A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

[Guest guest]

Mark Hawthorne

October 13, 2008

 

 

 

Google "social action music" today, and you won´t find a single entry. That´s bound to change, if the three young women from Truth on Earth have their way. Serena, Kiley and Tess are sisters, vegan since birth, who are using their musical talents to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues. With songs about factory farming, war, drug abuse and more, Truth on Earth travels and performs across the country, donating 70 percent of everything they earn to social causes. The band is guided in large part by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, whose Satyagraha, or "truth action," movement established a successful model of non-violent action and helped lead India to self-sufficiency. I recently had a chance to ask the band a few questions.When did you form Truth on Earth?Serena: Technically we became a practicing, performing and

recording band in spring 2008. But you could say we've been evolving for several years. Ever since we were little, we were always singing, dancing and performing to raise money for various causes. Along the way we've done some gigs and parties, a lot of basement jams and we've been practicing writing new music for a long time. After traveling around the country in an RV, and seeing up close some of the problems people face every day, we finally decided it was time to get serious about bringing awareness and solutions that our world needs to get in better shape so future generations will have a planet worth inheriting. How did you learn about animal-cruelty issues?Kiley: We were taught from a very young age to respect all living creatures. Our parents have always educated us on how animals are made for food, how they're treated in factory farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories. We have been vegan our whole lives, and ever since we

were old enough to think for ourselves, our parents taught us why they became vegan first for reasons of ill-health and then for them it became as much a spiritual issue. They've always given us a choice whether we want to eat meat or not, and we have all always chosen to remain vegan. They would explain to us in age appropriate terms what being vegan was all about, and to always love and respect all living creatures. As we got in to our teens, our parents showed us the truth about factory farms and slaughterhouse videos. What do you read or watch to keep current on animal agribusiness practices, vivisection, etc.?Tess: We are members of many animal rights organizations, and the Internet is rich with up-to-date information and videos clearly spelling out the problems and challenges faced by animals in most societies of the world, which seem to have little overall respect toward all living creatures as evidenced by lifestyle

choices. The good news is that consciousness is gaining some momentum, and we hope over our lifetimes there are big changes in this area. None of you has ever eaten meat, eggs or dairy products, right? Have you ever been curious about trying them?Serena: We have never eaten meat, eggs or any dairy products. We have never been curious about trying them, either. We know how bad meat and dairy products are for you, and how they destroy our environment, so we have never, ever wanted anything to do with them. We don't want the karma from the murdered animals that you get when you eat meat or dairy. It's so easy to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays because there is a non-dairy and meat substitute for nearly every kind of dairy or meat product. As an anecdote, there is a product used in a lot of cheese called Butyl. It is notably found in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese … and vomit. So when a lifetime vegan smells a real dairy

product, it almost always smells like barf. A non-vegan person eats it and says "yummy, yummy," right before they go have a variety of stomach and digestive issues. What we eat as gourmet vegans is much like what other people eat but without all the pollutants.Do you have difficulty finding vegan food while traveling?Kiley: Nowadays, finding or getting vegan food is the easiest it´s ever been. We usually cook our own food, and when we come across Whole Foods we stock up on our favorites, but you can get a great vegan meal at the franchise known as PF Chang's if you know what to order; they are quite accommodating!Are there any socially-aware musicians who have inspired you?Kiley: Our dad is one of our biggest influences and inspirations because he is a great musician, song writer, producer and manager, but also because he has always worked towards making the world a better, safer and healthier place. He is

always there to help us with our music whether we're singing, playing an instrument, writing a song or performing. There are other many musicians who inspire us but a few of them are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, The Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash.

What kind of response do you get from the public when they hear you perform about factory farming and other cruelties?Tess: One of our last gigs was at an event to raise money for an animal sanctuary. All of the people there were touched by the song "Factory Farm," and said that they have never heard a song sung from the animal's point of view before. Our songs hit people in different ways depending on if that person has had an experience with the issue that the songs are about. Many people shared their stories with us and told us they were inspired by our songs. In that same gig, a woman who had previously fought drug addiction said she was totally inspired and enlightened to go help others after she heard our song "Some People." This song is an ode to substance abusers who decide to rise above their affliction.Where would you like the band to be 5 years from now?Serena: We want to be

known worldwide -- on the scale of Bono -- not for self promotion but to bring attention and solutions to the many issues we sing about. By gaining that amount of recognition, we could end up bringing millions of new dollars in sales into the causes we support, which represents 70% of our profits. By doing this and through the power of our music communication, we could have a major impact on the world. Hopefully, in writing the next 150 or so songs on the remaining major world problems we haven't yet covered, we could inspire a new category of social action music to other artists who are interest in similar goals.You write songs about a wide variety of social concerns. Do you draw any connections between them?Kiley: Sure, all of these issues can all be linked in some way. Poverty, child abuse, starvation, war and the way that people treat their animals are definitely all connected. Gandhi once said, "The way you judge the moral

progress of a society is by the way they treat their animals." Actually, you can draw all sorts of dot-to-dot lines between these problems in our current songs and another 100 or so problems. But for the sake of space and time, we'll give you just a few obvious examples. When veterans come home from the violence of war without the proper support and care, which is most of our veterans, they are many more times abusive to their families than non-veterans. Many are then also fighting substance abuse. Kids who are abused often abuse animals and drugs or alcohol and many adults who are substance abusers have a higher likelihood of abusing children. Recently, the United Nations food program was notified that an independent report on their organization showed a huge problem in their feed-the-world program. Those who were supposed to be delivering the donated food to starving children in Africa were trading the food for sex with children.Are there

any other models of activism you enjoy, such as leafleting, protesting, letter-writing or volunteering?Tess: In the past we have done some protesting and raising money for various causes. Right now we have been focusing on writing our songs and working on our website. While there are fortunately many people who engage in the other methods of getting the word out, we feel that for us we can have a much greater impact doing our music and conveying our message to a wide audience.What vegan foods do you especially like?Serena: Kiley is a gourmet vegan baker specializing in desserts. Her chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing are my favorite.Kiley: I love Annie's vegan gummy bears. I am addicted to them!Tess: Kiley's homemade lemon cake. How does meeting people on the road make you feel about the future of our planet?Serena: There are small groups of people everywhere that want to

make a difference in some way and care about our planet. We feel there is a rising tide in consciousness, and that people are ready to do their part and make their contribution to help get our world on track. On the flip side, many people are totally dismayed about what is going on in the world. At a recent gig, a middle-aged man told us what a lot of people tell us. He said that before he heard us he was totally discouraged and uncertain about the Earth's future, but after hearing us, he said he had regained some real hope that if more people got the message, the future would be in good hands. That is the type of stuff that is inspiring.For more information about Truth On Earth, visit their Website at www.truthonearthband.com.Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (www.strikingattheroots.com). For

more of Mark´s writing, see his blog at http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/

 

Peter vv

[Guest guest]

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,530,000 for social action music. (0.19 seconds)

Peter VV Oct 14, 2008 9:40 AM Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Hawthorne

October 13, 2008

 

 

 

Google "social action music" today, and you won´t find a single entry. That´s bound to change, if the three young women from Truth on Earth have their way. Serena, Kiley and Tess are sisters, vegan since birth, who are using their musical talents to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues. With songs about factory farming, war, drug abuse and more, Truth on Earth travels and performs across the country, donating 70 percent of everything they earn to social causes. The band is guided in large part by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, whose Satyagraha, or "truth action," movement established a successful model of non-violent action and helped lead India to self-sufficiency. I recently had a chance to ask the band a few questions.When did you form Truth on Earth?Serena: Technically we became a practicing, performing and recording band in spring 2008. But you could say we've been evolving for several years. Ever since we were little, we were always singing, dancing and performing to raise money for various causes. Along the way we've done some gigs and parties, a lot of basement jams and we've been practicing writing new music for a long time. After traveling around the country in an RV, and seeing up close some of the problems people face every day, we finally decided it was time to get serious about bringing awareness and solutions that our world needs to get in better shape so future generations will have a planet worth inheriting. How did you learn about animal-cruelty issues?Kiley: We were taught from a very young age to respect all living creatures. Our parents have always educated us on how animals are made for food, how they're treated in factory farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories. We have been vegan our whole lives, and ever since we were old enough to think for ourselves, our parents taught us why they became vegan first for reasons of ill-health and then for them it became as much a spiritual issue. They've always given us a choice whether we want to eat meat or not, and we have all always chosen to remain vegan. They would explain to us in age appropriate terms what being vegan was all about, and to always love and respect all living creatures. As we got in to our teens, our parents showed us the truth about factory farms and slaughterhouse videos. What do you read or watch to keep current on animal agribusiness practices, vivisection, etc.?Tess: We are members of many animal rights organizations, and the Internet is rich with up-to-date information and videos clearly spelling out the problems and challenges faced by animals in most societies of the world, which seem to have little overall respect toward all living creatures as evidenced by lifestyle choices. The good news is that consciousness is gaining some momentum, and we hope over our lifetimes there are big changes in this area. None of you has ever eaten meat, eggs or dairy products, right? Have you ever been curious about trying them?Serena: We have never eaten meat, eggs or any dairy products. We have never been curious about trying them, either. We know how bad meat and dairy products are for you, and how they destroy our environment, so we have never, ever wanted anything to do with them. We don't want the karma from the murdered animals that you get when you eat meat or dairy. It's so easy to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays because there is a non-dairy and meat substitute for nearly every kind of dairy or meat product. As an anecdote, there is a product used in a lot of cheese called Butyl. It is notably found in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese … and vomit. So when a lifetime vegan smells a real dairy product, it almost always smells like barf. A non-vegan person eats it and says "yummy, yummy," right before they go have a variety of stomach and digestive issues. What we eat as gourmet vegans is much like what other people eat but without all the pollutants.Do you have difficulty finding vegan food while traveling?Kiley: Nowadays, finding or getting vegan food is the easiest it´s ever been. We usually cook our own food, and when we come across Whole Foods we stock up on our favorites, but you can get a great vegan meal at the franchise known as PF Chang's if you know what to order; they are quite accommodating!Are there any socially-aware musicians who have inspired you?Kiley: Our dad is one of our biggest influences and inspirations because he is a great musician, song writer, producer and manager, but also because he has always worked towards making the world a better, safer and healthier place. He is always there to help us with our music whether we're singing, playing an instrument, writing a song or performing. There are other many musicians who inspire us but a few of them are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, The Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash.

What kind of response do you get from the public when they hear you perform about factory farming and other cruelties?Tess: One of our last gigs was at an event to raise money for an animal sanctuary. All of the people there were touched by the song "Factory Farm," and said that they have never heard a song sung from the animal's point of view before. Our songs hit people in different ways depending on if that person has had an experience with the issue that the songs are about. Many people shared their stories with us and told us they were inspired by our songs. In that same gig, a woman who had previously fought drug addiction said she was totally inspired and enlightened to go help others after she heard our song "Some People." This song is an ode to substance abusers who decide to rise above their affliction.Where would you like the band to be 5 years from now?Serena: We want to be known worldwide -- on the scale of Bono -- not for self promotion but to bring attention and solutions to the many issues we sing about. By gaining that amount of recognition, we could end up bringing millions of new dollars in sales into the causes we support, which represents 70% of our profits. By doing this and through the power of our music communication, we could have a major impact on the world. Hopefully, in writing the next 150 or so songs on the remaining major world problems we haven't yet covered, we could inspire a new category of social action music to other artists who are interest in similar goals.You write songs about a wide variety of social concerns. Do you draw any connections between them?Kiley: Sure, all of these issues can all be linked in some way. Poverty, child abuse, starvation, war and the way that people treat their animals are definitely all connected. Gandhi once said, "The way you judge the moral progress of a society is by the way they treat their animals." Actually, you can draw all sorts of dot-to-dot lines between these problems in our current songs and another 100 or so problems. But for the sake of space and time, we'll give you just a few obvious examples. When veterans come home from the violence of war without the proper support and care, which is most of our veterans, they are many more times abusive to their families than non-veterans. Many are then also fighting substance abuse. Kids who are abused often abuse animals and drugs or alcohol and many adults who are substance abusers have a higher likelihood of abusing children. Recently, the United Nations food program was notified that an independent report on their organization showed a huge problem in their feed-the-world program. Those who were supposed to be delivering the donated food to starving children in Africa were trading the food for sex with children.Are there any other models of activism you enjoy, such as leafleting, protesting, letter-writing or volunteering?Tess: In the past we have done some protesting and raising money for various causes. Right now we have been focusing on writing our songs and working on our website. While there are fortunately many people who engage in the other methods of getting the word out, we feel that for us we can have a much greater impact doing our music and conveying our message to a wide audience.What vegan foods do you especially like?Serena: Kiley is a gourmet vegan baker specializing in desserts. Her chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing are my favorite.Kiley: I love Annie's vegan gummy bears. I am addicted to them!Tess: Kiley's homemade lemon cake. How does meeting people on the road make you feel about the future of our planet?Serena: There are small groups of people everywhere that want to make a difference in some way and care about our planet. We feel there is a rising tide in consciousness, and that people are ready to do their part and make their contribution to help get our world on track. On the flip side, many people are totally dismayed about what is going on in the world. At a recent gig, a middle-aged man told us what a lot of people tell us. He said that before he heard us he was totally discouraged and uncertain about the Earth's future, but after hearing us, he said he had regained some real hope that if more people got the message, the future would be in good hands. That is the type of stuff that is inspiring.For more information about Truth On Earth, visit their Website at www.truthonearthband.com.Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (www.strikingattheroots.com). For more of Mark´s writing, see his blog at http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/

 

Peter vv

 

 

 

 

 

Fascism, like socialism, is rooted in a market society that refused to function.

 

A financial system always devolves, without heavy government control, into a Mafia capitalism -- and a Mafia political system.

 

A self-regulating market turns human beings and the natural environment into commodities, a situation that ensures the destruction of both society and the natural environment.

 

Karl Polanyi

[Guest guest]

Hi FraggleThat few... I got 4,180,000! :-)BBPeter2008/10/14 fraggle <EBbrewpunx

 

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,530,000 for social action music. (0.19 seconds)

Peter VV Oct 14, 2008 9:40 AM

Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Hawthorne

October 13, 2008

 

 

 

Google " social action music " today, and you won´t find a single entry. That´s bound to change, if the three young women from Truth on Earth have their way. Serena, Kiley and Tess are sisters, vegan since birth, who are using their musical talents to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues. With songs about factory farming, war, drug abuse and more, Truth on Earth travels and performs across the country, donating 70 percent of everything they earn to social causes.

The band is guided in large part by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, whose Satyagraha, or " truth action, " movement established a successful model of non-violent action and helped lead India to self-sufficiency. I recently had a chance to ask the band a few questions.

When did you form Truth on Earth?Serena: Technically we became a practicing, performing and recording band in spring 2008. But you could say we've been evolving for several years. Ever since we were little, we were always singing, dancing and performing to raise money for various causes. Along the way we've done some gigs and parties, a lot of basement jams and we've been practicing writing new music for a long time. After traveling around the country in an RV, and seeing up close some of the problems people face every day, we finally decided it was time to get serious about bringing awareness and solutions that our world needs to get in better shape so future generations will have a planet worth inheriting.

How did you learn about animal-cruelty issues?Kiley: We were taught from a very young age to respect all living creatures. Our parents have always educated us on how animals are made for food, how they're treated in factory farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories. We have been vegan our whole lives, and ever since we were old enough to think for ourselves, our parents taught us why they became vegan first for reasons of ill-health and then for them it became as much a spiritual issue. They've always given us a choice whether we want to eat meat or not, and we have all always chosen to remain vegan. They would explain to us in age appropriate terms what being vegan was all about, and to always love and respect all living creatures. As we got in to our teens, our parents showed us the truth about factory farms and slaughterhouse videos.

What do you read or watch to keep current on animal agribusiness practices, vivisection, etc.?Tess: We are members of many animal rights organizations, and the Internet is rich with up-to-date information and videos clearly spelling out the problems and challenges faced by animals in most societies of the world, which seem to have little overall respect toward all living creatures as evidenced by lifestyle choices. The good news is that consciousness is gaining some momentum, and we hope over our lifetimes there are big changes in this area.

None of you has ever eaten meat, eggs or dairy products, right? Have you ever been curious about trying them?Serena: We have never eaten meat, eggs or any dairy products. We have never been curious about trying them, either. We know how bad meat and dairy products are for you, and how they destroy our environment, so we have never, ever wanted anything to do with them. We don't want the karma from the murdered animals that you get when you eat meat or dairy. It's so easy to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays because there is a non-dairy and meat substitute for nearly every kind of dairy or meat product. As an anecdote, there is a product used in a lot of cheese called Butyl. It is notably found in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese … and vomit. So when a lifetime vegan smells a real dairy product, it almost always smells like barf. A non-vegan person eats it and says " yummy, yummy, " right before they go have a variety of stomach and digestive issues. What we eat as gourmet vegans is much like what other people eat but without all the pollutants.

Do you have difficulty finding vegan food while traveling?Kiley: Nowadays, finding or getting vegan food is the easiest it´s ever been. We usually cook our own food, and when we come across Whole Foods we stock up on our favorites, but you can get a great vegan meal at the franchise known as PF Chang's if you know what to order; they are quite accommodating!

Are there any socially-aware musicians who have inspired you?Kiley: Our dad is one of our biggest influences and inspirations because he is a great musician, song writer, producer and manager, but also because he has always worked towards making the world a better, safer and healthier place. He is always there to help us with our music whether we're singing, playing an instrument, writing a song or performing. There are other many musicians who inspire us but a few of them are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, The Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash.

What kind of response do you get from the public when they hear you perform about factory farming and other cruelties?Tess: One of our last gigs was at an event to raise money for an animal sanctuary. All of the people there were touched by the song " Factory Farm, " and said that they have never heard a song sung from the animal's point of view before. Our songs hit people in different ways depending on if that person has had an experience with the issue that the songs are about. Many people shared their stories with us and told us they were inspired by our songs. In that same gig, a woman who had previously fought drug addiction said she was totally inspired and enlightened to go help others after she heard our song " Some People. " This song is an ode to substance abusers who decide to rise above their affliction.

Where would you like the band to be 5 years from now?Serena: We want to be known worldwide -- on the scale of Bono -- not for self promotion but to bring attention and solutions to the many issues we sing about. By gaining that amount of recognition, we could end up bringing millions of new dollars in sales into the causes we support, which represents 70% of our profits. By doing this and through the power of our music communication, we could have a major impact on the world. Hopefully, in writing the next 150 or so songs on the remaining major world problems we haven't yet covered, we could inspire a new category of social action music to other artists who are interest in similar goals.

You write songs about a wide variety of social concerns. Do you draw any connections between them?Kiley: Sure, all of these issues can all be linked in some way. Poverty, child abuse, starvation, war and the way that people treat their animals are definitely all connected. Gandhi once said, " The way you judge the moral progress of a society is by the way they treat their animals. " Actually, you can draw all sorts of dot-to-dot lines between these problems in our current songs and another 100 or so problems. But for the sake of space and time, we'll give you just a few obvious examples. When veterans come home from the violence of war without the proper support and care, which is most of our veterans, they are many more times abusive to their families than non-veterans. Many are then also fighting substance abuse. Kids who are abused often abuse animals and drugs or alcohol and many adults who are substance abusers have a higher likelihood of abusing children. Recently, the United Nations food program was notified that an independent report on their organization showed a huge problem in their feed-the-world program. Those who were supposed to be delivering the donated food to starving children in Africa were trading the food for sex with children.

Are there any other models of activism you enjoy, such as leafleting, protesting, letter-writing or volunteering?Tess: In the past we have done some protesting and raising money for various causes. Right now we have been focusing on writing our songs and working on our website. While there are fortunately many people who engage in the other methods of getting the word out, we feel that for us we can have a much greater impact doing our music and conveying our message to a wide audience.

What vegan foods do you especially like?Serena: Kiley is a gourmet vegan baker specializing in desserts. Her chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing are my favorite.Kiley: I love Annie's vegan gummy bears. I am addicted to them!

Tess: Kiley's homemade lemon cake. How does meeting people on the road make you feel about the future of our planet?Serena: There are small groups of people everywhere that want to make a difference in some way and care about our planet. We feel there is a rising tide in consciousness, and that people are ready to do their part and make their contribution to help get our world on track. On the flip side, many people are totally dismayed about what is going on in the world. At a recent gig, a middle-aged man told us what a lot of people tell us. He said that before he heard us he was totally discouraged and uncertain about the Earth's future, but after hearing us, he said he had regained some real hope that if more people got the message, the future would be in good hands. That is the type of stuff that is inspiring.

For more information about Truth On Earth, visit their Website at www.truthonearthband.com.Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (www.strikingattheroots.com). For more of Mark´s writing, see his blog at http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/

 

 

Peter vv

 

 

Fascism, like socialism, is rooted in a market society that refused to function.

 

A financial system always devolves, without heavy government control, into a Mafia capitalism -- and a Mafia political system.

 

A self-regulating market turns human beings and the natural environment into commodities, a situation that ensures the destruction of both society and the natural environment.

 

Karl Polanyi

[Guest guest]

funny, when i try it on google UK i get

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,620,000 for social action music. (0.19 seconds

someone is denying me a million dang result links! help help i'm being repressed!

Peter Kebbell Oct 14, 2008 10:26 AM Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

 

Hi FraggleThat few... I got 4,180,000! :-)BBPeter

2008/10/14 fraggle <EBbrewpunx (AT) earthlink (DOT) net>

 

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,530,000 for social action music. (0.19 seconds)

Peter VV Oct 14, 2008 9:40 AM Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Hawthorne

October 13, 2008

 

 

 

Google "social action music" today, and you won´t find a single entry. That´s bound to change, if the three young women from Truth on Earth have their way. Serena, Kiley and Tess are sisters, vegan since birth, who are using their musical talents to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues. With songs about factory farming, war, drug abuse and more, Truth on Earth travels and performs across the country, donating 70 percent of everything they earn to social causes. The band is guided in large part by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, whose Satyagraha, or "truth action," movement established a successful model of non-violent action and helped lead India to self-sufficiency. I recently had a chance to ask the band a few questions.When did you form Truth on Earth?Serena: Technically we became a practicing, performing and recording band in spring 2008. But you could say we've been evolving for several years. Ever since we were little, we were always singing, dancing and performing to raise money for various causes. Along the way we've done some gigs and parties, a lot of basement jams and we've been practicing writing new music for a long time. After traveling around the country in an RV, and seeing up close some of the problems people face every day, we finally decided it was time to get serious about bringing awareness and solutions that our world needs to get in better shape so future generations will have a planet worth inheriting. How did you learn about animal-cruelty issues?Kiley: We were taught from a very young age to respect all living creatures. Our parents have always educated us on how animals are made for food, how they're treated in factory farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories. We have been vegan our whole lives, and ever since we were old enough to think for ourselves, our parents taught us why they became vegan first for reasons of ill-health and then for them it became as much a spiritual issue. They've always given us a choice whether we want to eat meat or not, and we have all always chosen to remain vegan. They would explain to us in age appropriate terms what being vegan was all about, and to always love and respect all living creatures. As we got in to our teens, our parents showed us the truth about factory farms and slaughterhouse videos. What do you read or watch to keep current on animal agribusiness practices, vivisection, etc.?Tess: We are members of many animal rights organizations, and the Internet is rich with up-to-date information and videos clearly spelling out the problems and challenges faced by animals in most societies of the world, which seem to have little overall respect toward all living creatures as evidenced by lifestyle choices. The good news is that consciousness is gaining some momentum, and we hope over our lifetimes there are big changes in this area. None of you has ever eaten meat, eggs or dairy products, right? Have you ever been curious about trying them?Serena: We have never eaten meat, eggs or any dairy products. We have never been curious about trying them, either. We know how bad meat and dairy products are for you, and how they destroy our environment, so we have never, ever wanted anything to do with them. We don't want the karma from the murdered animals that you get when you eat meat or dairy. It's so easy to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays because there is a non-dairy and meat substitute for nearly every kind of dairy or meat product. As an anecdote, there is a product used in a lot of cheese called Butyl. It is notably found in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese … and vomit. So when a lifetime vegan smells a real dairy product, it almost always smells like barf. A non-vegan person eats it and says "yummy, yummy," right before they go have a variety of stomach and digestive issues. What we eat as gourmet vegans is much like what other people eat but without all the pollutants.Do you have difficulty finding vegan food while traveling?Kiley: Nowadays, finding or getting vegan food is the easiest it´s ever been. We usually cook our own food, and when we come across Whole Foods we stock up on our favorites, but you can get a great vegan meal at the franchise known as PF Chang's if you know what to order; they are quite accommodating!Are there any socially-aware musicians who have inspired you?Kiley: Our dad is one of our biggest influences and inspirations because he is a great musician, song writer, producer and manager, but also because he has always worked towards making the world a better, safer and healthier place. He is always there to help us with our music whether we're singing, playing an instrument, writing a song or performing. There are other many musicians who inspire us but a few of them are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, The Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash.

What kind of response do you get from the public when they hear you perform about factory farming and other cruelties?Tess: One of our last gigs was at an event to raise money for an animal sanctuary. All of the people there were touched by the song "Factory Farm," and said that they have never heard a song sung from the animal's point of view before. Our songs hit people in different ways depending on if that person has had an experience with the issue that the songs are about. Many people shared their stories with us and told us they were inspired by our songs. In that same gig, a woman who had previously fought drug addiction said she was totally inspired and enlightened to go help others after she heard our song "Some People." This song is an ode to substance abusers who decide to rise above their affliction.Where would you like the band to be 5 years from now?Serena: We want to be known worldwide -- on the scale of Bono -- not for self promotion but to bring attention and solutions to the many issues we sing about. By gaining that amount of recognition, we could end up bringing millions of new dollars in sales into the causes we support, which represents 70% of our profits. By doing this and through the power of our music communication, we could have a major impact on the world. Hopefully, in writing the next 150 or so songs on the remaining major world problems we haven't yet covered, we could inspire a new category of social action music to other artists who are interest in similar goals.You write songs about a wide variety of social concerns. Do you draw any connections between them?Kiley: Sure, all of these issues can all be linked in some way. Poverty, child abuse, starvation, war and the way that people treat their animals are definitely all connected. Gandhi once said, "The way you judge the moral progress of a society is by the way they treat their animals." Actually, you can draw all sorts of dot-to-dot lines between these problems in our current songs and another 100 or so problems. But for the sake of space and time, we'll give you just a few obvious examples. When veterans come home from the violence of war without the proper support and care, which is most of our veterans, they are many more times abusive to their families than non-veterans. Many are then also fighting substance abuse. Kids who are abused often abuse animals and drugs or alcohol and many adults who are substance abusers have a higher likelihood of abusing children. Recently, the United Nations food program was notified that an independent report on their organization showed a huge problem in their feed-the-world program. Those who were supposed to be delivering the donated food to starving children in Africa were trading the food for sex with children.Are there any other models of activism you enjoy, such as leafleting, protesting, letter-writing or volunteering?Tess: In the past we have done some protesting and raising money for various causes. Right now we have been focusing on writing our songs and working on our website. While there are fortunately many people who engage in the other methods of getting the word out, we feel that for us we can have a much greater impact doing our music and conveying our message to a wide audience.What vegan foods do you especially like?Serena: Kiley is a gourmet vegan baker specializing in desserts. Her chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing are my favorite.Kiley: I love Annie's vegan gummy bears. I am addicted to them!Tess: Kiley's homemade lemon cake. How does meeting people on the road make you feel about the future of our planet?Serena: There are small groups of people everywhere that want to make a difference in some way and care about our planet. We feel there is a rising tide in consciousness, and that people are ready to do their part and make their contribution to help get our world on track. On the flip side, many people are totally dismayed about what is going on in the world. At a recent gig, a middle-aged man told us what a lot of people tell us. He said that before he heard us he was totally discouraged and uncertain about the Earth's future, but after hearing us, he said he had regained some real hope that if more people got the message, the future would be in good hands. That is the type of stuff that is inspiring.For more information about Truth On Earth, visit their Website at www.truthonearthband.com.Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (www.strikingattheroots.com). For more of Mark´s writing, see his blog at http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/

 

Peter vv

Fascism, like socialism, is rooted in a market society that refused to function.

A financial system always devolves, without heavy government control, into a Mafia capitalism -- and a Mafia political system. A self-regulating market turns human beings and the natural environment into commodities, a situation that ensures the destruction of both society and the natural environment. Karl Polanyi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fascism, like socialism, is rooted in a market society that refused to function.

 

A financial system always devolves, without heavy government control, into a Mafia capitalism -- and a Mafia political system.

 

A self-regulating market turns human beings and the natural environment into commodities, a situation that ensures the destruction of both society and the natural environment.

 

Karl Polanyi

[Guest guest]



Good luck to them.

 

Jo

 

 

-

fraggle

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 6:21 PM

Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,530,000 for social action music. (0.19 seconds)

Peter VV Oct 14, 2008 9:40 AM Re: A Convenient Truth: New Band Targets Social Action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Hawthorne

October 13, 2008

 

 

 

Google "social action music" today, and you won´t find a single entry. That´s bound to change, if the three young women from Truth on Earth have their way. Serena, Kiley and Tess are sisters, vegan since birth, who are using their musical talents to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues. With songs about factory farming, war, drug abuse and more, Truth on Earth travels and performs across the country, donating 70 percent of everything they earn to social causes. The band is guided in large part by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, whose Satyagraha, or "truth action," movement established a successful model of non-violent action and helped lead India to self-sufficiency. I recently had a chance to ask the band a few questions.When did you form Truth on Earth?Serena: Technically we became a practicing, performing and recording band in spring 2008. But you could say we've been evolving for several years. Ever since we were little, we were always singing, dancing and performing to raise money for various causes. Along the way we've done some gigs and parties, a lot of basement jams and we've been practicing writing new music for a long time. After traveling around the country in an RV, and seeing up close some of the problems people face every day, we finally decided it was time to get serious about bringing awareness and solutions that our world needs to get in better shape so future generations will have a planet worth inheriting. How did you learn about animal-cruelty issues?Kiley: We were taught from a very young age to respect all living creatures. Our parents have always educated us on how animals are made for food, how they're treated in factory farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories. We have been vegan our whole lives, and ever since we were old enough to think for ourselves, our parents taught us why they became vegan first for reasons of ill-health and then for them it became as much a spiritual issue. They've always given us a choice whether we want to eat meat or not, and we have all always chosen to remain vegan. They would explain to us in age appropriate terms what being vegan was all about, and to always love and respect all living creatures. As we got in to our teens, our parents showed us the truth about factory farms and slaughterhouse videos. What do you read or watch to keep current on animal agribusiness practices, vivisection, etc.?Tess: We are members of many animal rights organizations, and the Internet is rich with up-to-date information and videos clearly spelling out the problems and challenges faced by animals in most societies of the world, which seem to have little overall respect toward all living creatures as evidenced by lifestyle choices. The good news is that consciousness is gaining some momentum, and we hope over our lifetimes there are big changes in this area. None of you has ever eaten meat, eggs or dairy products, right? Have you ever been curious about trying them?Serena: We have never eaten meat, eggs or any dairy products. We have never been curious about trying them, either. We know how bad meat and dairy products are for you, and how they destroy our environment, so we have never, ever wanted anything to do with them. We don't want the karma from the murdered animals that you get when you eat meat or dairy. It's so easy to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays because there is a non-dairy and meat substitute for nearly every kind of dairy or meat product. As an anecdote, there is a product used in a lot of cheese called Butyl. It is notably found in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese … and vomit. So when a lifetime vegan smells a real dairy product, it almost always smells like barf. A non-vegan person eats it and says "yummy, yummy," right before they go have a variety of stomach and digestive issues. What we eat as gourmet vegans is much like what other people eat but without all the pollutants.Do you have difficulty finding vegan food while traveling?Kiley: Nowadays, finding or getting vegan food is the easiest it´s ever been. We usually cook our own food, and when we come across Whole Foods we stock up on our favorites, but you can get a great vegan meal at the franchise known as PF Chang's if you know what to order; they are quite accommodating!Are there any socially-aware musicians who have inspired you?Kiley: Our dad is one of our biggest influences and inspirations because he is a great musician, song writer, producer and manager, but also because he has always worked towards making the world a better, safer and healthier place. He is always there to help us with our music whether we're singing, playing an instrument, writing a song or performing. There are other many musicians who inspire us but a few of them are Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, The Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash.

What kind of response do you get from the public when they hear you perform about factory farming and other cruelties?Tess: One of our last gigs was at an event to raise money for an animal sanctuary. All of the people there were touched by the song "Factory Farm," and said that they have never heard a song sung from the animal's point of view before. Our songs hit people in different ways depending on if that person has had an experience with the issue that the songs are about. Many people shared their stories with us and told us they were inspired by our songs. In that same gig, a woman who had previously fought drug addiction said she was totally inspired and enlightened to go help others after she heard our song "Some People." This song is an ode to substance abusers who decide to rise above their affliction.Where would you like the band to be 5 years from now?Serena: We want to be known worldwide -- on the scale of Bono -- not for self promotion but to bring attention and solutions to the many issues we sing about. By gaining that amount of recognition, we could end up bringing millions of new dollars in sales into the causes we support, which represents 70% of our profits. By doing this and through the power of our music communication, we could have a major impact on the world. Hopefully, in writing the next 150 or so songs on the remaining major world problems we haven't yet covered, we could inspire a new category of social action music to other artists who are interest in similar goals.You write songs about a wide variety of social concerns. Do you draw any connections between them?Kiley: Sure, all of these issues can all be linked in some way. Poverty, child abuse, starvation, war and the way that people treat their animals are definitely all connected. Gandhi once said, "The way you judge the moral progress of a society is by the way they treat their animals." Actually, you can draw all sorts of dot-to-dot lines between these problems in our current songs and another 100 or so problems. But for the sake of space and time, we'll give you just a few obvious examples. When veterans come home from the violence of war without the proper support and care, which is most of our veterans, they are many more times abusive to their families than non-veterans. Many are then also fighting substance abuse. Kids who are abused often abuse animals and drugs or alcohol and many adults who are substance abusers have a higher likelihood of abusing children. Recently, the United Nations food program was notified that an independent report on their organization showed a huge problem in their feed-the-world program. Those who were supposed to be delivering the donated food to starving children in Africa were trading the food for sex with children.Are there any other models of activism you enjoy, such as leafleting, protesting, letter-writing or volunteering?Tess: In the past we have done some protesting and raising money for various causes. Right now we have been focusing on writing our songs and working on our website. While there are fortunately many people who engage in the other methods of getting the word out, we feel that for us we can have a much greater impact doing our music and conveying our message to a wide audience.What vegan foods do you especially like?Serena: Kiley is a gourmet vegan baker specializing in desserts. Her chocolate cupcakes with butter cream icing are my favorite.Kiley: I love Annie's vegan gummy bears. I am addicted to them!Tess: Kiley's homemade lemon cake. How does meeting people on the road make you feel about the future of our planet?Serena: There are small groups of people everywhere that want to make a difference in some way and care about our planet. We feel there is a rising tide in consciousness, and that people are ready to do their part and make their contribution to help get our world on track. On the flip side, many people are totally dismayed about what is going on in the world. At a recent gig, a middle-aged man told us what a lot of people tell us. He said that before he heard us he was totally discouraged and uncertain about the Earth's future, but after hearing us, he said he had regained some real hope that if more people got the message, the future would be in good hands. That is the type of stuff that is inspiring.For more information about Truth On Earth, visit their Website at www.truthonearthband.com.Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (www.strikingattheroots.com). For more of Mark´s writing, see his blog at http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/

 

Peter vv

 

Fascism, like socialism, is rooted in a market society that refused to function.

A financial system always devolves, without heavy government control, into a Mafia capitalism -- and a Mafia political system. A self-regulating market turns human beings and the natural environment into commodities, a situation that ensures the destruction of both society and the natural environment. Karl Polanyi