I’ve gotten a few sideways looks when using the word “artivism”...which is funny to me because it’s not really that strange of a word, is it? I mean words are thrown together to take on new meanings all the time—like, that’s so totally superawesome. Or, don’t be such a jerkface.  

And, artivism is an actual word, so much so that it has its own Wikipedia page. I must admit, though, that when I first uttered the word “artivism,” it was new to me—I thought I made it up, I was a genius! But I soon realized that many (far brighter) people had had the idea before me. Ah, cold, hard reality, you taunt me yet again! There are no original thoughts, right? The point is, the word artivism isn’t all that new, and the concept is even older. Call it creative activism or conscious art or whatever you want, but people have been making art and music in hopes of changing the world for a long time. The Beatles did it, and hey, cavemen probably drew on their walls with saber toothed tiger hide dipped in plant pigment to appease warring tribes or something, who knows.  

Case in point: I just stumbled upon a kickass (hey, there’s another one of those two-word words!) organization last night that uses the phrase “creative activism” when describing itself. I was at an art show in Santa Monica, looking at an amazingly heart wrenching and beautiful exhibit of Dan Eldon’s photojournalism and mixed media collage work. Dan was a young activist and artist who tragically died in 1993 during mob rioting in Mogadishu. He was only 23 years old. After his death, his mother and sister started the Creative Visions 
foundation to “support people, especially the young, who use media, technology and the arts to create awareness of social, environmental or humanitarian issues and effect positive change in local and global communities.” It was a wonderfully inspiring experience to hear Dan’s mother, Kathy Eldon speak about the organization with such passion and exuberance, and it was a good reminder that artivism (as I like to call it, but you can make up your own word if you want) is everywhere.

Art, in fact, at its very core IS activism, even at the most basic level. Let’s say you draw a silly picture. You show it to your mom, it makes her smile, makes her day better, makes her feel good. That’s activism, people! That’s changing the world for the better! Of course, we here at RuckusRoots are hoping to do this on a larger scale. We’re hoping to remind those who’ve forgotten (or perhaps never new) what a powerful tool art is, that the skills to use that tool live within each of us and that it’s our responsibility as conscious beings to put them to use.  

Check out RuckusRoots new video!

Hey you! Turn yer lights off!

Here's a small way we can all very easily help the planet:

Observe Earth Hour Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm and turn your lights off for one hour.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney Australia, when 2.2 million people turned of their lights for one hour. The next year, 5 million people joined in. This year, the goal is 1 billion, so mark your calendars, turn off the lights, step away from your computers and TVs, and play cards by candlelight or something. :) There're lots of fun things to do in the dark.

Learn more here: www.earthhour.org/about/

Oh wow, that did NOT just happen. I wrote a whole blog and like the dunderhead that I am, didn't save it and it got deleted somehow. Anyway, let me try to recreate it for you in all it's glory, in 3 minutes or less.

Hmm...no time for formalities here, people, I'm on a tight schedule. We run a tight ship around here. That's right. Don't get any funny ideas. Ok. As I was saying:

First thing's first:

If you're alive and in Boulder tomorrow night, please deign to join me at the:

Electronic Curse: Friday the 13th Freakout!

Come exorcise those demons at the Fox Theater with some tasty electronic acts, including Leo123, GSP, Jantsen, Future:Simple:Project and The Freestyle Movement!

Getcher tickets here from the Fox Theater

RuckusRoots will be there, building our network and giving out free hugs. :)

In other news, we are madly preparing for our big April 20th debut of RuckusRoots Online. We've been invited to attend the University of Wisconsin's Earth Week Conference, where Moldover's Octamasher will delight the college kiddies with it's effervescent charisma and charm.

It is our goal to have RR Online up and running by that time, which will allow participants to record, download and share the songs they create on the Octamasher, and to use them to spread awareness about the environmetnal cause online.

It's a hefty and exciting goal, and so without further ado, I bid you all an affectionate goodnight!

Join the Ruckus !

Ahh, it’s another 78-degree winter day in Southern California. Pardon my gloating, but it’s pretty spectacular here, especially since I just got back from a trip to San Francisco, where it was a frigid 50 degrees! It’s official, I’ve gone soft since moving to LA from Colorado. (Shhh…don’t tell my Boulder friends, who are probably chipping the ice from between their toes as we speak.) In 50 years you’ll probably find me golfing in Florida, complaining that the sun is too bright!

Which brings me to my point: in 50 years I’m not exactly sure what Florida will be like, or if it will even still be around. Not to go all doom-n-gloom on you, but according to an LA Times article out today , “Even if by some miracle the nations of the world could bring carbon dioxide levels back to those of the pre-industrial era, it would still take 1,000 years or longer for the climate changes already triggered to be reversed.” While it’s true that we have to account for the fact that certain changes in climate and biodiversity are a natural part of the Earth’s evolution, there is no denying that human activity has affected the health of the planet and that we have to take immediate action to ensure a healthy planet for future generations.

“We need to act sooner…because by the time the public and policymakers really realize the changes are here, if is far too late to do anything about it,” Kevin Trenberth, the head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO said.

So what we can do NOW is insist that policymakers enact clean-energy legislation immediately. Power Shift 09 is the prevailing organization working towards this goal. Register to join them as they march on Washington February 27—March 2 to demand climate justice and economic freedom from dirty energy sources.

Meanwhile, RuckusRoots is gearing up for another spring and summer of events. Our goal is to give young adults a creative voice in the eco-activism community. By engaging in interactive art and music at our installations, participants will create an emotional connection to these important issues and become vigilant “artivists” for the planet. While on the road, we’ll also promote relevant movements such as Power Shift 09. Contact us if you’d like to be included!

Our new promo video and website are almost complete and will be up soon.

Join the Ruckus!

Well, folks, I’ve snapped myself out of my post-vote flurry to give you an update on RuckusRoots. The elections have come and gone, and we’re biting our nails in anticipation of the looming inauguration of President-elect Obama. Obama ran on a platform that promised positive changes for the environment and civil rights, so let’s see if he keeps his word! Now that the country has spoken, we here at RuckusRoots want to keep those voices at the forefront of our minds as we work towards our 2009 goals. Voting registration has naturally become a lower priority since the elections, though it will always remain an important aspect of our activities. During the winter and spring, we’ll be focusing instead on major planning, organizational and development goals, as well as fundraising, as always.

More after the jump

Caring is creepy. That’s what indie rockers The Shins say, and they should know because that song rocks. But what a freakin’ bummer (to use a phrase my mom made popular when I was 4 and still wetting the bed) that that’s the case. A bummer, indeed.

I started RuckusRoots with the knowledge that despite our supposed youthful vigor, as a generation we shy away from giving a crap about what’s going on in the world. I know that all you need to win the Least Popular contest is a clipboard and an earnest look on your face, though I have mad respect for those who do just that. I know preaching is a recipe for disaster. I know that if I make this blog too long, most of you won’t read it.

More after the jump

Arrrr! Put it on me hard drive!

We’re adorning ourselves with eye patches and medallion necklaces and heading to the Treasure Island Festival in San Francisco this weekend, September 20—21st.

RuckusRoots will be there, accompanied by the ever gregarious and ever magnanimous OCTAMASHER, which will provide a veritable treasure trove of musical mash-up fun for pirates and wenches alike. If you don’t know what the Octamasher is, let me just tell you. And if my description doesn’t quite do it for you, visit www.octamasher.com for more info.

The Octamasher is an interactive collaborative audio instrument designed by artist and electronic musician Matt Moldover. It has eight different stations that each controls one sonic element, such as rhythm or harmony, of a complete whole. All the stations are connected to one computer brain that synchronizes tempos and matches keys. With The Octamasher absolutely anyone can learn to make mind-blowing music in minutes, and revel in the experience of creating music with a group of people.

The technology behind the Octamasher is what we are using to design our RuckusRide, which will basically be a mobile version of the Octamasher, with a few more bells and whistles added in, as well as vocal samples and sounds that will integrate the social and environmental RuckusRoots theme.

We can all make beautiful music together—not only with the help of art pieces like the Octamasher, but also in our daily lives, by participating in the world around us. So besides playing with the Octamasher, stop by the adjacent RuckusRoots booth to REGISTER TO VOTE, sign the POWER VOTE PLEDGE and learn more about our cause.

The November presidential elections are less than 50 days away. This election is one of the most vital in recent history...do your part: VOTE!

Join the Ruckus!