TITLE TRACK - Key Persons
Amber Hasan has been writing for as long as she can remember. She sees writing as sacred, a vehicle for feeling spiritually whole and fulfilling her life purpose. In addition to being a writer, she is a wife, mother, actor, hip-hop artist, herbalist, and community organizer. Amber owns a natural product line, Mama's Healing Hands, that was originally started to address hair loss and skin rashes suffered by Flint residents due to the Flint Water Crisis.
She is co-founder of The Sister Tour artist collective, a grassroots organization created to offer resources and safe spaces for women artists and entrepreneurs. In July 2019, along with Latoya Ruby Frazier, The Sister Tour and Moses West, they passed out over 20,000 gallons of water in her hometown of Flint, Michigan using Moses West's "Atmospheric Water Generator." Amber's work focuses on bringing light to dark places and situations while also helping others to find and use their voices as a tool of empowerment.
Job Titles:
- Bookkeeper
- Treasurer of the Board
Bree Russell-Carscadden is a Michigan native and resident where she enjoys spending
participate in this important work and honor her father's legacy. Bree has played an
Chris Good is an Ann Arbor, MI-based musician, community organizer, avid gardener, devoted dad, and founder/co-coordinator of the newly launched Sing Me Home Festival, based in Chris' hometown of North Manchester, IN. Emerging at the crossroads of music, social justice, and spirituality, the intergenerational cultural celebration's inaugural edition during April and May 2020 featured many Title Track friends and family. A member of the Earthwork Music Collective, Good writes, performs and records with a community of talented collaborators including his band, Friends with the Weather, and his solo project, Chris Good & The Sweet Insurrection.
Chris has a long history of community organizing having worked in a variety of roles with many nonprofit organizations and socially conscious businesses in the areas of peace & conflict resolution, youth empowerment, immigration reform, localism, and environmentalism. As part of the team that launched the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan, Chris has served as the Clean Water Campaign's Communications Director since its February 2018 launch. He's continued in this role for Title Track since its 2019 launch.
Dan Rickabus is a musician, educator, collaborator and ally. He is the producer, editor and narrator of State of Water: the official podcast of Title Track and the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan. After graduating from GVSU with a BA in Sound Design in 2010, Dan and his bandmates co-founded Grand Rapids MI band The Crane Wives. Soon after, he attended his first Earthwork Harvest Gathering, which inspired him to become a deeply involved member of the Earthwork Music Collective. Since then, Dan has been featured on over 30 albums of Michigan music as a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He has performed all over the state with various projects, and traveled the country as a touring musician. In 2017, he released his debut solo / collab album "Void / Journal" and keeps personal creative practice ever-flowing. Beyond music, Dan found a path forward as a teacher. In the Fall of 2018, he began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Aquinas College teaching Studio Recording I & II as well as Songwriting. He is currently taking classes once again at GVSU to eventually enter their GTC Program in hopes of becoming the kind of High School Social Studies teacher that these times require. He also teaches private drum, ukulele and songwriting lessons to students of all ages in the Grand Rapids area as well as remotely. He has worked as a facilitator with the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, a Teaching Artist with Artists Creating Together, a presenter / performer with the non-profit On Stage 4 Kids, contract editor of audiobooks for Brilliance Audio, audio-engineer at Sound Post Studios, intern at River City Studios, and a current frequent collaborator at Centennial Sound in Grand Rapids. He lives in GR with his partner Alex and their loveable golden retriever, Connor. Connor grew up in the UP, and keeps his care-takers connected to nature through their mutual love of wilderness hiking.
Raised near Flint, Michigan and moved to Grand Traverse County 20 years ago, Gini has been a school teacher, project manager, and small business owner, and has served on local, regional, and national boards in the Unitarian Universalist faith community. She is an activist and water protector; having been involved with immigration and Line 3/Line 5 camps and protests.
Gini and her wife Wendy have a family farm in Buckley (south of Traverse City) where they raise chickens and make maple syrup.
Gini says, "Title Track's mission is vital and precious to me, and I'm delighted my skill set and experiences were good enough to get me in the door to work with such a fierce group of leaders."
Holly T. Bird grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She studied art, dance and theater at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she graduated in 1987. She attended Michigan State University, where she graduated with a B.A. in art and social science. While there, Holly worked for the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, canvassing in support of environmental safety. In 1999, Holly graduated from DePaul University College of Law, where she served as the Native American Representative and President of the Latino Law Students Association.
After law school, Holly served as a Hearing Officer for Chicago Public Schools, presiding over matters concerning the educational welfare and discipline of children and teachers. She was appointed as a Guardian Ad Litem for the Cook County Public Guardian's Office in 2000, where she represented over 230 children in the abuse/neglect system. From there, Holly went into private practice, representing clients in matters of family, criminal, traffic, civil, estate planning, real estate, and juvenile law. She also served as Vice-President of the Native American Foster Parents Association. Most notably, however, Holly founded and served as Vice-President, President, and President-Emeritus of the Illinois Native American Bar Association, and is credited for using her advocacy to remove offensive sports mascots from several Illinois schools. She has authored the publications: "Jumping Through Hoops: Traditional Healers and the Indian Health Care Act," (1999) and "Making the Cross-Cultural Case; Educating the Judge about Race, Religion, and Ethnicity" (2004). Additionally, Holly has provided trainings on Native American Law and culture to the Illinois State Prosecutor's Office, the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, the Cook County Public Guardian's Office, the Interfaith Council for Social Justice, and the State of Michigan Governor's Task Force on Abuse/Neglect Children. Holly was featured in the Illinois Department of Labor's March 2000 "Highlights of the Progress of Women and Minorities in the Workforce."
In 2008, Holly was appointed as an Acting Chief Judge / Associate Judge for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, where she served until 2011. In 2010, she was appointed to serve as an Associate Supreme Court Judge for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians and continues in that capacity today. Holly maintains a private practice in Traverse City, concentrating in matters of Native American, cannabis, family, juvenile, criminal, civil, traffic, real estate, probate, employment and business law. Holly also served as the Civil Ground Coordinator for the Water Protectors Legal Collective, the leading legal service at the NoDAPL camp/protest in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. After Standing Rock camp closed, she continued to volunteer as an attorney and Board Member, and more recently as Co-Executive Director. She also founded and serves as the Executive Director for the MI Water Protectors Legal Task Force, a project of the National Lawyer's Guild. She has been active throughout the years in organizing demonstrations and actions to bring attention to the water, social justice, and child safety.
Holly Bird is a certified Mediator, Peacemaker, Arbitrator, and serves as a pro-tem Appellate Judge for various Tribes. In 2013, Holly was awarded the prestigious American Arbitration Association's 2013 Higginbotham Fellowship. Holly has served as a board member and mentor for the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden; and volunteer for the Leelanau Children's Center and the Pathfinder School. Further, Holly was appointed to serve on the American Indian Law Committee of the Michigan State Bar and served on the State Supreme Court's Court Rules Committee with respect to the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act. She is a member of the American Indian Law Section and the Marijuana Law Section of the Michigan State Bar. For many years, Holly has acted as legal counsel for various music festivals around Northern Michigan, including Dunegrass/Dunesville, Rootstock, and Pond Jam. She also serves as the Michigan organizer for Indigenous Mutual Aid during the COVID-19 crisis.
Holly is descended from the San Felipe Pueblo/Yaqui/Apache tribes and the English Isles. She resides in Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, former Grand Traverse Band Tribal Councilor Percy Bird, and three children. She is a member of the Mindimooyenh Healing Society, a regional indigenous healing medicine circle. In what little spare time she has, she likes to travel, garden, play and listen to music, attend music festivals, smash colonialism, create art, renovate old campers, play with her family on the beach, engage in her Native American culture, and promote love.
Job Titles:
- Ann Arbor - Based Artist
- Board Member for the Ark in Ann Arbor
- Co - Executive Director
Jenny Jones is an Ann Arbor-based artist, artistry connector, and authenticity advocate. She is energized by accentuating the giftings of musicians, to make known the opportunities that venues have for musicians, and to bring about authentic relationships between the artist, the community, and local businesses/organizations.
Jenny has over 22 years of project coordination, event planning and scheduling management, team leadership, and office administration experience in the arts management, nonprofit and philanthropic, management consulting, educational, manufacturing, and staffing fields. She is a classically trained pianist and cellist and a self-taught guitarist with two album releases; and continues collaborative artistry as well as singing with musicians Jess Merrittt (The Understorey), Abigail Stauffer and Dave Haughey, and Joe Reilly.
Jenny is a board member for The Ark in Ann Arbor, as well as the Amplify Project (Amplify Fellowship). She is a member of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) Arts & Culture Committee, CultureSource's CultureMakers Cohort, the Michigan Arts and Cultural Council (MACC, formerly MCACA) Rising Leaders program, the Nonprofit Enterprise at Work 2020-2021 Champions for Change Cohort, The Ark's Marketing Advisory Committee, and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival's (A2SF) Planning Advisory Committee and Community Engagement Committee. She also has a background as an HR Generalist and corporate insurance coordinator, and advises a number of southeastern Michigan businesses, venues, and artists. Jenny performs scouting, social media, and marketing efforts for long-standing Ann Arbor listening room, The Ark; and was responsible for the creation of the ‘Sundays in the Garden' summer concert series originally based at Cultivate Coffee & Tap House (Ypsilanti).
Kaylan Waterman is a musician, community organizer, and proud lifelong Detroiter. She writes, produces, and performs as Vespre as well as supporting multiple acts and projects throughout the area.
Kaylan also curates visual art and cultural events which focus on elevating and empowering women and people of color.
Job Titles:
- Vision & Operations Strategist
Equal parts intuitive, visionary, strategist, and implementer, Mae Beale provides holistic counsel for nonprofit management around organization development, optimizing tech systems and digital practices, and tending to the important and delicate web of relationships at the heart of our commitment to fulfilling our mission.
Mae Beale joins the staff of Title Track in the newly created role of Vision & Operations Strategist, having previously served Title Track as a volunteer advisor.
Piper Carter lives inside Detroit city.
She is an Arts and Culture Organizer and Hip Hop Activist with focus on Entertainment Justice, Environmental and Climate Justice, Education Justice, the Maker Space movement, and Food Justice, communities.
She is Host of the Piper Carter Podcast on Detroit is Different where she discusses Social Justice and Hip Hop to a world wide audience.
She is an Image Maker, Fashion Photographer, Featured four times on Tyra Banks' VH-1 TV show "The Shot", The First Black Woman to shoot for Hi-End publications such as French Vogue, British Elle, New York Times, Spin, & Essence Magazines, as well as emerging talent for Music companies such as Def Jam, Sony Music, Warner Music, Universal Music, Disturbing tha Peace, Elektra Records, and BET.
She is co-Founder of We Found Hip Hop (The Foundation, uplifting, celebrating, and supporting Women in Hip Hop to help them build careers in a safer environment). She is Creator of Dilla Youth Day (This day is a highlight during African American History Month for young people to become excited about exploring the S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) disciplines through the process of participating in and leading hands on engagement in fun educational activities while recognizing a modern homegrown figure in Hip Hop.
She is also Creator and Editor-In-Chief for thestudioarena.com (a sustainable fashion magazine promoting zero waste and international trade).
She is a 3-Time Awardee Knight Arts Challenge by The Knight Foundation Grant, Detroit Young Professionals Vanguarde Award, Community Connections Grant Awardee, Cognizant Grant Awardee, Ford Foundation Awardee. She also received The Spirit of Detroit Award for Creating Dilla Youth Day.
She is Coordinator for Detroit Rocks The Runway at The Annual African World Festival, Multimedia Artist for Jessica Care Moore's Black Women Rock, Part-Time Assistant Stage Manager at The Aretha Amphitheater.
She is formerly co-Chair of Bravo Bravo (fundraising committee for the Detroit Opera House), Founding Member of Cosmic Slop a Michigan based Black Rock Coalition, & former co-Owner of 5egallery and 5 Elements Arts Foundation.
Born and raised on Earthwork Farm in rural Northern Michigan, Seth Bernard was brought up in the folk and farmstead culture with an enriching integrative experience of the arts, agriculture, and community. In 2001, Seth founded Earthwork Music, a renowned Michigan-based collective of successful independent musicians who focus their efforts on environmental advocacy, social justice, creative empowerment and community building.
Seth has traveled the world and blanketed the US as a magnetic performer and uplifting cultural worker and is equally at home fronting a large electrified ensemble as he is holding a crowd with nothing but an acoustic guitar. Seth has served as the Director of the Musical Ambassador Program for On the Ground where he helped cultivate partnerships and cultural exchanges between communities in southern Mexico, Ethiopia and eastern Congo and communities in Michigan with a focus on solidarity and creative collaboration. "Eggs" Bernard is a NMEAC Environmentalist of the Year Award winner for Arts Education and has worked with SEEDS and On Stage for Kids bringing nature-based experiential creative empowerment to young people across the Great Lakes region and beyond.
In early 2018, Bernard launched the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan, a social movement using storytelling and music to amplify the groundswell of support for water issues.
Seth is a prolific songwriter and recording artist with 13 solo albums and a dozen more collaborative projects in his catalogue. He's won 8 Jammie awards as a recording artist and producer, and has been a longtime iconic leader and steward of Michigan's music community. His newest work, Let Love Light The Way, "is a stirring clarion call, and in this moment of collective tumult, these songs are precisely the music and words our world needs. Each track brims with both heartbreak and hopefulness, extending empathy and loving kindness, yet bold with clear-eyed purpose. As Bob Dylan says, the times they are a-changin'-and in these changing times, Seth Bernard has provided us with a set of glorious new anthems." -Davy Rothbart, writer, filmmaker, creator of FOUND Magazine, and contributor to This American Life
"I know that the future of music is in good hands with people like Seth around to be its caretaker. More importantly, I know the future of our world is in good hands."