“Music fans can be turned off by messaging that seems contrived, preachy, or overwhelming. The efficacy of a pro-environmental message can be profoundly influenced by perceptions of its sincerity, relevance, and artistic quality.” — from the abstract.
Jennifer Publicover, scholar and musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada recently successfully defended her thesis titled Perspectives on Music, the Environment, and Sustainability Education from Recording Artists Featured on the David Suzuki Foundation Playlist for the Planet. Info and link to full thesis.
“This study explores the use of music as a tool for environmental education and advocacy, and what sorts of implications there are both for professional musicians who advocate on behalf of the environment and for environmental educators who wish to use music as one of their teaching tools. It is based on in-depth interviews with musicians who have contributed songs to a 30-track compilation album released in 2011 by the David Suzuki Foundation called the “Playlist for the Planet”. Eleven of the contributors were the provincial and territorial winners of a Canada-wide contest set up by the Suzuki Foundation in a quest for environmental anthems, a contest which attracted over 600 applicants and made use of online voting through CBC Radio 3. The rest of the contributors were prominent Canadian musicians specifically invited by the Foundation. Nearly half of the album’s contributors have graciously donated their time and insights to this academic study, including Bruce Cockburn, David Myles, Danny Michel , Tanya Tagaq, Remy Rodden, and many others, representing a wide range of musical styles, types of engagement with environmental issues, performing contexts, and fan bases.”
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