I don't know if there's anyone in this country who isn’t affected by Southern California fires in some way, big or small. I was going to be in the recording studio today but the session engineer had to cancel. She’s from LA and needed to fly south to help a family member move, hopefully temporarily, as these fires burn out. It was a small inconvenience for me and my producer, but it made me think of the cascade of impacts this disaster is wreaking, and the ripples effect each person really makes.
In this case, one person’s displacement upset a day of work and potential income for the engineer, the producer and the studio. Then there were the costs of flights and fuel the engineer would now incur. And there were other sessions and lessons and classes we didn’t schedule or take in order to have the date clear, which then impacted the schedules of students, associates and family members, and so on down the line. And these were just the very short term effecst of one, fire-impacted person. Multiply that by how many people in Southern California right now whose life as they knew it has changed either because their house has been destroyed or their school or place of work is closed, or they're involved with the relief efforts in some way.
Everything, everywhere, everyone, is subject to a multitude of causes and effects. The fires themselves are a stark lesson in how climate change1 affects us all. And climate change gone unchallenged or unmitigated inevitably leads to climate disasters. For all the blame for the devastation ricocheting around the various mediascapes, the responsibility for this disaster touches all of us who are living in the modern world whether you know it or not. It’s on all of us to insist upon more climate solutions, especially as we face such political headwinds.
One way you can do that is by participating in the People’s March taking place at locations nationwide this Saturday, January 18 — Climate Action Campaign is one of the sponsors — which is an umbrella-tent call to march to defend our rights and our future.
In regards to the wildfire relief efforts: A lot of people and animals need immediate help. KQED has put together a comprehensive guide “How to Help People Affected by the LA Fires” which makes it easier to parse how and where to send your donations.
Speaking of taking action. I saw the new documentary about the amazing songwriter/performer/icon Ani DiFranco called 1-800-ON-HER-OWN in November and found it especially inspiring given everything going on. I first saw DiFranco perform her brand of fierce, unapologetic folk back in the 1990s, at an eTown taping in Boulder, Colorado. She was tiny, young, scrappy, impossible to forget. A tireless activist, an ever-questing artist and an ace guitar player, I didn’t see her live again until the aughts when a friend gave me a ticket to her show at The Warfield. She had both softened and grown more powerful. I was blown away by her sheer force. 1-800-ON-HER-OWN captures her story from then to now and in-between. The film will have a second screening at several theaters around the Bay on Thursday, January 16, 2025! That’s this week! I encourage Bay Area friends interested in music, activism — and keeping it all going no matter what life throws at you — to attend a show in San Francisco, Sebastopol or Berkeley!
The movie, Ani’s example, is good fuel for my efforts in organizing another group of amazing singers and musicians for 19 Voices in Solidarity, Sunday, January 26, at the Ivy Room. Proceeds of the show will benefit the American Civil Liberties Union.
Resisting and persisting is the call!
I’ve a ‘Flight Lessons’ show coming up February 8 in Alameda. I’ve been working on this folk opera for a few years now, which is based on a true story about the Peregrine Falcons and humans living at the convergence of the wild and urban, and manages to combine most every ingredient of my life, be it songwriting or conservation, birds or writing.
Writing alone is one thing, performing with a group is another. This weekend, most of the cast came over to rehearse, which is equal parts sweat and joy. I’m not sure how to convey how exciting it is to hear a group of powerhouse singers, actors and musicians embody one’s words, but suffice to say I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity. Plus spending several hours in a sunny room with such talent’s voices ringing through the room is a balm for the soul and these times. When in doubt, make art! And again, if you’re in the area, come to the show!
“Wildfires and Climate Change”, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Thanks for the service your article provides. We have a gig on Saturday night so cannot attend the march. We have so many friends in SoCal, it has been devastating to watch and know the terrible consequences of these fires. Be well.