michael--thanks for getting this discussion going...
i find that some talk shows and other venues are
also exploring this topic,....but who better than
musicians to express what we see here from our Point Of View?!
I am reminded of the musicians who have banded together to
perform benefits for a "Land Mine Free World" and
a few decades ago, Jackson Browne and friends formed
a group "M.U.S.E." Musicians United for Safe Energy
and Bonnie Raitt who has sung for many issues...
saving the Redwood Trees among others...
yes, music can be a powerful tool
to be used to gather support for
political causes...
Holly Near uses it well,
and John McCutcheon and
many other singers and
song writers...mnay of
whom i would be dissappointed
in if they did not express ideas
which contain (to quote Janis)
"songs of soicial and political import"
that's Janis Joplin, although Janis Ian
is good at singing songs that matter.
and Fred Small, and Tommy Sands, and
Leon Rossellson, and most of the
performes who i admire and respect
do luse their music as a tool,,,
not just a toy...