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Philadelphia-Based Band, Blivit, Performs "Progress", An Ishmael-Inspired Song

"Progress" is a song originally written by Jeremy Dyen, a singer/keyboard player/tabla player from the Philadelphia area, that was inspired by and carries the messages of Daniel Quinn's work. The band Blivit currently performs "Progress" and is in the process of recording the song as part of a full-length cd to be released in the spring of 2003.

The original version of the song was developed and recorded in 2000 by the band Fathead, in which Jeremy played until 2001, when the group disbanded. The song appears on Fathead's release, Boundless (cd available though the Fathead website), which was produced by two-time Grammy winner David Ivory (The Roots, Erykah Badu). Many other songs on Boundless convey the spirit of the Ishmael-inspired "Progress," though they were not directly inspired by Daniel Quinn.

A copy of Ishmael was lent to Fathead by one of the band member's brothers, and was quickly passed around between the 7 members. "We couldn't all agree, of course, on all the issues that Ishmael raised, but it certainly sparked lots of discussion and even arguments in the van when we were on the road," recalls Jeremy. "But I figured what better way for us to at least make people aware of this important message, right or wrong, than to convey it in music. So, I started writing: 'Some people call it progress, some a big mess.'" Fathead found that their fans were not just enjoying the song, but that they were interested in the book that inspired the song, "So I've continued to play the song in Blivit, because it's catchy, but there's depth in the simplicity of the lyrics, just like the way Daniel Quinn writes about such important issues in a very digestible way."

Learn more about music inspired by Ishmael and Daniel Quinn.

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