Aug 2007
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MyScene: Green is Good!“Let’s put our trash in the right bin, let’s take a ride on our bikes, let’s eat organic vegetables, everything's gonna be alright!” The SqueeGees, from their song, I.D.E.A. Once upon a time there were two musicians. One thought he would be the next king of hard rock, and the other thought she would be another angst-ridden singer/songwriter. Fortunately for them, and their growing fan base of pint-size music-lovers, they met, fell in love and began to write children’s music. Life leads you to strange places, but we couldn’t be happier! The SqueeGees, Roman and I (Samantha), have always been conscious about the earth. We had a mutual admiration for the other’s effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, and that was just a part of who we were. Our band The SqueeGee’s, came about after I began teaching music and movement for children, as well as Mommy and Me & other parent/child enrichment courses. We searched high and low for cool children’s songs to use in my classes, but often came up empty- handed. We couldn’t find many bands that were creating eco-friendly songs for children – promoting themes such as respect for nature, eating healthy foods, and of course, preserving our earth. So over the next couple of weeks we wrote “Apples, Oranges and Peaches” (with the chorus: “Eating fruit is good for my body, eating fruit is good for my soul. Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, cut some up and put 'em in a bowl."); “Nala the Chihuaha,” (rescue animals and one in particular…ours); followed by “The Elements of the Earth”. On our upcoming album we have a song called I.D.E.A., which focuses on good things we can do for our planet and of course explores ideas. Being green on a musician’s budget seems daunting! You have to put some effort and love into it. Here is a handy list of things you can do to clean up your act a little. For bands on a budget this list is a good start and completely doable. Becoming ecologically active is nourishing on so many levels. The bottom line is, Green is Good. Check the links at the bottom for resources. Sustainable Press Kits Ideally we would all be doing things electronically to really save on paper, however we tried going that route and people still want formal press kits. For a completely sustainable press kit that looks fantastic check out The Sustainable Group. Also using 100% recyclable paper for mailing lists and having an electronic option on your webpage also helps cut down on paper waste. The Package Creating eco-friendly cd packaging that doesn’t end up in a landfill is as easy as springing for eco or media packs. If the eco packs aren’t an option, try printing only short runs of cds to reduce extra stock. Merch The SqueeGees will only clothe our little ones in certified organic cotton by American Apparel Sustainable Edition. Also ditching the cool leather guitar or drum strap isn’t so hard when there are stylish vegan options made especially for musicians. On Tour For a touring band it isn’t as hard to tread lightly on the earth, as you would think. Instead of driving around that old clunker, rent a hybrid and if you have a little more budget, create a biodiesel touring mobile. Reducing the amount of waste produced while on tour by recycling on board the bus/car and backstage at venues is so easy and helps so much, plus if you don’t see recycle bins at the venues you are playing request one. For more information about The Squeegees, visit us at:
www.meetthesqueegees.com |
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