In the player: Jean Smith and David Lester in an interview with EE Miller for her program YOU’RE HERE on Valley Free Radio, Northampton, Massachusetts -- May, 2006.
"How Art & Music Can Change the World"
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9 minute film
"How Art and Music Can Change the World" -- a lecture, art exhibit and performance event in university classrooms, bookstores and community centers. Jean Smith and David Lester of the underground literary rock duo Mecca Normal intend to inspire audiences towards considering political content in their creative self-expression.
Performance
Art Exhibit
Talk
"Who cares if there's underground culture or not? Gap-Coke-Sony-Time-Warner satisfies our needs... don't they?"
Referring to their extraordinary 25 year history in music, art and publishing Jean Smith and David Lester illustrate the reality of being artists and cultural activists, by revealing the behind-the-scenes workings of their long-standing D-I-Y collaboration. Jean and David de-mystify the work methods and philosophies that define their collaborative partnership, touring, writing and publishing, making art and music.
University and College Classrooms • Youth Centres • Art Galleries • Literary Events • Book Stores • Libraries • Community Centres
Internationally, David Lester and Jean Smith are best known for their work as Mecca Normal. The band has released thirteen CDs on the most significant independent labels (Matador, Kill Rock Stars, K Records). In a four star CD review Rolling Stone Magazine said: " ...vocalist Jean Smith and guitarist David Lester have presented a consistent, evolving and luminous challenge to the reigning social order – what Smith calls a false machine in motion/Passing through the clouds."
David Lester is a small press publisher of fiction and award-winning poetry, the author of The Gruesome Acts of Capitalism and a well-respected visual artist with 35 years experience. Jean Smith, the author of two published novels, was named one of Vancouver's top 50 writers.
Jean says, "Mecca Normal has done thousands of interviews over the years to raise issues of cultural, political and social concern. Our presentation is structured to bring that content forward -- without the interviewer. We've broken out of performance-only mode to introduce our thoughts on motivation, inspiration, and longevity. Touring artists who promote systemic change are valuable to the basis of society. We refuse to be buried in the entertainment glut."
Mecca Normal has a long history of co-ordinating and promoting events for artists determined to create social change. Their original touring enterprise was the late 80s Black Wedge -- a group of poets and minimalist musicians who toured in Canada, the US and England.
How Art & Music Can Change the World: rough outline (60 minutes)
Abstract guitar begins. Jean enters from the back and walks through the room vocalizing wordlessly without a microphone, approaching audience members to demonstrate the power of unamplified sound and her intention to engage with individuals. The piece ends and Jean says that the song was named one of the "top ten protest songs" of that year by Canada's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail -- she reminds the audience that the song had no words.
5 minute mark:
Jean and David introduce themselves, and their work, by briefly explaining their motivation to form a band that was different from the four-guys-on-stage bands that dominated the Vancouver scene in the 1980s. "In our early years I spoke from the stage," says Jean. "Between fairly literal songs about feminism, poverty, and housing issues, to encourage women to start bands with other women, as opposed to being audience members. The social movement known as Riot Grrrl began and its founding members cited Mecca Normal as an inspiration to its inception. We connected with audiences who were encouraged to, in this case, focus on feminist concerns using music and culture. This direct linearity of events inspired us to address the idea that it is not possible to change the world. We did change the world."
15 minute mark:
David talks about how the way the band operates as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) entity is as significant as what we say in the lyrics. "There is a tactile intensity, a tension between Jean and I. We are very different people and we have different skills. We each work from our strengths in booking tours and finding ways to connect with both like-minded people and those who would never find us on their own."
Jean talks about the motivation to maintain a creative partnership for twenty-five years -- "It is exciting to us that we inspire artists in their work. This, to us, is a more significant exchange than generating profit or fame and status in commercial terms."
PowerPoint:
David talks about his ongoing poster series called Inspired Agitators which highlights the accomplishments of artists and activists engaged in social and aesthetic change. Jean asks David how he became aware of obscure artists and filmmakers in the 1960s and David talks briefly about his older brother's involvement in radical politics -- the counter-culture -- at that time.
25 minute mark:
Jean and David outline different ways to present political ideas within song structures and Mecca Normal performs two songs.
35 minute mark:
David talks about his graphic novel The Listener and using slides to show how a key scene is constructed in this book about memory, art and politics.
Jean, the daughter of two abstract painters (her father was also an art director at an ad agency in the 1960s), talks about the self-portrait series she began at age thirteen and has continued adding to for over thirty-five years to create a body of work documenting how women and girls view themselves.
Jean and David wrap up the PowerPoint art exhibit by talking about the aims of both literal and abstract political art -- in terms of intention and ability to inspire viable progressive social change.
45 minute mark:
Jean talks about how her work has evolved over years of presenting it to live audiences and seeing their response. This opportunity has provided her with a basis of respecting an audience's ability to interpret art and music on their terms. The event ends with the performance of several engaging narrative pieces that employ humor with a resonating subtext of interpersonal dynamics.
Art Exhibit:
The inclusion of art -- exhibited or projected -- creates a more complete vision of the multi-layered partnership. David, the non-verbal member of the duo, utilizes text in his work, while Jean, the singer, exhibits abstract-based art without a language framework.
In 2002 Jean Smith and David Lester, of the literary rock duo Mecca Normal, launched a lecture, art and performance event called "How Art & Music Can Change the World" intending to inspire creative self-expression. Referring to their motivations, work methods and philosophies to illustrate their 20 year collaboration, the event reveals the reality of being long term working artists and cultural activists.
The lecture is flexible in content (music, art and small press publishing) and length (typically 60 - 90 minutes). The event includes a music performance and artwork (power point or touring exhibit). Suitable for high school and university classrooms, art galleries, community and youth centers and performance spaces.
2006
World Peace Forum, Vancouver
2005
Richmond Art Gallery -- Arts For Life keynote speakers addressing 200 high school students
2004
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC (400 Foundation students)
Burnaby Central High School, Burnaby, BC (400 students)
Grand Forks Public Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
Vernon Public Art Gallery, Vernon, BC
David Thompson Cultural Centre, Nelson, BC
Denman Island Community Hall, Denman Island, BC
Bean Scene Coffee House, Kelowna, BC
2002 - 2003
Chatham College, Pittsburgh, PA -- sound art class
St Vincent's College, Latrobe, PA -- poetry class,
The GAFC Church, Bellingham, WA
Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA
Pacific Switchboard Collective Gallery, Portland, OR
Youth Drop-in Center, Garden Grove, Orange County, CA
Western Front, Vancouver, artist-run space -- 5 nights
Lucy Parsons Center, Boston
The Bakery Art Collective, Providence, RI
Bottle Top, Empty Bottle, Chicago -- 6 nights
University of Chicago Art Gallery, Normal, IL
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Underground culture, creative partnership, cultural activism, inspiring self-expression, political art, underground music, small press publishing
EXPERIENCE:
20+ years in underground music, twelve CDs on important US indie labels. Smith is the author of two published novels. Lester is a small press publisher and a well-respected graphic artist
EVENTS
1. Lecture & Classroom Presentation:
"How Art & Music Can Change the World"
2. Mecca Normal (guitar and voice) performance with extended song introductions and commentary
3. "Inspired Agitators" Art Show with Artist Talk
4. Flexible combination of the events above specific to environment, age and focus.
BIO:
Mecca Normal has a twenty-five year history of coordinating and promoting cultural events by artists determined to create positive social change.
Since 1986, Mecca Normal, the well-respected and internationally known guitar and voice duo, has released 12 CDs on highly influential record labels Matador, K Records, and Kill Rock Stars. The band has toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe. Jean and David have been interviewed hundreds of times for radio, TV and print media under the general headings of underground music and publishing, social injustice, and visionary cultural activism.
In the mid and late 90s, Jean and Mecca Normal were frequently cited as an inspiration in underground culture to Riot Grrrl and DIY movements.
David Lester is the author of a book of statistics on poverty -- Gruesome Acts of Capitalism (Arbeiter Ring Publishing) -- the profits from which go to the Centre For Victims of Torture (Toronto) -- almost $2000 has been raised. Second edition available.
REFERENCES:
"Arguably the greatest rock band without a rhythm section ever, the duo of acid-voiced singer Jean Smith and guitar hero David Lester must be seen to be believed." -- Douglas Wolk
"Jean Smith is a major writer of our generation." -- Ronnie Pontiac, senior editor at Newtopia Magazine
"An unbending advocate of thoughtful indie culture for two decades now, the Vancouver guitar-and-voice twosome doesn't just make demanding music, they also make books, paintings, photos, cartoons, among other things." -- San Francisco Chronicle
Hi guys, I know I mentioned it before, but if you're planning on touring Europe next year and would like to come over to the UK to perform, present & exhibit at Ladyfest Leeds in April 07 then I'd love to try and make it happen for you. I think we need your inspiring voices over here! All the best, Melanie xx
Your inspiration is arriving right on time for me. Here in Washington, DC, it is hard not to feel beaten down by the idiot(s) in charge. Your presentation on how art and music can change the world should be broadcast in place of the next presidential "state of the union" address. Please send more help soon!
