In celebration of cervical cancer awareness month, I recently interviewed musician Christine Baze. Besides being a kick-ass rocker who has shared the stage with the likes of Sheryl Crow and Michelle Shocked, Baze is a cervical cancer survivor who combined both elements of herself to create The Yellow Umbrella Organization, which sets out to educate women (and the men who love them) about HPV and how to prevent cervical cancer.
For more information about Yellow Umbrella, visit theyellowumbrella.org
Her new album, Ever Changing Colors, will be available soon on her website, christinebaze.com.
First and foremost, the obvious: who are you, what do you do, and what's your claim to fame?
My name is Christine Baze (www.christinebaze.com). I am a musician and cervical cancer survivor. My claim to fame is that i combined the two (musician and survivor) to create The Yellow Umbrella Organization (www.theYellowUmbrella.org) - a wicked cool org that is all about educating and empowering women (and the men who love them) about HPV and how to prevent cervical cancer.
Tell us about the Yellow Umbrella Tour. How did you get the idea for it?
When I started to get my life back after going through cervical cancer and all the treatments (hysterectomy, chemo, radiation, internal radiation), I decided I wanted to do whatever I could to help women avoid this cancer, because it is completely preventable IF women use the right tools. So, I thought it would be cool to get people together at a music gig, and pass out info and talk about what just happened to me, in hopes that it wouldn't happen to them. So I held a concert, called it PopSmear, and people came out, had fun, AND heard the message of cervical cancer prevention. It totally worked, so I took it on the road and called it The Yellow Umbrella Tour (named after one of my songs), and eventually established www.theYellowUmbrella.org as a non profit.
Your most recent album is called "Ever Changing Colors." Tell us about that -- where did you get the name? Who did you work with? What are some of your favorite songs on the album, and why?
"Ever Changing Colors" is a very personal album for me. The title came from one of my songs on the album (Really Happening), and is about how nothing stays the same, no matter what. That life is constantly in motion, and to be truly present in life it is important to embrace change - not fight it. there is beauty in the darkest of moments... even when we can't see it. I definitely poured my heart out into this one.
The songs really came to life as I worked with my bandmate - Jesse Ciarmataro (who goes by "Qwill" in his solo work). Not only did he play multiple instruments, but he also mixed and produced all the songs AND produced the 3 videos on the album. He is full of incredible talent and has worked with me for years, so he KNOWS me and as a result is incredibly good at capturing ME... for better or worse!
It's always hard to pick favorite songs when they are your own.... it's like trying to pick a favorite kid! But i have to say that Martha Mae is one of the most special songs I've ever written. named after my late grandmother. I wrote it in my car on the Mass Pike driving home after losing her. The song is literally made up of phrases that my grandmother would say to me, and is my lullaby to myself. It always makes me smile. I also love Really Happening because it is dark, and real, and has that beautiful, dark video that Jesse created to help get the point across. In addition, I really love the Pretty Remix done by RSVP - that song is a song that has been universally embraced by women everywhere I go, and the remix that Scotty did is SO HOT I think it brings it to another level of intensity.
What about your involvement with the Say Something program -- how did that come about? How does this come together with The Yellow Umbrella?
Say Something is a program that is the product of a collaboration between another survivor sister and myself. Tamika Felder (of tamikaandfriends.org) is an amazing woman who also chose to use her experience as a survivor to reach out and educate others about preventing cervical cancer. We realized that people - all people - connect with a story of an actual person behind the disease. T and I chose make this Tool Kit so that other women could educate one another - in schools, in sororities, in meetings - about this cancer - AND still get the emotional impact of having a face behind the message. Therefore, the video (that T produced!) has our stories, my music, the facts from a nurse practitioner and an obgyn, and is available in 3 formats (3, 12, and 25 mins) to fit any setting. In addition, there is a PowerPoint presentation, minority fact sheet, booklets, posters, talking points and of course a cool T-shirt for the facilitator! It makes it as cool and easy to learn about cervical cancer as possible! go to www.say-something.org to order the kit or download materials.
I use Say Something in conjunction with my Yellow Umbrella concerts, or my speaking gigs as something to leave behind.... a tangible thing - this bag full of stuff - to give to someone who was involved with the gig, and ask them to hold an event - to get involved - to Say Something and become an active member of Team Yellow. It's pretty cool cuz it makes so much sense, if you think about it.
What are some of the ways we, the public, can get involved with these organizations, and more importantly, to get the word out about cervical cancer, especially amongst young women -- its causes, its treatments, and education on the subject in general?
You can TALK ABOUT IT to your family, to your friends, to your co-workers.... you can blog about it and go to one of Tamika's walks, or one of my Yellow shows. Know the facts:
We are LUCKY to have TOOLS so that NO WOMAN has to go through what I did (hysterectomy, chemo, radiation, internal radiation)....
IF YOU ARE:
It's that simple. Then you don't die from cervical cancer. You don't lose your fertility to cervical cancer. You don't lose bits and pieces of your body and mind to cervical cancer. It really IS that simple. SAY SOMETHING. DO SOMETHING.
Back to The Yellow Umbrella Tour -- I notice you have some dates coming up. Who's playing at these shows? Also, January 29th is your 100th show -- quite a landmark! Do you have anything special planned for that day?
I LOVE doing the Yellow Umbrella Tour - and January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month - so I wanted to make as much noise as possible! I'm doing 9 unique shows with 9 different line-ups - I think it is going to be a very cool experience. My band will be with me through it all, and my biggest show will be at the Paradise in Boston - where I did the very first Pop Smear concert over 5 years ago. And to be honest, I can't even believe that I've really done 100 shows to save the cervix! I am such a lucky person, and I want the Yellow shows to make a difference. I really do. And I am totally am making #100 super special - in the town where I live (Salem, MA) - with all my friends and favorite bands playing - AND it happens to be my 40th birthday!!! How crazy is THAT??? It just happened that way. So, yes, you could say I am celebrating this unbelievable landmark by celebrating LIFE!
You've opened for some pretty major artists, including Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds, and Michele Shocked. Has that helped you get the word out about your very important causes?
Absolutely. When you perform, or associate with a major celebrity or musician, it immediately gives you an opportunity - a microphone - that I (someone like me, an indie artist) typically would not ever get on my own. You know what i mean? My music and the message remains consistent - whether I'm singing to 50 people at the coffee house or 5000 fans at a Ben Folds concert. But if I have an opportunity to sing with Sheryl Crow or be interviewed by Jane Brody at the NYTimes - it allows me to reach a LOT of people. What I know for sure is that the message is ALWAYS the same, and that I feel VERY lucky to have the opportunities I have had!
You had a speaking engagement on Janury 3rd -- tell us about that. It seems pretty exciting, "women in government" and all.
I remember my first WIG event - almost 5 years ago - and I was like "what the HECK am I going to say to these women...how can I connect with them...what am I supposed to WEAR???" I thought I was SO out of my element - my comfort zone being a night club and jeans, not the Capitol and a suit. But I soon realized, that women connect with women, and that a group of powerful women together can do AMAZING things... and they got me a piano, and they listened/laughed/cried with me... and now, 5 years later, I am proud to call these amazing women my colleagues. Women in Government took on a 10 year commitment to help Eliminate Cervical Cancer - and they have continued to fight for women's access to the tools and equal care. Now, as the "new termers" come in, they have invited me to come to their regional meeting, to speak and sing and put a face and voice behind the issue that unites us all. I'm honored to be a part of it.
Obviously, cervical cancer is of real importance to women -- but how do you overcome the hurdle of educating men about cervical cancer?
It's easy. ALL men know women. MOST men have a mother, a sister, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a colleague, a woman in their lives that they care about. If men THINK about that person - THINK about getting the call from their daughter saying "I have cancer".... or THINK about holding their wife's hand as she hears "you have cervical cancer and you have to get a hysterectomy immediately".... while that man thinks about how they were just talking about trying to have a son....it's easy. They just have to THINK about it.
Finally, as a survivor yourself, what advice would you give to survivors of cervical cancer, both old and young?
I would say to my survivor sisters that we are all BEAUTIFUL WOMEN - with or without our bits and pieces - with or without children. Ee are the lucky ones, and we know that. My advice would be to LIVE fully - no matter what. And what I ask of my survivor sisters, if I may be so bold... is to STAND UP and be PROUD and let other women know they are not alone! Most of the emails I get are from women saying that they felt bad and alone and dirty and confused.... and they need to know that they are NOT alone and they are NOT dirty and they don't have to feel bad or confused. I think it is super important for women to stand together and use our voices in unison - to make a difference. Because we can.
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