I have to write about this because when I look around the corners of my mind it’s what I see first. Heavy in the thought, light in the heart, making me smile all the same. I’ve been following the post-tour career of Natalie Merchant. How could I not? I’m spurred on by the hope she’ll actually get back in the studio to record, step back on the stage to perform, stand in the spotlight of another tour. For the meantime, here’s what my hero humanitarian has been up to:
Clear Path International: Natalie contributed “This House is on Fire” to a benefit cd. Ruby and I have classmates actively involved in CPI.
For The Lady: Natalie contributed “Motherland” to a benefit cd. Aung San Suu Kyi is still in exile.
Go Further: Natalie performs in Woody Harrelson’s movie about green living. I have yet to see this documentary.
Red White & Blue: A Tale of Two Americas: Natalie contributes “Motherland” to a documentary about Americans.
Unicef PSA: Natalie contributed “The Worst Thing” to Unicef’s PSA about AIDS. It’s a powerful 30 second spot. Check it out.
The Killer Within: Natalie recorded “Bird on a Wire” for a shocking documentary.
Dan Zanes: Natalie recorded a Scottish traditional folk song “Loch Lomond” for Zanes’ childrens album. I just picked this up for my nephews for a spur-of-the-moment-Christmas gift.
Nothing Like The Sun: Natalie will participate in a project to put Shakespeare’s sonnets to music. My friend, Rebecca Correia, has already done this with one sonnet. Very cool.
For New Orleans: Natalie contributed to a cd to benefit the musicians who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Give Us Your Poor: Natalie participated in a documentary about homelessness. This is a really interesting project worth reading about (and watching – there is an eight minute excerpt).
Why do I babble about these things? Why do I care? Surely there is little to no effort in allowing someone to use a song in a documentary or in a benefit cd. Surely it’s not big deal to record one measley song for something. But, here’s the thing: everything Natalie does is either for a good cause or a thought-provoking project. This is why I argue with my husband about an athlete’s paycheck and why I’ll never understand the price of sports.
Happy Humanitarian Holidays.
~*LunaSea*~ 