….And the Winner Is…

By: Stephanie Benney

I started piano lessons at a very tender age. Playing the piano was as much a part of me, as my stomach. I was classically trained by amazing teachers, who schooled me in interpreting the works of the “greats”, like Claud Debussy, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven and Amadeus Mozart. I lived, ate, breathed piano – the smell of the keys and the wood, the sounds of the strings and the emotions of the music I produced. My whole world was music and the best feeling in the world was being on stage performing it.

I would sit in my bedroom and drown my ears in endless allegros, sonatas, and minuets, contrasted by pop ballads and ’80′s heavy-hitters. I would envision myself on a stage singing and playing the piano for thousands of fans; I’d get completely lost in the fantasy.

Well, unfortunately my dreams of being a famous musician never came true(at least not yet). However, I still have musical idols who inspire me, motivate me, and empathize with whatever emotion I may be feeling.

In this day, it’s simply not enough for a band or musician to be just that. They must also be socially and environmentally responsible. So, who are some of the elite, select few to win the award for being an eco-band? Ladies and gentlemen, without any further ado….the award goes to…

For “Green Texas Pride”, Court Yard Hounds:

This Texas duo is two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks and are crazy about their home state. Their work in spreading conservation awareness in Texas really does show that everything in Texas is super-sized – even green effort! By teaming up with the Conservation International, they worked to offset the carbon footprint of their tour and asked their fans to do the same. The band’s investment went to the preservation of a rain forest in Madagascar.

For “Greenest Alt-Rock Rebels”, Pearl Jam:

Who would have thought back in the ’90′s, this plaid-wearing grunge group would end up being environmental do-gooders?! Almost 10 years ago, the band implemented a carbon neutral touring policy, offsetting their environmental impact and formulated an entire carbon portfolio strategy. In 2010 they donated $210,000 towards planting trees in Puget Sound, Washington; they were also extremely active in the cleanup of the Gulf oil spill later that same year. They donated 100% of the proceeds from downloads of their video “Amongst the Waves” to benefit marine and ocean programs.

For “Biggest Green Kahuna”, Jack Johnson:

This Hawaiian native enforces sustainability on various levels. His band and crew use filtered tap water and hydration stations instead of using single-use plastic bottles; fuel their trucks and busses on biodiesel and sponsor a sharide/carpool website to connect concertgoers across the country; reduce, reuse and recycle in order to create zero-waste events; and participate in the Farm to Stage catering program, which requires participating caterers to work directly with local farms and purveyors. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Along with his involvement in various environmental organizations, Johnson founded Kokua Hawaii Foundation to promote environmental education in Hawaiian schools. While he has always been generous with his money, he has twice donated 100% of his tour proceeds to his Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation(an endowment that supports environmental education worldwide) in 2008 and 2010.

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com