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                                      Why We Tell Stories

2/26/2015

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Why We Tell Stories
Steven E. Brown
Co-Founder, Institute on Disability Culture
www.instituteondisabilityculture.org
© All Rights Reserved, Institute on Disability Culture, February 2015


Recently, I heard someone say stories were a waste of time. In the context it was stated it made some sense, because stories often become a way of avoiding hard truths. But it still rubbed me the wrong way, and it continues to do so. Not that, that in itself, is such a big shock: my most well-known poem is “Tell Your Story;” (find here: _ ) I still revel in a teaching evaluation from decades ago stating something like “he’s not a ham, but a great storyteller;” and I am a writer.

Not: I write, which I do and many of us do these days. Some people write as a tool, to convey a philosophy or point or view or other reason. But I write for the simplest of reasons: because I must. It’s not a choice—or at least it doesn’t feel like a choice. For me this doesn't mean I’m always putting pen to paper, or more likely in my situation, fingers to the keyboard--but when I’m not doing that I’m still writing—in my head.

In fact, I have purposely thought about articles or other writing sometimes for years before writing. There are different reasons for doing this. Sometimes I feel I need to have some distance from the topic before I can address it the way I want to. This was the case with an article I wrote quite some time ago, called “Hooked on Symptoms” and which is re-published in my book, Movie Stars and Sensuous Scars: Essays on the Journey from Disability Shame to Disability Pride (see: _ ) - and still available on the finest internet stores:). Other times, I was simply focused on other projects and a particular writing waited in the wings. Still other times, I might wish to mull something over and turn it over in my mind before attempting to put it on paper. In fact, I have been doing this now for quite some time with what I hope will eventually become writing that connects the work I have been doing in disability culture with that of the energy/wellness work I do. But I’m still not ready for that. So I still mull, and read, and think.

But if stories are not a waste of time, what are they? First, we all have them. They are the stories of our lives. While we may not be like cats, with nine lives, we have a plethora of stories about our lives: our upbringing; our schooling (or lack of it); relationships; worldviews; the list could go on. There is a reason that myths, religion, and spirituality have been around as long as humanity. We have always counted on stories in some fashion to connect our stories with those of others. We use stories to understand ourselves and our connections with others. When our stories do not resonate with stories of someone else we often find ourselves in conflict. There are plenty of examples of that daily, all we have to do is turn on the TV, or whatever format we choose (if we choose) to get our news.

One of the reasons I initially connected with disability culture, for example, was it was a way to bring together my passions for history, popular culture and human rights. And as I often say it’s a fun way to do so, via art, music and other cultural artifacts. So I continue to explore my own story and that of others. There are lots of ways this is approached in 2015, the 25th anniversary year of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA Legacy Project focuses on the themes of “Preserve, Celebrate, and Educate.”(check it our here: _ )
 And the Disability Visibility Project (check it out here: _ )  is constantly exploring varieties of stories.
 
These projects and the stories we share in the disability rights world are so vital because for so many centuries our stories have been neglected or ignored or devalued. We will continue to tell—and expect people to listen—to our stories.

When we tell our stories ourselves we are letting the world know we are here, we are to be valued, and expect, no-demand!, to take our rightful, equitable place in society just the way we are.
 

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                                   "My Top 25 Disability Pride Songs"

2/2/2015

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                                                            My Top 25 Disability Pride Songs

                                                Steven E. Brown
                                Co-Founder, Institute on Disability Culture
                                        www.instituteondisabilityculture.org
                       © All Rights Reserved, Institute on Disability Culture, Jan. 2015

I love music, and as someone who came of age as a protester in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I appreciate how music, protest, culture, and change, connect. 

Someone once attributed Emma Goldman with saying, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” With that in mind, I share my top 25 Disability Pride songs. Someone else would compose a different list, and that is great because it means we have many songs to choose from. 

Some of these songs were at the top of my head when I sat down to write. For example, Jeff Moyer’s “For the Crime of Being Different,” #1 on this list (and this is the time to state that there is no priority order to this list other than when I thought of each song or artist), may not fit someone else’s definition of pride, but for me this stark rendering of the life Mark, Jeff’s late brother, led in his early years, shows the depths of how music can be used to protest injustice and demonstrate pride in who we are, no matter our diversities. Johnny Crescendo sings in “Pride,” listed at #3: 

                                 “Pride is somewhere in your soul…
                                  Pride is the peace within that finally makes you whole 
                                  Celebrate your difference with pride…”

“For the Crime of Being Different,” is a clear statement of why we need pride in our lives, how much things have changed-and how much they have not.

In compiling these songs, I included a variety of genres, cultures, and countries, because musicians with disabilities are creating in all of them and because, with international access, those of us in the U.S have access to, and are influenced by, what is happening all over the world. While compiling this list, I realized once again how many songs of our lives are out there and how many are yet to be experienced. Each time I looked up a song to find lyrics, examples, or websites, I discovered songs, artists, or styles, and often, new information about the songs or artists. The bottom line, as Van Gogh sings in “Unbound,” #25, is:

                                        “It’s time to take the reins and
                                         Break away the chains that are holding me
                                         I am unbound
                                         There’s no stopping me
                                         I am unbound…
                                         Tell the world I am unbound.”
                                              
                                                 The Songs

1. Jeff Moyer, “For the Crime of Being Different.” One of my favorite Jeff Moyer songs because it rings true, yesterday, and unfortunately still today, even though it was written many years ago. Jeff is known, among many other things, for being the “resident musician” of the 1977 504 Federal Building takeover in San Francisco. Check him out at: www.jeffmoyer.com

2.  Elaine Kolb, “We Will Ride.” An early ADAPT anthem in the fight for lifts on all public buses. Elaine shares the song is still evolving and she’s adding verses about riding in customized wheelchairs, that is, wheelchairs designed to meet the needs of each rider. She’s at: dreamprod4u@webtv.net

3.  Johnny Crescendo (aka Alan Holdsworth), “Pride.” An English activist and singer-songwriter, currently living in the U.S., this song is on his iTunes collection, “Piss on Pity,” and at: https://myspace.com/johnnycrescendo/music/song/pride-8980213-8781397

4.  Jane Field, “The Fishing is Free.” The title song of a 1994 cassette from a Canadian artist, I use this song in presentations and trainings to this day. As far as I know this is Jane’s only disability-related music. It’s full of humor and incisiveness. In compiling this list the contact information I have for Jane is no longer valid. Perhaps she will see the list and update?

5.  Jane Field, “Disabled People Do It.” A song about sex, with humor, on the “The Fishing is Free” album.

6. Kim Palmer, “Allergic to the 20th Century.” “Pardon-moi, don’t mind me, I’m just allergic to the 20th century,” and “I’m not dead yet, but mister please put out that cigarette.” A sampling of lyrics from an up-beat anthem about the deadly consequences of what is being done to our environment by the late Kim Palmer. A good explanation of the song, Kim’s life and these issues are at: http://lindasepp.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/kim-palmer-was-allergic-to-the-20th-century/

7.  Mark Goffeney, “We Are The Same”: Known as “Big Toe” because he plays the guitar with his feet. This song clearly states, “We are more the same than you may think, You and me we are the same…” See: http://www.markgoffeney.com

8. “Free Our People.” Another ADAPT anthem, sung by many, including Diane Coleman, who is pictured along with lyrics at: http://www.disabilityprideparade.com/history/Parade06/freeourpeople.php

9.  Beethoven’s Nightmare, “Turn It Up Louder.” Self-described as the “Greatest Deaf Rock Band in the World.” See their work at: http://www.beethovensnightmare.com/

10.  Mike Higgins and Ian Stanton, “Tragic But Brave.” Sung by both English artists, but probably better known by the late Stanton. See tribute and lyrics at: http://tonybaldwinson.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/to-ian-with-love-programme-7-december-1998.pdf

11.  Jeff Moyer, “Do You See Me as an Equal?” This is an older, pre-ADA song, but it still speaks to me. As with #1, see www.jeffmoyer.com

12.  Johnny Crescendo, “I Love My Body.” The title says it all and is also available at his iTunes collection, “Piss on Pity,” and at: https://myspace.com/johnnycrescendo/music/song/pride-8980213-8781397

13.  Klaus Kreuzeder, “Tumbling Derwish.” German saxophonist who had polio.  An English Wikipedia page is at: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Kreuzeder&prev=search

14.  Lindsay Carter, “Useless Eaters.” A hauntingly beautiful song, with the proud chorus, “We’re not going to let you wipe us out, we’re here to stay, our genes are fine, our DNA is A OK.” I first heard the late Carter on the compilation “Lend Us Your Ears,” by English artist Angryfish (aka Robin Surgeoner—see #24).

15.  Sean Forbes, “Watch These Hands.” Perhaps the most commercially successful of deaf rappers. More at: http://deafandloud.com/

16.  Signmark, “Fighting.” According to his bio, this Finnish artist released the world’s first sign language hip hop DVD in 2006. In this song, the chorus, which includes “Be brave-don’t fall down, Be free –do it now,” is sung, signed and captioned. See http://www.signmark.biz/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfNoMJ1GYzM

17.  Staff Benda Bilili, “Mwana.” I like many of their upbeat, up-tempo songs. A group of street musicians, many of whom had polio, and all of whom have disabilities, from Congo, who have become famous internationally in recent years, especially in France and Europe. Benda Bilili means “look beyond appearances,” and in addition to their music a documentary about the band premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Check out “Mwana” with NBE at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqga1CmJKBU 

18.  Station 17, “For Those About to Screech.” Formed in 1989, a group of individuals living in a German institution became a rock band collective, then a successful rock band with a focus on electronic dance music, whose sound has evolved over time. See http://17rec.de/artists.htm and http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-inspiring-story-of-station-17-germanys-disabled-rock-group.html

19.  Leroy Moore, Jr., “Hip-Hop Hear This!” The founder of Krip Hop Nation issues a clarion call to hip hop to pay attention to the existence of, as Leroy then labeled it,  “Crip-Hip-Hop.” See http://poormagazine.org/node/1681 and take a look at http://kriphopnation.com/ for all the work that is being done, including and beyond music.

20. Lady MJ Warrior! “No More Tears Inside.” From England, a rapper/singer who is one performer on Krip Hop Nation’s MCees with Disabilities. She’s also getting gigs these days in the U.S. See http://ladymjwarrior.wix.com/peace#!__page-1 and 
https://www.facebook.com/KRIPHOPWORLDWIDE/posts/102357923292959

20.  Kounterclockwise, “Krippled Boy.” Urban Krip Hop from husband and wife collaborators Deacon Burns and Kaya Rogue. They create songs, videos and have an animated movie called Forever-Land, which is subtitled at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxDzRy5jRMM. “Krippled Boy” (not captioned) is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52LJTfk4vVU#t=10. Check out everything at: www.kounterclockwise.com

22.  Prudence Mabhena and Liyana, “Going Nowhere”.  A band and their lead singer, with the voice of an angel, from Zimbabwe. I had the pleasure of seeing Prudence at the 2010 International VSA Arts and Disability Festival in Washington, D.C., where she performed several songs. Check out “Ipi Ntombi (Where’s My Lady”) at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzGll1-K3Nk. I can’t find a captioned version.

23.  Keith “Sho’Roc” Brown, “I’ll Survive.” “Sho’Roc”, another deaf performer, focuses on pop music and I can easily imagine hearing this song on the radio. See https://www.facebook.com/shoroc81/posts/131988853666364 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BryLD4QF0z0

24.  Angryfish (aka Robin Surgeoner), “Song of 2 Halves.” A former athlete, current activist and artist from England, Angryfish has put out his own music and a compilation of various artists (see #14). In November 2014, Surgeoner promoted and performed at the Why? Festival, a Micro-Festival of Music, Comedy, and Performance. See what he’s up to at: http://www.angryfish.co.uk/

25.  Van Gogh, “Unbound.” This rock band from Georgia in the U.S. has been producing music since the early 1990s. See: https://www.facebook.com/VanGoghmusic/ to hear this song.

                Comments, or your favorites, with DETAILS welcome, 

                and we'll see how to grow the list.
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    Steven E. Brown, Co-Founder, Institute on Disability Culture

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