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Mothering Magazine Sponsored Chat with Michael Franti--Visionary musician, filmmaker and human rights worker, Michael Franti brings you the 7th Annual 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival (PTTP) at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Power to the Peaceful has been produced as an annual series of free, outdoor community music and arts festivals since 1999. The PTTP experience blends international musicians, regional and local artists and renowned speakers in a festival atmosphere.  In addition to the main stage, the festival features an open-air art gallery of visual artists, a healing arts tent offering massage and yoga, guerrilla theater, a DJ tent, green commercial vendors (including Mothering magazine) and food booths, an eco village, kid's zone, bicycle coalition, recycling program and a diverse array of social, environmental and political organizations tabling. Chat with Michael about the festival, his music, the issues of our times, natural parenting or green living.
www.mothering.com
9/7/05/05

15 mamas (& 1 dad!) in attendance

20:07:52 Webmama_Tina ok today we are so priviledged to have michael franti...michael why don't you introduce yourself and tell us your background and expertise?
20:07:53 mama_g ?
20:08:04 Webmama_Tina and when you're done and ready to start taking questions, just let me know
20:08:29 Webmama_Tina celtic angel will be in charge of the queue and will tell you who's turn it is to ask michael a question :)
20:12:16 michaelfranti my name is michael franti and i am a musician, activist and father of 2 boys....
20:12:37 michaelfranti my music has been inspired a lot by my parenting
20:12:53 michaelfranti and as i've raised 2 children its constantly on my mind the world they live in
20:13:07 michaelfranti so my music reflects my concerns about the world, my hopes, dreams for my family
20:13:19 michaelfranti ready for the first question!
20:13:24 MOD_CelticAngel mama_g is up first
20:13:29 mama_g how do you manage to stay so positive in such grim times?
20:14:01 michaelfranti excellent question!
20:14:08 michaelfranti music really feeds my soul
20:14:17 michaelfranti \on days when i'm feeling stressed out
20:14:23 michaelfranti i listen to music and i play my guitar
20:14:29 michaelfranti i also practice yoga
20:14:42 michaelfranti but i have a fundamental belief in the power of positive thinking...
20:14:52 michaelfranti and nature always provides us with abundance...
20:15:05 michaelfranti and if i'm thinking negative thoughts i get an abundance of negativity...
20:15:28 michaelfranti and if i'm thinking pos thoughts, pos speech, pos actions then i get an abundance of positivity
20:15:56 Webmama_Tina any more questions?
20:16:15 mama_g i had the pleasure of seeing you at Langerado-any chance you'll come back to S. Fl?
20:16:48 rainsmom michael, what do you say to your kids, when catastrophes and other inhumanities happen in the world?
20:16:49 michaelfranti definitely
20:16:53 michaelfranti coming back in january...
20:17:06 michaelfranti jam cruise in jan....tour on a boat with a bunch of bands
20:17:15 michaelfranti after that  some shows in FL
20:17:33 intensity_too may I ask who the speaker is.
20:18:45 Webmama_Tina answering rainsmom.....
20:19:05 michaelfranti my oldest son is 18 and my youngest just had his first grade today so i have 2 different age groups to navigate...
20:19:23 michaelfranti never been shy about talking about world issues with kids...with younger one...
20:19:38 michaelfranti don't want him to feel the whole world is falling apart...
20:19:43 michaelfranti we don't have tv
20:19:58 michaelfranti seeing all images over and over of catastrophes isn't happening
20:20:04 michaelfranti talked with him yesterday...
20:20:15 michaelfranti i listen to what he had to say...he was concerned...
20:20:20 michaelfranti wanted to know where the flooding was happening
20:20:27 michaelfranti what was happening with people who lost their homes...
20:20:31 michaelfranti explained best i could
20:20:38 michaelfranti talked about what we were doing as a family and as a band
20:20:45 michaelfranti band collecting money last 4 nites at shows
20:20:52 michaelfranti he wanted to help count money
20:20:58 michaelfranti made him feel like he's helping
20:21:05 michaelfranti older son...
20:21:11 michaelfranti he's very political and worries alot
20:21:28 michaelfranti with him i kind of let him vent a little about what's happening with the slowness of the gov to respond to the crisis
20:21:31 michaelfranti and more listen
20:24:51 Webmama_Tina ok post your question marks please and we'll let you know who's next
20:24:56 Webmama_Tina he's ready for another question
20:25:06 bookchambers ?
20:25:13 Webmama_Tina go for it bookchambers
20:25:15 placenta ?
20:25:17 Webmama_Tina what's your question?
20:25:18 Mod_beckie bookchambers you can go first :)
20:25:24 Mod_beckie sorry, a bit slow
20:26:10 mama_g ?
20:26:37 bookchambers I want to know all about the Power to the Peaceful festival. Has the focus changed  with the Hurricane disaster?
20:27:07 michaelfranti the hurricane disaster has underscored many of the points we've been trying to make in the festival for a long time
20:27:30 michaelfranti the biggest point is why are we spending all this money bombing other countries and neglecting what's happening at home
20:27:41 michaelfranti but it also brings up issue of global warming...
20:27:49 michaelfranti education
20:28:36 michaelfranti idea that if we really want to bring peace and safety to the world, that perhaps we should be reaching out to help the poorest among our nation and the poorest around the world...
20:28:51 michaelfranti rather than pointing our guns into the homes of people around the world
20:28:57 michaelfranti people in our cities
20:29:32 michaelfranti this year at the festival
20:29:38 michaelfranti we will also be collecting food
20:29:59 michaelfranti and money for hurricane relief
20:30:12 michaelfranti so far at our last four shows we've collected ten thousand dollars
20:30:17 michaelfranti from our audience
20:30:42 michaelfranti any other questions?
20:30:54 Mod_beckie placenta is next :).
20:31:07 Webmama_Tina placenta, go for it
20:31:09 placenta first of all, much respect to you michael, very honored.  i believe part of the solution to ALL problems is that we need to empower mothers!  the world needs mama wisdom, energy, and we need mothers to unite to liberate all the world's children
20:31:26 michaelfranti i totally agree
20:31:43 placenta (oops sorry i'm not used to the space constraint) - so how in your world of music and activism (my world too) do you try to empower mothers?
20:31:48 Webmama_Tina michael i'm going to boot off the other login that doesn't work so it doesn't confuse people :)
20:31:52 Webmama_Tina don't be offended. :)
20:31:58 michaelfranti no problem
20:32:01 Webmama_Tina there we go :)
20:32:09 michaelfranti i try to create a safe space
20:32:11 michaelfranti for everyone
20:32:17 michaelfranti to express their emotions freely
20:32:24 michaelfranti when i first started writing songs
20:32:32 michaelfranti all my lyrics were from a place of anger
20:32:40 michaelfranti and as i started to address a wider range of issues
20:32:47 michaelfranti i began to see the importance
20:32:57 michaelfranti of expressing a full rainbow of human emotion
20:33:26 michaelfranti part of that is being able to express my own nurturing energy
20:33:59 michaelfranti in doing that i hope that mother's can find inspiration in my songs and lyrics.
20:34:27 mamamarlen hi we're just joining in... big fans of your music and message and energy...
20:34:41 mamamarlen we sure do find inspiratoin and courage in your music
20:34:41 placenta truth!  do you think there is a place for the songs and lyrics of mothers also?  the industry is so discouraging...
20:34:43 michaelfranti thank you! welcome
20:34:49 Webmama_Tina mamamarlen glad you could make it....
20:34:52 Webmama_Tina we are taking turns...
20:34:57 Webmama_Tina Friendly Reminder: Please do not post unless it is your turn to ask a question. If you have a question, please post a single ?" and you'll be added to the queue. Have your question ready when your name is called. THANKYOU! :)"
20:35:06 mamamarlen ?
20:35:18 michaelfranti I would love to answer that question mamamarien
20:35:21 Webmama_Tina beckie is our queukeeper and will let ya know when its your turn
20:35:24 Webmama_Tina :)
20:35:28 mamamarlen thanks!
20:35:52 michaelfranti placenta, there is a place for women
20:35:55 michaelfranti in the music industry
20:36:04 Webmama_Tina no worries michael :) we just try to keep it orderly since it can get crazy hectic in these chats sometimes otherwise... :)
20:36:08 michaelfranti unfortunately the coroporate merging of all the labels
20:36:17 michaelfranti has left smaller and smaller space
20:36:26 michaelfranti for any artist who speaks from their heart
20:36:39 michaelfranti and the roles of women in popular music have
20:36:49 michaelfranti been reduced even further to
20:37:01 michaelfranti adolescent sexual stereotypes
20:37:13 michaelfranti and it's harder and harder each year
20:37:32 michaelfranti new Ani DiFrancos,
20:37:46 michaelfranti for new Ani DiFrancos, or Patti Smiths
20:37:53 michaelfranti