DJ Keeps the Fire Burning

Kevin Kicking Woman found solace in music from a childhood of abuse. Now, as a radio DJ, he shares across the airwaves the traditional music that helped him overcome his struggles.

Every Friday morning on Montana's College Radio station KBGA, Kevin Kicking Woman shares the traditional music of Turtle Island with his listeners on his show Greeting the Sun. It's the music that helped see him through a difficult childhood - adopted out of his family at the age of two, Kicking Woman experienced abuse and bullying as he was moved through multiple homes.

From RezNetNews, Volunteer DJ Shares the Power of Native American Music:

...he began to sing Native American songs that gave him strength. Singing became a gateway that allowed him to leave this world and lose himself in the music and the power of the songs.

“When I start singing I praised the spirits that help carry me," he said.

And now he helps others through the power of music as a volunteer DJ at KBGA College Radio at the University of Montana where he has his own show called ‘Greeting the Sun’. Kicking Woman’s show airs every Friday morning from 6-9 a.m.

Kicking Woman has taken his love for music to a post secondary education, with an undergrad in Native American studies and anthropology, he is now completing a master's degree in cultural anthropology in music. He's working towards using that degree to document the traditional songs of the Blackfeet tribe.

His path to a happy, successful life wasn’t an easy one, but it’s one that can be learned from.

His mother left him when he was six months old, leaving his father to raise him. But his father had problems of his own. He eventually was placed into three abusive homes until he was finally old enough to take care of himself. At nine-years-old Kicking Woman had enough. After being knocked out by a shoe that was thrown at him from across the room he turned to prayer for help.

"I sat at the edge of the bed and I began to cry. I asked God to kill them and I was going to kill myself. All of a sudden I got this really warm feeling in my body and it was like a message came to me. It said ‘Look into your heart there’s a fire burning don't let it go out’,” Kicking Woman said.

Read the whole story at RezNetNews and stream KBGA live at kbga.org.

RPM and Music is the Medicine

Last night, the documentary Music is the Medicine had its Canadian broadcast debut on APTN after the film successfully toured the festival circuit for the last six weeks. Here at RPM we were thrilled to see Music is the Medicine on the little screen, and celebrated it reaching viewers across Canada.

It's a great film with a great story - a slice of the life that Mohawk blues artist Derek Miller lives.

Because RPM's beginnings are thanks to this film, we've been proudly sharing Music is the Medicine content for the past two months. Last night's broadcast brings that thread of content to a close - but don't worry, we'll still be bringing you the latest and greatest on Derek as he is always up to something good.

Interested in more? Here's what RPM has shared during this time:

Music is the Medicine: The Derek Miller Story - a brief history on the origins of RPM and our ties to the film.

RPM at imagineNATIVE 2011 - RPM was in Toronto to present the world premiere of the film at the 2011 imagineNATIVE festival.

RPM Podcast #011: "Music is the Medicine" - an entire episode of the RPM podcast dedicated to the man himself, featuring an exclusive, in depth interview with Derek.

Rod Ruel Talks Music is the Medicine - another exclusive interview, this time with the film's producer Rod Ruel on his experience making the film.

We hope you enjoyed the film as much as we do!

Rod Ruel Talks Music is the Medicine

Rod Ruel is the producer of the new documentary Music is the Medicine that follows Six Nations blues-rocker Derek Miller and has its broadcast debut next week on APTN. RPM talks to Rod about the making of the documentary, the feedback so far and some words of wisdom for young filmmakers.

RPM: What's your name, location and occupation?

RR: Rodney Ruel, Canada, Producer.

RPM: How did you become involved in the Music is the Medicine project?

RR: It started out with wanting to make a rock’n’roll documentary. I had known Derek for quite a few years and after discussing it with Jody Hill (co-producer) and Lindsay Rusheleau (Director) we couldn’t think of anyone better to do a doc on. He’s extremely talented, totally charismatic and has a story that rock’n’roll legends are made of. He’s played with some of the greats, has won all these awards, received all this industry acclaim and works harder than anyone I know but, unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to break through. We were hoping that this doc might help shine the spotlight on him a little more. We took the pitch to Lynn Booth at Make Believe Media and she instantly saw the potential in Derek and his story and came on board with us. From there APTN and Knowledge licensed it… so check it out on APTN Dec 7^th at 10pm nationwide and check us out online for the future air date on Knowledge.

RPM: What were some of the challenges in documenting a story like Music is the Medicine?

RR: Derek is one of those guys who lives life by the moment, always flying by the seat of his pants, “gotta move, gotta move” as he says which makes trying to follow him with a camera quite a challenge. We would be heading out ready to film him at a certain location and then on the way we would get a text that the plans had changed and to meet him somewhere else…well on the way to that new location we would get another text from him or Niki Cooke, his assistant, that plans had changed again. And on and on…

RPM: On the flip side of that, what were some of the strengths?

RR: The strengths would be the same as the challenges. What makes Derek a great character is that nothing is boring, nothing is static and you never know what you’re going to get from him one moment to the next. It’s quite inspirational to watch someone throw caution to the wind and live by their instinct and heart.

RPM: What has the feedback been like for the film?

RR: It’s been great so far. For all the fans of Derek, they feel they’ve been able to see a small snippet of his life and story that they otherwise may not have gotten to see and for those who didn’t know of Derek before, they come away in awe of his talent, his music. I think the most consistent response is just how much Derek inspires.

RPM: Do you have any words for young filmmakers out there trying to launch their careers as documentary filmmakers?

RR: Well it’s definitely not easy and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. You just have to be persistent, believe in yourself and the story you want to tell, no matter how many doors get shut in front of you, no matter how impossible the odds of getting it done might seem. The journey you will go through will seem like madness, insanity and absolute chaos at times but when you get through to the other side, that journey will never be forgotten.

RPM: What's next for Rod Ruel?

RR: I will take a page out of Derek’s book on this one and figure that out moment by moment.

RPM: Shout outs?

RR: To everyone who had a hand involved in making this doc and joining us on our journey through our own little piece of madness.

Music is the Medicine airs December 7th, 2011, on ATPN at 10pm across Canada.

Watch the trailer for Music is the Medicine:

RPM Podcast #011: "Music is the Medicine"

In our 11th episode, we talk with one of the hardest working musicians on Turtle Island - Mohawk blues-rocker Derek Miller.

On previous episodes of the RPM podcast, we’ve heard from a wide variety of musicians from all kinds of different genres from hip-hop to country, from blues to electronica to new traditional. They’re all proud creators of what we at RPM like to call Indigenous Music Culture.

A huge part of what inspired RPM in the first place was Derek Miller - namely his story as told in the documentary film Music is the Medicine. So it's about time we get to know him a little better.

Our host Ostwelve talks with Derek about his musical journey, from listening to his mom's records on Six Nations reserve, to recently winning the APCMAs for Best Male Entertainer and Best Songwriter of the Year, to what Derek calls the metaphysical nature of music.

We'll also kick back and listen to some of that sweet medicine he makes with his guitar.

DOWNLOAD: RPM Podcast #011: "Music is the Medicine"

Subscribe via your favorite RSS reader

Audio clip from the documentary film Music is the Medicine used with permission from MIM Productions Inc. For more information on the film, visit musicisthemedicine.ca.

The RPM podcast is produced & engineered by the amazing Paolo Pietropaolo.

Photo illustration created by the talented Joi Arcand.

2011 Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival

November 10th - 13th marks the inaugural Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival. Highlights include an appearance by Ernie Paniccioli and the west coast premiere of Music Is The Medicine.

VIMAF In Association With W2 Media Arts Society Presents.... VANCOUVER INDIGENOUS MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL WEEK DETAILS November 10-13, 2011 Vancouver, BC - W2/SFU Woodwards/NFB Pacific Region Theater **************************************************************************

Thursday Nov 10 | 7pm | W2 Media Cafe | $20 VIMAF 2011 Opening Gala and Reception Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to Ernie Paniccioli Gordon Tootoosis Memorial Reel Music by DJ Mukluk and Garrett Tyler Stevens Film Screenings:

• Shi-Shi-Etko
• Anirniq
• Tungijuq
• Grab

**************************************************************************

Friday Nov 11 | 2pm | W2 Media Cafe - 111 W Hastings | By Donation VIMAF 2011 Decolonize Yourself Program:

• Columbus Day Legacy
• Canyon Wars: The Untold Story
• Warchild
• Indian
• Overburden
• Two Scoops
• Zwei Indianer Aus Winnipeg
• Empty
• Bloodland

Followed by Panel Discussion: Ernie Paniccioli & Ron Dean Harris aka Ostwelve

Friday Nov 11 | 4pm | W2 Media Cafe | By Donation VIMAF 2011 Students’ Reel With student works from: Gulf Island Film and Television School (GIFTS) Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking (IIDF)

Friday Nov 11 | 7pm | W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings | $10 VIMAF 2011 Raw Sugar Program:

• Maiden Indian
• Woodcarver
• Naqs Asil Katlis
• Savage
• Music is the Medicine - Documentary of Derek Miller

Friday Nov 11 | 8:30pm - Late | W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings | $10 VIMAF 2011 The Other Side of Hip-Hop w/ Late Evening Music Program

Screening of The Other Side Of Hip-Hop: The Sixth Element - A film about the life of Ernie Paniccioli The Other Side of Hip-Hop tells Ernie Paniccioli’s story of Hip-Hop. He was one of the first photographers to venture into the impoverished New York City neighborhoods where people were creating their own form of artisitic expression despite being an ignored and disenfranchised demographic. For over three decades Ernie has documented the artform of Hip-Hop in it's entirety. From the graphic representations that filled the subways and handball courts to the physical manifestation of the artform in dance movement on to the musical descriptions and artists. As rappers became the reporters of the travails of ghetto life, Ernie represented their images through his photography and put a face to the words we listened to.

RPM.fm Presents: Indigenous Music Culture Visions Music Video Program

Music from DJ Deano w/ Csetkwe + Installations from Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Adrienne Greyeyes and Jennifer Chong Performance by Ostwelve

**************************************************************************

Saturday Nov 12 | 2pm | W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings | By Donation VIMAF 2011 Vancouver 125 Panel Discussion:

Loretta Todd, Sid Tan and Odessa Shuquaya on NDN Portrayal in Mainstream Media w/ Siwash Rock, Dead Ground, The Last Family, Encroaching Vancouver, Oppenheimer Park, A Proud Lineage

Saturday Nov 12 | 4pm | W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings | $10 VIMAF 2011 Shortcuts Program:

• Keeping Quiet
• A Good Indian
• Ikwé
• Coyote Teevee
• Illegal Anger

Saturday Nov 12 | 5pm | W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings | By Donation Panel Discussion: Dana Claxton on The Future Of Indigenous Media

Saturday Nov 12 | 6pm | Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Woodwards | $10 Up Heartbreak Hill 2010, USA, 80mins Directed by Erica Scharf

In the brilliantly vast and stark landscape of New Mexico, three Native American teenagers, Thomas, Tamara and Gabby, are at the crossroads of life as seniors in their Navajo Reservation high school. Thomas has a bright future as an athlete, Tamara as a natural leader and Gabby as an emotional role model. But as graduation nears, they must decide whether to stay in their community – a place inextricably woven into the fibre of their beings – or leave in pursuit of opportunities elsewhere. With a per capita income under $4,600, the town has few prospects. Thomas, Tamara and Gabby’s inner struggles and outward attitudes from adolescence into adulthood shape their identities as contemporary Native American youth. With stunning and sensitive cinematography, filmmaker Erica Sharf’s intimate documentary profile is a raw and inspiring film reflecting the challenges of young life on the reserve in the USA.

Saturday Nov 12 | 7:25pm | Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Woodwards | $10 Barking Water 2009, USA, 85min By Sterlin Harjo

Frankie is dying. Refusing to do so in an impersonal hospital, he convinces Irene, an old flame with lingering resentment, to spring him out and drive him across Oklahoma to see his daughter one last time. Their journey becomes about more than just going home as they meet strangers and old friends and confront their past. Barking Water examines the ties that bind people together. It’s a tale of home . . . and what it takes to get there.

Saturday Nov 12 | 9:15pm | Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Woodwards | $10 On The Ice 2008, USA, 90min Directed by Andrew Okpeaha Mclean

On the Ice is the story of Apuna (Brad Weyiouanna), an Inuit hunter, who drives his dog team out on the frozen Arctic Ocean in search of seals and inadvertently becomes a witness to murder. In the microscopic communities of Arctic Alaska there is no anonymity, thus the hunter knows both the victim and the murderer. The murderer, Miqu (tony Bryant), claims self-defense and desperate to avoid punishment, tries to persuade his friend to forget what he has seen, and help dispose of the body and memory of one friend and destroying the life of another.

**************************************************************************** Sunday Nov 13 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm - W2 Media Cafe | By Donation Media Democracy Day Group dialogue on multiplatform and interactive productions and strategies - Irwin Oostindie Sunday Nov 13 | 2pm | NFB Pacific Region Theatre | $10 | Free for Children VIMAF 2011 Lil Bear Paws Program

• Wapos Bay: Long Goodbyes
• Tansi Nehiyawetan: Pow Wow Episode
• Brocket Zombie
• Cryrock

Sunday Nov 13 | 2pm | NFB Pacific Region Theatre | $10 VIMAF 2011 NFB Showcase

• Six Miles Deep
• Red Ochre
• Crossing the Line
• Inukshop
• Dancers of the Grass
• Totem: Return and Renewal

NFB W2 Installation Kanehsatake, Cesar’s Bark Canoe, Bill Reid W2 Media Cafe – 111 W Hastings

Sunday Nov 13 | 7pm | W2 Media Cafe | $10 VIMAF 2011 Closing Ceremony

• Slay Dogs
• Higher Ground
• Indigenous Connections to the Land
• Two Indians Talking

**Times subject to minor changes - Keep checking back for final revisions!

FOLLOW ON TWITTER @VIMAF

WEBSITE: vimaf.com

RPM at imagineNATIVE 2011

Last week, RPM was in attendance at the 2011 imagineNATIVE festival in Toronto, Ontario. It was five days filled with inspiring, moving, and important films, and equally inspiring and exciting connections with community.

For a festival celebrating Indigenous film and new media there was plenty of Indigenous music, and musicians, on site, screen and stage.

The opening night party brought A Tribe Called Red to get everyone on the dance floor; the experimental short film program included Make Your Escape - an audiovisual mash-up directed by Bear Witness of ATCR, and Jesus Coyote TeeVee by multi-disceplenary artist Chris Bose; and Friday night the festival presented a panel discussion with Buffy Sainte-Marie hosted by Wab Kinew.

Sunday was the premiere screening of Music is the Medicine, something we've been looking forward to and talking about here at RPM for some time. Derek Miller was in attendance, along with producers Jody Hill and Rod Ruel, and it was thrilling to see the documentary on the big screen. A number of Derek Miller fans were there, cheering throughout the film and grabbing signatures and photos from Derek afterwards. Here's Derek, Jody and Rod stopping for the cameras on the way into the theatre:

It was a celebratory vibe in the theatre and we were glad to be there to say a few words before the film - the last few of which were congratulations to the filmmakers, and to Derek, and we're so glad to be connected to the project.

The sense of community throughout the festival was ever present and there wasn't a bad film in the bunch. Thank you, and congratulations also, to imagineNATIVE for pulling off such a remarkable event - we'll be back next year!

Derek Miller On CTV's 'Canadian Originals'

Derek Miller was featured on the Canadian Originals CTV News segment this week where he shared the story of his path through the world of music.

CTV News has a segment called Canadian Originals that focuses on inspirational Canadian personalities. Six Nations blues-rocker Derek Miller was featured this week. Derek spoke on the triumphs and tribulations he has faced as a musician and how he has overcome those to reach the level of success he sits at now.

Hosted by Seamus O'Regan, the program includes a candid interview, live performance footage and clips from the new Music Is The Medicine documentary that premiered at this year's imagineNATIVE film festival.

The Canadian Originals clip was aired on October 26th, 2011 on CTV News but is available to watch on Seamus O'Regan's CTV News blog:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111026/seamus-oregan-blog-canadian-original-derek-miller-111026/

Win 2 Tickets to the 'Music is the Medicine' Documentary Film Premiere

The Derek Miller documentary film Music is the Medicine premieres at the imagineNATIVE festival next week - and RPM has two tickets to give away!

On Sunday October 23rd, RPM co-presents the premiere of Music is the Medicine at the TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre in Toronto, ON.

The revealing documentary follows critically acclaimed Mohawk blues artist Derek Miller as he strives to elevate his already esteemed career.

RPM is giving away two tickets for one lucky fan to go the screening! Here's how you can win:

Leave a comment below with the name of your favourite Derek Miller song.

That's it! On Thursday October 20, RPM will randomly draw a name for those who leave a comment and notify the winner by email.

Music is the Medicine [Official Trailer]

Music Is The Medicine Trailer from Make Believe Media on Vimeo.

Music is the Medicine: The Derek Miller Story

The upcoming documentary film Music is the Medicine is not only the story of Six Nations blues artist Derek Miller, it is in fact the origin of RPM.

Music the Medicine is about to have its world premiere at the imagineNATIVE festival in Toronto in two weeks. In celebration and support of the film, RPM will be bringing you a series of exclusive content on Derek, the film and the filmmakers, from now, through the festival premiere and up until the film airs on APTN next month.

It’s not just because we enjoy and support Derek, and it’s not just because we think it’s a great film. RPM itself was inspired by Music is the Medicine. Here’s how:

In the film, Derek talks about his experience of hitting the glass ceiling in the music industry – that being labeled as an Aboriginal artist has limited the audience his music can reach. He’s won numerous Juno awards in the Aboriginal category (and countless other music awards from Native organizations), but is snubbed by the blues and rock nods. Radio stations have not programmed his fantastic music  - songs that are backed by mainstream hard hitters Double Trouble, and even a duet with Willie Nelson – citing that they don’t have an “Aboriginal hour” in their programming. Derek has endless love, support and accolades from within the community, but why is the line drawn there?

Derek isn’t the only artist facing this kind of discrimination. Other artists find themselves locked in the same pigeonhole.

Meanwhile, a contemporary platform for Indigenous artists didn’t exist online. You couldn’t Google Indigenous music without coming to a static site flaunting a dreamcatcher or eagle feather in their logo – images not representative of all Indigenous cultures, first of all, and not representative in any way of the diverse, rich, music being made by Indigenous artists the world over.

When there isn’t a decent resource to even find Indigenous music, where does one begin to change the stereotypes held of Native music and musicians? How can we shatter those preconceived notions? How can we connect and support Indigenous artists and provide a relevant and engaging platform for listeners, artists and fans alike to get great music? Those questions were the seeds of RPM.

Initially, the producers of Music is the Medicine, Make Believe Media, launched MBM Digital to create a new media project to support the film. But as these questions and the obvious need to fill this gap in Turtle Island’s digital territory arose, MBM Digital’s brainstorming brought them to what is now RPM.fm – Revolutions Per Minute.

Thank goodness it did. Since RPM’s soft launch in June the response has been fantastic. We’re so glad. And we’ll be coming at you this month with the official, big splash, launch of RPM with new features and our own launch celebrations and we chose this time to coincide with Music is the Medicine’s own splash into the world, in honour our of connection and beginnings.

Watch this space for more on Music is the Medicine, Derek and RPM’s launch party!

Music Is The Medicine Trailer from Make Believe Media on Vimeo.