Singer/songwriter Holly Near grew up listening to groups like the Weavers and Paul Robeson whose art was all about social change. She was performing social songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s about the ways in which war affected women. As she traveled on tours with Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden, she started to understand the role of women soldiers, nurses, and women living in war zones. The foundation of her music was to recognize the female perspective. As she became involved in the feminist movement, her music began to fuse the issues of war and feminism.

Holly doesn't separate any of her work from war or other social movements. For her, it's impossible to separate the issues out from war - they all come from that place - from a military mentality and policy whose burden is carried by women, children, and the environment.

Holly has also worked with Vietnam veterans, from singing for soldiers to working with Ron Kovic and fundraising events. She also sang at the memorial for the students who were killed at Kent State.

When singer/songwriter Holly Near went to Vietnam, she thought of herself as a troubadour. When she returned home, she took her experiences there and wrote them into song. In many of those songs, as in the lyrics to "Change of Heart," Near asks the members of her audience to become their better selves.

What is your definition of a "better self," and how have works of art helped you become that better self?

Visit Holly Near's Web site.