No Music on a Dead Planet
“The Earth sings. It is a sentient being, alive with song. There is no music on a dead planet.
There is no music from a dead planet.” - Deborah Cheetham AO.
More HERE
I recently joined CLIMARTE after observing their progressive activism in climate change for many years.
The organisation aims to “harness the creative power of the arts to inform, engage and inspire action on the climate crisis.
Bringing together a broad alliance from across the arts, humanities and sciences, CLIMARTE advocates for immediate, effective and creative policy action to restore a climate capable of sustaining all life.”
This non-profit group is attempting to draw attention to climate change and related ill's through collaborations across science and art by raising awareness through festivals, events and interventions. It’s a great team made up of a mix of professional creative producers, artists and leading climate scientists.
Don’t you love a good intersection!
I was fortunate to become involved just as a gig had been secured to deliver a workshop with a group of students. These students are elite musicians attending the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), dedicated to advancing their professional and artistic development.
They are the next generation of classical music performers, at various stages of high level and intense study. ANAM had the foresight to understand that climate change and sustainability are vital to all students understanding as they define their roles as global citizens. Our brief was to assist to start them on this journey.
So where do we start to explore how these artists can act on our climate crisis or, for that matter, any social justice issue.
We start by partnering with Green Music Australia, a non-profit harnessing the cultural power of our influential music scene to create a greener, safer future. On the same page, we then codesigned the workshop, keeping the musicians at the centre of the engagement.
We also start by recognising that these participants are more than musicians and can play a role as individuals, family members, community members, and for some voting for the first time, as Australians with electoral power.
Led by the extraordinary Deborah Hart , she presented specific examples of artist directed activism starting with a short video that used Bach’s Suite for Cello by Yo Yo Mar to stand in solidarity with career musician and former music educator from Princeton John Mark Rozendaal who was then facing seven years in prison for playing the piece outside of Citibank’s HQ in August 2024.
While the assault charges were dropped, the contempt charges were only resolved after pleading guilty to “disorderly conduct”.
This is the power of a musician playing the cello in a public plaza outside Citibank HQ with his colleague Alex Connon sheltering him from the rain with an umbrella.
See CLIMARTE’s clip: HERE
YouTube video of Rozendaal’s arrest: HERE
More at Guardian article: HERE
Deborah then proceeded to highlight other recent examples, many highlighting the role of the fossil fuel industry in climate change, with some victories, others creating attention to how artists have led the conversation through peaceful protest.
This was followed by an excellent presentation by Berish Bilander, CEO of Green Music Australia, himself a composer and musician. Again through numerous examples he demonstrated the capacity of the arts as a form of protest, truth telling and the role of artists as climate advocates.
What an honour to be involved and facilitate a conversation with these intelligent musicians and their teachers, hear their concerns and frame the discussion to assist them to find their voice and leadership in whatever way they find effective.
Useful websites:
CLIMARTE
Green Music Australia
Australian National Academy of Music
Sound Country Green Artist Guide