Anti-Flag team up with Amnesty International to release “Toast of Freedom,” inspired by Pussy Riot

By Allison Rivers

Pussy Riot

Yesterday (February 21) marked the one-year anniversary of Pussy Riot’s controversial non-violent protest in Moscow. A few days later, three members of the Russian feminist punk band were arrested and charged with “hooliganism.” Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova, 23, and Maria “Masha” Alekhina, 24, still remain in custody and are serving sentences in brutal prison camps, away from their homes and their children. Amnesty International has named them “prisoners of conscience,” and their safety is a major concern.

Anti-Flag

Progressive punk band Anti-Flag recently teamed up with Amnesty International to release their own rendition of “Toast to Freedom,” a song released last year and recorded by 50 artists to commemorate Amnesty’s 50th anniversary. Anti-Flag’s performance protests the unjust jailing of the members of Pussy Riot. Proceeds from the track will go to benefit the work of Amnesty International.

For 50 years, Amnesty International has been fighting for human rights all over the globe by forcing stories of abuse into the international spotlight. They work to hold governments accountable for the basic freedoms and human rights of their people. The organization received the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize and the 1978 United Nations Prize and has become a recognizable and reliable name in the area of political and social activism.

Anti-Flag have a long history of social and political activism, having partnered in the past with organizations such as PETA, Greenpeace, Democracy Now!, and the Occupy Wall Street movement. They also formed their own activism groups including The Underground Action Alliance, Military Free Zone and The Bright Lights.

Not ones to stand down from supporting their fellow musicians, Anti-Flag continue to speak out against the unjust imprisonment of Pussy Riot. Jochen Wilms, music industry executive, activist, and co-producer (with Art for Amnesty founder Bill Shipsey) of the original star-studded “Toast to Freedom,” was present in the audience of Anti-Flag’s Berlin benefit concert for the jailed members of Pussy Riot in 2012. Anti-Flag agreed to record their own take on the song and enlisted the help of Billy Talent guitarist Ian D’sa, Bernd Kurtze (of Beatsteaks), and Donots to record the song in the legendary Hansa studio in Berlin.

The song is available here, and proceeds will go to benefit Amnesty International.

Check out Anti-Flag’s version of “Toast to Freedom:”

Take action and join Amnesty International in supporting Pussy Riot here.

University students throw non-stop dance party marathon to fight pediatric cancer

By Sarah Weiss

What happens when you combine the resources of 15,000 volunteers and 14 committees with 46 hours of non-stop dancing?

You can raise more than $10.5 million for the fight against pediatric cancer. THON, one of Penn State’s biggest events of the year, is what happens when a wacky college party and seriously devoted students come together to positively change the lives of others. It is always FTK, or for the kids, but also is a collective legacy that is shared by Penn students.

This year’s THON, which takes place February 15-17, benefits the Four Diamonds Fund  at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Children’s Hospital. Since 1973, THON has donated money to various charities from the American Heart Association to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Prior to THON weekend, the THON essence lives on in the THON 5K, THON Family Carnival, THON Awareness Week, and others. This year’s THON weekend will be held February 15-17. It’s a free event, and many families that the marathon benefits will be in attendance.

Approximately 700 official THON dancers are chosen from student organizations and bestowed the honor of dancing for 46 hours straight. Not for the faint of soul, the event features dancers that binge on high energy and support from their peers. Every hour a “line dance” is performed that incorporates Penn State and pop culture references. Once the 46th hour strikes, the dancers sit down (well deservedly), and in a climactic moment, the amount of money raised throughout the year is announced.

Jillian Gordon, a student at Penn State, said of her first THON experience, “No one can ever really understand the passion the weekend exudes without experiencing it yourself. I had intended to stay for an hour or so to see what the big deal was and support some friends of mine that were dancing. I didn’t leave until eight hours later.”

Dance along with THON students by joining a live stream here on Saturday, February 16. And to help support THON’s efforts to fight pediatric cancer, click here.

Kate Nash partners with global charity to improve girls’ lives

By Allison Rivers

As Kate Nash prepares to go on tour to promote her new album “Girl Talk,” she’s also spreading the word about Because I Am a Girl, an international non-profit that creates better lives for girls and women in the developing world.

The popular English singer has a real affinity for the charity’s mission. “I’m so happy to be a part of this campaign, it feels like the perfect charity for me to join forces with,” Nash said. “I love empowering women and girls and being able to do this in developing countries in parts of the world is so exciting. I can’t wait to help give girls the opportunities they deserve and see them realize their full potential.”

Because I Am a Girl recently named Nash a Global Ambassador, and the campaign will join her on the road as she embarks on her North American tour. Nash will also visit villages and schools in Ghana later this month.

It’s shocking – if you’re a 15-year-old-girl in a developing country, chances are you’re already married, you dropped out of school, and you may have been pregnant even though you’re still a child yourself. This has detrimental effects not only for the girls, but also for their families, their communities, and, by extension, the success of their countries.

Nash is no stranger to helping out. In 2009, the singer raised money for a girl who had lost her hands so she could afford prosthetics, and in 2011 she set up a donation stand to raise money for those left homeless by the English riots that year. She has spoken out against unhealthy body image and encouraged fans to support Pussy Riot throughout their trial and unjust jailing in Russia. It seems only natural that Because I Am a Girl and Nash would partner up.

Nash’s new album, “Girl Talk,” is set to hit stands in the United States on March 5. The record is being released under her own label, Have 10p Records, which gives her “girl power” mantra even more credibility.

Nash will embark on a North American tour on March 12. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City are already sold out, but there are still plenty of dates with tickets left.

Click here to join with Because I Am a Girl and global ambassador Kate Nash to change the future of girls worldwide!

Stream Nash’s new single “3 AM” here:

 

Skrillex, deadmau5 & Timbaland headline Grammy parties that benefit RED & Children’s Hospital LA

Skrillex

Tonight, Skrillex and Diplo will headline a dance party to save lives, and you can attend. The renowned DJs will be joined by Kaskade, Nero, Tommy Trash and more to raise money and awareness for RED’s fight against AIDS.

Twenty sets of tickets are being auctioned off online at Charitybuzz.com, and the highest bidders get to see the arena-filling electronic artists perform in an intimate setting at a private party in Los Angeles.

All proceeds will go to RED’s work to educate the public and engage business leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Then, following the Grammy Awards on Sunday February 10, deadmau5 and Timbaland will headline a post-Grammy bash at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The electronic artist and Grammy-winning producer will headline the massive event, along with Crookers, Nero and special guests.

Tickets are available here, and all proceeds will go toward helping children with disfiguring disorders, birth defects and injuries.

Music charities join forces with renowned musicians at NAMM

By Laura Ferreiro

Members of No Doubt, Black Sabbath and The Eagles as well as Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson recently descended on Anaheim, California for the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).

This massive trade show features product debuts and demos by makers of guitars, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments including ukuleles and violins, as well as electronics and music gear. It’s appropriate that the show takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center right next door to Disneyland, because NAMM is like Disneyland for countless musicians who spent hours playing their dream instruments and geeking out with fellow gear-heads over the course of the four-day show.

What’s more, several music-related charities were on hand, getting the word out about their important work and encouraging musicians to get involved. At the MusiCares booth in the heart of the trade show, the staff informed musicians about the valuable assistance they provide people in the music community in times of need. MusiCares’ Brett Bryngelson explained that the non-profit is currently working to expand its network of healthcare providers that offer discounted services to musicians.

The Grammy-related charity is also gearing up for a massive tribute to Bruce Springsteen in Los Angeles this week, featuring performances by Neil Young, Mumford and Sons, Patti Smith, Elton John, Tom Morello and more to raise money for emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery programs it offers the music community.

H.E.A.R. was also on hand to educate NAMM-goers about preventing hearing loss and tinnitus among musicians and music fans. The non-profit’s mission is to raise awareness of the dangers of repeated exposure to excessive noise levels from music that can lead to permanent hearing loss and to teach people how to prevent it.

Meanwhile, right outside, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus was parked offering tours to kids, musicians, and anyone interested in getting a glimpse of its state-of-the-art recording facilities. This non-profit mobile recording studio offers students the chance to write and record music with top-notch equipment and music professionals at no charge.

“We’re at NAMM to promote our idea and get musicians involved in supporting the bus,” engineer/producer Hans Ages told Music for Good. “It’s a free space where kids can be completely creative. It’s a ripe environment for inspiration!”

These were just a few of the great causes on hand at NAMM. Here’s hoping we see even more in the coming years!

My Morning Jacket, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Brandi Carlile & more on John Denver charity album

By Allison Rivers

It’s been 40 years since “Rocky Mountain High” was released, but John Denver’s music still holds a special place in music history. Now a whole new music generation has teamed up with ATO Records to remember his life and achievements with a new record, “The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver,” set to be released on April 2.

Denver often sang about his love of nature and in later years was a known environmental activist. To honor that memory, ATO Records is donating a portion of the proceeds of the sale of this record to The Wilderness Society in Denver’s name.

Since 1935, The Wilderness Society has focused on protecting America’s untamed lands and on bestowing the American public with a sense of stewardship towards the the wild areas of our country. Its recent initiatives have involved ending oil and gas drilling, funding conservation projects, and designating public lands as wilderness, national monuments and national parks. As Aldo Leopold, the co-founder of The Wilderness Society, stated, “Wilderness is a resource that can shrink but not grow…the creation of new wilderness in the full sense of the word is impossible.” It’s time we start taking ownership for the 110 million acres that are currently designated as America’s wilderness.

“The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver” features tracks by an assorted community including My Morning Jacket, Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews Band, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Josh Ritter and Barnstar!, Train, Amos Lee, Kathleen Edwards, Allen Stone, Brett Dennen and Milow, Evan Dando, Blind Pilot, Mary Chapin Carpenter, J. Mascis and Sharon Van Etten.

Denver’s genuine passion for the untamed outdoors is beautifully clear in his 1985 testimony to Congress arguing against banning radio airplay of his song “Rocky Mountain High” for allegedly promoting drug use:

“This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains, and also had never experienced the elation, celebration of life, or the joy in living that one feels when he observes something as wondrous as the Perseid meteor shower on a moonless, cloudless night, when there are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you are out camping with your friends, your best friends, and introducing them to one of nature’s most spectacular light shows for the first time.”

For a preview of “The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver,” click here. To find out more about The Wilderness Society or to make a donation to, click here. To sign a petition asking President Obama to stop oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, click here.

Watch “Protecting America’s Wilderness” narrated by Edward Norton:

Ra Ra Riot discuss teaming up with Oxfam to fight poverty and hunger around the world

By Laura Ferreiro

Ra Ra Riot recently embarked on a tour across North America in support of their new album “Beta Love,” and they invited Oxfam America to come along. The New York-based indie rockers have been long-time supporters of the international charity that works to end poverty, hunger and injustice.

Music for Good caught up with Ra Ra Riot violinist Becca Zeller as they were getting ready to hit the road. She explained that after learning about Oxfam from their band manager years ago, Ra Ra Riot decided to invite Oxfam staff and volunteers along to their shows to tell their fans about the important work they do and to recruit more volunteers.

“Having them set up a booth at our shows didn’t seem like it would have that big of an impact, but we heard that people who became interns (for Oxfam) heard about them at our shows and got involved,” Zeller says. “That is the goal but we didn’t realize things would connect so directly!”

Zeller adds that she likes the fact that Oxfam works on so many vital issues. “Something I find appealing is the broad scope because there are so many organizations that are so specific,” she says. “Oxfam is able to do a lot of good in so many places for so many people. They’re able to impact more people’s lives. There are also little things I love about them—like around the holidays, you can buy someone a well or a llama. Little marketing things like that. They use holidays as a time to come up with creative ways that people can see the impact their money is making.”

Bob Ferguson, Oxfam’s Manager of Creative Alliances, says that their relationship with Ra Ra Riot is one of the most special relationships they’ve had with a band.

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Patti Smith, Jim James, Ariel Pink and Philip Glass to headline Tibet House 2013 benefit concert

Jim James

By Hilary Gridley

Here at Music For Good, we’re no strangers to the great work Tibet House is doing with the help of some of music’s biggest names. Now, a diverse crowd of musicians is taking the stage at Carnegie Hall to support the Dalai Lama’s non-profit educational institution and cultural embassy.

On February 21, Patti Smith, Jim James, tUnE-yArDs, Philip Glass and Rahzel will join recently-announced guests Ariel Pink and Tenzin Choegyal and some yet-to-be-revealed surprises for the 23rd Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert in New York City. As in years passed, Glass will serve as artistic director and curator for the evening.

In the past 22 years, superstars like Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Paul Simon, Moby, Bright Eyes, Rufus Wainwright, Vampire Weekend and The Roots have come together to show support for Tibet House, whose mission is to ensure the survival of the unique Tibetan civilization at a time when it’s being confronted with extinction on its own soil.

The New York-based organization was founded at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who said, “I feel that Tibetan culture with its unique heritage –born of the efforts of many human beings of good spirit, of its contacts with Mongolian, Chinese, Indian, Nepalese and Persian culture, and of its natural environment – has developed a kind of energy which is very helpful for cultivating peace of mind and a joyful life….I feel very strongly that Tibetan culture will have a role to play in the future of humanity.”

Tickets for the show ($35 – $105) are available now at CargegieHall.org, the Carnegie Hall Box Office or by calling (212) 247-7800. Supporters can also purchase special packages that include tickets and a dinner reception with the performers at tibethouse.us or by calling (212) 807-0563.

Proceeds will support the work of the Tibet House US as well as the Hurricane Sandy Relief Foundation and the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey.

Fashion, music and great causes converge on Agenda 2013

Krochet Kids show off their wares at Agenda 2013

By Laura Ferreiro

It’s always fascinating to see how brands use music to inspire fashion, and earlier this month we got a sneak peek at the summer and fall collections of nearly 600 streetwear, lifestyle, action sports and accessory brands at the Agenda trade show in Long Beach.

Several brands, including Converse and Altru, illustrated how they work with musicians to inspire their footwear and clothing lines. What’s more, we learned about some awesome brands and non-profits that creatively use fashion and accessories as a way to support amazing causes.

LSTN is a charitable headphone company that has created some seriously handsome headphones from reclaimed wood. This means they use leftover wood from furniture makers that would have otherwise been thrown away. What’s more, for every pair of headphones purchased, LSTN gives proceeds to a charity partner to fund a child’s medical attention and a custom-fit hearing aid. So while listening to music on your cool, environmentally conscious headphones, you can dance to your heart’s content knowing you helped save the hearing of a person in need.

Krochet Kids is a non-profit that sells handmade crocheted apparel and accessories (including adorable beanies, bags and scarves) made by women in impoverished communities around the world. Proceeds from the sales of the items go directly back to the communities to create a cycle of employment, education and mentorship. We likey.

Falling Whistles founder Sean Carasso

Falling Whistles have turned whistles into a fashion statement and strong symbols of protest. Through their unique whistle necklaces, they encourage people to “be a whistleblower for peace.” While traveling in the Congo, Falling Whistles founder Sean Carasso, met five boys who had been child soldiers who went into battle armed only with a whistle. After returning home to the U.S. he decided to create Falling Whistles as a way to support peace in the Congo and work with Congolese visionaries to end corruption and war.

The People’s Movement showcased some seriously stylish and unique shoes made entirely of recycled and re-purposed materials at Agenda. Founded by surfers and environmentalists, the Solana Beach-based company partners with with Bombastic Plastix, using old plastic bags found in Bali for its shoe applications and packaging. They’re also working with the non-profit 5 Gyres to support its mission of educating people about positive alternatives to harmful single-use plastics. Keep an eye on The People’s movement — they’re planning some exciting projects combining fashion, music and great causes very soon!

By now, most people have heard of TOMS, the footwear company that pioneered the one-for-one model, giving a pair of shoes to a child in an impoverished country for every pair purchased. TOMS has since started selling sunglasses using a similar model, giving medical treatment, glasses or eye surgery to someone in need for every pair of sunglasses they sell. I’ve been a fan and avid wearer of TOMS’ uber-comfortable shoes for a couple of years now, and I was excited to see their gorgeous new collection, which offers a few stylish surprises while helping kids in need get shoes, attend school and stay healthy. That’s one kickin’ shoe!

Peter Gabriel, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and more join Voice Project compilation for peace in Africa

By Hilary Gridley

One of the most inspiring chapters in the long history of anti-war music rarely gets told. The narrators aren’t draft-dodging folk singers or far-flung soldiers — they’re innocent victims who suffered rape and torture at the hands of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, and they’ve turned to music to forgive their attackers.

Why forgiveness? Many of Kony’s soldiers began as victims themselves, abducted as children in Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. And while they’ve committed unspeakable crimes as part of the LRA, their victims know that forgiveness — and not shame — can turn them against Kony’s oppressive rule.

And it’s working. Since 1987, an increase in FM radio broadcasts have encouraged thousands of soldiers to desert the LRA. Since 2009, The Voice Project has supported the work of these singers with a project called Amplify Peace. 
Amplify Peace works with United Nations to build FM radio stations, help with the production of broadcast content for the stations, and help family members and ex-combatants that have returned home safely record songs in their native languages letting soldiers know they can come home.

Now The Voice Project, co-founded by Anna Gabriel, Peter Gabriel’s daughter, wants to help bring these brave stories to the world with a series of digital albums celebrating the messages of hope coming from the oppressed countries. “Home Recordings Vol. 1” features Peter Gabriel, Billy Bragg, Garrison Starr, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, REM’s Mike Mills, Angelique Kidjo and more.

“I think it’s great in that it’s very tangible,” Gabriel told Rolling Stone. “I just thought it was a stunning example of our music actually changing lives.”

And what does he think is the secret to its success?

“I think…one of the reasons that [Nelson] Mandela is still the highest regarded moral authority in the world in lots of places [is] because he came out of 27 years and instead of teaching revenge, he taught forgiveness.”

Check out the Amplify Peace project video below:

“Home Recordings Vol. 1” is now available on iTunes.