Vegan Action
Michael Harren: Art & Advocacy
By Amy Burger
Michael Harren, a multimedia performer, musician, and composer, combines art and vegan advocacy through music. Harren says that while he'd long mentioned that he's vegan during performances, he decided in 2015 to volunteer as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at Tamerlaine Farm Animal Sanctuary in Montague, New Jersey, hoping that spending time with the animals there would allow him to use music as a way to advocate for veganism.
Tamerlaine, founded in 2013, is home to over 250 farm animals rescued from neglect and abuse. In his role there, Harren visited frequently, volunteering and getting to know the animals. He documented his time there using video and audio equipment. This work led Harren to write a show that debuted in 2016, which he turned into an album, both called The Animal Show.
Harren describes The Animal Show as "[blending] humor with candor to convey the importance of keeping all animals safe from harm." Harren took the album on a summer tour in 2017. When the tour stopped in Los Angeles, Harren attended a slaughterhouse vigil, an experience that gave rise to his song Their Eyes.
Subsequently he added Their Eyes to the album, which he has since posted on his website and also turned into a book, The Animal Book. In the introduction to The Animal Book, Harren describes how a Thanksgiving visit to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary with friends was the impetus for his reaching out to Tamerlaine.
He said he'd already been an ethical vegan "for years," but had "little experience with the animals [he used] to regard as food." The book includes lyrics to songs inspired by animals, alongside their pictures; reflective mini-essays and photographs from Harren's life and relationships with animals, like a childhood companion dog named Corky; and photos from his performances.
Harren said that sharing stories about farmed animals during performances or in conversation is an effective way to advocate for veganism on an everyday basis. He has participated in panel discussions about his unique approach of using music to advocate for farmed animals for several organizations, including New England VegFest, Compassion Arts, and Peace Advocacy Network. He lives in Brooklyn with his cat Tigger.
Find Harren on social media as follows: Twitter, @MichaelHarren; Instagram, @michaelharren; Patreon, michaelharren; YouTube, @michaelharrenmusic. Find his music on Vimeo, SoundCloud, and Spotify. Harren's website is www.michaelharren.com
Amy Burger is a former VRG intern. She has been vegan for four years and lives in the Southeast with her husband and their companion animals. Her interests include reading, cooking (especially baking), and traveling.