Teachers

I write this letter with a heavy heart, because I fear that my community is losing not only its mind, but more importantly, its heart.

A community is a collection of people, and like any family, contains conflicting opinions and attitudes. Many a parent has said to a child, “I don’t like your actions, but I will always love you.” Yet, I watch as we turn on our neighbors with unprecendented levels of anger and vitriol.

Many nations of the world realize the importance of education, sacrificing everything for their children's schooling. Many children walk miles or hours to get to school. Recently, I watched a story about a small Himalayan village where children walk several days through glaciers, mountain passes, and inclement weather to reach a school where they stay for months.

Yet, I hear members of this community attacking our teachers, the very people working tohelp our children become our future society. Every one of us has been deeply influenced and inspired by a teacher. I cannot say the same about doctors or lawyers.

If you have concerns about our educational system in this state or this country (as you should), write to your officials or visit the Ohio Board of Education. If you are concerned about the unconstitutionality of how our education is funded through property taxes (as you should), then write to your officials, march on Columbus, or come up with a better idea. But teachers are not ideas and concepts; they are people, and all members of a community should be valued as the important human beings they are. Has our privileged Brecksville community lost its mind such that it cannot discuss opposing viewpoints in a civil and rational manner? Has our privileged Brecksville community lost its heart such that it must denigrate members of our community rather than search for understanding?

Attacking our teachers doesn’t improve our children’s education. Attacking teachers doesn’t fix how schools are funded. Attacking teachers doesn’t encourage others to moveto our community. Attacking teachers doesn’t lead to a solution. Solutions are born of understanding, of working together.

I hope that our hearts still beat and that our community can come to value the worth of each of its members far above that of money or any other concept. I hope that we can fight for our teachers, even while we fight to improve education for our children.  

Tour De Frack

This Sunday marks a huge event for me.

I have been working this year on doing things that stretch me, things that take me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it's something seemingly small, like fording a river.

Other times, it's a 5 day bicycle ride.

Ever since seeing the movie, The Way, I have had interest in a long, or at least several day excursion of some sort. It went up on my someday list. At the same time, I was hearing more and more about fracking, and frankly, none of it good.

Fracking, if you don't know is a process of drilling for gas. It involves fracturing the layers of shale that the gas is in, usually with a toxic chemical concoction.

It posed major threats to the environment and the lives of the people who live near fracking, but it's bigger than that. It comes down to basic democracy. The states are giving over their rights to the Oil and Gas Industry. And they're giving the rights of the towns and cities to plan their cities. This is a pretty basic right and function of local government that is now virtually taken away.

The idea of fracking has perturbed me since I heard about it, and the more research I do into it, the more I am disturbed.

So when I received a phone call to be a part of a 5 day bicycle tour/rally to raise awareness about fracking, I couldn't say no.

And I stepped a big leap out of my comfort zone.

I did not have a bike. Nor had I really ridden in over 17 years. I did not have any of the gear or stuff I would need.

But I couldn't say no. You have to take the first step, even though you don't see the whole staircase.

After asking around, I was lent a bike, and a couple of shops donated a helmet, gloves, emergency kit, and a tune up. I still need a lot of things. A lot. But I have been riding on and off since May, and I can pretty comfortably do 25 miles, (a little over half of what my daily riding will be).

Every day, I think, what have you got yourself into?

But life is about the living.

As each day passes, bringing with it a greater clarity of what the actual biking will entail, I have begun thinking about the rally side of it all.

The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and education about what fracking is and the truths of what it does. There are events each night along the way, culminating in a big rally in DC called Stop the Frack Attack.  I have had many misgivings about several of the various protests I have been a part of. While I believe in the cause, I frequently disagree with the tone of the protests. Dehumanizing the other side is never going to lead to a solution. Calling the other side names does not lead any way to a lasting solution. All direct actions (such as protests) should be done to cause negotiations. And focusing on the individuals instead of the overall issue, allows no room for negotiations.

The last week has opened my mind to several illuminations. It will be interesting to watch these protests and events from this perspective. Regardless, I will not be participating in any sort of verbal violence.

I'll keep yall posted.

 

Spring

All the cliches run through my head this time of year. It's hard for them not to. As tired and worn as they are, they hold truth. And in the sunshine, they all sound so right on.

There is no better time of year. The sun calls us out of our winter hibernation; the birds sing brilliant songs for us in their joy, and Nature begins flowers in all its pastels and watercolours.

The frogs croak and romp in the ponds.

The bears yawn, and come looking for dandelions and ants.

The trees reach out to me in greeting. And everyone feels like they are 12 again.

Though I think of the mountains on most days, this sunshine gives me a reprieve on the longing, and becomes my dance partner, as we teach each other new dances and new beats.

What am I sitting here at a computer for?

The day beckons. Life calls. My soul yearns for the enlightenment of a forest, or at the very least a stand of trees.

So if you hear some whistling and see the trees swaying, know the party has started. You are invited.

I hope you join us!

SXSW Part One

Everyone goes to Austin's SXSW for different reasons.

At least, I'd like to think so.

Though at the base of it all is massive networking. Constant, massive networking. That much is guaranteed. 

So, when the opportunity called me up and asked me to perform in Austin, I couldn't say no. Yes, networking was my main goal, but I was itching for the experience of the festival, the experience of Austin. These moments are chances at great growth.

And Austin is the 8th most vegetarian-friendly city in the US. 

The road to Austin is a long and mostly dull one. Two new friends and musicians carpooled down with me. A Kia Soul was rented for the ride. It was bright red. Even the papers for the car called it "bright red." On a level beyond the reality of it, driving to Austin in a Soul was perfect.

Overall the car was fine. Though it was not made for tall folks. And hours upon hours in a yoga pose I've never tried before, one with my knees situated at head level, does wear upon one.

Our one highlight was sometime around 4 or 5 am, pulling into some random gas station someplace in Arkansas or Texas. Disrepair in not enough of a word for the state this building was in. Surly this establishment had been vacant for at least a decade ... I was quite surprised it was actually still in operation. 

It was called the Sweet Pea.

And it was under new management.

I decided to try my luck inside for restrooms, which were surprisingly not that bad. Beside the check-out counter was a box of incense, marked at "Perfume Wands."

The driving wasn't bad as the three of us rotated. Sleeping was still difficult though when not driving, and I might have gotten a good thirty minutes, or an hour at the most.

But before you know it, and then 20 hours after that, we were nearing Austin.

Traffic was horrendous and delayed our arrival by a good hour or more. 

Austin is about the population of the Greater Cleveland area. That fact surprised me because there were people everywhere. Granted, this festival brings in hundreds of thousands of people. Even on the busiest night in Cleveland, there wouldn't have been as many people as there were at 4am in Austin.

The hotel was a something I had been looking forward to since I found out about it. The host of the showcase was putting me up in the showcase room - the Presidential Suite!

I'd never been to a Presidential Suite before. Actually, I think I've only been in a suite room only maybe two or three times. As we loaded in, the porter took us to the elevator and was quite impressed when we told him what room we were headed to. "Man, who are you guys?" he asked.

The elevator was made of glass on the backside so you could look out into the hotel as you went up and down. We, of course, got to go all the way up to the top floor. (Which had roof access I was told, though I couldn't exactly find out where ...) 

The showcase room was being set up when we arrived. Pictures of instruments and music were all over the walls, naturally.  It was a perfect fit. And the view wasn't bad, either; looking straight down Congress, over the river to the Capitol building. A large gray metal sculpture was positioned on the intersection of two streets below. It looked like a boomerang. I was told it was a bat.

I still couldn't really see it, but said, "Oh."

What does one expect in a Presidential suite? Perhaps a plaque stating which president(s) had stayed there? Even presidents of companies would have been acceptable. 

But no.

It was Presidential in name.

Though the staff was saying if any President could have stayed there, it probably would have been LBJ. Nevermind that he died before the place was built. The ghost of LBJ is actually kind of cooler than the real thing.

A friend of mine from Sacramento was in town for the festival and was also volunteering at a soup kitchen some friends of his ran. I was to meet up with them shortly after I arrived.

We were meeting up at an outdoor showcase on the same street as the hotel, but about 10 blocks South. The walk was an answered prayer after the long drive. The showcase was also a benefit for the soup kitchen. It was crammed, but everyone was quite friendly. As I caught up with my friend, we listened to two singer/songwriters who had played at his venue in California. They were good country-blues-singer/songwriter types. 

The sun was shining and gorgeous. Sunshine and music is pretty much as good as it gets.

I'll leave out most of the networking I did, because I was meeting folks and networking everywhere. So, let's leave that as a given.

This is about the experience.

Several people stopped me, complimenting my mustache. I was told over and over again, that is was quite important in Austin.

The self-proclaimed Mayor of South Austin was introduced to me. Nothing was told me about the self-proclaimed part, so I spent the first half of the conversation thinking that perhaps she was the Mayor of South Austin. Until she dropped a few casual f bombs. But she was a wonderful character, and I'm sure that anyone who's spent some time in South Austin knows this delightful soul.

My show wasn't until 10pm, so we had some open time, and I wanted to take in the festival as much as possible before I needed to be back for sound check. We walked up to the main drag, Sixth st. 

In our walking, we apparently just missed the world's largest urban bat colony taking flight from under the bridge right by my hotel. Sixth St was a glow with music. Even at this point in the afternoon and this early in the festival. The streets were filling up, and several of the main drags were shut down completely to cars and such. Ben Kweller was performing in the window of the Stage. A band called Hordes and Harems was rocking out a small bar rooftop. A bizarre experimental girl and guitar player droned in and mostly off-pitch from one of the stages.

No time for dinner; it was back to the hotel for my set. I did nibble down a few delicious apples, and a small handful of Brazil nuts. 

And took the stage.

My music sounded pretty great in this Presidential Suite. I'll have to remember that. Perhaps I was feeling more regal and performing as such. Perhaps it was just the many wooden surfaces. 

Ignite the Soul really shined. Sparkled and dashed out to the audience to connect and flush over them. I could see it light each person up. Amazing just begins to describe it. Manifest, as well, was more special than usual. 

Maybe the ghost of LBJ was realizing that RFK was right all along ...

Maybe it was just the deep state of tired I was in.

Kyshona Armstrong was up after me, from Athens, Ga. She was a soulful powerhouse, just her and her guitar. Her friend said that my music made her night. 

Then Mike June and his bassist and accordion player sang his style of Texas singer/songwriter-alt-country-Springsteeny songs. His set was great; the accordion was a brilliant addition and was right on all night. The accordion in more pop music is a big "yes" in my book. 

My friend, Brent Kirby played next with his pedal steel extraordinaire Al Moss, and guitarist Andy. It had been a few minutes since I had last heard Brent, and he has grown a lot into his writing and singing.

Also that night were Meganne Stepka and Anna Vogelzang, who sounded a lot like Ingrid Michaelson and played the ukulele, banjo, guitar and little hand-bell-plucky-sort of thing. 

Thus ended the first day in Austin.    

        

SXSW

After hearing about this music festival in Austin, Texas for most of my career, I have been asked to perform this year as part of Veronica's House Concerts' Sweet Spot Series Showcase! (that's a mouthful , i know!)

As most cool opportunities arise, this one was last minute. The first 3 months of the year, I spend planning and booking my summer and fall tours. So, my mind was on June-August - budgeting, booking, creating venues and opportunities in the Western US. And then I got a call about performing at SXSW.

Next week.

There's a lot to organize for such a festival performance. CDs, business cards, merch, travel, etc.

So, i started up this page if you'd like to help with my costs so that I can afford to make this opportunity happen:

http://zach.chipin.com/help-me-get-to-south-by-southwest

The excitement for this event is bubbling over. I'm not usually excited about going to or through Texas, but this is the 8th most Vegetarian Friendly City in the US. Plus, I will be carpooling down and flying back. The carpooling event will be fun; it's me and 2 other musicians. The flight back is a something that gives me a little pause. Flying with my guitar has been the subject of nightmares for years. This will be my inaugural flight with my guitar, so I'll need all our your prayers.

The funny part is that I have no fear of the flying itself, just what airline personnel like to do with guitars ...

But I'm sure it will be fine.

(knocking on wood ... )

At the moment I am swamped with amazing proposals that I am writing for the Akron Peace Project and a truly fulfilling and euphoric idea dealing with my tour for next year. This is quite an exciting time!

Smile often.

Z   

Juice Fast

My latest journey begins 2 months ago. We were discussing with Ms. Julie what films we wanted to show for the first 4 months of 2012 in the Peace Project Film Series. We had all been recommended "Fat, Sick and nearly Dead." Julie watched it, and said we need to show it. So we put it on the calendar.

And then she said, since it's a film about juice fasting, we should do a juice fast too. We could host a 5 day juice fast.

Fasting has intrigued me for last last few years. Since college, I have had a deep and growing fascination with spirituality. It has led me down many paths, collecting many ideas, joys, and bigger concepts of Love. I think it started with my trips to Wyoming, where I felt such a connection, and even as a child, I could sense something calling to me from those mountains, and this led me to an interest in Native American spirituality. In all of these ideas, fasting was a reoccurring theme.

I kept saying, someday.

So this opportunity, pushed me at the right time, and I leaped.

The movie was deeply inspiring, and my excitement for this adventure was palpable. The universe was also on my side. You see, a juicer made it's way to me, shortly before the juicing was to begin.

The night before my first day of juicing, I went out and bought fruit and veggies enough to make a large batch that would last for about two days.

Kale, cucumber, spinach, carrots, apples, oranges, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango.

Mmm!

The first juicing experience was a little disheartening, shall I say. Not in the product, but in the fact that it took over an hour to juice. That was more time than I was expecting. I was able to whittle that down to about 30 min, including washing the juicer.

But the juice was good. And by day 2 and 3, I was feeling a little difference. A little more open to understanding myself. By day 4, I was noticing a few less pounds, and feeling pretty good overall.

Day 7 was difficult for me. The whole of the two week, I never felt hungry. I was comfortably full. Satisfied, if you will. But on Day 7, my habits reared their head, and I found I was deeply itching to have hummus and pita throughout the day. You see, I typically would have hummus and pita as I worked online during the day, and/or if I watched TV, etc. I munch a lot. Not that it's a bad thing, necessarily. But I think it is when you dont have control over your actions.

For both Day 7 and 8 there was great temptation to break my fast. But this being a spiritual adventure, I was not about to let my habits break me down. All of my will power was summoned, and I was determined to find a way over my habits.

This issue of my munching habit, while I knew that I did it, became very clear to me at this time. It was the first time I was looking at a habit of mine, and seriously, deeply looking it, in hopes of changing or overcoming it.

The empowerment in this choice and insight was profound, and Day 9 brought the best Id felt yet! And I mean yet. It was the best I have felt that I can remember in all of my 30 years in this skin.

Just before my juicing, I came down with a nasty head cold. And it took several days into the juicing for it to leave. As soon as it did though, I was back into a yoga routine. My energy was rising and feeling great!

My daily juice was typically a fruit-based juice in the am, and then a more veggie-based one in the pm. I was making large quantities so that I could take it with me as I traveled to meetings and shows, etc, so I wasnt really following recipes. My veggie drink was a mix of kale, carrots, cucumber, spinach, apples, grapes, beets, and ginger. My fruit drink was a mix of apples, pears, oranges, grapes, kale, mangoes, watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, plums, carrots, and sometimes strawberries. I added to this by having a carrot-apple-beet juice at Ms Julies Kitchen once in a while, fresh orange juice, fresh cranberry juice, and the random juice at Mustard Seed or another fresh fruit bar.

A big misstep: Earth Fare ... does not have very good juice options. They have komboucha on tap, but their mixed juices are sort of weird combinations. The one I tried had garlic in it, and was so disgusting, I nearly vomited. I tell you, so you dont make that same mistake. It took me hours to get that taste out of my mouth.

So now here I sit, at the end of this stage of the journey, forever changed. My eating habits will never be quite the same. Ive lost a good 15 pounds or more and feel exceptional. Juicing will be in my diet and lifestyle every week if not every day.

I walk on from this with a greater understanding of my body, and a greater connection to my self.

This has also led me to the next step, which is real fasting. My goal is to undertake a one day a week fast.

I highly recommend juice fasting to anyone. Be it for just before noon, or one day a week, or 2 weeks, or 30 days. Its a great adventure, and you will walk away more powerful and confident and energized.

Om shanti!
    

Value

I just read a wonderful article by a talented musician, Carsie Blanton.

http://brighterthanabuoy.blogspot.com/2012/01/pay-what-you-please-manifesto.html?spref=fb

The value of music is an interesting topic.

What do you think, can a song be bought and sold?

Music is magic. All art is magic. It deals in the realm of emotion and spirit. It's territory is a place deep inside the soul, certainly much deeper into our being than most products (ie the ice cream cone or iphone).

As a music fan, music is a mystical experience. My life has been outright changed by music.

How has music changed your life and what is it's value to you?