He goes on to explain, “I mean real stories. Real narratives. Songs with spirit in them. Songs with solutions. Songs with questions. Protest songs don’t have to be boring or non danceable…They just have to speak truth.”

For all of the artists taking up Questlove’s call to write more protest songs, here is some inspiration…RPM’s List of Recent Protest Songs on Spotify.

• Glory – John Legend & Common
• Be Free – JCole
• 212 Degrees – Jasiri X
• Don’t Shoot – Game, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz & more
• Police Story – Anti-Flag
• Black Rage – Ms. Lauryn Hill
• Same Love – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• It Ain’t My Fault – Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Ice El Hielo – La Santa Cecilia
• No No Guantanamo – Sean Hayes
• Reagan – Killer Mike
• Land Of The Free – Esperanza Spalding
• The Rose And The Thistle – Flobots
• The Body Electric – Hurray For The Riff Raff
• The Jailer: Part 2 – Star Jaguar feat. Erin McKeown, Brer Rabbit (Flobots) and Shawn King (Devotchka)
• Cease Fire – Chadwick Stokes (Dispatch, State Radio)

This list is just a start. Contact us with any we have missed or any new ones to add.

The post Thinking of writing a protest song? Here is some inspiration. appeared first on RPM.

If you want to help fundraise, grab or customize social media language from below for the organization of your choice.

Also, sending an email to your fanbase can be a highly effective way to engage fans in this campaign. Let us know if you’d like a personalized email about one of the below organizations to send.

Dream Defenders trains and organizes youth and students in nonviolent civil disobedience, civic engagement, and direct action.

• Facebook (don’t forget to tag the org): This #GivingTuesday join me in supporting Dream Defenders, an organization building upon the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by developing the next generation of young leaders & organizers fighting for justice. http://bit.ly/11CzQbZ
• Twitter: Training young leaders & organizers fighting for justice. Join me in supporting @Dreamdefenders this #GivingTuesday http://bit.ly/11CzQbZ

Free Press fights for your rights to connect and communicate.

• Facebook (don’t forget to tag the org): This #GivingTuesday, I’m supporting Free Press. Join me in funding the fight for a free & open internet. http://bit.ly/1BNlJRd
• Twitter: Fund the fight for a free & open internet. Join me in supporting @FreePress this #GivingTuesday http://bit.ly/1BNlJRd

Gulf Restoration Network unites and empowers people to protect and restore the natural resources of New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.

• Facebook (don’t forget to tag the org): Louisiana loses a football field of land every hour from its coast. This #GivingTuesday join me & support Gulf Restoration Network http://bit.ly/1ypbZXF
• Twitter: Louisiana loses a football field of land every hour from its coast. Join me & support @HealthyGulf http://bit.ly/1ypbZXF #GivingTuesday

Little Kids Rock supports and revitalizes music education in disadvantaged public schools across the United States.

• Facebook (don’t forget to tag the org): This #GivingTuesday I’m supporting Little Kids Rock. Just a $25 donation = an entire year of music lessons for 1 student. http://bit.ly/1uJIuR7 
• Twitter: A $25 donation to @littlekidsrock = an entire year of music lessons for 1 student. Support & share http://bit.ly/1uJIuR7 #GivingTuesday

The post #GivingTuesday Made Easy appeared first on RPM.

While the metrics are still being tallied, we wanted to share a few of the images, a couple of quick stats, and make some shout outs to our partners.

The (Creative!) Campaign

RPM teamed up with the brilliant minds at Taskforce and HeadCount to flood social networks in the days before the election with GoVote images, messaging and information. More than 500 artists—musicians, comedians, TV personalities, visual artists, and more—posted photos of themselves holding GoVote/Vota art, or just posted the art itself, along with vital voter protection and polling information.

The (Awesome!) Art

There was something for everyone—images about climate change, prison reform, immigration, media justice, women’s rights, education, gun safety, and more. You can see more of the images at govote.org, but we’re including a few for you here.

The (Nice!) Numbers

• Approximately 500 artists involved, including musicians, comedians, TV personalities, and visual artists.
• Over 500 pieces of art that inspire and drive voter engagement and participation were created—all can be reused in future elections.
• GoVote was the #3 hashtag on Twitter on Election Day.
• Total reach is still being tallied, but it looks like over 300,000,000 impressions on the images alone. (Usher’s post had 61 million!)

The (Powerful!) Partners

We were proud to co-produce and provide a home for govote.org, and even prouder to help bring together this unprecedented election-year collaboration with RPM, Taskforce, and HeadCount. Other partners included the California Endowment, Rock the Vote, Voto Latino, and more.

To all involved, ESPECIALLY to the artists—thanks for all of the creativity and hard work!

GoVote is a recurring election-year collaboration of RPM and TaskForce. Originally conceived by The Culture Group in 2012, GoVote has engaged hundreds of artists to create art that inspires and drives voter engagement and participation. With partners like HeadCount, Rock The Vote, CultureStrike, and others, these pieces have been distributed with voting and voter protection information to help millions of young people get to the polls, know their rights, and cast their ballots. Visit govote.org to see the artwork, additional partners, and more about the project.

Now, about 2016….

The post GoVote/Vota! An Election Success to Build Upon appeared first on RPM.

Working with our partners, RPM has distilled the three most important actions artists can take between now and Nov. 4th. We know that they work because artists have had a huge impact in previous elections with these types of actions. Each can be done via social media, email (the best way to engage fans), and/or your website.

1. Images are the most shared content on social media. Grab #GoVote and #Vota art (like above) from www.govote.org. Then either post a picture of yourself with the art (see below) or repost the image directly from the site. Add the hashtag #GoVote and the voter information links from below.
   
2. Fans like to do what you do, so take a photo of yourself voting early, absentee, or heading to the voting booth. Post it to your social media with the hashtag #GoVote and the voter information links from below. Ask fans to do the same. Offer to repost a few of the best.
   
3. Remind your networks to vote. Life happens, and people can forget that it’s election day. They might also be intimidated or confused by voting ID laws, or where their polling station is. In the final 48 hours before polls close, posting reminders and voting info on the front page of your website and on all social media pages helps immensely.

Sample language for social, email, and websites are below and we’d be happy to help you customize or implement any of this. Reach out any time.

SAMPLE LANGUAGE:

Copy & paste or customize! And don’t forget to grab an image from govote.org!

→ SOCIAL:

• In 2000, 537 votes in FL decided the next President. Yr vote counts. Get info http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or 1-866-OUR-VOTE #GoVote #Nov4
• 471 congressional seats, 36 governors & 46 state legislatures on the ballots on #Nov4 http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or 1-866-OUR-VOTE #GoVote
• Post a selfie while voting early or absentee w/ voter info http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or 1-866-OUR-VOTE #GoVote Will RT the best ones!  
• It’s Election Day on Tues #Nov4! Get verified info on yr rights, polling places & more http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or 1-866-OUR-VOTE #GoVote
• Today is Election Day! Get verified info on yr rights, polling locations & more http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or 1-866-OUR-VOTE #GoVote

→ EMAIL OR WEBSITE:

Tuesday (Nov 4) is election day in America, and we want you to have the most up-to-date information on where, when, and how to cast your ballots.

Get verified information on polling places and times, ID requirements, early and absentee voting, and more at http://bit.ly/GoVoteInfo or through this hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

On election day in 2004, the governor of WA was chosen by only 129 votes… On Tuesday, Americans will vote on 471 congressional seats, 36 governors, 46 state legislatures, and countless ballot initiatives and local races.

Your vote counts. #GoVote!

The post 3 Easy Actions to Help Fans #GoVote appeared first on RPM.

“The dinosaurs never saw that asteroid coming. What’s our excuse?”

- Neil deGrasse Tyson (Cosmos series)

SEPTEMBER 21st: PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH

How YOU Can Help:

Support the People’s Climate March for climate action.

→ If you want to attend the march, let us know. RPM can guide and connect artists based on how you want to participate and help ensure your efforts are effective. We can also offer small travel and lodging stipends.

→ Encourage fans to join the march. Suggested post (copy or customize, and include one of the above photos):

NYC: Largest. Climate. March. In. History. Join #PeoplesClimate on Sept 21st. http://bit.ly/1wgvu3S

→ Encourage fans to take action. Suggested post (copy or customize, and include one of the above photos):

Over 1.6 million have joined @Avaaz’s most important petition to date! Sign now for climate action #PeoplesClimate: http://bit.ly/1p7Zg4R

Adopt two key business practices. For sample language you can use on your tour pages to promote and encourage fans to use public transit or carpool, or to see the world’s best eco-rider, email or call us and we will get you more details.

→ Encourage your fans to #GoGreen: Fan transportation to and from your shows causes 85-90% of the carbon emission of tours.

→ Implement an eco-rider. 

More resources:

→ Bill McKibben of 350.org’s Invitation to Action.

→ Additional info about the People’s Climate March.

→ Add your name to this petition supporting the global day of action.

→ Watch Disruption, a new documentary that goes behind-the-scenes with People’s Climate March organizers.

If you would like more info or want to discuss ways to get involved, contact us.

The post RPM Action: #PeoplesClimate March and Petition appeared first on RPM.

At RPM, we don’t think that there is any “room for debate” when it comes to whether or not artists should speak up. Instead of questioning their right to do so, or telling them to just “shut up and sing” as the media so often does, we think it’s more important (and productive) to talk about effective strategies for when a musician or comedian does take a stand.

Which, as you might have guessed, is one of the reasons we get up every morning.

To this end, in the coming weeks we’ll be re-releasing our DIY handbook for artists engaged in social change, called Strategies that Move. Along with it, a new website, our 10th Artist Lab (neé Artist Activist Retreat, and this time in Kentucky to look at the role artists can play in climate change and energy transition), and a massive artist-led voter registration and Get Out The Vote effort.

We’ll continue to send you behind-the-scenes “postcards” about all of these efforts as well as what artists are doing to support the issues they care about

P.S. If you weren’t familiar with Miley’s other activism, check out her song for Occupy and support for gay marriage.

The post Shut Up and Sing?! appeared first on RPM.