
Greg
PoetMan Records USA
-----
From: Vicki Martel <martel@ican.net>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
I have several children's recordings by Sally Rogers, who is absolutely
wonderful. If you don't know of her and want more info, let me know.
Of course, Eileen McGann has several wonderful songs about the Temagami
area, the splendor and wonder of canoeing, old growth, etc.
Vicki Martel
martel@ican.net
*********
Try contacting:
SGB Productions
PO Box 714
Guelph, ON N1H 6L3
Phone 519-767-0142
Fax 519-824-9289
Ask for Sue Richards, Tell them Rob Brady from Lucan sent you.
You will be interested in many of their acts but most particularly
"Jim and Jane's Awesome Environmental Adventure" (or words to that
effect. SGB also reps James Gordon, Tamarack and a couple of other acts,
all of whom have environmental consciences. Good Luck.
Rob
____
From: stefan@musickingdom.com (Stefan des Lauriers)
Subject: CD Release "Rise Above The Rain"
Mixing of my debut CD "Rise Above The Rain" was completed this last
weekend, and it will be released at the end of the month through my own
record label at
www.musickingdom.com. The songs have roots in folk, but the branches reach
out into pop and jazz. Wind Up Monkey Dance... A wacky line dance where
everyone winds up a monkey/sophisticated jugband music.
Skywriting... In a fanciful circus song love is expressed though
supernatural metaphors/flying circus music
Handful of Stars... The light of an ancient star reaches out to long lost
friends/mellow jazz
Blue Whale Blues...Two whales look for each other in all the wrong oceans/A
Brazilian beat to a folk pop tune.
Rise Above The Rain... Through various prisms spirituality is viewed from
successively higher planes/piano driven, orhestrated
Imaginary Mountains ...Coy trepidation
culminates in an avalanche of romance/Dixieland blues
Favorite Pony... Moonlit waves pantomime for a clown losing
face/orchestrated pop
Hearts in Harmony...A seashell becomes the intrinsic metaphor of the
universe wrapped up in a song/Like James Taylor, with some mideveal
minstrels playing
Look out Ma I Think ... A pseudo Celtic take off on Spaceship Earth being
piloted by billions of pilots.
A Miracle America...A patriotic picture is painted with a pointed brush
Take The Mountain With You...A Snow flake becomes the idea of song headed
to the delta
Yours Sincerely,
Stefan des Lauriers
Music Kingdom
www.musickingdom.com
21 Herman Street,
07028 Glen Ridge, NJ 201-743-1230
*********
From: ocelot@jungle.achilles.net (Mary-Sue Haliburton)
Cc: cdnfolk-l@jungle.achilles.net, FOLKBIZ@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: Re: environmental songs
The the artist who comes to my mind first is David Campbell. Many of his
songs celebrate nature from the aboriginal point of view. "Lake of the
Eagles", "Manitoulin" and many others also talk of the need to preserve our
living environment:
Never let die the green grass or the trees
Never let die the blue sky or the seas
Keep them alive for those who follow you,
That's what you must do...
That at least is how I remember it. David's use of language tends to be
highly poetic and beautiful. I think he's the most outstanding example of
environmental songs because the artistic values are so high. Campbell has
recorded about a dozen albums so there is lots of material to explore.
With apologies to older listmembers, here follows some more data I posted a
year or two ago, which I repeat now for the benefit of newer members. The
last address for David Campbell that I have is one on his cassettes produced
in B.C.:
P.O. Box 24802, Postal Station C,
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5T 4E9
I had been a fan since hearing a couple of tunes from the earlier album
Pretty Brown played on the CBC early Sunday morning show Fresh Air a couple
of decades ago. The voice was so warm and rich, the song so soft and gentle,
that I had to write first of all to the CBC to get an address, then to him on
Manitoulin Island (where he was at the time). "Manitoulin", one of his most
beautiful songs ever, is on the Pretty Brown collection (which was a Columbia
"Special Project"). Later he had a Toronto address, then moved to B.C. David
also appeared on Mr. Dressup (the only time I ever saw it) performing songs
from his children's collection Through the Eyes of a Child. David had a
daughter at the time, Noona, and wrote songs for her.
I saw him perform live at an outdoor concert in Ottawa early in the 1980s,
and also at the only folk festival I ever went to outside of Ottawa:
NorthWinds on Toronto Island, about 1984 I think. It was beautiful outdoors
on the Saturday, and on the Sunday pelting rain all day. In the morning David
was performing at one of those small workshops. The tent was shared with the
fans, and the performers were outside. I was standing behind David while he
performed the title song of Let the Peace Dance, holding my umbrella over his
guitar. That's one of my happiest memories. I watched him create the drum
effect by whacking the body of the guitar with his hand. (I recall at the
same festival hearing someone - I think it was Tony Bird - do a song in
tribute to Stan Rogers whose loss was very recent at the time. Valdy was at
the same workshop, and I remember how his eyes were shining during this
song.)
I was able for a while to get David Campbell cassettes from the Folklore
Centre in Ottawa, but have got most of them from him by mail. I have written
to a few times over the years - whenever I ordered an album - and always
received a personal note along with my order. His work is very special. Most
heartily recommended listening experiences for newcomers to his music are the
following albums:
Pretty Brown (early, originally on vinyl)
Let the Peace Dance (late '80s)
People of Turtle Island (1990)
Through Arawak Eyes is the first album he recorded in Canada, and is as
political as it is poetic. After Pretty Brown are other albums: Song,
Underneath the Blue Canadian Sky (my only quibble about these two is that
some songs are about alcoholism, which is missing as a topic from the other
works), Through the Eyes of a Child. There are memorable songs on all of
these collections. One of my favourite songs of all his work is "Sky Man in
the Moon", a poetic celebration of the Northern Lights, is on the collection
entitled "Song" (the seventh LP, it says on the jacket, but I cannot find a
date on it). The earlier albums are fairly heavily produced, "Columbia
Special Projects", with complex instrumentation and even backup singers. The
later ones are simpler, with just David accompanying himself with a guitar.
As he says in one song:
A flute am I
made to sing when the green earth drums
and long before the springtime comes
to know my song
(chorus)
And morning breaks upon my mind
why did it take so long to find
the simple circle made of man and earth and sky
(From Let the Peace Dance)
Try writing to the Vancouver address. I think it is still current. And you
will get a reply if it is. David generally sends out a photocopied list of
his albums with prices, etc. in Canadian dollars of course.
******
From: DColler@aol.com
To: consedu@yknet.yk.ca
Subject: eco folk
Environmental songs? Try Bill Steele right here on this list:
ws21@cornell.edu. As you will see, not all of his songs are `Garbage!', but
the man is an eco-folk icon.
David
******
From: Howard Kaplan <hkaplan@inforamp.net>
Subject: Environmental songs available
I've written a number of environmental and natural history songs (I'm not
sure how one draws the dividing line between them) that I have available in
the form of lead sheets but not recordings. Some of them have occasionally
been performed at educational or professional conferences, but I'm not aware
of their being used in any formal educational programs, and most of them use
a vocabulary more likely to interest adults than young people. However, I'd
be glad to send you a package of lead sheets if it would help your work. If
you're interested, send me your postal address.
Also, sometime in the next six months, the semi-annual newsletter of the
People's Music Network will be printed and distributed. The Network is an
organization of several hundred people, most but not all living in the
northeast U.S., who are interested in the use of music to promote peace,
justice, environmental activism, etc. If you'd like to have a brief
announcement or request published in the newsletter, contact Helene Newberg
at hnewberg@crd.lotus.com. There's not really an E-mail version of the
newsletter yet, but she does maintain a small E-mailing list that she could
send the announcement to in the meantime.
Also, you could contact the Children's Music Network, a group with similar
goals but specifically interested in music for children, by contacting Bob
Blue at bblue@k12.oit.umass.edu.
Howard Kaplan
Songwriter and occasional performer
Toronto, Ontario
********
From: "The Borealis Recording Company Ltd." <brc@interlog.com>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
You didn't say in your post whether you are looking particularly for
Canadians, but one of my favourite folk acts from the U.S. are dedicated
political activists and environmentalists who have worked up lots of
material around different issues. They have done lots of
training/educational-type stuff as well, and they do _a lot_ of work with
kids in the schools around DC.
They are a husband and wife duo known as "Magpie" (Terry Leonino and Greg
Artzner) and they live in the Washington, DC area. They have spent some time
in Canada and are quite sensitive to local political issues and so on. They
also happen to be tremendous musicians and really interesting people to
boot, and they are popular and well-respected in the folk community. I know
how to get in touch with them if you would like.
Another person I would recommend who _is_ Canadian is Bob Bossin, who lives
on Gabriola Island in BC. He was quite involved with the Clayoquot Sound
fight. I'm sure other people would know how to get in touch with him.
--Eve Goldberg
*******
From: GwenFoss@aol.com
Subject: Environmental Singer
Hi there Remy:
You asked for info on a singer who does environmental songs. There is an
artist you may wish to contact. I don't know much about her, except the
following:
Joyce Poley
Songstyle publishing company
Kennedy Heights P O Box 84507
Delta BC Canada V4C 6P0
604-596-3980
Joyce is well known on the West Coast. She is a singer-songwriter with
several books and recordings. Her songs are aimed at families with children
and cover basic issues such as peace and the environment.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Gwen
*****
From: Zeke Hoskin <tzhoskin@uniserve.com>
Subject: Environmental songs
The best environmental songwriter in Vancouver is Brian Robertson. He's
not a professional performer, but he sings and plays damn well. Email to
pinko@unixg.ubc.ca will reach him.
The Raging Grannies have environmental stuff as one of their themes.
And then there's me, Zeke Hoskin. I'm a songwriter/harper and I'm in the
middle of finishing my second cassette album of moistly ironic songs. Back
when the annual Peace March turned to an environment march, I wrote half
a dozen environmental parodies that got sung by a few thousand people.
*****
From: Christina Smith <csmith@nfld.com>
Subject: environmental songs
Hi!
Do you know yet about Heather and Eric? They are a duo
specializing in educational environmental music. You should contact Eric
West at North By East productions, 65 Colonial St., St. John's Nfld. His
number is (709)722-0966, or 670-3377 (in Ladle Cove). The duo has two
videos out, "No Small Wonder" and "Being So Green and Hardly Thirteen".
Their latest project was a book and CD for children entitled "Wind over
Dark Tickle" about the east coast fisheries crisis. They received a
nomination at the East Coast Music Awards in the children's music category
for their last cassette tape. They are really a terriffic group and have a
great rapport with audiences of all ages.
Christina
csmith@nfld.com
********
From: sartist@swcp.com (Stephen Foster)
Subject: Re: Environmental songs
Hello. Cosy Sheridan has written some new songs about protecting the
environment..they're not recorded (yet), but will be shortly, as she
negotiates with a major label. She's very active in the preservation
movement in Utah. Her e-mail is cozoid@aol.com
Best,
Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster Management
505/352-0932
sartist@swcp.com
********
From: Bob Franke <rfranke@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Environmental songs
Contact Greg and Terry Artzner, who have much experience in presenting
environmental songs and are two of the best performers/humans you're likely
to run into. They are at
GTMagpie@aol.com
Good luck
Bob Franke Telephone Pole Music
bob.franke@pobox.com 106 Winona St.
<http://pobox.com/~telepole> Peabody, MA 01960
Artist representation: Peach Productions (508)263-6072 peaches@aics.net
******
From: Valerie M Cormier <Valerie.M.Cormier@marshmc.com>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Hi:
I don't know if Bob Bossin saw your posting - if not, I'd like to
recommend him as a source. In particular, he made a particularly good
video of his song "Sulphur Passage", which deals with the issue of
coastal forests. His e-mail is, I believe: oldfolk@island.net
Best of luck,
Val Cormier
Vancouver, BC
******
From: toddsamu@teleport.com (Todd Samusson)
Subject: ecotunes
Hello from Portland, Oregon.
My name is Todd Samusson. I perform in a duo called Samusson and Tomassi.
That's myself and Linda Tomassi. We do a lot of environmental songs. We
might be in range of the conference.
Over the past 19 years I've played for more environmental causes and
events than I can list. From mainstream to extreme. Music is the lifebollod
of the environmental movement.
Here's a list of performers I know of who write and perform songs of
environmental focus:
Dana Lyons - Bellingham, WA. (he's online. do a search)
Casey Neill - Olympia, WA
Alice DiMicele - Ashland, OR
Daryl Cherney - Arcata, CA
Bill Oliver - Austin, Tx - (Bill is of particular interest because he does
lots of performing in schools and for kids.)
Joanne Rand - Seattle, WA -
Roger Tincknell - Northampton, MA - (primarily eco-tunes for kids).
I have shared a stage with every one of the above players and consider them
all excellent at what they do.
Get in touch,
Todd
Todd Samusson
toddsamu@teleport.com
****
From: charles robertson <oldblues@golden.net>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Perhaps I can humbly suggest a folk trio that I'm working with. We are
called "Flights of Fancy" - Rick Avery, Judy Greenhill & myself, Beverlie
Robertson. We have all been with Mariposa In The Schools for many years
(I'm a founding member) & have a large repertoire of songs about nature, the
environment & environmental issues (yes, there is a difference...) If you
would like to know more about us, I can send you photos & info. Good luck
with your program, it sounds wonderful & essential. Beverlie Robertson
******
From: Tony Dalmyn <adalmyn@man.net>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
I can't speak to the educational component, but I can list songs with an
environmental component - an implicit concern for conservation or an
explicit message.
Consider these songs (artist/album/song):
Stan Rogers /Fogarty's Cove /Make and Break Harbour
Eileen McGann /Turn it Around/ White Pine, Silver Birch
Spirit of the West /Save this House /Save this House
S o t W /Save this House /Dirty Pool
Bob Bossin /Gabriola Island /Sulphur Passage
Bob Bossin /Gabriola Island /Cleaning Up the Oil
James Keelaghan /My Skies /River Run
Those are a handful of songs that come to mind, all from Canadian folk
performers.
I think others could add. I won't speak to other genres - except to mention
the New Age nature sound or sounds and music recordings that have become
popular. It seems that Dan Gibson has a dozen different music/sound
recordings, and he had another dozen nature sounds recordings that are still
available. Did Ian Tamblyn not do some pioneer work in this area?
Tony Dalmyn
adalmyn@man.net
It were not best that we should all think alike;
it is difference of opinion that makes horse-races. Mark Twain
*****
To: consedu@yknet.yk.ca
Subject: environmental songs
Hello, just caught your message and wondered if you had an address to send
some of my music for your project. I also have a home page though it needs
updating. I am on the road a lot, very busy, like everybody. I am not posting
messages a lot on the internet and too busy to read everything. But your
efforts spoke to me. Good luck with the good work. All the Best, Alisa
Fineman
e-mail: alisafine@aol.com
http://www.pnet.net/alisa
or: PO Box 613
Pacific Grove, Calif. 93950
USA
****
Subject: Re: Re: Ian Tamblyn environmental songs
Tony Dalmyn,adalmyn@man.net,Internet writes:
Did Ian Tamblyn not do some pioneer work in this area?
Ian Tamblyn's album OVER MY HEAD was one of the earliest, if not actually the
first, to combine bird songs into musical arrangements. I went to his
concert, at the old Museum (the wonderful old building wtih turrets and
battlements on top) here in Ottawa at which he introduced this music to the
public. I remember he said, a bit ruefully, that the duck calls were the only
ones he couldn't fit into an arrangement, and he played some before a song to
illustrate! Anyway at that concert, I remember the muscians playing away and
a guy operating a tape recorder with the bird songs, all co-ordinated. (AT
least, I think that is what was going on! Or maybe he was recording the
concert and that became the album, I don't know.) But it was beautiful, and I
actually didn't need to play the radio when I drove hom (though usually I
needed to in order to concentrate on the road) because my head was full of
these wonderful sounds.
That would have been in the mid-1980s that I went to that concert. I think
the album came out later. Anyway it is very good, and unique. Check out also
his other collections: Antarctica and Magnetic North.
--
The Jungle BBS -- Ottawa Canada (613) 233-8810
******
From: "The Borealis Recording Company Ltd." <brc@interlog.com>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Hi Remy,
Magpie (Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner) can be reached at:
P.O. Box 5467
Takoma Park, MD 20912-0467 USA
Phone: (301) 270-2563
Good luck!
Eve Goldberg
****
From: Great North Wind - Steve Fruitman <gnwind@bigfoot.com>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Here are some environmentally sensitive songs - certainly not the only ones
- I know I've missed lots of them - but atleast you can start searching from here.
****
From: mooseman@arctic.net (Michael Campbell)
Subject: environmental songs
I am a singer/songwriter living in Alaska and read your letter =
requesting environmental songs. I've written a song called "First Kill" =
about a young man's experiences on a whaling vessel that you might find =
useful. The lyrics to First Kill follow, please let me if you would like a recorded copy of the song. Thanks.
Good luck on your project,
Mike Campbell
mooseman@arctic.net
http://www.arctic.net/~mooseman
*****
From: scross@mail.islandnet.com (Susie Ross)
Subject: Re: environmental songs
One enviro song that I
love is Matthew Lien's song, "Bedtime Stories," from his album Bleeding
Wolves. And, Lucy Blue Tremblay sings a song called "A Place in the Woods,"
which is another absolute favorite of mine. It's off her album
"Transformations." I don't know if individual songs help, but I know both
of these performers, especially Matthew, have an environmental/social
justice bent.
I have a few enviro songs myself, and would be happy to share them with you
on a tape. They aren't kids songs, per se, but I'd love to get involved
more with this conference, as we touched on last summer at Dawson.
*****
From: Mike Agranoff <MAgranoff@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: environmental songs
There is a book of environmental songs entitled "For The Beauty Of The
Earth", published by the Folk Project and edited by Liza DiSavino. You can
reach Liza at ldis@aol.com. She is also a performer who writes and performs
such material.
Mike Agranoff
****
From: Karen Goldberg <CorbettRec@AOL.COM>
I'm a musician on the advisory board of an environmental group called Web of
Life Audio Productions. Based in Maine, this group of grassroots
environmentalists have compiled The Eco Audio Inventory, over 3,000 listings
of music, narratives, indigenous voices, syndicated radio programs, and
useful addresses, made available to promote ecological awareness.
The inventory costs $3. For more info, e-mail Traci at:
Hickson@ecology.coa.edu
or call Web of Life Audio, 207-288-5061
If you're a songwriter and would like to have your music about environmental
issues included in the inventory, send tape or CD to: Web of Life Audio, PO
Box130, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
Karen Goldberg, singer-songwriter
Corbett Records
*****
Subject: Re: environmental songs
Cc: Eric Rothwell <ericroth@bconnex.net>
Hello Remy:
Down here in Southern Ontario, (about 90 miles north of Toronto), on beautiful
Georgian Bay, we run a festival called The Wye Marsh Festival.....an
environmental celebration. We include waterfowl carving, wildlife art,
conservation and environmental displays and activities as well as Folk Music.
We are entering our 12th year.
In our music portion we try to focus on environmental issues. Our two most
successful performers from an environmental point of view would be Valdy and
Eileen McGann. Jim MacMillan would fit the list as would Tamarack although
Tamarack's focus is more historical than environmental.
Hope this is a good starting point.
Eric
*****
From: John Baron Steel <BARON@PHYTON.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Help request from Down Under
Hi,
I have followed with interest the various threads of FolkBiz much
of which is relevant here.
"HERE" is New Zealand and there have been many expressions of
interest in our little country over the years. In recent times there
has been an upsurge in this interest, due to our government's economic
and environmental policies, which has carried over (apparently) into
U.S. schools.
So what? Well I am a member of the Pioneer Pog 'n' Scroggin Bush
Band (New Zealand's longest running bush band) which has recently put
out "The Pog Kit: a Music and Dance Resource for Schools" for use in
our schools. It is a cross-curricular resource comprising a book of
songs, cross-curricular applications and explanations, and dances
reflecting New Zealand's history and development (some original, some
not and some adapted from overseas); a tape of the songs on one side
and music only on the other (for the less musically proficient
teacher); a tape of dance tunes; and a poster; all boxed for
classroom use, and suitable for the junior school but with
applications for some senior school projects. Cost $NZ60 post
included.
Several U.S. visitors have commented on the value of this to U.S.
schools which have an interest in New Zealand in their curriculum and
a few have now made their way across the Pacific. We would like to
find a suitable list in the U.S. that we could subscribe to so we
could bring our Kit to their attention. (We only made 500 (N.Z. is a
very small country) and most have been sold but it could be of
interest to some teachers over there).
Now the crunch bit - If anyone could put me in touch with a
suitable list or give any suggestions how to make the appropriate
people aware of our Kit I would be very grateful.
Regards to all, who knows we may even meet one day,
John Steel.
End
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