Music of the Climate Movement

What is the music or spoken-word art of the climate movement?

Peter Blood and Annie Patterson, co-creators of “Rise up Singing,” and more recently, “Rise Again,” discuss the importance of music to social movements and the relative dearth of music for the Climate Movement.

We play complete hiphop songs by Baba Brinkmann (“Hiphop Guide to Climate Chaos”) and Xiuhutexcatl Martinez (16-year-old Aztec artist/activist, well known for his compelling Ted talk); Martinez also speaks of the role of music in reaching youth in particular.

Then we hear environmental composer Matthew Burtner‘s recording of melting glaciers.

Reverend Billy Talen (“The Earth Wants You”) reads “On the Subway with Lena and Dad” (which itself includes a reading of “The Lorax”).

The show concludes with an episode of Rev. Billy’s weekly segment, Extinction’s Got Talent, this one on the tropical bird, the quetzal. Excerpts from the following Audioport-distributed shows are included: Writers Voice, Climate Connections, Rising Up with Sonali, With Good Reason, Time of Useful Consciousness, and The Earth Wants You.  

Credits:

Greta Anderson (Pacifica Radio Network), producer with work produced by:
Francesca Rheannon (Writers Voice)
Bridget Ennis (Climate Connections)
Sonali Koltzkhar (Rising Up with Sonali)
Elliot Majerczyk and Kelley Libby (With Good Reason)
Maria Gilardin (Time of Useful Consciousness)
Jeannie Hopper (The Earth Wants You)
Also, the artists named in the summary.


Share This Episode