what it's time for is up to you--


Sunday, August 7



EMMA'S REVOLUTION
played in the SUUSI bookstore, on stage at Cabaret in Blacksburg, VA. and on my headphones on the plane home.

"one x 1,000,000 = change" is the debut CD from emma's revolution, the duo of award-winning, grassroots activist musicians, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, whose songs have been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" and Pacifica's "Democracy Now!" A musical uprising of truth and hope, "one" includes "If I Give Your Name", Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, The song sheds light on the silent suffering of family members of undocumented workers lost on 9/11 in the World Trade Center and was one of 12 grand prize winners out of 24,000 entries.
In May 2002, NPR's All Things Considered featured the story of an underground "folk anthem" that was 'everywhere,' despite its having no commercial airplay and no major label, or even moderate-sized indie label, support. The song was "Swimming to the Other Side," by activist musician and award-winning songwriter, Pat Humphries. The NPR segment included interviews with Pat and folk legend, Pete Seeger, who said, "The powers that be can control the media (but) it's hard to stop a good song . . . Pat's songs will be sung well into the 22nd century." The response from NPR listeners was tremendous and unprecedented. In addition to emails that flooded Pat's and NPR's inboxes, so many people ordered "Hands" that it was the #1 seller on Amazon.com for three days--outselling Eminem's just-released live recording, and every other rock and pop artist.

Pat has traveled twice to Cuba as part of the Pastors for Peace Caravans and was part of a women's delegation that included author, Margaret Randall, to observe the 1996 Nicaraguan elections. In addition to performing at local and national demonstrations, Pat has written music and advocated for migrant farmworkers in New York State, the Refugee Women's Network in Atlanta, United Students Against Sweatshops and the School of the Americas Watch.

Pat's much acclaimed anthems, "Keep on Moving Forward (Never Turning Back)," "Common Thread," and "Swimming to the Other Side," are sung at peace and justice events around the world and have been translated into 7 languages. The U.N. Fourth Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, opened with "Keep on Moving Forward" and "Common Thread" has been chosen as the theme song of the NYC Labor Chorus.

Pat is now performing with her partner, Sandy Opatow, who adds exquisite vocals, guitar playing and songwriting. Pat and Sandy were in the process of moving to the Washington DC area from New York City when the events of September 11th, 2001, occurred. Since then, Pat Humphries & Sandy O. have been performing at concerts, teach-ins and rallies, including leading 10,000 people in NYC singing their song "Peace, Salaam, Shalom," less than a month after September 11th.



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