Turn Up Volume Saginaw

About me:

With the core belief in the power of the arts to effect positive social change, Turn UP the Volume! is an exciting grassroots initiative dedicated to raising awareness of the impact of sexual assault and violence against women in our community. In its second year, Turn UP the Volume! features up-and-coming musicians, poets, artists and collaborators who share the vision of a world free from violence and oppression.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2009 SHOW:





Why Turn UP the Volume?
*1 in 3 women worldwide experiences domestic violence at the hands of her partner.
*1 in 4 college-age women is raped, most often by someone she knows.
*1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually assaulted during their childhood.

If you're like us, you're sick of the violence. In Saginaw, like much of the rest of the world, poor women and women of color are at an even higher risk. Sexism, racism, homophobia and other forms of oppression are all connected. Take a lesson from Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

We believe every person has the right to live their life free from violence. Our community has the power to change things for the better. Take a stand for what's right and turn it up.



Proceeds from this event will benefit Underground Railroad, Inc., a non-profit agency in Saginaw, Michigan that provides free and confidential services to victims/survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking.

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AMI MATTISON
“A spoken word force to be reckoned with” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2004), “Ami Mattison is “a powerhouse poet …sexy, funny, funky, and yet substantive.” (The Tennessean, 2004)

Out and About Newspaper (2006) writes: “Defiant, poignant and straightforward, Mattison’s work...cuts to the very core with a razor sharp edge of rage at the policies of exclusion, apathy and greed that permeate our society. Unafraid to offend delicate sensibilities or coddle the faint-of-heart, Mattison tackles the issues of poverty, homophobia, gender issues, and civil rights with an unparalleled ferocity that challenges even the most stalwart of opposition.”

Ami has given speeches and held workshops at a host of colleges and performed at various art venues, festivals, and conferences around the country, including the United States Social Forum (Atlanta, 2007), the Lesbian and Gay Medical Association Symposium (San Francisco, 2006), Homo-A-Go-Go (Olympia, 2004), National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference (New Orleans, 2003) and ForWord Girls (San Francisco, 2002), Cornell College (2006), UCLA (2005, 2006), and many more. Ami’s demo CD, Strange and Potent Mixture, “...confront[s] tough issues straight on..."

Born in New Orleans, LA, and raised in Montgomery, AL, Mattison lived in Atlanta, GA for nearly two decades before she moved in 2004 to the Midwest to serve as Visiting Assistant Professor in Women Studies at Antioch College. In 2005, she returned to her primary preoccupation with being a poet. Currently, she resides near Detroit, MI.

JOHN VASQUEZ AND THE BEARINGER BOYS
“The themes hold both sides of his perspective – the lure of the streets, the cruel follies of the power-elite, and the love and redemption of a new born baby. There is hope, after all.” (The Review Magazine, 2009)

“It contains a natural sound that always announces the beginning of a true musical master's career -- that which reminds the listener of home...” (Tara Meachum, 2007)

John Vasquez and the Bearinger Boys have performed in venues across the Midwest, and are frequently sighted headlining Saginaw venues like White’s Bar, Hamilton Street Pub, Someplace Else, and Pasongs Restaurant. In August of 2009, the band will embark on their first national tour, beginning in New Orleans and finishing back home in Saginaw.

Earlier this year, John Vasquez and the Bearinger Boys released their second CD, Life & Liberations, to rave reviews. The band features John Vasquez on vocals and guitar, Ben Alcorn on bass guitar, and Sean Chadwick on drums.

DOOLEY NOTED
Megan Dooley (lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist) has been part of the Kalamazoo, MI music scene for over 5 years, playing venues like Harvey’s, Louie’s Trophy House Grill, Papa Pete’s, and guest starring on Western Michigan University’s WIDR FM radio. Her current band, consisting of Stacy Koviak (backing vocals, bass), Chris Miroslaw (lead guitar), and Tommy Ufkis (drums) plays an electric mix of blues, jazz, rock, and folk.

In June 2008, Dooley released her second CD, Edible Audibles. Reviewer, Eric Mitts says, “She’s had it down live all along, and for some of her songs (“Challenge My Integrity”) simplification becomes multiplication... The new additions...amaze, with her acoustic balladry on “Whispers” alone bringing chills and “Take Care of Yourself” sounding like a classic... The new rocked-out version of “Out My Window” and the beautiful harmonies on “Tura Loo” take Vicegrip’s few great moments and make them damn near perfect.” (Recoil Magazine, July 2008)

Dooley describes her influences as “learning, screaming, the human condition, chocolate, whiskey nights, and climbing trees,” Fiona Apple, Ani Difranco, Tom Waits and Miles Davis.

BEAR PAWS
Bear Paws hails from Flint, MI and consists of Fernando Solis, Justin Benyo, Joseph Allsop, and Austin Conquest. They have played in venues across Michigan.

ASSEGID MERSHA
Saginaw resident, jazz trombonist and father of two, Assegid Mersha (Amharic for "Bow Down to the Great Man”) was named by his Father, Wondimu Mersha, an Ethiopian Immigrant from Addis Abba. He writes and performs thought-provoking poetry to inspire and as a form of activism. A social worker by profession, he lends his voice to children, minorities, the disadvantaged, and the abused “...to take things, issues and ideas, that are common and shed a different light on them...to make people think about important issues...[and to make] positive change to this world.” Mersha has taught poetry, held workshops and formed a poetry club at Arthur Eddy Academy, does personalized poetry for hire for special events and operates his own recruiting and marketing business, Mersha Marketing Solutions.

LIBBY BOOTH
Saginaw artist Libby Booth received her Bachelor’s Degree from Saginaw Valley State University after studying art, psychology and alternative physical science theories such as meditation and tai chi. Despite years of classical training, Booth embraces something unique, acknowledging there is much more to the world than what is visible to the naked eye.

In August 2008, Booth competed and won second place in The Tri-City Art Battle, with a green colored acrylic on cork that was part cityscape and part portrait. One of ten artists whose work can be seen across Saginaw as part of a community mural project at SVSU, she also completed a mural of digital artwork titled “Finding the Center: Celebrating Ourselves” that was placed in Saginaw High School’s cafeteria.

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