Folk and Feminist Music Inspired Me to Take On Social Change

STORY BY: Isaac Romano
YEAR: 1977
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA

Isaac tells a story from when he was 14 in Seattle, when the music you hear has tremendous influence and emotional resonance. He speaks of folk groups like Peter, Paul & Mary, and Bud & Travis, whose music moved him while he was singing in choir groups. Isaac then went on to get a degree in choral music, and moved to San Francisco. He said that we wanted his music to represent "how I wanted the world to be", drawing influence from the women's movement and feminist music of the 1970s and early 80s. He mentions a few mentors: Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tom Gettnan, and Ricky Shorover-Marcuse (once married to Herbert Marcuse). These influential figures helped inspire Isaac to take on social change and social justice over the last 50 years, including events he organized to honour war resisters who came to Canada during the Vietnam War (popularly known as "Draft Dodgers"). Thanks for sharing, Isaac.