A Message from Brandon John Foote on the Earthwork Music Collective

During Gifts or Creatures’ time under our Michigan Artist Spotlight, the Impact has been in correspondence with the band regarding all things music. Today, it is our privilege to shed light on a local cause that Gifts or Creatures holds near and dear.

Bethany and I are absolutely blessed to partner with Michigan’s Earthwork Music Collective. Earthwork Music is at the heart a statewide group of musically connected friends that work to see self-awareness and sustainability shared through collective song, conversation and annual festivals, including the Earthwork Harvest Gathering. We also observe a run of Earth Day shows each April to raise community awareness through song. Many folks in the collective have also worked tirelessly to educate our community about Great Lakes water protection, the harmful implications of hydraulic fracturing (aka, “fracking”) and the devastating planetary implications of tar sands oil. The collective also partners with ISLAND, SEEDS, Great Lakes Bioneers and 350.org to educate and further the growth of sustainable living and farming methods throughout the Midwest. Some of these themes are echoed in our own music and continue to be an inspiration to us. We’re honored to be a part of such a community of movers and shakers here in Michigan. Yesteryear Western Darkness was, in part, grown out of the foundation of this musical family.

For more on Michigan’s Earthwork Music Collective, visit their website at www.earthworkmusic.com.