Interview: Moon Hooch and Sustainability
Once someone begins to understand the impact their habits have on the world around them, it’s hard to ignore. This is why Moon Hooch, a three-part percussion and horn band has decided to use the band’s musical platform as a way to make social change. Members include James Muschler, Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen. The band originally formed in Brooklyn, New York where they would busk at subway stations. Now, Moon Hooch travels from coast to coast bringing their unique sound and sound message of earth care.
While cruising from Tennessee to Georgia, in their Sprinter Van (chosen for it’s better gas mileage compared to other vehicles of its size) the members of Moon Hooch took a moment to talk about the band’s journey to becoming more sustainable and a recent stop at Urban Ecovillage in Nashville Tennessee.
“There was a time we were not concerned about how our actions affected the world around us. We would tour and eat cheese burgers and pepperoni pizza,” said Wilbur. “It was a maturing thing with key people leading us to those realizations.”
But how does your diet affect the world around us, you may ask?
According to rainforestpartnership.org, 65-70% of deforestation in the Amazons is due to raising cattle. Published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a study found that animal agriculture creates 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s 5 percent more than ALL transportation exhaust combined.
Think about that, you could help end global warming merely by changing what you eat.
Muschler runs a blog called “Cooking In The Cave” where he shares recipes for the vegan meals made on the road. His favorite creation so far is a mushroom biryani. It has yet to be featured on the blog.
The band also become carbon neutral in 2017, with the help of We Are Neutral, an organization that plants trees to counteract the emissions put off by the band whilst touring.
Moon Hooch at a recent stop in Chicago.
Their recent stop at Urban Ecovillage in East Nashville Tennessee was their first event to incorporate these values with their fans. The event drew about 30 people.
“I think people walked away with the knowledge that other people exist who are interested in healing the world. That places like that [Urban Ecovillage] exist,” said Wilbur. “You can learn to grow both food and yourself.”
The event included a yoga session with live music, a cacao ceremony and a sound improvisation class with Wilbur. The sound improvisation class’s goal was to immerse in a “collective sound world.”
“We basically tranced out for 20 minutes,” said Wilbur. “Everyone got into a meditative state and focused on their breath. I started a drone on the synnth with a pile of pots and pans in the middle of the room for people to drum on.”
Other activities included a cooking class with Muschler and an interview by McGowen with a neuroscientist.
“It turned into a deborturous jam and I passed out at 9:30,” said Wilbur. His smile could be felt through the phone as he recalled the event.
The next day, the band performed a set at Exit In, also located in Nashville.
Moon Hooch is planning to continue to host events similar to the one held at Urban Ecovillage on a West Coast tour in the spring.
The band is currently looking for urban gardens, ecovillages and organizations of similar stature to collaborate with for these sustainability events. The goal is to host 1-2 a week. If you can help connect the band, reach out to them at sustainability@moonhooch.com.
Along with a spring tour and sustainability events to look forward to, Moon Hooch will also start recording new music this upcoming December.
Photos by: Alycia Grace
