 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
MUSECO |
|
PROGRAMS UPDATE
Environment | Music | Visual Arts | Native American Issues | Educational Outreach | New ProgramsHere is an update on the status of many of our programs as of 2009:
ENVIRONMENT
Retreat:
Wild Places and the Human Spirit Family Retreat (WildPATHS), May 25 - 27, 2007: This exciting weekend retreat is a project of MusEco Media and Education Project, often held in cooperation with the Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The retreat is for families and individuals interested in our great wild outdoor places. The purpose of the retreat is to provide an opportunity for learning, exploration and relationship building through workshops, outdoor experiences and fun group activities.
Wilderness, environment, ecology and the wonder of the living world around us are the primary focus of the retreat's learning opportunities. The connections between Wilderness and the human spirit through philosophy, history, music, art, poetry and outdoor experiences are emphasized.
The retreat begins after dinner at 7:00 pm Friday night and concludes after dinner at 7:00 pm Sunday night. The retreat has been held at the Timber Crest Girl Scout Camp south of Red Lodge.
Food and lodging are provided in the cost of attendance. The food is an important part of the learning experience.
This retreat is an annual event with a registation limit, so register early!
FOR MORE INFORMATION: go to the WildPATHS page (WildPATHS) OR call MusEco at 406-591-0575!!
Radio: Waste Not Want Not: Conserving the Last Best Place (WNWN) aired for exactly four years on Yellowstone Public Radio. Highlights include a series about water, a series on Wilderness, regular programs touching on Native American issues related to the environment, Earth Day live call-in specials, including one about Environmental Ethics with Dr. William Lynn, Dr. Walt Gulick and the “father of environmental ethics” Dr. Holmes Rolston. Programs often touched on topics like environmental innovations, sustainability initiatives, alternative fuels like biodiesel, local and organic foods, endangered species, sustainable building and much, much, much more.
Many of the programs are archived on our website (click the listen button above) or at www.NewWest.net - the online newssource for the Rocky Mountain West.
Television:
The most exciting collaboration ever, in the history of our organization, is Montana Gets Green produced with KTVQ in Billlings!!! Check it out at www.MontanaGetsGreen.com!!
The 2 minute features about sustainable businesses, products and lifestyles is produced by Kris Prinzing, MusEco's Director.
She also produces a weekly television program called "Green Trends West" that airs on Community Seven television every other Thursday nights at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Kris interviews individuals who are leading positive, innovative projects in sustainability and environment in our local and regional community. Many of the guests are businesspeople, talking about their businesses' efforts to be sustainable or support the sustainability efforts of others.
MusEco producing a series of “interstitial” programs that are currently running on KTVQ in Billings. The project’s title is GreenSmarts with The Green Man and consists of one minute programs that will educate the citizens of our state on issues of importance to quality of life in Montana. See the first two episodes at our YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/MusEcoMedia).
EVENTS AND CLASSES:
MusEco regularly puts on informational lectures on a variety of topics in our focus areas, and MusEco staff teach adult-ed courses in Music and Environment/Sustainable Living topics.
Examples include:
EVENTS
"Prairie Whispers" with Ralph Scott
"Green Buildling De-Mystified" with Ed Gulick
CLASSES
Kris teaches a variety of sustainability classes upon request. Her class "25 Ways to Live More Softly on the Earth" in collaboration with MSU-Billings Outreach was very popular.
Kris speaks on a variety of environment related topics including music and religion and can readily prepare a customized talk for your event.
Scott has offered "Native American Music: More than Drums and Flutes" several times in a number of forums around the state. He is available to talk at your event, too!
GREEN BUSINESS Seminar:
Greento Gold : Watching Sustainability Transform Your Bottom Line,
This half-day seminar featured nationally-recognized sustainability implementation expert Darcy Hitchcock introducing Montana businesses to the profit potential in being or becoming a sustainable business in Montana.
Check out the BROCHURE! Read the SUMMARY PAPER!
This seminar was held in Billings on Thursday, September 28, 2006.
MUSIC
Montana Muse: (Weekly radio show highlighting music by Montanans.)
Montana Muse was a weekly radio show that featured music created by Montanans.
The emphasis was on Montanan-made music that rarely receives airplay on commercial radio stations: bluegrass, classical, folk, instrumental, blues, jazz and traditional country and western, plus music from Montana's ethnic traditions.
Each program was organized around a musical genre or theme, and the musical selections were interspersed with host Scott Prinzing's informational commentary.
The program enables Montanans to participate in an exploration of our living culture - as it unfolds - through the music created on our unparalleled landscape.
This researched, professional radio show filled a need for programming that focuses on the lively, vibrant and continually creative music and musicians of Montana. Montana Muse was unique in that it was the only regular program broadcasting in Montana devoted to the talent in our state.
Our region offers a truly amazing spectrum of musical talent; the show never faced a lack of musicians or fresh music. Unfortunately, it is no longer airing!
Montana Muse is part of our Montana Music Project . This project is a broad effort to enhance our culture and our arts economy by making it easy for musicians and audiences to connect. The project features the Montana Muse radio program, a website (being developed) and a live broadcast series (check back for schedules.)
Ear to the World: (Ethnomusicology sound portrait music program!)
Ear to the World is a music program that combines the intensity of the personal story with the excitement of travel and adventure, adds the revelations of cross-cultural discovery and interaction and is infused with, anchored in and informed by the most unique, original and compelling music in the world.
We have temporarily shelved this project, but hope to find funding and energetic collaborators for this radio project in the future.
Rock the Talk: (PSA's for commercial and public radio about rock stars' activism and altruism.)
Also shelved! Will be researching potential national underwriters and funders for this project in the future.
VISUAL ARTS
Kris has had the opportunity to undertake a few visual-arts focused writing projects in the past few years. Some examples include a review by Kris of an exhibit of work by Billings artist Gordon McConnell. (VIEW STORY) Whitefish-based Montana Living ran an article about current exhibits at Yellowstone Art Museum this summer and published an article about the exhibit “Lewis and Clark Territory: Contemporary Artists Revisit Place, Race and Memory” in their Winter issue. In September 2004, The Billings Outpost published an article by Kris on another YAM exhibit of works by Peter Koch (VIEW STORY). The exhibit touches on both Native American and environment issues. It is an extremely compelling art show. To read other articles, search for Kristen Rickels Prinzing on the Billings Outpost website (http://www.billingsnews.com/.)
NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES
Our work in this area has frequently intersected with our work in other areas!
In June of 2006, Scott was deeply honored to be asked to present at theIndian Education For All Institute put on by Little Big Horn College, coordinated by Everall Fox, Academic Dean of the College. Scott presented "Indian Music: More than Just Drums and Flutes," a presentation about the variety of musical genres explored by Native American musicians, past and present. Scott has given this class/presentation a number of times since then, and developed a supplemental curriculum booklet and CD on the topic. (check back for the link, but you can find it on the OPI website under "Indian Music: More than Drums and Flutes."
Call MusEco if you are interested in engaging Scott to deliver this presentation at your school or event!
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
School Presentations and Public Events:
Presentations for students at all levels remain available on a variety of topics within our focus areas.
Please see above and elsewhere in this website for our seminar on green business (Green to Gold) and our wildlands and the human spirit-focused retreat in Red Lodge (WildPATHS).
Volunteer to Help !
For more information on these programs or to offer your assistance, call us at 591-0575 or email us at musEco@imt.net.