Living on Earth
The weekend before Telluride Bluegrass, Planet Bluegrass VP, Steve Szymanski, was a guest on the nationally syndicated radio show Living on Earth. The hour-long weekly show - devoted to environmental topics - airs on approximately 300 Public Radio stations.
A taste of the interview:
GELLERMAN: Steve do you think there’s something about bluegrass music that lends itself naturally to the message and behaviors you’re trying to change.
SYZMANSKI: You know I do, but I really think our venues out here in Colorado really just speak to the beauty and the pristine nature of Telluride. Folks immediately get it—I think its wired in that this is a beautiful place, we need to keep this place beautiful, and we need to preserve it. And so we’re lucky enough I think to have nature in everyone’s face all the time and so I think it’s been a little easier messaging around that because it’s just so obvious that this kind of environment is only possible if we take care of our event.
Listen to Steve’s segment (or read the transcript)
October 1st, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Awesome info and efforts through Planet Bluegrass and the Colorado Bluegrass community! While it is true, the incredible beauty of the surroundings provides tremendous “GREENspiration”; I feel that there truly is something about the bluegrass community itself that tends to the environment and to local sourcing.
For example, the task this past summer at the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg NY was composting. All of the vendors had to comply with the composting guidelines to be part of the festival and festivians were able to pitch in by placing the compost products in the clearly marked receptacles. Everyone, vendors and partiers alike seemed genuinely happy to participate in the efforts. The core premise of the Grassroots Festival is supporting arts, education, and the fight against AIDS.
The Ontario Barn Festival at 513 Whitney Road in Ontario NY supported the solar energy cause for the third year at the festival on 9/5/09 and is ramping up that support for the fourth annual festival on 09/04/2010. There are plans to have a solar education session during the festival so everyone can learn a little something and get involved.
Last, but never least the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman NY has actively participated in the “green” cause campaign through the years with its Rainbow Recycling center and program. Again, receptacles are clearly marked and participation by all is recommended by staff, volunteers, and festivians too.
Regardless of location or scenery, the bluegrass community seems to be one of the groups at the forefront of responsible living. As Donna the Buffalo sings in their song Conscious Evolution “Conscious Evolution in front of your eyes, Conscious Evolution in the back of your mind, Conscious Evolution go on spread the word, We’re all busy on a learning curve”. Ten years ago many may not have realized the future impact of our actions, but the bluegrass community seems to have moved quickly along the learning curve to make responsible living a natural way of life.
Thanks much for letting me comment. One Earth, One Future!
Cheryl Bergeron, Great Blue Roots Radio