Young kid playing the drums and banging drumsticks. The photo was taken close up so you can see the two cymbals on either side of the child's face. He has his mouth open and eyes squeezed shut like he is yelling. The photo has an offset yellow outline behind the image and on the right side is a zig zag pattern of small yellow polka dots.
The 2023 Music Issue The Music Issue

In Tune

Look for the Helpers: Music Edition

Periodically we try to look for the humans that are doing a little good for the world. And as it turns out—there are a few, which is a great feeling. With music being one of the great unifiers of the world, as well as one of the more healing things out there, we thought it was time to turn the spotlight on the people who are doing good through music. And they hit all of the high notes. 

Ariel short looking down into a small room where a group of kids and q adults are sitting in a circle with their legs crossed. In the middle of them are ten ukuleles and one guitar arranged in a circle with their bodies touching in the middle and the fret board and head extended to the outside. In the middle of the ukuleles is a tambourine. Scattered throughout the room are guitars, a drum set, keyboards, bongo drums, amps, and sheet music.

Soul Flow House

Founders: Kelsey Rodriguez and Juan Manuel Sanchez 
Mission: At Soul Flow House, our mission is to foster a vibrant and supportive community through music mentorship. 

Why is what you do important to you?

More than teaching, we see our work as inspiring others. For us, music is a sacred practice that allows us to slow down and connect with ourselves, and connect with others meaningfully. It is a universal gift to humankind. Helping people to access this gift for themselves is our way of sharing some light and love in our corner of the world. 

A man and a woman sitting posing for a picture together. The woman on the left is sitting on a higher stool is and the man on the right is sitting at a lower level so their heights are staggered. The woman has her legs cross and hands folded in her lap. She's wearing light colored pants and a striped sweater vest. The man is wearing a baseball hat, a graphic shirt, and dark pants. He has his arms hanging in between his legs. The photo is black and white and has a yellow offset outline behind it.

What should others know about it?

We are not a music school! Our focus is on building confidence, sparking creativity, and fostering a lifelong love of music. We are artists who believe everyone should have access to this medium of self-expression, so we create a safe space and invite people in. Through one-on-one sessions, band coaching, studio sessions, and immersive experiences like Camp Soul Flow, we amplify the unique voices of our students from all ages and walks of life. 

Website: soul-flowhouse.com

Small group of people smiling for photo in an outdoor tent. They are standing on grass and are surrounded by makeshift walls mades from handing tarps. They are circled up around a stack of medium-sized boxes and some of the people in the photo are holding the boxes above their heads. Many of the group are wearing matching shirts with a circular emblem in the upper left hand corner. Some are standing behind the boxes and other are squatted in front of them.

Calling All Crows

Founders: Chad Stokes and Sybil Gallagher
Mission: Calling All Crows (CAC) mobilizes music fans to fuel feminist movements. 

Why is what you do important to you and what do others need to know about it?

Musicians hold a unique power to inspire change, build community and contribute to a better world. As a musician-founded organization, we leverage our relationships in the music industry to partner with people who want to use their art and platform to fight for a world where women and girls can thrive. Music fans learn about pressing social issues, give time and money to grassroots organizations, advocate for structural change and build the skills and community to continue this work throughout their lives. 

Whether it’s changing the way we think about criminal justice reform or providing support to refugees, we spend one to three years at a time really digging deep into an urgent issue. We’ve built 14 different campaigns, where music fans have served over 35,000 hours and donated nearly $1 million to support 65 social justice organizations. 

Our commitment in 2023 is realizing change within the music industry through our long-standing #HereForTheMusic campaign to reduce sexual violence in live venues and among music professionals in the workplace. Our Sexual Violence Prevention and Response trainings provide opportunities for individual, company and industry leadership on this issue, and pathways to create safer and more welcoming live music spaces for everyone. 

With more than 15 years of education, service, advocacy and fundraising, CAC has become a recognized partner and pipeline for social movement building. 

Website: callingallcrows.org

Cutout black and white image of a small group of men playing brass instruments. There are five people playing the trumpet, one playing the saxophone, and one playing the trombone. The small group is facing each other in a semi-circle shape. The image has an offset blue outline behind it.

Music Farming

Founders: Tim Parr
Mission: We unite businesses and individuals to fund music education programs throughout the US. 

Why is what you do important to you and what do others need to know about it?

Learning music has been shown to increase cognitive competence and development in students who have music in school. Music in school is also being cut at the same time. Playing music throughout life can also lead to a lower risk of developing dementia and increased brain resilience. Basically, learning music matters. 

Website: musicfarming.org

Large concert underneath a covered arena. The stage is far in the background and people are scattered throughout the image walking around and facing the stage while holding banners and flags up. There is a sound booth at the forefront of the image and there are two people sitting at it manning the controls. The stage has musical instruments scattered on it and hanging from the ceiling of the arena are chandelier-like objects.

Accessible Festivals

Founders: Austin Whitney 
Mission: Our mission is to foster connection and understanding through the universal language of music, to provide a platform where people of all abilities and identities can connect and build relationships, and to inspire the creation of safe, inclusive and equitable communities. 

Why is what you do important to you and what do others need to know about it?

The importance of festivals is documented throughout history and across virtually all cultures. Traditions like Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, Diwali and more highlight important cultural values and heritage. Festivals like these are a purposeful and profound way to connect with our roots, reflect on personal values and experiences and identify rituals and practices that resonate with us. They offer individuals an opportunity to come together in celebration, strengthening our sense of belonging and cohesiveness. 

Additionally, festivals tend to evoke a sense of joy and appreciation for our surroundings. Often, upon entering a festival grounds, one can feel positive energy radiating. This energy is mutually created and mutually shared amongst participants. It invites the possibility of contentment, relaxation and the reduction of inhibitions. In this space, individuals can become fully present, strengthen self-awareness, explore passions and interests, build relationships and connect with inner purpose to guide and sustain positive lifestyle choices. 

When music is included in the festival experience, participants experience many physical and psychological benefits. An extensive review of peer-reviewed research journals conducted by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) concluded that music is universally appealing and helps promote social, emotional and cognitive skills across many different disability categories. Music is widely accepted as an evidence-based therapy that is known to reduce stress, enhance memory, improve communication, strengthen sensory processing and more. Additionally, there is strong potential for communities with diverse needs and backgrounds to bond through shared musical experiences. 

Website: accessiblefestivals.org

Cutout group photo of young adults posing for a picture holding small square boxes. Many of the people are standing for the photo but two are squatting in the front and one of the girls in the middle is sitting in a wheelchair. Many of the people are wearing face masks over their mouths. The photo is in black and white and has a yellow offset outline behind them. The photo also has a yellow offset outline behind it.

Ally Coalition

Founders: Rachel Antonoff and Jack Antonoff
Mission: Through tours, campaigns, events and partnerships, TAC provides critical support for grassroots nonprofit organizations bettering the lives of LGBTQ youth.

Why is what you do important to you and what do others need to know about it?

TAC works with the music and fashion worlds to support LGBTQ youth. Our work is focused around a dismal number—40 percent of unhoused youths identify as LGBTQ. We engage creatives and their fans to support local LGBTQ shelters, community centers and health organizations. These organizations provide services to youth across the country and are often underfunded and not well known. TAC gives grants to help their vital work and provides exposure through the platforms of today’s top artists, like Bleachers, The 1975 and Arlo Parks. 

Website: theallycoalition.org

The band My Morning Jacket performing on stage at the Newport Folk Festival. The stage is filled with speakers, multiple microphones, a drum set, and other boxes. Front and center are three men playing electric guitars and the bass. Behind them the drummer is playing. To the sides of the stages are fans watching on. The photo has a blue and yellow duotone colored overlay and a halftone patterned texture on top.

Newport Festivals Foundation

Founders: George Wein
Mission: To create moments of hope through the power of music and community. 

Why is it important to you what you do?

Since their founding in the 1950s, The Newport Jazz and Folk festivals have been music utopias—safe spaces where artists feel comfortable collaborating with one another and speaking their truth. And music lovers come from all over the world to just listen to music. No crazy light shows or amusement rides, just music. We don’t have any VIP areas; the moment you walk through our gates, we’re all equal. We really feel like our festivals are a reflection of what society could be. 

But the most important work we do happens off-stage. We spend the rest of the year supporting music education programs and artists. And we don’t do it because we want to pat ourselves on the back and feel good about ourselves. We do it because we feel a genuine responsibility to ensure that musicians are around ten, fifty and one hundred years from now. So we provide after-school programs, instrument donations, free lessons, and more. Really with the goal of building the next generation of music lovers and making sure we have musicians on our stages in the future. 

Newport Festivals Foundation logo that has the words in a bold sans serif font and music note icon inside of a circle. The logo is on top of a jagged star shape with many different size points. The star shape is yellow and has a light blue offset outline.

What should others know about it?

We’re best known for our music festivals. But that’s only six days of the year. The rest of the year, we’re working tirelessly to support music education across the country. For example, every single artist on our Folk and Jazz lineups gets to choose a music education program and we make a grant directly to that program. It’s called our Artist Gives initiative and we’ve supported over 100 nonprofit music programs in the last three years. We also have a summer camp, afterschool Zoom workshops taught by musicians, and a whole library of educational videos you can find on our website.

Website: newportfestivals.org

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