In this current era with the way things are going, it is really easy for us to learn about all the negative things happening around the world and to feel powerless.  Every day that we turn on the radio, open up a newspaper or watch the news, we are bombarded with stories about horrible things being done.  Very rarely do we ever hear any positive, progressive news.  For all the problems that we hear about, it is extremely rare that we hear about solutions for them.  But if I can offer a viable solution to all of our problems with just one word, I’d say, “organize!”  If we organize ourselves as a mass movement, there is nothing that can stop us.  And as musicians who care about these global issues, it is our task to bring music to the forefront of our organizing.  Music has been in the past, and will be in the future, an extremely important catalyst for social change.

So where exactly does music come in?  Everywhere!  At every rally, parade, party, protest or benefit, music should always be there.  Music is what’s going to make this whole revolution fun!  Music is an essential part of all our lives, so it should be present always for this paradigm shift that we’re talking about.  We are also going to need some really catchy, sing-able revolutionary songs that are easy to learn.  In public areas, we need more street music to get random people engaged. Live, social commentary music needs to be everywhere.

We have seen many cases in the past in which music has played a major role in social movements.  I would even argue that for every revolution or social movement, music has always been right there on the front lines.  For example, in the US labor movement of the early 1900s, folk music and labor songs were a crucial tool of the striking workers.  In the 1960s in the US, much the popular music had progressive and revolutionary themes.  Slave resistance music in North and South America gave birth to what we know of today as popular song.  Fela Kuti, Charles Mingus, Bob Marley, Dead Prez, Joan Baez, Peter Tosh, Rage Against the Machine, The Coup, Anti-Flag, Pete Seeger, John Lennon, Public Enemy. One could be here for a while.  But the point is, the stronger the music, the stronger the social movement.

We have to realize that as progressive musicians, we must be organized.  Here in Boston, we created a progressive musicians collective called Activist Music for the People (AMP).  With this collective, we get together once a month for potlucks and check-ins and general socializing.  But we also team up and put on concerts and events, and lend a musical hand to already existing progressive events.  We are also simply a support group for each other. We are like a big family of radical musicians who help each other out.  I think that we need to see more of these types of musician collectives.  Maybe it could be on a regional basis.

In social movements today, we need much more music.  There is so much seriousness about all these issues that we are facing: climate change, imperialism, racism, gender oppression, genocides, sexism, neo-colonialism, globalization, etc.  But the music is there to lighten up our spirits and give us something to dance and sing to. I envision music to be a major part of all progressive events, which, in addition to rallies, protests, and fundraisers, can include direct actions, guerrilla theatre, strikes, picket lines, and press conferences.  It can be brought to any kind of public venue, from farmers markets to city streets!  If the music is fun, dancy, progressive and positive, I can’t think of any place where it wouldn’t fit in.  When I say progressive, I mean that it has a message promoting peace, justice, and a better world for all.

Not only is music going to make everything more fun; more importantly, it will strengthen our movements. Music is a unifying force that brings people from all different backgrounds together.  Let us not forget this. It is our task as musicians to harness this power of music and to use it to help create a better world for all.

Dave Scandurra is a Berklee student and a co-founder of Activist Music for the People (AMP).  He and his band are currently touring Central America on bicycles.