Gavin Mortenson
The recent issue of wildfires has hit the hearts of people all over the country of the United States. It has sparked a wave of awareness and protest towards the reasons for the wildfires. Celebrities, actors, athletes, politicians, artists all across the country have come together in an effort to raise awareness. However, an unlikely frontrunner in wildfire awareness has actually been music. Thanks to its ability to move people and inspire new thoughts and ideas, music is perfect for spreading important messages such as this globally. Through singing songs and performing across the United States, some artists have been able to raise money for wildfire relief across the nation.
Two of these artists are Nathaniel Smith and Miykael Goodwin who have impacted the awareness of wildfires through their melodies and well-thought out lyrics. From Paradise, California, they wrote a tribute to their hometown. Their song “One of These Days” was produced, and all of the proceeds were used to raise money for the devastating Camp Fire victims. This Camp Fire catastrophe was the deadliest wildfire in the history of California, destroying 11,000 homes and killing 86 people. When Smith and Goodwin first started their journey to raise awareness, they were only a couple of guys who played their guitars and goofed around together. Soon after, their unfortunate situation was spread all over social media. Thanks to this happy accident, Smith heard from two very successful music producers and scheduled a meeting with them at their recording studio. The song was given a new spin and a different beat however the powerful message shone through all the same. Since producing the song Goodwin has now moved to Chico, but Paradise will forever be his home, so he’s hoping at some point they will be able to rebuild.
Another powerful song that has resonated with many is titled “Ablaze” and was written by an up and coming Australian artist that goes by Tartie. When asked why she wrote the tune she explained that Melbourne, her hometown, has been ravaged by bushfires that have left countless Australians in a helpless position. She goes on to touch on the power of art when it comes to raising awareness about complicated issues and her answer ties back to my feelings on the topic. Art gives people the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences with people who would’ve never heard them otherwise. Music over other art can be particularly powerful because it can make us feel things that words sometimes cannot do themselves.
In conclusion, wildfires are a very real and pressing issue worldwide. While it can be scary, one of the best ways to combat these wildfires and maybe even prevent them is through awareness and music is a beautiful way to spread that awareness, especially be hearing from musicians that are from areas that have been greatly affected by these disastrous occurrences. But if the only music about wildfires that the world is going to hear is going to be from people who lived through them, let’s hope and pray that there is never another song written about them again.