A young musician pushes his industry to sing a more climate-friendly melody | Spare News

Brighid Fry uses their platform as a musician and songwriter to push the music industry for more action on climate change.

The 19-year-old artist has sent an open letter to the Canadian music industry, asking others to join them in making their sector greener. In the letter, Fry acknowledges the climate emergency and links it to mental health issues among young people, calling on the music industry to use the $2.9 billion investment in zero-emission vehicles announced by the government. Trudeau for buses and vans as well as the $1 million investment in green buildings to help make the industry more climate friendly.

“The music industry could access this money to support leadership in moving the music industry toward a post-carbon future while calling on the federal government to become more engaged,” Fry wrote in the letter.

Based in Toronto, Fry has multiple accolades, including a Canadian Folk Music Award, to her credit. She also released three EPs, including two with her band Housewife (formerly known as Moscow Apartment), while still in high school.

While Fry had “a lot to do” between her studies and her professional music career, now that her sole focus is on music, Fry said they had the autonomy, the time and the platform to talk about climate defense.

“It’s something that’s always been on my mind, I have a platform now, so obviously I’m going to talk about something that’s important to me. Anyone with that kind of platform should do it.

Fry has recently started trying to combine his music and his climate work. “I don’t know as much about climate activism as I do about the music industry, but I wanted to find a way to combine the two things,” they said.

Fry joined the founding of the Canadian branch of Music Declares Emergency, a group of artists, industry professionals and organizations in hopes of recruiting others to the industry, to “join the declaration of a climate emergency and work to make the cultural and operational changes necessary to contribute toward a carbon-neutral future,” reads its website.

“There are a lot of musicians using their platforms, and when someone talks about these things, chances are people will listen,” Fry said. “The effect that musicians have on people for climate action has been around for a very long time.”

Fry said music holds a unique position in relation to activism — the two have always gone hand in hand. “Look at how many musicians have been involved in political movements in the past and protest songs. There’s very clearly a connection there.

Musicians at climate rallies help create energy and emotion, Fry added. “I think music is a way to really connect with people emotionally and get them to care and be motivated by things.”

Although Music Declares Emergency has received “tons” of interest from artists and music fans, Fry said the group held a panel during Canadian Music Week that did not receive a response. strong turnout. Fry blames the lack of industry support behind the scenes.

“It makes sense that the music industry is trying to rebuild after taking such a hit from the pandemic, but it was still pretty disappointing,” Fry said. “We’ve had so many musicians say, ‘I’d love to help but I don’t know where to start’, so we decided we needed a day to centralize information and interests to get people involved. people.”

Canada Music Declares Emergency will host the first Canadian Music Climate Summit in Toronto today to celebrate the role of music and art in addressing the climate emergency.

Although open to everyone, the summit is aimed at musicians and people working behind the scenes in the industry, says Fry. “Not only do we want to help musicians engage their platform and audience, but we also want to help make the industry greener.”

To the musicians, Fry said, “While you may not feel ready to commit to anything yet, you can always learn, take the information and follow it. The music industry has always prided itself on being progressive and with the times, so we must continue to do so.

“We need a lot more people on board, but once we have that I think we will have it.”