FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Seth Bernard, Title Track Founder & Executive Director
seth@titletrackmichigan.org // 734-717-7796
Chris Good, Title Track Communications Director
chris@titletrackmichigan.org // 734-395-0315
New Michigan-based nonprofit, Title Track, launches on Earth Day 2019! Launch events in Traverse City (5/9) and Detroit (5/11) to feature music, film, spoken word and more.
MICHIGAN (APRIL 22, 2019) – Title Track
“I see a great need for people to be able to come together to engage in meaningful, restorative experiences and to work for the common good in these times,” says Title Track Founder, President, and Executive Director, Seth Bernard. “Great challenges must be faced and embraced with a sense of imagination and possibility. Old systems of oppression and exploitation need to be healed. Young people need to be seen and supported. ‘Title Track’ brings together many strands of the collaborative work for change I’ve been engaged in for the last two decades, and I’m thrilled to be launching this fresh new organization with a diverse, multi-generational group of change agents.
We are deeply honored to be carrying on the legacy of the Neahtawanta Research and Education Center, an organization co-founded by my mentors Sally Van Vleck, who is on our board of directors, and her late husband Bob Russell. We’re coming together with a powerful network of partners to use creativity to work for clean water, racial equity and youth empowerment.”
“I see a great need for people to be able to come together to engage in meaningful, restorative experiences and to work for the common good in these times. Great challenges must be faced, and embraced with a sense of imagination and possibility. Old systems of oppression and exploitation need to be healed. Young people need to be seen and supported. ‘Title Track’ represents the confluence of the collaborative work I’ve been doing for the last two decades, and I’m thrilled to be launching this fresh new organization with a diverse, multi-generational group of change agents. We are deeply honored to be carrying on the legacy of the Neahtawanta Research and Education Center, an organization co-founded by my mentors Sally VanVleck, who is on our board of directors, and her late husband Bob Russell. We’re coming together with a powerful network of partners to use creativity to work for clean water, racial equity and youth empowerment.” (Seth Bernard)
A few program highlights for Title Track’s inaugural year include:
- Clean Water Campaign for Michigan: music and storytelling events, State of Water podcast, featured interview documentary series of leading water protectors and activists.
- RiverQuest: a creative empowerment and ecological education project for youth in Flint featuring canoe trips on the Flint and Saginaw Rivers with indigenous leaders and youth-led songwriting and recording projects.
- First Annual Earthwork Detroit: celebrating cultural resilience and local social ecologies with live music, talks from community leaders, interactive workshops, and youth programming.
- Earthwork Harvest Gathering: Title Track is curating and hosting a series of engaging panels at this beloved MI cultural celebration and music festival. Topics include climate action, creative empowerment, Great Lakes protection, Native justice, racial equity, water equity and affordability, women in music, and Youth Council.
“When the board of directors and I reached the decision that the Neahtawanta Research and Education Center had come to the end of its time as an organization, we wanted to choose an organization to be the recipient of our assets and legacy. The decision to choose ‘Title Track’ was unanimous,” said Sally Van Vleck, NREC founder and Title Track board member. “We see a vibrant, regional, activist organization that will take the essence of the work that NREC focused on over the years and expand upon it in creative and innovative ways. We couldn’t be more proud and thrilled to pass the torch to ‘Title Track’ with our blessings.”
Title Track launch schedule:
April 22 // Official Launch
Launch through website and social media featuring video, program highlights, staff and board profiles, launch event info, and more.
May 9 // Traverse City // Launch Celebration at Kirkbride Hall // 7-10pm
Performers: Amber Hasan, Red Tail Ring, Seth Bernard, Chris Good
Speakers: Sally Van Vleck, Hans Voss, Holly Bird
Suggested donation: $25
May 11 // Detroit // Launch Celebration at Music Town // 7-10pm
Performers: Vespre, Juuni, Seth Bernard, Audra Kubat
Speakers: Baldomero Gonzales, Nicole Lindsey, and Wayne Ramocan
Suggested donation: $15
For more information on mission, programming, and how to get involved with Title Track, visit https://titletrackmichigan.org.
