David Meinert: A Blueprint For Real Change In The Music Industry And Beyond.

David Meinert has been a blessing in my life and the lives of countless other members of the semi-defunct Seattle music scene of the 1990's. Without his encouragement, a great number of things that I hold personally dear to me would be lost. I have always seen David's radical efforts towards change eventually pay off in one way or another. I have looked to him for both personal and professional advice over the years. To me, David is a picture of what the courage of your convictions can do if you don't take no for an answer. What a great surprise it was to read this week's issue of The Stranger, Seattle's free alternative weekly paper, and see him shining in the proof of what great effort can achieve in a city where old ways are not necessarily best ways. If you fancy yourself part of the music community in your city in any way, as an artist, manager, producer, promoter, or just someone who is interested in the biz, I recommend you take a few minutes to read this story. The story highlights the travelogues of a man who went from fighting for change in the music industry as a total outsider just ten years ago to today organizing political benefits, being called "one of Seattle's 25 most influential people" and becoming head of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), also known as the people who put on the Grammies every year. It's an incredible shift from booking little shows around town to being the force from which city ordinances are defeated and political figures are made.

David's work ought to have value to even the most cynical among you. David, when I knew him, was a great cynic -- but a cynic who could see the loophole and found a way to jump thru it and bring people with him. Something real is always within reach, and David is ironclad proof. My congratulations go out to him and to the many people back in my old neighborhood who, along with him, have stayed courageous through a lot of bullshit and fought tirelessly to make a real difference. We could all learn something from him.

Photo: Bootsy Holler

Download of the Day:
[Mary Timony - Return to Pirates][128kbps]
from the soon-to-be-released album Ex-Hex