Just as Oakland, CA’s Aaron Kierbel was breezing through Pittsburgh, we managed to nab him for a Healthy Artists portrait. We sat down for a quick latte at Cannon Coffee and asked him about his drumming for the band, Rupa and the April Fishes, and his experience with trying to live and work as an artist. Despite his band’s success, having toured the world and received praise from Filter Magazine and the like, access to affordable, quality health care still proves elusive. In this video, we learn more about what it means to be an artist in America, and why we must keep the health care reform conversation on the table.
Video produced, directed, and edited by Julie Sokolow.
Healthy Artists 
Wow! This is so impressive and cool. It’s really interesting to find out artists’ views on the health care system besides just the Hollywood version. I’ve always been a huge fan of local cafes and artists because of their “against the grain” mentality. Health is such a universal need. It’s like water…why should we be denied access to such a basic tenet of existence? But if you think about it, how much access do we really want to a system that is dysfunctional in so many ways? I believe this is a significant opportunity for each individual to take health into their own hands…to redefine what it means to be healthy…does it mean always getting vaccinations, or does it mean eating right/self-empowerment through learning how to take care of your own mind/body/spirit? Or is it both?
Thanks for the kind words and food for thought!