“Right now nature’s rhythm is dying because we’re killing the Earth.”
The bold and ominous statement shared by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart was just one of many warning included in a new op-ed published by CNN on Thursday. The article’s publication comes just a few days before the Dead & Company drummer is set to perform at the Earth’s Call concert event in Aspen, CO this Saturday, May 18th, which will be live-streamed for Deadheads and environmental activists around the country to watch from home. According to Hart, the business model behind the new non-profit is that of funding innovative solutions for the climate crisis.
Related: Mickey Hart Asks Fans To Honor Jerry Garcia’s Death With A Global Moment Of Gratitude
“My fascination with the rhythms of our planet — and the universe beyond — goes way back, and exploring them has always been a passion for me in my long, strange musical journey,” Hart continues. “It has also led me to the realization of how closely our universal soundscape is tied to nature and its voices. As an artist, I have had no choice but to become a passionate environmentalist and an active preservationist of the natural world.”
Throughout the lengthy piece, Hart touches on how time spent with world-renowned scientists and biologists has educated him on the seriousness of mankind’s influence on the rest of the natural world. The drummer also attempts to explain the rhythmic synchronization that takes place between himself and the audience every time he takes the stage to perform.
“Our destruction of this planet is entirely arrhythmic, the opposite of creation,” Hart continued. “We have lost our groove, lost our place in the grand musical composition called life.”
Hart has never been shy about pursuing his quest to connect the rhythms in music with those of the natural universe. In addition to launching Deadheads into orbit via his beam on stage at shows, Hart has also played in partnership with organizations like The Museum of Natural History in New York City. Earlier this year, Hart played a brief run of shows showcasing his variations of “vibrational expressionism” at select art galleries along the eastern U.S.
“The basis of all life is vibratory, from the cosmos to human organism, to the rhythms of nature and the music that comes from what we make, from what we call culture,” Hart said about his goal for the performances upon their announcement back in February. “These are the worlds of rhythm that envelop us on a daily basis. Understanding these rhythms are essential in our daily lives.”
Fans can catch Hart with his Dead & Company bandmates when they head back out on tour starting later this month on May 31st. Head to the Dead & Co website for tickets and tour info.
[H/TÂ CNN]