December 2007

Endings and Beginnings

With two shows, November 30th and December 1st, Yvonne's band brought to a close the saga of Put Out The Trash. For the last two and a half years we have toured Switzerland, southern Germany and even the Mediterranean (on the Rock 'n' Blues Cruise) enjoying a warm reception from fans and newfound audiences alike. We had a wonderful time with a great group of musicians and technicians finishing in style with a rousing goodbye in Schaffhausen and Waldstatt. Since Schaffhausen is Yvonne's hometown, it was particularly fitting place to announce a break. After a successful run it's time to pause for reflection and gather new ideas for the future.

Waldstatt was special for another reason. It so happens, that is where we stayed with Shannon's band during the recording of her debut album made at Gallus Media in nearby St. Gallen. We were there for a few weeks at a lovely Bed and Breakfast. Its owners came to our concert in Waldstatt. So it was a closing of one circle and the opening of another leaving us with fond memories and many new friends. Shannon's CD is available now. Contact me if you're interested.

Next up is a series of concerts with the Duet. Please see the Duet page on this site for more information. Meanwhile, we're planning two tours in the States next year. (March on the East Coast, September/October in the Northwest) We hope to see you at one of our upcoming concerts where we'll have more news to report.

Here's hoping you have an illuminating holiday season. Like the old saying goes: "Champagne for our real friends, real pain for our sham friends".

Happy New Year!

 

November 2007

The last three months have been full. I want to provide a quick overview now in lieu of a more comprehensive update in the near future. First, in August I began working on Shannon Callahan's debut album. Yes, she is my daughter and a gifted musician with whom I was delighted to work. She was invited to make her album by the same kind man who enabled Yvonne and me to make "Welcome" last year. Album projects are always deeply engrossing but this was extraordinary in that time was short and preparations required travel to Berlin (where Shannon and the other musicians live) as well as to St. Gallen where Gallusmedia, the recording studio is located. As of today, November 12, the album is done and will be available soon. For more information write me, please.
Second, Yvonne and I visited the West Coast for, among other things, concerts in Washington state and San Francisco. This was our second trip to the US this year and as with the first on the East Coast in March we found it challenging and rewarding. Particularly noteworthy were the events in Forks, WA and Seattle. There we were reacquainted with old pals from the World Beat and Komotion days back in the Bay Area who made it possible to perform for people who'd never heard us before. Through them, we met many new friends. It was inspiring to us on musical and social levels and we look forward to a return as soon as possible.
Lastly, I began in earnest the process of writing a new book. This entails a good deal of research and organization with an entirely different kind of scheduling than does music making. Since my theme concerns music and politics in San Francisco during the Sixties I took advantage of our visit there to interview some people who made important contributions to that time and place. I will pursuing more of these in the coming year to provide a basis for a more accurate account of what happened than often appears in the media (what with the 40th anniversary of the so-called Summer of Love such distortion is in high gear now).
As soon as I returned to Europe I had to rush into Shannon's production and have only now found time to write this update. I will return for a more detailed report in a week or so. Stay tuned.

 

July 2007

I recently returned from Leeds, England where I participated in the World Development Movement's conference entitled "Whose Rules Rule?" This was sponsored in part by the University of Leeds' School of Geography which has launched a new Masters Programme in Activism and Social Change. (Imagine that! You can get a masters degree for learning how to fight back.) It is the first of its kind in Europe. I was invited because of "The Trouble With Music". The event organizers wanted me to contribute to the Art and Resistance seminar which took place simultaneously with other seminars on diverse themes. When they found out I could sing they asked me to do that as well. On Friday June 29 there was a kick-off event at which I played a couple of songs and there were talks by Ngugi wa Thiong'o and George Monbiot. This was a segue between the Open Day held to inaugurate the Masters Programme (which begins after Summer Break) and the WDM conference itself. On Saturday June 30 the conference began.
There were several hundred participants mostly from the UK. Three of the main speakers were from Africa, however, and the focus shifted fluidly between global concerns and local organizing. From the opening at 1PM until the close at 7PM the day was packed with intense discussion. In the Art and Resistance seminar participants were not, for the most part, musicians or artists but activists seeking a better understanding of how to work with the arts in conjunction with their political projects. The meeting began with presentations by three young poets from Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Trinidad, respectively. All gave excellent examples of art arising from popular struggle, damning indictments of oppression delivered with great poetic force. How do you follow that? I decided to address the problem directly by calling attention to what we'd all just experienced. Here we were, witnesses at that moment, to the power of art. We would have to step out of the theater it created, the spell it cast, to discuss it.
The question posed in advance was how the art of resistance could continue to thrive in the face of globalization's relentless encroachment into areas that were previously social or communal spaces. How can art and artist continue to resist in an environment thoroughly saturated by mass media and its co-opting and repressive mechanisms. The young performers who preceded me pointed out that they'd already experienced the lures and snares (they'd been invited to New York to perform on some MTV sponsored poetry slam) but were willing to enter that arena as long as they were not told which poems to read or how they should look. I spoke of two crucial moves oppositional artists need to make: invasion and recapture of the public space simultaneously with evacuation and 'disappearance' from the gaze of the dominant culture. To do this we must first recognize that creative expression is the terrain on which we are strong and our opponent weak. But to unleash this strength we must free our minds of the fear and vanity by which artists are controlled. The dominant culture uses its manipulation of celebrity to frighten us into 'toning it down', on the one hand, and equating fame with 'influence', on the other. Not more beautiful, wise or enduring in your contribution to humanity but better in the sense of being better known. Against this we must actively and collectively engage in the following: On the one hand public concerts, plays, exhibitions and readings that occupy the public spaces usually dominated by advertising, anti-music and other forms of social control. On the other, 'underground' venues, temporary autonomous zones, even people's living rooms where the art of resistance can be created and presented. We must be prepared to be invisible to the media who will not be able to see us because we do not fit their paradigm. We must prepare to 'labor in obscurity' if that obscurity means speaking the truth, building actual communities and producing quality in creative expression.
The discussion that followed careened between broad questions and urgent practical concerns. For example, one young activist spoke of dilemmas she has encountered acting as booking agent for politically oriented bands. What were reasonable requests and what were not? When do the differences between political rallies, benefit concerts, etc. and 'normal' gigs matter or do the same rules apply to both? I answered by referring to the three pillars of live music: artist, venue operator and audience, and how these are mutually dependent entities that should unite in common purpose but are often, unnecessarily, at loggerheads. The fact that the event may be for a political purpose as opposed to a social or artistic one doesn't change the need for the three roles to be filled by people working to produce the best results for all three. Millions of venues present live music every day of the week all over the world and very few are large corporate enterprises. Most are small businesses run by devotees of music. To present the best possible event the musicians, venue operators and audiences all need certain conditions met. The question of promotion and fair compensation must be viewed from the same perspective. This means that to rally a public that will in turn provide support, artists and event organizers must work together and deliver quality above all other considerations. On the other side, the public should be encouraged to actively participate as a crucial part of the event, not as inane consumers. This necessarily leads to public support of artists since artists are providing for a felt need within society.
Limited time and big questions often lead to empty rhetoric of little use. Here, however, concrete suggestions were actually taken up with admirable seriousness and enthusiasm. This included inviting the poets who'd performed at the seminar to perform at a new social center being started nearby. Furthermore, numerous contacts were made between people previously unknown to each other. Clearly, this conference was attended by people already working on campaigns. These were not passive observers. Indeed, the level of activity, the number of different organizations represented and the large numbers of people being affected by such efforts was remarkable. While it is common to bemoan the weakness of oppositional forces today, to this outside observer there is a lot going on. Perhaps most inspiring was the predominance of young people, representatives of the generation so many dismiss as narcissistic and apathetic.
The plenary session began with another performance by Marvin George, the Trinidadian poet/actor who was in the seminar with me. I followed with 'Smile, a song chosen by the event organizers from my album 'San Francisco'. Then came the speakers, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, George Monbiot, Mohau Pheko and Esther Stanford. George was the only English person. The other three were from Africa. Ngugi, a world renowned author, presently teaches at UC Irvine but he is originally from Kenya. Mohau and Esther are from South Africa and Ghana, respectively. The speeches were uniformly inspiring while diverse in content. On the one hand, all decried the injustice and suffering inflicted by capitalism. On the other each spoke of different aspects of the struggle against it. This was not mere rabble-rousing or sloganeering. Trenchant analysis was coupled with historical perspective and sharp critique. I found particularly striking two salient points. First, was the need for a deepened understanding of how the system works and how struggle must target its weaknesses in order to achieve victories. Simply doing more will not suffice. Second, unity based on principle was called for repeatedly. While this was a most inclusive and welcoming conference with none of the strident posturing so common to the Left, the revolutionary attitude of the speakers could not be missed. There was at once a global outlook embracing humanity and at the same time an uncompromising stand on the vast social transformation required to end suffering and injustice. I was very happy to contribute to this effort.
For more information visit the website: http://www.wdm.org.uk/ Below are listed the themes of the various seminars:
• Reparations and the legacy of enslavement
• Apartheid
• Climate justice
• Struggles against privatization
• Art and Resistance
• Women’s rights
• Migration
• Corporate globalization

Immediately after the conference, I flew to Geneva for the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Traditional Knowledge (TK), Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) and Genetic Resources (GR) in Geneva Nov 30–Dec 8. My NGO, Music In Common, is accredited by this body whose mandate derives from WIPO (The World Intellectual Property Organization an agency of the UN). It was quite a contrast to the WDM conference. In previous newsletters (see the last two issues on my website) I have published reports from myself and Josef Brinckmann that deal with the present world situation as seen through the lens of Intellectual Property Rights. I won't repeat that here. Suffice it to say that from an atmosphere charged with a passion for justice and a determination to change the world I entered a world fraught with frustration and anguish, manipulation and power politics. This is not to say that all the delegates to the IGC are cynical agents of global capitalism, far from it. Many are genuinely interested in, at the very least, reaching agreements that might bring a more equitable distribution of the world's resources and protect the rights of indigenous peoples. Yet the obstacles posed are inherent to the process as it is conceived. Most people involved carry the burden of knowing that however sincere their efforts, bad faith shadows their every move. This is because the UN in general and the WIPO in particular are protectors, first and foremost, of the existing world order (or disorder if you like). It is necessary to that order that the hope be maintained that, somehow, war can be avoided and peaceful resolution of conflict take its place without fundamentally changing the world system. This is the reason the UN was created and it cannot continue to function without providing tangible means for aggrieved parties, be they tribes, stateless nations or nation states, to argue their case.
One example of how this works concerns the Inuit. This is a relatively small community (150,00) covering a vast territory in several countries, the US, Russia, Greenland and Canada. They invented the parka, the kayak and the fur-lined boots so popular today. Yet their inventions have been appropriated and made profitable by and for others while they live in conditions similar to most of the native population of the Americas: dire poverty, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and the whole host of problems visited upon them by European conquest. So why hasn't WIPO and its member states sought compensation for the intellectual property of the Inuit?
Another example is the Vanuatu islanders who invented bungee jumping. This was originally a rite that served ceremonial purposes essential to the culture of these people. It was witnessed and filmed by foreign visitors. An entrepreneur got hold of the idea, eventually developing it into a sport and a profitable industry. How were the Vanuatu Islanders compensated for their intellectual property?
Other examples abound. Some are far more insidious in that they involve the basis of survival for vast numbers of, if not all, human beings. The potato is such an example. This food was engineered over thousands of years by the Inca in Peru. Their sophisticated methods developed at least 140 varieties that are mutually dependent in resisting blight and interacting productively with other food crops. Now, Syngenta, an American corporation has invented a genetically modified potato that does not reproduce. It must be artificially reintroduced from stocks industrially designed and, of course, owned and controlled by Syngenta. The problem this poses is twofold. First, it destroys the capacity of naturally grown potatoes to reproduce, hence the name 'terminator seed'. Second, it eliminates the biodiversity necessary to the health of ecosystems in which potatoes are grown, thereby endangering other crops. These are only a few of literally thousands of examples of how the knowledge and wisdom of humanity is stolen, distorted and returned to the world at great cost to most of its inhabitants.
Meanwhile, the US and European states more or less uniformly uphold the notion on which Western Civilization is based, namely, that the basic unit of society is the individual and the basic right is to private property. These are non-negotiable. Of course, they clash irreconcilably with the way most of the rest of the world views itself. In other words, the basic unit of society is not the individual but the group and the basic right is not to property but to self-determination. That most of the rest of the world is now governed by states of recent vintage which accept the capitalist paradigm and their place in its pecking order doesn't change this underlying fact. What indigenous people are articulating are demands that would benefit all of humanity. They are cast as primitives and simple-minded, living in a time gone by and clinging to ways that are doomed by technology's inexorable advance. But this is not the case. Indeed, they are in the vanguard of the transformation the entire species of humans needs to make. Advancing principles that protect the environment and the community against exploitative and destructive use is what we all must do. This is a complex process involving a broad range of cultural practices but all share these fundamental principles.
Interestingly, these arguments are listened to politely by all delegates including from countries like the US and Japan who are staunchly opposed to them. An observer from Mars might be excused for thinking that here are reasonable people and sooner or later reason will prevail restoring peace and prosperity to this planet. I admit my own incredulity when faced with the spectacle. Yet it must be submitted to critique if we are to grasp, 1., how this process interacts with larger geo-political ones and, 2. what this tells us about the means we must employ to actually change the world.
The geopolitical dimension includes an element that is routinely underestimated: growing resistance to global capital. This takes many forms in many places yet it is not reported in the media. Instead, it is replaced by 'politics as usual' meaning the machinations of politicians, giant corporations, armies and terrorists. The effectiveness of their propaganda is considerable and cannot be dismissed. However, the conditions of life for the great majority of people on this planet are becoming more desperate. We are being driven to resist in order to survive but, most importantly, because we can see the potential, here and now, for a far better future than that promised by the current regime.
What this tells us about the means we must employ to actually change the world is, among other things, that unity, solidarity, common purpose are ends in themselves, becoming means as they are directed against predatory capitalism. In other words, communities organizing to defend themselves learn that in community lies our salvation. This logically and practically extends to a global vision of humanity embracing both our biological being and our capacity for benevolence and mutuality. We are not talking about a day, after the revolution, when we might be better people. Rather we are talking about humanity being the means by which we can bring about the radical transformation of the world. This is what humanity means today. It is both our compass and our shield. We must not allow it to be taken from us by despair.

 

June 2007

I'll be travelling to Leeds, England for the WDM conference. I was invited to join the panel: Music and Protest. Please pay a visit to WDM's website for further information.

World Development Movement annual conference -

Whose Rules Rule? 2007

Activism past, present & future -
Celebrating and learning from global justice campaigns
In association with the University of Leeds School of Geography

Saturday 30th June – 1pm to 6pm – University of Leeds

Speakers include Ngugi wa Thiong’o, George Monbiot, Mohau Pheko & Esther Stanford

Come and find out more about…
Reparations and the legacy of enslavement
Apartheid
Climate justice
Struggles against privatisation
Music and protest
Women’s rights
Migration
Corporate globalisation

Looking back ? looking forward ? debate ? discuss ? listen ? think ? celebrate!

For more information and to book your free place visit www.wdm.org.uk/wrr <http://www.wdm.org.uk/wrr>

**********Please circulate widely*********Apologies for cross-posting**************

 

May 2007

Since our return from the States in March we've been performing all over Swtizerland. We've been warmly welcomed and look forward to these upcoming shows:

Do, 24. Mai 2007, 20.30 h
Obere Mühle, 8600 Dübendorf
Tickets: Kultur in Dübendorf,
Fon 044 820 17 46

Do, 31. Mai 2007, 20.30 h
GUSS 81-80
Schaffhauserstr. 102, 8180 Bülach
Fon 043 455 81 80, info@guss81-80.ch
www.kulturzunder.ch
www.guss81-80.ch

We hope to see you there.

June will be a busy month with trips to England and Italy to speak and perform. I will post more details in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Kurt Vonnegut 11.11.1922-11.04.2007

Whatever you do, read Kurt Vonnegut.

April 2007

The big news is that "Welcome" is finally available. We hope you will give it a listen. Mat and Yvonne.

 

Late March 2007

Just got back to Bern from our tour on the East Coast. The tour was exciting and I will be writing a summary soon. For now, I just wanted to thank all those who made it possible. Never let it be said that those who run the US are in any way representative of the people living there. We met so many dedicated people organizing opposition to the current regime that it would be unforgiveable to allow this common misconception to pass uncontested. It is all too frequently assumed, particularly by those living outside the US, that the US is a democracy and therefore its citizens are responsible for the depredations of the government. While, certainly, the American people have a responsibility, it begins with a rejection of this basic falsehood. Indeed, the US government does not represent the people of the US and all mechanisms of state are dedicated to preventing this from ever taking place. Instead, there are literally millions of citizens who, attempting to fulfill their civic duty and express their desire for peace and justice, are made outlaws-figuratively or literally-by an apparatus that serves only giant corporations on their march of global plunder. What we saw was a tiny sampling of individuals and organizations devoted to alleviating human suffering and opposing the forces that inflict it. We were welcomed by people of diverse backgrounds and interests who told a far different story than what we read in the papers or see on the evening news.
Thank you all.

Stay tuned for more news in the next days.

 

March 2007

We're getting ready for departure to the US and our tour with David Rovics. The complete schedule is in the Tour Dates section of this site. For further information regarding the upcoming release of our new CD, "Welcome", please contact:
Thad Wharton
Broken Arrow Records
650 654 1700 new office
Email: twharton@earthlink.net
Mailing address:
1395 San Carlos Avenue Suite C
San Carlos, Ca. 94070

 

February 2007

The album is done. "Welcome" will be available in April-at least in Switzerland. For now, you can go to Broken Arrow Records and other music sites to download four songs. We'll be touring the East Coast of the USA with David Rovics in March. (see tour dates for more info)
Meanwhile, I'm preparing the next issue of Intelligence (top secret) which will be available March 1, 2007.
Stay tuned for more news, soon. Cheers, Mat

 

January 2007

Yvonne and I are putting the finishing touches on our new album, "Welcome" in preparation for a Spring release. We are also preparing for another tour in the US. On this tour we'll be joining singer-songwriter David Rovics. Further information regarding both events will be available shortly.
Please have a look at the latest newsletter (click adjoining link) and come back soon for more news. Thanks for your continuing interest.-Mat

 

December 2006

No sooner had I returned from the States than I was off to Geneva to attend a meeting of WIPO (an agency of the UN) in Geneva. I just got back to Bern and will publish a full report of the meeting as soon as I can get my notes organized. Stay tuned!

Mat and Yvonne's US Tour, November 2006

Dear Friends:

The tour began with a visit to Pete Seeger who had invited us to join a Clearwater Boat Club pot-luck dinner and song swap in Beacon, NY. Upon our arrival Pete, who is in fine fettle at 87 years of age, began regaling us with songs and stories. Suddenly, he remembered something. He had to clear a tree he'd felled out of his front yard. After an awkward moment pondering politeness and the social graces vs. joining in to get the work done, we dove into the project and began sawing, cutting and hauling. It wasn't quite what we'd come dressed for but Pete was grateful for the help and we were happy to contribute. We then went down to the Boat Club where we performed a couple tunes to the delight of those in attendance. It was a good kick off for a most enjoyable encounter with a side of America the Media makes sure no one ever hears about.
Next evening we played at the Brecht Forum in Manhattan. (http://www.brechtforum.org) It's a large, formerly industrial space at 451 West Street (extreme west edge of the island). The design of the interior is excellent for musical or theatrical performance and the programming indicates it is put to good use. A quick glance at their calendar showed the likes of Ben Sidran and Marc Ribot performing there, the staging of 'Marx in Soho', a play by Howard Zinn, and that exhibits, book launches and classes were taking place continuously. It is a thriving, vital center to which we were happy to be invited. We were joined on the program by our dear friend, Eli Smith, who did a fascinating assortment of very old and very new songs. More about Eli later on.
This was followed next morning by a visit with Dave Marsh on his 'Kick Out the Jams' radio show on Sirius Sattelite radio. For those who don't know him, Dave is not your run-of-the-mill, consumer-guide, music journalist. His viewpoints are well researched, clearly articulated and deeply engaged. His newsletter, Rock and Rap Confidential, is an invaluable source of ammunition in the struggle against the dominant culture's culture of dominance. I read it regularly and recommend it highly. (http://www.rockrap.com) It was a great pleasure to meet Dave and to have the chance to speak to his audience. We also got to play a couple songs live on the air. Kick out the jams, indeed!
That night we performed at Banjo Jim's, a cozy venue on the Lower East Side (9th and C, to be exact). It's home to a peculiar mix of old-time music (as the name suggests), played by old-time pickers, combined with a range of younger musicians inspired by everything from rockabilly to blues to folk. We had a great time sharing the bill with a fine singer-songwriter named Stephen Strohmeier. Most memorable was his song, "God Must Be A Terrorist".
Next stop was Hartford, CT where we joined singer-songwriter David Rovics in a benefit concert for Indymedia. This was a meeting a long time in the making. I'd heard of David years ago without ever actually hearing anything except a low-quality mp3 over my laptop's speakers which, naturally, didn't give me any idea of what David actually sounds like!?! Live, it was the diametrical opposite: the concert was held in a church and we played without amplification of any kind. In such a setting, David's powerful delivery comes through loud and clear. It was uplifting, to say the least. Contact David at: (http://www.davidrovics.com) We've begun what promises to be an enduring friendship since we have much in common. Hopefully, next year we'll be doing more concerts together. In any case, it was another warm welcome by friends we didn't know we had until we met them!
Before departing the East Coast for California, we made a couple more stops. First, we were honored to be introduced to Henrietta Yurchencko. At 90 years old, Henrietta is co-host of the Down Home Radio Show. The quick synopsis of her incredible life that appears on the show's website says: "Ethnomusicologist at The City College of New York, Exec. Board of PAMAR: Pan American Musical Arts Research. Host of first ever folk and world music radio show in United States on WNYC in 1940, producer of Leadbelly’s program on same station. Author of first biography of Woody Guthrie. Principal field recordist of pre-Columbian musics of Mexico." It was a joy to share her lively wit and her continued determination to document and popularize music. With all due respect to her pioneering role, it must be mentioned that Henrietta's partner in this important program is Eli Smith. As mentioned above, Eli's a fine musician in his own right and the organizer and archivist of Down Home Radio. Visit them at: http://www.downhomeradioshow.com.
Finally, we were invited to attend Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY. (http://www.levonhelm.com). It was a wonderful night of music including performances by the Alice P. Suter Band and Levon's own assemblage of musicians including Donald Fagen on piano. Concerts take place on a regular basis in Levon's barn. And what a barn it is! It's been converted into a recording studio and performance space that is home to Levon's legendary musical vision. As with most endeavors of this kind, it needs the support of the public to stay afloat. Visit the site and contribute.
All in all, our visit to New York brought us a wealth of new friends and experiences to share. It was our introduction to a diverse and enthusiastic group of music lovers and social activists. We were embraced with a warmth and attentiveness that was as humbling as it was inspiring. Once more I have to mention Eli Smith to thank him for all his work in organizing and publicizing the events and accompanying us in our travels. You made it happen, Eli!
We concluded our trip in San Francisco, California with a wonderful evening at the Galeria de la Raza. (http://www.galeriadelaraza.org) It was a benefit for Freedom Archives (http://www.freedomarchives.org) an organization doing invaluable work to preserve and make available materials collected in the struggle for social justice. Joining us were poet Nina Serrano and performance artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena. It was the perfect way to reconnect with our community in San Francisco and a welcome reminder that there are many who share our views a long way from our current home in Bern, Switzerland. It should be noted that the folks at Broken Arrow Records teamed up with the Galeria and Freedom Archives to organize this most successful event. Special thanks to Nina and Guillermo for performing with us and to Thad Wharton and James McCaffry for conceiving and executing a great idea.
Now, we're back in Bern and preparing for the release of our new CD, 'Welcome'. Stay tuned for details or contact Broken Arrow Records (http://www.brokenarrowrecords.com) for more information.

November 2006

We'll be Stateside for the next three weeks. Please visit the tour dates box on this site and join us if you can. Cheers, Mat

 

October 2006

Yvonne and I have completed recording our duet album. We will have a couple of the tracks with us on tour in November and those tracks will also be available for download on each of our websites. We're planning to release the album in Spring 2007. Why the delay? For several reasons not the least of which is the time it takes to organize all the aspects of promotion, distribution and performance schedules-particularly on our 'nano-budget'. When you ain't got the 'do-re-me' you better use TIME wisely! Not that I lend any credibility to that tired maxm: time is money. Not at all. In fact, time is not money, and thank goodness for that. But limited financial resources can actually force you to make a good plan and execute it properly, which leads us to Spring 2007 as opposed to rushing into the maelstrom that is the 'Christmas Market' (is that an oxymoron? wasn't Christ a communist?).

Another reason for the delay is that prior to undertaking the recording project preparations were already underway for a tour in the US in November. This is part of the problem of working on two continents. Things are not always in sync. Nevertheless, we will be playing in the US in November. More specifically, we'll be playing in New York City, Hartford, Connecticut and San Francisco. Certainly not a 'US TOUR" but on that continent and within those borders! For Yvonne and me it will be a chance to perform our new songs for an entirely new audience. Largely, these will be friends and friends of friends who became interested in my music after reading my book. Also, we'll be lending our support to causes and organizations that are struggling mightily to unite people in opposition to the current regime. This includes the Brecht Forum, the Galeria de la Raza and the Freedom Archives, among others. A full itinerary will be published on this site as soon as it is completed (which means-any day now!)

 

SEPTEMBER 2006

We're going into the studio on September 11 to begin recording our new album. When it is complete we will make an announcement regarding its availability. Go to the 'Duet' page on this site for more information about this project. A fuller description of tour plans will be forthcoming shortly. Stay tuned.

 

AUGUST 2006

Dear Friends:

The year so far has taken me many places to speak and perform. From the US to Poland, from the UN in Geneva to the Rock and Blues Cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, from celebrations in Paris, France to festivals in Umbria, Italy I've had a wonderful opportunity to engage in discussion and to share the joy of music. And, in the midst of all these adventures something new has emerged. What began as a practical solution to the logistical problem of getting a band and all our equipment onto a small stage for a benefit concert for the New Orleans Musician Clinic has developed into a full-blown project. Let me explain. Yvonne and I helped organize two concerts here in Switzerland to aid musicians who had suffered grievous losses in Hurricane Katrina. Getting the events staged and promoted properly took all our time so that when it came to our own performance the best solution was to do it acoustically in a duet. The response was so good that we decided to put a bit more effort into the possibilities of duet singing.
There were two parts to this process: First was recognizing the difference between the styles of singing each of us has developed on our own and what sounded best together. In this sense, 1+1 does not equal 2. Two, together, means a third voice emerges that is the combination. Secondly, the songs that made use of this new instrument were not always the songs that each of us might do well alone (or with a band). So, I set about composing music that took advantage of the possibilities this new instrument provides.
We debuted this repertoire at a small open-air festival in Bern. We were given great encouragement by the reaction of an audience that included both close friends and passersby. Subsequently, we had several opportunities to 'test-drive' this new vehicle, including our visit to Italy (see my website for the details of that trip and the others mentioned above). We have not lost our enthusiasm for the amplified band sound and, indeed, we're playing in that format more than ever. But there is something refreshing about this simple, old approach to music making. It has renewed vigor, at least for us, as it lays bare the melodies, the texts and the human beings singing them.
Now, we are preparing to record an album. It should be completed in September and will accompany us on our tour in the States which will begin at the Brecht Forum in NYC November 4. Stay tuned for announcements and updates regarding both the album and the tour. The next issue of ITS will have all the tour dates and information about how you can hear our new music.

 

July 19, 2006
Our Visit to Italy

Yvonne and I just returned from a series of concerts in Umbria, Italy. Originally, we were invited to perform at the 40th anniversary of La Romita School of Art. http://www.laromita.org/ Included in the celebration was a retrospective of the art of the school's founder Enza Quargnali. This event took place at the City Art Gallery of Terni, Italy. It was a lovely afternoon of moving testimonials to Enza's life and work enjoyed by a large gathering of well-wishers. We brought our music to enliven the proceedings and to pay homage to a fellow artist. It was both a great honor and a pleasure for us.

Actually, this was the last of the concerts we played and a fitting conclusion to a most interesting visit. The first concert was in a neighboring town called Collestatte which hosts the annual 'Country Live' Festival. As fate would have it our concert took place immediately following the finals of the World Cup. A sizable crowd gathered to see the match on a giant screen at the festival site. When Italy won, they went berserk. Virtually en masse, they vacated the site to drive up and down the streets and highways waving the Italian flag and hooting and hollering. We were left with a die-hard group of music lovers for whom to perform?!

What might have been a disappointment became an enthusiastic reception with an offer to play the next night at another festival. This was la Rinascita (the rebirth) sponsored by the Communist Party of Italy. On the week long program there were singers, dancers and cabaret performers of many kinds. We were added to the bill since the nights are very warm and people stay out late. Of course, being two voices and an acoustic guitar makes it easy to fit almost any situation but it was most generous of the event's organizers to include us.

Fortunately for us, people did stick around and there was a lively crowd that gave us a warm welcome. In fact, we were so well received that we were invited to return on Wednesday to close that evening's show. This gave us a further opportunity to speak with people involved in the event. Naturally, we had a lot of questions about the political situation in Italy including the various parties on the 'Left'. The recent defeat of Berlusconi by a coalition headed by Romano Prodi raises as many questions as it answers. For one thing, the two main Parties in that coalition include the Democratic Left and the Rifondazione Comunista. These groups are the result of divisions and schisms within the main opposition in Italy which, since World War II, centered around the Communist Party of Italy. The group at whose festival we were performing was the original from which the others had split off.

What Americans may have difficulty grasping is the fact that in much of Western Europe the communists (of one kind or another) have long enjoyed mass support. This is a result of organizing workers, peasants, students and others throughout the tumultuous 20th century. In Italy, communists enjoy considerable prestige due to their staunch opposition to fascism, the Nazi occupation and to the corruption of the Italian government run by and for Italy's elite.

Without going into all the details, it is not difficult to grasp how this translates into programs and demands. On the one hand, the same issues confronting working people in the US are confronting working people in Europe. And the growing unrest throughout the world is having a similar impact. The major difference is that unions and more radical political organizations are strong enough to mount effective opposition to the Powers That Be. Moreover, as the promises of the neo-liberals unravel and more and more people become enraged at the endless rip-offs and brutal military adventures of Bush, Blair, Berlusconi and others like them, they are turning to those who offer fundamental change as opposed to mere tinkering with the system.

At the same time, the various communist groupings (parties, coalitions, etc.) range from Clintonian democrats to genuine revolutionaries. Thus, waving a red flag or mounting a picture of Che Guevara does not mean the same thing in Italy as it would in the US. Indeed, it is perilous to assume anything based on public displays of political symbols. What we gathered from numerous conversations is that, while there is still a great deal of confusion, the opposition is determined to undo Berlusconi's disastrous policies (including siding with the US in Iraq) and to reassert the public interest in society at large. This includes protecting the health, education and welfare of the great majority of Italians against various privatization schemes. It also includes many projects to reclaim old factories, urban centers and other vacant land for public use. An example of this was the museum at which we played in Terni which was formerly a factory-and much sought after by speculators and developers.

Whether or not any of this is directed toward a revolutionary transformation is unclear. Certainly, people are vocally anti-capitalist. No one is fooled by such euphemisms as 'liberal' or 'conservative', as they are in the US. That talk is attributed to the extreme rightward turn that America has taken, not to any basic change in the terms of social conflict. What is evident in recent 50-50 elections in America, France, Germany, Mexico and Italy is that a civil war is brewing. Even in these prosperous countries there is great misery and social division. Containing it is the function of establishment politicians. Unleashing it is another matter altogether. For that to result in a better world there must be a vision of renewal which includes sharing this beautiful planet and all its fruits in justice and peace. The crisis continues to deepen. The answers to our common dilemma are to be found in common effort to defend and expand the Commons. Whatever specific demands are made, whatever particular issues are confronted, the interests of all must be clearly articulated and fought for. This is what we hope we contributed to with our visit to Italy.

June 27 2006

I will have some important news in the next few days. For now go to the tour info for performance dates, Cheers, Mat

May 18, 2006

Karavane to Poland:

We arrived at the Railway Museum in Skierniewice at midday, May 10 after a two hour flight from Zurich and a two hour drive from the Warsaw airport. A giant, old locomotive announces the museum's entrance located across the tracks from the main Railway Station of the town. Through the gates are a cluster of aged brick buildings. These are still functioning work shops, offices and a roundhouse. Inside the roundhouse are numerous steam locomotives, coal tenders, flatbeds, dining cars and other relics of a bygone era. Among them are six wagons that once took Jews to Auschwitz. Their grisly history is disguised by their banal appearance. Only the faded writing, "Deutche Reichsbahn", gives any hint of their complicity in carnage. They were used in two films: Schindler's List and The Pianist. Indeed, scenes involving these cars were shot, on location, at the museum.

Here we disembarked and were greeted by the young man who was to be our guide and translator for the next 6 days. Mariusz graduated as a linguist from the University of Warsaw and spoke impeccable high German. His skills were to be severely tested over the course of the coming week. He was employed by the Railway Museum as part of their plans for its development as an attraction to the town of Skierniewice which lies approximately 90 km southwest of Warsaw and about the same distance northeast of Lodz. Mariusz told us Skierniewice is now mainly a bedroom community, home to people working in Warsaw or Lodz. It is also home to an agricultural college situated in a region covered by farms and forests of trees planted for harvesting. As we took in our surroundings it became apparent that very little predated World War II.

When I sought to verify this perception I was told that a good part of Poland was utterly destroyed in the war. Everything had to be rebuilt. But this has been Poland's fate for centuries. Since it's own great power status ended in the mid-17th century the country has been dismembered and devoured by Swedish, Prussian, Russian and Napoleonic empires leading to its disappearance from the map of Europe between the years 1795 and 1918. Polish emigration, to the US in particular, saw millions of workers leave Poland for good. This phenomenon is reoccurring today, albeit to a lesser extent. High unemployment has led to a renewed outward migration. Poland's entry into the EU meant, among other things, that workers could travel freely to England and Ireland. "More than half a million Poles have moved to Britain to find jobs since Poland joined the European Union two years ago. They have fled a country with 18 per cent unemployment, the highest figure in the 25-nation bloc." (The Guardian, UK May 7, 2006)

What brought Yvonne and me to Poland was Karavane, an organization of handicapped people in various European countries. Karavane joined with the Railway Museum, a home for the handicapped in Kielce (another Polish city) and a group from Samara, Russia in organizing a festival. The Swiss section of Karavane had invited Yvonne and myself to participate in a similar festival last year in Wildhaus, Switzerland. Following the success of that event we were asked to participate in this one. These efforts are special in that they feature the performances and exhibitions of disabled people themselves. In various homes and care facilities programs are organized to engage them in cultural activities on a continuous basis. Specific groups focus on music, dance, theater and visual arts. One such is the 'Friedheimer Spatzen', a band comprised mainly of people from a particular home in the neighborhood of Frauenfeld in Switzerland. It was organized and is led by a fine musician and teacher, Andi Reinhard. Andi is also the one who introduced us to Karavane. Our involvement seeks to aid in the integration of so-called 'normal' society with that of the handicapped.
The festival in Skierniewice was a two day affair involving many performances along with radio broadcasts, interviews and news publicizing the event. It focused on the intermingling of guests from the three countries and the local community of Skierniewice and much of the time was spent talking and exchanging experience. The festival site was the large area outside the museum's buildings where a stage had been erected. The first day's events took place during the afternoon. The second took place in the evening as it involved a light show, a slide show and a fireworks display.

Our performance was warmly received and was even broadcast on Radio Victoria, a local station that features music. In fact, following an interview with Yvonne and me, the station listened to the recordings we presented them. Evidently, they liked them a lot. They told us on the day of our departure that they were devoting an entire seven day week to playing our music throughout each day!
For us it was a fascinating way to see a country to which neither of us had been before. On the one hand, we were traveling with handicapped people which made us even more foreign than we would have been anyway. On the other, this gave us a special relationship to our Polish hosts since we shared this concern with them. The purpose of our visit was clear and was not mere tourism. Across the divide of language and peculiarities of history this universal condition of human life connected us.

Of course, one sees very little in six days. Furthermore, the language barrier is high. In-depth discussion with a translator who is in constant demand by a group of 17 people was impossible and he was the only Polish person we could speak with most of the time. We did meet a few others who spoke English and with them we conversed. But this, too, was severely limited by time and the main purpose of the trip which was, of course, the public events.

Nonetheless, it was possible to form an impression. There has been a lot of foreign investment in Poland since 1991. This is evident from the proliferation of supermarkets like Tesco which is British owned and, of course, MacDonalds and other consumer goods outlets. It is also evident from the numerous skyscrapers in Warsaw with names like Marriot and Bosch, Credit Suisse and AT&T prominently identifying their owners. Furthermore, there is a lot of construction going on. This includes big enterprises but also, in towns like Skierniewice, many family homes are under construction or renovation. Perhaps compared to a wealthy country like Switzerland Poland is relatively poorer but Switzerland has not had a war on its territory for 500 years. Massive destruction marks a place for decades, even centuries.

In fact, though Poland was part of 'really existing socialism' for 46 years, I found it less different than one might imagine-or is led to believe. There are superficial differences in architecture, public transport, roads, etc. There are also remnants of the Soviet presence that would not be found in Paris or London. (these are mainly buildings, statues, memorials, etc.) But when one looks closer into the occupations, educational level, cultural activities and general public demeanor they are no more distinct than are Italian from Swiss or British from French. The language is by far the most striking difference. But this is obvious and is ever a question from country to country. If anything, Poland compares favorably with the far more blatant poverty and public dirtiness found throughout the US. From that perspective, it has not yet 'attained' the extremes of wealth or want that characterize America. It was never spoken to me directly but I gather that personal acquisition and the possibility of travel are things that Poles are happy to have. However, as mentioned above, this has brought about unexpected consequences with masses of Poles departing for better paid work in England. I heard nothing to suggest a headlong rush into the embrace of free-market capitalism. Guarded optimism, perhaps; cautious skepticism, definitely; but aside from the boosterism typical of the tourist industry I found people to be reserved. The few remarks I did hear about the changes wrought by the collapse of communism indicated the Poles view those who've recently gained wealth and power with a disdain one normally associates with criminals (as in the Mafia). This was reflected in a comment made to me that before it was Party bosses now it's rich businessman: they're all crooks.

Overall, the most important aspect of our visit was the work done for Karavane. That is why we went to Poland and that left the strongest impression. While demanding much patience and concentration, the uninhibited joy expressed by the disabled people we were with is a great reward. The spontaneity of laughter, affection and curiosity is a wonder. Indeed, what emerges through such creative interaction as the festival provided is how much they return to their care-givers, families and society at large. They are disabled, to be sure, but they are fully capable of contributing to the enrichment of social life. Fulfilling this potential requires commitment on the part of individuals and organizations. Those doing this work now certainly earned our respect. We are happy to have had the chance to contribute.

May 2, 2006

WIPO Meeting Summup

I was invited to address a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC) in Geneva April 24-28. The IGC was given its mandate by the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an organization in the UN. The invitation came as result of my book. 'The Trouble With Music' was sent to the Secretariat of the IGC on the recommendation of Pete Seeger. Pete had read it and thought there might be some connection between the book and his effort to have a proposal he'd made discussed by WIPO. It didn't hurt that I live in Switzerland not far from WIPO's headquarters. To my pleasant surprise the Secretariat not only read my book but invited me to talk about its implications for their work and what relevance it might have to Pete's ideas.

Over the course of 2005 several informal meetings took place which led to the combination of Pete's proposal with my own plan to implement it (see below) and the invitation to present this in Geneva. On the one hand, I felt duty bound to undertake this task since it was my book that prompted Pete to approach me. If I was to stand behind my own public pronouncements I had to use any forum available to state my case. On the other, I deeply admire Pete and his determination to right historic wrongs, particularly those done to music, musicians and the communities to which they belong. Here was an opportunity to, at least, put into the public record a means by which such ends might be achieved.

Upon careful reflection I drafted a proposal that took into account several different viewpoints. First, there is Pete's. While deriving from his own experience (see his examples below) it is not limited to that. Pete's viewpoint comes out of a situation shared by musicians in the developed countries such as the US, Europe and Australia. Second, there is the widely held concern of people in diverse tribes, ethnic groups and countries since their music has been systematically plundered without permission or compensation. Third, there is the view of a growing chorus of legal scholars and the open source software movement seeking changes in copyright law since new technologies and new attitudes have already substantially undermined the justification for and enforceability of existing law. Finally, there are the conflicting interests of different States. Some, like the US and the EU want to maintain their dominance. The present system was created by them to suit their purposes and they want no real change to occur. Others, like Brazil, Bolivia and South Africa want to end that dominance and are demanding changes that would substantially alter the way business, particularly the pharmaceutical business, is done. To offer a proposal that would unite with, first and foremost, the common aspirations of indigenous peoples and musicians of all ethnicities everywhere against the forces responsible for the continued plunder of our legacies and creativity was the easy part for me. More difficult was to find a way to articulate a principled, internationalist position that could actually be implemented under present circumstances. In other words, short of global revolution.

This may appear to contradict my frequently stated position that politics for the oppressed means enunciating the impossible-or that which is deemed impossible by the Powers That Be. I have said repeatedly that politics as 'the art of the possible' is a snare and a delusion. For the slave to be free he/she must demand an end to slavery. We must think beyond the predatory beast called capitalism and join our fellow humans to struggle for a better world. How could I be entering what some might view as a den of thieves to present a proposal I hope to see implemented unless I were compromising myself? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the victims of centuries of genocide were there fighting for their rights. But it was more than this.

My present effort is based on the principle that in order for reason to prevail it must be exercised. Especially in the face of the most unreasonable, inconsistent arguments, reason must be used to build unity of purpose and to expose the illegitimacy of authority. Beneath the anguish and righteous indignation of the oppressed is this basic truth: things do not have to be this way. Flowing from this is the necessity to articulate, now, the practical means by which universal principles might guide us out of the morass in which we presently find ourselves. This is the opposite of pragmatism. Pragmatism wants to 'get things done'. I want to get things changed.

Furthermore, for reasons I will clarify in a moment, it is inherently unreasonable to view a practical solution in one specific sphere of social life-music-as completely dependent on another-politics-for its existence. Everything is not political. While, ultimately, political struggle is necessary to achieve emancipation, within the realm of the arts and sciences there are forces at work that at all times resist dominance by the political. In other words, there are demands made by music and music makers that would be made on any government in any system. Hence, such demands made now might actually be implementable because of two important characteristics of art:

1. art is not democratic. Indeed, it could be said to be 'aristocratic' in that its necessities and mastery of them do not reside in the 'unity of all' which is politics. Thus, contrary to the egalitarianism of emancipatory politics which necessarily confronts Power head-on, the needs of art may split open an existing fissure in the edifice of Power in an oblique maneuver. Power opposes the egalitarianism of emancipatory politics. But it needs art (as well as science) to authenticate its claims to legitimacy. Therefore, it is precisely these peculiar claims on behalf of art that can force the hand of Power. At least art may expose the fraud that legitimizes the authority of current regimes.

2. while ultimately art depends on the wealth created by a society for its existence and in this sense is an expression of the social relations in that society it is never an exact replica. It is not merely a mirror, passively, impartially reflecting what is going on. Nor is it a weapon that physically removes oppressors or injustice. It does more than that. Art functions as a constant critique of a society's shortcomings and a demand that society rise to meet its potential. Necessarily, it mocks the failings of people while rallying them to imagine a better world-right now. Societies, especially this one, face their doom because they destroy art. In what might arguably be called the darkest days in history, interventions such as my proposal might be viewed with relief; even by those who otherwise maintain the vain hope that this social order can be 'adjusted' to eliminate its depredations.

Still, I was surprised to find that my proposal met with some approval. Truth be told, I've been so accustomed to being spurned that I was not emotionally prepared to be taken seriously-even by presumptive enemies. Interest was expressed by several States, including the US and Canadian delegations. Less surprising were the delegates from Caribbean and African countries who recognized its possibilities. More importantly, however, the proposal was welcomed by some of the tribal delegates present. These, I must add, share a deep skepticism of the Public Domain of which I am a champion. This is a result of the origin and use of this language and the legal category it represents. Public Domain has meant: "available for plunder". Their efforts to assert their political rights, including the right to self-determination, have taken the form, in meetings concerning Intellectual Property, of demanding property protections for their genetic resources and traditional knowledge and folklore. Since my proposal addressed these concerns in a forthright manner they grasped how there might be a basis for unity here. Furthermore, two specific components in my proposal coincided exactly with their own. These are: 1. The Conservatory model which is contingent upon canon formation by masters. Masters must be the ones who determine what are the best and most important of a tribe or ethnic group's songs or music and which performances of these constitute the essential in a collective legacy or tradition. 2. The authority to determine what works are off limits to the world. In other words, songs that are secret, sacred or otherwise only to be performed and heard by the initiated or qualified participant and not by anyone, even tribal members, who might misuse them (intentionally or not).

Through the fog of verbiage and the genuine complexity of issues one thing clearly emerged: Those with Power will not relinquish it without sustained, principled struggle forcing them to. Such struggle must take many forms including the diplomatic. Without militant action where people live it is an exercise in futility. But given the fact that such militant action is taking place, and increasingly so, diplomatic efforts can be useful.

It is far to early to tell what the outcome of this meeting will be. Neither the geopolitical issues nor my specific contribution can be evaluated in the short term. Nevertheless, there are projects underway that may give us a chance to experiment with the guidelines proposed. One is in Nagaland in northeast India where a combined team of Naga and Swiss is undertaking a project to document the music of the Naga tribes. Another is a project to record tribal peoples in East Africa. These will be a test of some of the principles being fought for here. Together with the tribal peoples themselves we hope to accomplish what some say is impossible: to recognize, respect and empower the tribal people themselves (which may include their forbidding some recording or access to it) while recording their legacies for the benefit of all humanity.

What follows are the proposals of Pete Seeger and Music In Common, the NGO I formed in order to speak at the meeting:

Music In Common Proposal

January, 2006

Old songs, worldwide, now in the Public Domain are often 'adapted and arranged' and the new song copyrighted. We propose that a share, .01% or 99.99%, of the mechanical, print, and performing royalties go to the place and people where the song originated. Every country should have a "Public Domain Commission" to help decide what money goes where.

Pete Seeger
The Committee for Public Domain Reform

Implementation:

The duties or functions of a Public Domain Commission would fall under three main categories. Preservation and Development, Resource Allocation and Accounting and Accountability. Each category is further defined below.

1. Preservation and Development-The Conservatory
a. Canon formation
b. Archive/library
c. Masters/teachers

Exemplary works held to be so by general acclamation of the community, tribe, ethnic group or nationality involved would be assembled and performed by similarly exemplary masters of the tradition. These might be recorded in both print and sound forms but they would necessarily be carried on in oral form to be passed on as they have already been for generations or centuries. (this has been accomplished in some cases, has been partially done in others, and has yet to be undertaken systematically in still others)

2. Resource Allocation
a. Funds for training youth
b. Funds for exemplary performance (regular festivals, customary events, etc.)
c. Funds for instrument building and performance space construction and maintenance
d. Funds for sustaining Master crafts people (instrument builders, performers and composers)

To ensure the traditions are kept vital and alive new generations must be introduced to them in a way that honors the music itself as well as those who maintain its highest forms of expression. Infusions of new energy and enthusiasm must be balanced with the mastery of the spiritual and practical skills needed to perform the music well. Structures suited to local conditions and histories should be constructed to ensure long-term sustainability.

3. Accounting and Accountability
a. Monitoring the health of the music, the musicians, and the community it arises from and serves
b. Monitoring the uses to which the music is put in the rest of the world
c. Collecting funds generated anywhere
d. Dispersing funds correctly according to the principles outlined above

Through international agencies, performing rights societies, governmental bodies or combinations of all three, the uses of music can be monitored and evaluated. That the Public Domain be maintained in the public interest and available to all, as is a library, should not mean that moneys generated by sale somewhere not be returned to their source of inspiration: namely the peoples or countries whence they arose. Indeed, it would be one function of the Public Domain Commission to ensure that two apparently contradictory purposes are served: to ensure preservation and development of a 'natural resource' for the benefit of all and at the same time limiting use by those seeking to profit from it and ensuring that a reasonable portion of those profits are returned to the source to sustain it. Ultimately, accountability to the local Public Domain Commission should be the rule. Thus, a universal principle would be applied locally by those entrusted to do so.

The composition of the Public Domain Commission should include music makers (musicians, composers and instrument builders) recognized as masters of their crafts. It might also include musicologists, historians and others sufficiently trained to ensure traditions are honored and healthily maintained. Educational and administrative functions corresponding to local conditions need to be constructed but oversight should always include music makers.

A UN Public Domain Commission

There are three areas where a UN Public Domain Commission would be useful in the implementation of these proposals:

Origins, Jurisdiction and Rights Designation

The origins of much of the world's music precede the formation of present-day Nations. Indeed, much of the world's music continues to be made and used by tribal, ethnic or other groupings that reside in different countries simultaneously. Furthermore, there are cases where no national body is recognized or trusted by ethnic groups whose music is in question. In such situations a UN Public Domain Commission might afford the best solution.
This should not, however, be merely a juridical 'court of appeal'. On the contrary, the principal function of such a body would be to ensure the preservation and development of the music in question in accordance with the needs and wishes of the people actually involved in making it. If no local entity has the capacity or authority to carry out this task then the UN Public Domain Commission should undertake it.

In determining a specific music's origin the following questions should be answered:
-Who makes the music now?
-For what purpose is it made? (sacred, festive, work, education, etc.)
-How will this be preserved and developed in the future?

In determining what kinds of rights are applicable a UN Public Domain Commission should use the Conservatory model proposed above. The Conservatory's basic function is to ensure that the makers and users of the music in question continue to flourish. Prohibition or limitation of use is a secondary function only useful in the context of the successful fulfillment of the first. This means:
-Resources from taxation, charitable institutions or profitable sale should be directed, first and foremost, to the preservation and development of the music and music makers involved
-Access to music should not be limited unless those who make and use it specifically designate it secret, sacred or otherwise unavailable to the world at large (in which case its unauthorized appearance would not only constitute simple theft but desecration subject to human rights protections)
-Respect for the work, skill and creativity that have been and continue to be invested by those involved. This requires public education within and beyond the communities in question to ensure that all who hear the music know the history and present circumstances of the people who made it

Pete Seeger's examples:

"When I learned the story of how little royalties for the song "Mbube" ("Wimoweh" in the USA) had gone to the African author {Solomon Linda}, I realized that this was a worldwide problem. Why not try to start solving it? I had been collecting book and record royalties for "Abiyoyo", a children's story I made up in 1952. It uses an ancient Xhosa lullaby. The royalties are now split 50-50, with half the royalties going to the Ubuntu Fund for libraries and scholarships for Xhosa children near Port Elizabeth, in southeast South Africa.
"Another example: in 1955 I put together a song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone". The basic idea came from an old Russian Folk song, "Koloda Duda". Some royalties for the song will now go to the national folk song archives in the Moscow library.
"In 1960 I put a melody and three words, "Turn, Turn, Turn" to a poem in the Book of Ecclesiastes, written 252 BCE. The English translation was done in London 400 years ago. I have decided to send some royalties to an unusual group in Israel which is trying to bring Arabs and Jews together.
"In the USA all the royalties for the song "We Shall Overcome" have gone, for 40 years, to the "We Shall Overcome Fund" which every year gives grants for "African American Music in the South". Bernice Johnson Reagan (Sweet Honey In the Rock) is the chairperson of that fund."

March 29, 2006

Mat's Tour Summary

Back from the Front I can say with confidence that there are many who share the views expressed in 'The Trouble With Music'. Although a whirlwind tour through a country as vast as the US cannot possibly be expected to alter popular consciousness in any significant way, it certainly convinced me that a lot of folks already know they are being force-fed a diet of sonic fast food and want no part of it. Furthermore, virtually everyone connected this with a much broader societal malaise. In the course of 19 talks in 20 days I found that people are eager to identify the causes of their discontent and find ways to change the current state of affairs. As regards music, millions are seeking alternative means of creating healthy relations with something they love and know they need. The fact that alternative means are necessary is an indictment of the domination of most media by mega-corporations with an anti-musical agenda. From NYU to Oberlin, from Saginaw Valley to New Mexico State, I found students and teachers seriously questioning the damage done to social life by this degradation of public space. Even at Stanford Law School, where my ideas might be unwelcome, there were those who recognize that the present situation is unsustainable. Something has to give. This not only reflects popular distaste with the tuneful trivia that floods the airwaves. It is a far more profound questioning of the way things are. The society that produces and promotes such large quantities of sonic garbage is a society at war with itself. The divisions and conflicts may simmer beneath the surface or may burst out into the open but they are always there and increasing in intensity. The growing awareness that something better is desireable and possible encourages me to continue.

Thanks to all the professors and administrators who made this tour possible. Special thanks to the good people at Broken Arrow Records who did the hard work of organizing it. Please visit their website and give a listen. http://www.brokenarrowrecords.com
It would be much appreciated!

February 7, 2006

I will be making another tour of the US in March 2006. Mainly, I'll be speaking at Universities about specific themes developed in my book, "The Trouble With Music". In addition, I'll be doing radio interviews, participating in panel discussions and, in a few places, playing songs. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to engage in serious discussion about music and its role in the world. I am grateful for the assistance given by my publisher, AK Press, and the good people at Broken Arrow Records. Special thanks are owed Thad Wharton of Broken Arrow who did the hard work of putting this tour together

The tour schedule is as follows:
March 6 New York University (NYC)
March 7 Sanctuary for Independent Media (Troy N.Y.)
March 8 Interview WBAI/Bluestockings: Speaking of Music (NYC)
March 9 Albright University (Reading PA)
March 10 Bookstore concert (Philadelphia)
March 11/12 Left Forum Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
51 Astor Place (between 3rd Ave. & Lafayette St.)
March 13 Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio)
March 14 Saginaw Valley State (Saginaw, Mich.)
March 16 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces (Las Cruces, NM)
March 17 St. Patrick's day feast (Albuquerque, NM)
March 18 Anarchist Book Fair (San Francisco, CA)
March 20 California Institute of Integral Studies (San Francisco, CA)
March 21 SF State University (San Francisco, CA)
March 23 Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
Tia Chucha's Cultural Center (Los Angeles, CA)
March 25 West Coast Live Radio (PBS) (San Francisco, CA)

Open to the Public:
March 7 - Troy, NY
7:00 pm : The Sanctuary for Independent Media
3361 6th Ave, Troy NY
(at 101st, where 6th Ave turns into 5th Ave)
A donation of $10 ($5 students/low income) is requested at the event.
March 8 - Bluestockings Bookstore, NYC
Bluestockings - 7:00 pm; Free
172 Allen Street (bet. Stanton and Rivington, Lower East Side, 1 block south of Houston and 1st Ave.)
By train: F train to 2nd Ave, exit at the 1st Ave, and walk one block
south.
By car: If you take the Houston exit off of the FDR, then turn left
onto Essex (aka Avenue A), then right on Rivington, and finally right
on Allen, you will be very, very close.
March 12 - Left Forum, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
51 Astor Place (between 3rd Ave. & Lafayette St. http://www.leftforum.org/maps.htm
March 13 - Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
Oberlin - 4:30 pm; Wilder Hall, Rm. 101 Free
March 16 - New Mexico State Univ.
7:00 pm: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM; Hardman Hall, Room 106; Free
March 18 - Anarchist Book Fair
"Around 2 pm": San Francisco County Fair Building, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, SF, CA (overall fair is 10 am - 6 pm); Free
March 21 - San Francisco State Univ., Downtown Campus
425 Market Street (at Fremont), 3rd Floor 7:00 - 9:00 pm
March 23 - Sylmar, CA
7:00: Tia Chucha's Café Cultural 818-362-7060
12737 Glenoaks Blvd.

For further tour information contact:
Thad Wharton
Broken Arrow Records
940 Bay Street, Suite 14
San Francisco, CA 94019
info@brokenarrowrecords.com

UK Tour Summary 16/11/05

"The Trouble With Music" was published in Great Britain on October 20, 2005. Together, AK Press and I decided it was necessary to make a short, introductory tour even though it would be in advance of book reviews or public notices. This is because we knew that we cannot compete with the mega budgets big publishers have to spend promoting books. Therefore, a grass roots approach must be taken. This depends on the good will of numerous people who neither knew me personally nor had yet had the chance to read the book. Fortunately, such interested people inhabit this planet and AK was able to locate a few, hence the tour. I wish to express my gratitude to the folks that run The Cowley Club in Brighton, the Forest in Edinburgh and The Common Place in Leeds for giving me the opportunity to share my views.

In each venue there were sizable audiences and lively discussions. I confess to approaching such events with some trepidation given that, compared with war, famine, pestilence and death the subject of music might appear to be trivial. Indeed, there are probably many who do think that. But at each event participants had no difficulty making the links between capitalism's more general depredations and those specifically visited upon music and music makers. Furthermore, the crucial but complex issue of how music making interacts with the struggle for human emancipation was clearly enunciated by those who joined in. Though such events allow no more than a cursory glimpse at what the book covers I had the sense that people grasped the breadth and depth behind it. At each venue I heard comments to the effect that the discussion made people think about music in a way they never had before. This was most encouraging to me.
What happens now is an expanded effort to get reviews both in music magazines and in more general publications throughout the UK. This should lead to another, more extensive tour of the UK in the first half of next year. Combined with the tour being organized for March 2005 in the US, we should have a good idea of how well we've done one year from the original publication of the book, May 2005. I want to thank everyone who has participated in this effort whether by attending the events, participating in discussions or writing to me with thoughts and suggestions. It has certainly strengthened my conviction that this is a battle worth waging and that there are real grounds for my optimism.

10/05

The Trouble With Music will be published in Britain October 20. AK Press has organized a brief speaking tour in Novmeber. Anyone interested in the details of time and place can contact AK Press (Edinburgh) directly at: 0044 131 555 5165 or via email: ak@akedin.demon.co.uk

Tour Dates:
Brighton- Tuesday, November 8th
Manchester- Wednesday, November 9th
Edinburgh- Thursday/Friday, November 10th and 11th
Leeds- Saturday, November 12th
please return to this site for updates as more appearances are being scheduled now.