Presenting the NORM: NEAN’s Network of Revolutionary Musicians!

Music is an incredibly important aspect of all revolutionary movements. Inherent in song is the power to bring people together, united under common grievances, beliefs, emotions and visions for the future. As revolutionary anarchists of Northeast North America, our struggle is no different. Therefore, members of the Northeast Anarchist Network have recently launched a Network of Revolutionary Musicians (NORM), an association of musicians and bands striving – through their art – to promote anarchism and people’s struggles. We hope that through this project we can connect all of those musicians and help them bond together in the common cause of providing a soundtrack to our struggles and inspiring new generations to join the fight for a new world.

The NORM is planning a tour this summer, possibly called NEAN’s “Traveling Festival of Anarchy,” to bring revolutionary music, as well as skill shares, propaganda and workshops, in a caravan across the Northeast. Thus far, we have bands and venues set up in Massachusetts, Vermont, Upstate New York, and Maine.

The NORM is working on a page on the NEAN Web site where affiliated musicians can upload profiles complete with music downloads, videos, bios, and tour dates. We are also working on a compilation CD, hopefully the first of many, that NEAN affiliated groups and projects can use to fundraise.

Some of the NORM’s other goals, laid out in the original proposal, include: “Bridging musicians and music scenes with revolutionary struggles and movements, and empowering those involved in these movements to find creative expression of resistance through music...Acting as a committee to help set up entertainment events during and around NEAN Assemblies and other gatherings...Connecting a diverse range of genres and styles, and encourage the creativity, originality and bravery to break out of the comfort zones we limit ourselves to – musically and otherwise...(and)... fostering the creation of our own means of entertainment, expression, and sharing amongst ourselves in resistance to capitalist contracts, copyrights, and control over the music industry.”

If you are a musician, have a venue, or just a music lover, get involved! We need help throwing this project together, bands, hosts and teachers for our tour, and songs for the compilations. We have an e-mail list and are actively working on all of the above-listed goals. Please join up, send an e-mail to Jake at: trenchesfullofpoets |AT| riseup dot net.

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