Our 56th Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd, and this year’s trip around the sun is a chance to appreciate the wonders of this planet we share.
During our worship service on Sunday, March 29th, we featured a music video created by singer-songwriter, activist, and UU member, Pat Scanlon, that speaks to, not only the wonders and beauty of the earth, but the challenges as well.
Music is a natural vehicle for celebration and inspiration, as is Pat’s video, You Are OUR Sunshine - A Climate Change Music Video, based on the familiar tune, You Are My Sunshine.
We thought you might enjoy learning a bit about this remarkable video and its creator.
Pat wrote You Are OUR Sunshine with a clear goal: to create something positive and accessible that could be used in climate education and advocacy. He points to his mentor, Pete Seeger, who liked to say, "A good song reminds us of what we are fighting for." Climate advocate Bill McKibben of 350.org saw the video and called it "fantastic." The song and video are available for free use by anyone working on climate issues.
We were fortunate to have Pat join our March 29th service via Zoom. He stayed after the service to chat with our Zoom community about the video, and mentioned that we are the first church to show his video during a worship service. We're glad to have that distinction, and we hope many others follow.
The video was a real community effort. More than thirty members from North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in North Andover, Massachusetts alone took part in the video. The video was also filmed at other houses of worship across Massachusetts, including Old South Church UCC in Boston and AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church in Jamaica Plain, and in two other locations: True Collaborative, YWCA, Manchester, New Hampshire, and on the Boston Common, in front of the Massachusetts State House.
Pat has a long history in both music and activism. A Philadelphia native and Vietnam veteran, he has spent decades working at the intersection of environmental advocacy and folk music — playing banjo at peace and anti-nuclear rallies, founding MassRecycle (the Massachusetts Recycling Coalition), and serving with Veterans For Peace. His first album was released on Rounder Records in 1984, co-sponsored by Greenpeace. He is also one of the founders of the Crossroads Coffeehouse at North Parish UU Church in North Andover, a wonderful venue for musicians to perform. All of his music is offered free of charge, his way of contributing to environmental and peace work in the world.
We hope you'll take a few minutes to watch or re-watch You Are OUR Sunshine and pass it along. And as you listen to the music, think about the upcoming Earth Day and ways we can enjoy some sunshine and make our world a better place.
Watch "You Are OUR Sunshine" on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GBD4Ns1EVu8
Watch “You Are OUR Sunshine” on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1119912993
Learn more about Pat Scanlon and his music: https://patscanlonmusic.com
Pat has several other music videos on his website, and Pat recently highlighted 2 others that are also meaningful during these times: Extremists for Peace and War Is Not the Answer, Never Was, Never Will
Susan Shaw and Steve Morihiro, Co-Directors of Music
Susan Shaw and Steve Morihiro, both longtime choir members, are the Co-Directors of Music Ministries.