Esther Crow Shares ‘Greener Plan’ Single and Need for Social Change
by Esther Crow
It’s Earth Month, and I’m so excited to release my new single, ‘Greener Plan,’ an old-school style rock protest song.
There are so many reasons I’m proud of this song. My family and I recorded the song in February with the uber-talented, GRAMMY-winning engineer, Dean Jones, who engineered my last two albums and several of my singles. My husband, Dan, played bass and our son, Vincent, played drums. I’m truly lucky to have my family involved in my musical and climate-focused endeavors.
Bridging what we love to do- play music- with calling attention to the climate crisis is really fulfilling. I have always been a firm believer that art can be a tool for social change. When people incorporate art, into political activism you can really get others to listen. Hila the Earth, an NYC performer and activist, does an excellent job of this by rapping about the climate while wearing a pillow-y earth costume. Attracting a crowd with music and humor is a creative and powerful way to pull people into your cause and to hopefully get them to join in.
In 2022, I was already writing and performing family music with a focus on climate change when I connected with a Climate Families’ member on an activism Zoom. I was so excited to discover a local, grassroots group of parents (mostly moms) doing creative activism with their kids. What an ingenious way to empower and educate our kids at a young age! Plus, kids are naturally creative and funny. And Encouraging kids to use their abilities for change is a fun and successful way to include them and to foster leadership skills.
Getting kids involved is a great way to spend time with them, too. My son Vincent (11) is a musician, and we’ve played climate music together both at protests, and playdates, hosted by Climate Families. Activism is such a fantastic way to use your abilities and talents for important causes.
But while the idea of getting involved can be daunting, it’s essential to raise your voice, with everything going on in 2025. If you are overwhelmed, start by narrowing your focus to what is most important to you and your family. For example, while I’ve done advocacy and activism work for gun control, homelessness, and other causes, my #1 focus now is the climate emergency because it impacts so many other crises, such as immigration, food shortages, the housing crisis and animal extinction.
Also, you never know who will see that homemade sign and feel inspired to join the movement.
I hope you’ll listen to “Greener Plan” — and maybe it will inspire you! You can find it here, on my website, and also on all streaming platforms on April 11th. And please celebrate with my family and me at our single release party on Sunday, April 13th at the Hoboken Biergarten! To learn more about Climate Families NYC, please visit their website. If you’re a parent in New York State who is concerned about climate, please join us!
Esther Crow is a musician and mom who lives in NYC.
