passion

I was sitting on the plane the other day... I had just finished the biography of Che Guevara & was starting the biography of Nelson Mandela. As much as I am not a communist I do love the way Guevara & Mandela led people. They had so much passion that it was contagious to people around them causing the people to follow them. That's a quality I want.

Back to the part where I was sitting on the plane... I was thinking how to apply my new literature to my life and how I could volunteer my time to help others. I am shady about donating money to charities because they are required by law to only use a percentage to their charity & they get to keep the rest. Then I was wondering where I could volunteer my time... but no charities in San Antonio struck my interest. So I was thinking about what my passions are. Music.

I love music. I love being backstage. I love organizing. Everything about a live show is amazing to me. It makes me happy. So I was thinking how I could put the three things together. Music, charity, & leadership. That's when my idea hit me. It hit me so hard that all the ideas in my head flooded to life and I almost couldn't contain it. I just needed to call people and let it flow.

I've always thought I had some amazingly talented friends. I've thought about starting a company with all of them... but money and work and friends doesn't always work out. So what if everything was one hundred percent non-profit? No money was involved. No paychecks, no greed. What if everyone just donated a little bit of their time for one common purpose?

This is where the Underground Music Revolution was born... on an airplane heading to Texas sometime in October of this year.

I have lived in Nashville & been around the music scene for about the last 2 and a half years. I've seen the most talented people get looked over by major labels and I've seen the worst bands ever get signed. My personal belief is that labels are only good for financial support and for who they know. The rest of what they do is bad. They front money to bands who have never seen that much money & get them all excited. The young bands sign papers and don't even have a clue that they just sold themselves to the devil.

See, after a label signs a band the label gets a say in the artistic side, they can change an artists appearance, name, sound, etc. Then do you think after the artist has made it bigger that they see much more money? Nope. Some bands can get as little as 6 percent of profit from gross sales. Do you remember how they fronted the band that advance in the beginning? Well now its time for them to repay it too. It's an ugly thing those greedy corporations. They forgot their passion of music and now their only "passion" is counting zeros on their paychecks.

one source: http://www.futureofmusic.org/contractcrit.cfm

So what can we do? I believe that we can work without labels. I have a few friends, and my friends have friends, etc. We all know people... just like the labels. We all have money... not anything near what the corporations have, but if some of that money goes to graphic designers, photographers, wardrobe, hair & make up, music attorneys, managers, promoters, etc. Well heck! I know all those same people too... People that still have a passion. An old fashion romance for what music could be. People that are tired of listening to the radio & hearing the same awful 40 songs over & over.

Passion is contagious.

So where do you come in? Everyone is a dire necessity for this revolution to work. Anyone can do something whether you are a part of the "music business" or not. Whether you hold fundraisers or donate your talent... you are needed... you are appreciated... and we support you too.

Our goals are to help artists who are talented but have been looked over. Artists who have passion just like us & good character that would repay the revolution tenfold when the time comes around. An artist who just needs a push and will explode when people hear. You don't have to like the music of our artist that we happen to be working for at the time. You just have to like what we do enough to support us and spread the word... maybe you will want to host your own fundraiser... or make a donation.

Personally I organize people. I make things happen. I also collect the tops of soda cans. I have other flight attendants that do it for me as well. It's something small but it's worth more than just recycled money. It raises awareness to every person who asks me why I'm collecting a tab... and it gets about $8/lb. It isn't much but its something. There is nothing too small.

Our revolution surpasses politics, race, religion & genre.

the july 26th movement and red literature

Current mood: awake
I have had a couple of quite normal flights latelywhich is great for my soul but quite boring to blog about. I've been reading Che Guevara's biography. Mostly cause I know a little bit about him and what I do know wasn't answering my questions of why kids are walking around with Che Guevara shirts on. I'm halfway into the biography now.... (it's 800 pages) and I can relate to his sense of passion, his nomadic lifestyle, his non-materialism, his sense of not knowing his full purpose in life and thinking there is something bigger and better out there. I admire his passion. I admire his get up and go attitude. He did more by the age 39 than most... his actions are just controversial... but here's the thing... he killed a LOT of people... he didn't like Americans... so... as cool as it is for you to wear your Che shirt... maybe you should do some research before you just start walking around with a "logo". Anyways... besides me getting all parent-y about that... here's my BIG pet peeve.

I've been reading this book for almost a week...and its a big one so it doesn't fit into my suitcase... so I have to carry it. Coming back into the USA from Mexico I went through customs and immigration and the immigration guy gave me a hard time about the book. He asked me very rudely why I was reading a book about a communistic murderer. I told him it was history. I left it at that. He just gave me attitude and I kept walking after he stamped my papers. A few days later I'm coming back through immigration after returning from Costa Rica and low and behold there is my same immigration man. He looks at me and says, "Well there's my little communist friend."

Last time I checked the US was still a free country. I told him again that it is history. And he said, "you realize he wasn't a good guy right?" As if I was an idiot. Back in the 1930's and 40's Guevara would cross over to other countries' borders and he would get his "red" literature confiscated but I think that we've come quite a way since the 30's and 40's in a 3rd world country... or have we? Well needless to say I still have my book and next time I'm coming through with a Mao Tse-Tung and Lenin book. :) haha So what if I have a little obsession of reading about communists?! I am NOT a communist in any sense and I don't see the need to defend my literature even if I were. Excuse me for trying to educate myself. :)

ANYWAYS... I got a hotel yesterday because I am on call for the next three days... It is very draining to be on call... I'm serious! You can't plan for where you are going and you don't know until the last minute. They could send you on an all-nighter to Japan or just down the road to Alabama... You just don't know. So anyways, I got my room and ordered pizza and fell asleep before the pizza guy got here. Which was like 6pm. haha So I ate and then passed out again. I slept from 7pm until 8am. 13 hours. HECK YES! :) I got one of the last rooms because the hurricane evacuees are all heading to Atlanta. Our weather isn't looking that great either and rains are predicted which means it will be an interesting evening for a girl on standby... a.k.a. ME!

4 more days and the whole clan heads to Michigan for my sister's wedding... when I mean clan I mean family... not my communist clan. :) geesh. This is the second Abate sibling wedding... mine being the first... but this one will actually last so I deem it the actual FIRST ABATE SIBLING WEDDING. (my last name is Abate for those of you who didn't know... but don't go stealing my identity or anything.)
Well I better go get dressed and head to work before they kick me out of my room. Check out is in an hr and I’m still in pijamas. :)

peace love and fried chicken!