Help Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Usher and Jordin Sparks raise $20,000 for their favorite charities

By Laura Ferreiro

Pop stars Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Usher and Jordin Sparks have teamed up with the Billboard Music Awards to raise funds and increase awareness of their favorite charities in a unique competition. Each musician has been actively involved in supporting the works of non-profit organizations whose missions range from fostering youth leadership to encouraging young people to give back to their communities, and they’re asking the public to vote on their favorite causes.

Usher explains that through the Boys and Girls Club, he met strong role models who made a real difference in his life. These experiences inspired him to start his own New Look Foundation so he could return the favor. “I started the New Look Foundation when I saw I could motivate youth through what I was doing,” Usher explains. “But there had to be something specific that would be helpful for them. And that was preparing them to be future leaders and giving them an opportunity they didn’t see.” Usher hopes his organization will help inspire future leaders to see beyond their present circumstances to great possibilities.

Furtado has been giving back to her community since she was a kid, whether it was playing ukulele for the elderly or working with special needs children. Now, as an ambassador for Free the Children, she is encouraging young people to find ways to give back. “If you look around in your community, no matter where you live or what you do, there’s always something you can do to help,” she says. “When I met Free The Children last year, I felt I’d joined forces with a group that I could be really passionate about.  Free The Children is all about children raising money for other children in other places…some of their largest donations come from schools that are in at-risk communities all over North America.”

Meanwhile, Bieber says he makes a regular practice of finding creative ways to give back. “If I’m not giving back, I don’t think I’m doing my job,” he says. Bieber regularly donates a portion of his ticket sales to worthy causes, and makes a habit of visiting children’s hospitals and helping to make kids’ dreams come true through the Make A Wish Foundation. He also supports Pencils of Promise, which increases access to quality education in high-need communities throughout Laos, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Finally, Sparks says she uses her celebrity platform for good, “or else what good is it?” She supports the M.A.D. (Making A Difference) campaign, which is a charitable campaign Sparks started with her brother, P.J., to motivate people to find something they’re passionate about and find a way to make a difference. “You see something and you get mad about it and it stirs your spirit,” she says.

To vote on your favorite non-profit organization, click here. The organization that gets the most votes will receive $20,000, and you’ll have a chance to win a trip to the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 20.

 

Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder and friends mark Earth Day with benefit compilation

By Laura Ferreiro

Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson has released a 13-song compilation of live performance highlights from Hawaii’s Kokua Festival featuring tracks by Eddie Vedder, Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley, Jackson Browne and more, titled “Jack Johnson and Friends: Best of Kokua Festival.” The compilation marks the celebration of Earth Day, and benefits the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which promotes conservation education in Hawaii.

Johnson, a native of Hawaii, has been involved in conservation and greening efforts for several years. He pointed out that the impressive array of musicians who participate in the festival all support environmental efforts in their own ways.

“All of the musicians who’ve played at the Kokua Festival have a connection to the cause and the work we are doing with the foundation,” Johnson told CNN. “The musicians themselves were a big inspiration for the foundation from the start — like how Willie Nelson runs his tour buses and trucks on biodiesel and how Eddie Vedder has been active in several environmental causes.”

All of the proceeds from sales of the album will go to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which Johnson says will allow it to “continue inspiring Hawaii’s next generation of environmental stewards.” Click here for more information.

Bob Mould, Superchunk team up to defend gay marriage

By Laura Ferreiro

Musicians including Bob Mould, Superchunk, Stuart McLamb of The Love Language and comedian David Cross are joining forces to support the rights of gay couples. These artists and more are putting on a benefit concert on May 6 at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina to oppose the state’s Amendment One, also known as the “same sex marriage amendment.”

This amendment, proposed by the North Carolina Legislature, would ban legal recognition for all unmarried couples and strip protections and benefits from families across the state. It would put children of unmarried couples at risk of losing their health care benefits and add a state ban of same-sex marriage to the state constitution.

Merge Records is presenting the Concert to Defeat Amendment One, and asks for an $80 donation per ticket. All proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families, a non-profit organization campaigning against the amendment.

“We are proud to be a member of a coalition of groups, individuals and families dedicated to defeating this amendment at the polls on May 8 and protecting North Carolina from the harms it represents,” Merge Records said in a statement.

Click here for tickets and additional information.

Desert Daze Music Festival: A free alternative to Coachella for a good cause

By Laura Ferreiro

Everyone’s abuzz about the Coachella Festival this weekend and next, but did you know that a free festival is taking place just a few miles down the road in Palm Springs? If you didn’t manage to score Coachella tickets (or even if you did and you want to spend the entire week between the two festival weekends chilling with great bands in the California desert), check out Desert Daze.

The free 10-day festival organized by Moon Block Party runs from now until April 22 and features more than 100 bands playing on three stages including Dengue Fever, Akron/Family, Dead Meadow, Bleached, Crystal Antlers, Breakestra, Moving Units, Here We Go Magic, the Henry Clay People, Deap Vally, Pity Party, Electric Flower, Mini Mansions and more. It will also have live DJs, artists, handpicked local vendors, food trucks, workshops and more. It will be held at Dillon’s Roadhouse at 64647 Dillon Road in North Palm Springs from 4:00pm until 2:00am each day, and all ages are welcome until 10:00pm.

“It’s a great opportunity for so many beautiful artists to be showcased under the skylights of the desert,” organizer Phil Pirrone tells Music for Good. “It brings a certain energy and ethos and creativity that’s usually hidden and only appreciated by people in the know to a broad audience of all ages.”

Attendees are encouraged to make a $5 donation and any profits will go to the School of Arts and Enterprise in Pomona to help further high school arts education.

Visit MoonBlockParty.org for more information and a full schedule.

Jack White, Jens Lekman and The Roots show public radio some love

By Laura Ferreiro

It’s hard to think of something powerful enough to bring together such a diverse array of supporters as Jack White, Best Coast, Passion Pit, Jens Lekman, Jakob Dylan, Tenacious D and The Roots. But Public Radio Music Month has done just that.

All of these artists and many others recently signed an open letter to public radio, thanking it for playing music that doesn’t sound like everything else on the radio, and for asking intelligent questions. My Morning Jacket, Eddie Vedder, Ozomatli, MGMT and Marketa Irglova also signed their names to bring attention to the importance of public radio.

“Thank you for taking chances. Thank you for playing our music even when – especially when – it doesn’t sound like everything else on the radio dial,” the letter reads. “Thank you for inviting us into your studios and asking us intelligent questions. Thank you for introducing us to some of the most important music in our lives, music that made us who we are.”

What’s more, singer Nellie McKay published a lengthy editorial in the Huffington Post touting the cultural benefits of public radio and explaining how it changed her life. “Public radio is the last oasis of free and independent music,” she said. “For satellite radio channels, you have to subscribe; commercial stations are as corporate as basic cable. Musicians who don’t fall neatly into any clear genre would be lost without the local and national support of NPR and public radio stations around the country.”

For years, National Public Radio has provided a much-needed alternative to major corporate radio stations that gives lesser-known artists valuable exposure and showcases groundbreaking music hand-selected by DJs.

To learn more about Public Radio Music Month and the exciting array of events taking place throughout April, visit PublicRadioMusicMonth.org.

Voto Latino encourages youth to vote with free music comp featuring Pitbull, Rodrigo y Gabriela and more

Voto Latino co-founders Maria Teresa Kumar & Rosario Dawson

By Laura Ferreiro

In an effort to engage Latino youth in the political process and get them to participate in the 2012 presidential election, Voto Latino is offering 35 free songs via iTunes when young people take a pledge to vote. The compilation features tracks by the likes of Pitbull, Mariachi El Bronx, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ozomatli, Los Tigres del Norte and other renowned artists from a variety of musical genres.

People can download the compilation when taking the pledge on Voto Latino’s Facebook page. The forward-thinking non-profit organization was co-founded by actress Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Kumar in 2004 and uses music, technology and celebrity voices to engage Latino youth in the political process.

“Our interest is to keep bringing people into the political mix,” Dawson said in a statement. “Everyone should have an understanding of the system whether or not they’re eligible to vote and we believe that offering free music through social media platforms will help continue to motivate and engage those that may not already be a part of the conversation.”

This isn’t the first music compilation Voto Latino has released to engage young Latinos in the political process—it also put out a popular collection to encourage participation in the 2010 Census.

The non-partisan organization has played a key role in registering approximately 120,000 young Latino voters to date, and will ramp up its efforts even more this year to encourage Latino youth to participate in the 2012 elections and have a say in the vital political decisions that affect their futures.

Check out the compilation tracklisting below:

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Coldplay seek volunteers to promote food justice at concerts

Coldplay with Viva La Vida tour coordinator Soha Yassine

By Laura Ferreiro

As Coldplay gear up to embark on a massive North American tour later this month, they are also busy recruiting volunteers to staff their shows across the U.S. Why? Because they’re working with Oxfam America, the international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.

The chart-topping band is seeking volunteers at each of their “Mylo Xyloto” tour stops including Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago to talk to concertgoers about Oxfam’s GROW campaign, which promotes food justice and aims to eliminate hunger around the world.

“The GROW campaign is one of those rare campaigns where we can talk about something everyone can identify with,” says Bob Ferguson, Oxfam’s Manager of Creative Alliances and Outreach who works directly with Coldplay. “Everybody knows what it’s like to feel at least a little hungry. The GROW campaign is very much about conversations – people engaging with their peers and family members, talking about food and its place in society.”

Coldplay have been active supporters of Oxfam for several years, advocating for issues including making trade fair to end injustices against poor farmers, and Oxfam’s Hope for Haiti Appeal, calling for funds to help those affected by the country’s severe 2010 earthquake. Frontman Chris Martin traveled to Ghana with Oxfam to learn more about how trade injustices affect poor farmers, and to Haiti to see the devastating effects of the earthquake first-hand.

“Coldplay understand exactly who we are and what we do,” says Ferguson. “Chris has seen our work in the field. They don’t take us lightly. We’ve worked with them for so many years it’s an actual partnership.”

Coldplay and Oxfam are currently looking for volunteers in each city who are passionate about social justice and talking to others about it. Volunteers will arrive at the venue for training a few hours before the show begins, and will receive free tickets to the concert. “They often get stellar seats …sometimes they end up right in the pit in front of the stage,” says Ferguson.

Click here to volunteer and learn more about Oxfam America’s GROW Campaign, and visit Oxfam’s Coldplay tour blog for behind-the-scenes scoops on what’s happening on the road.

Also, check out Bob Ferguson’s top 5 bands of the moment!

Coldplay U.S. tour dates below:

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Music memorabilia auction at Amoeba Music to benefit 826LA

By Laura Ferreiro

Need a pair of Slayer underwear or some Michael Jackson puffy stickers? Or perhaps a Devo cone hat or an autographed guitar is more your speed. Then head down to Amoeba Music in Hollywood on April 7 to bid on some crazy music memorabilia. The best part is, 100 percent of the proceeds will go to 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center that works primarily with students ages 6-18, encouraging them to put pen to paper to become the next Ernest Hemingway or Anne Lamott.

The auction will be hosted by actor Bob Odenkirk and starts at 4:00pm PST at Amoeba on Sunset Blvd. Amoeba Hollywood started holding music memorabilia auctions in 2005 to raise money to rebuild the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the renowned record store has held several auctions to benefit a wide array of non-profit organizations.

826 was founded by author Dave Eggers and educator Ninive Calegari in 2002 to offer a sustainable way to replace arts education programs for low-income and under-resourced young people in urban areas. It has grown to eight centers around the country. 826LA has two locations – one at the Time Travel Mart in Echo Park and the other in Venice.

 

Video: The Parlotones on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

The Parlotones reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro

By Laura Ferreiro

Following a grueling climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, The Parlotones flew directly to Austin for SXSW, where frontman Kahn Morbee and drummer Neil Pauw chatted with Music for Good about their journey to raise awareness of violence against women and girls in Africa. The South African quartet climbed Africa’s tallest mountain as part of the Africa UNiTE campaign, an initiative that brings together more than 14 United Nations organizations mobilizing for this cause.

“We certainly aren’t naïve to think that this one walk will suddenly bring about instant change, but it is certainly a step in the right direction and it’s a project that will be sustained,” Morbee said. “Only through something that is ongoing can you really achieve results.”

It took the band several days to reach the summit, and they were joined by dignitaries and women who have been victims of abuse. “(Violence against women) is alarmingly on the increase,” said Morbee. “We’re trying to achieve awareness and say there is a solution and there are people who can help.”

Kahn Morbee

The climb was designed to make the women feel they’re not alone and to support the Africa UNiTE campaign, which has three main objectives: first, to prevent violence against women and girls; second, to provide services to survivors of violence; and third, to promote justice and end impunity for those who have committed violence against women. The climb also tested the band’s endurance in ways they didn’t anticipate. Check out the video above to learn all about it.

Celebrating at the summit -- The Parlotones' Kahn Morbee & Neil Pauw (front left)


Michael Stipe, Yoko Ono & Sting auction off unique books to benefit Lunchbox Fund

Photo: David Belisle

Several renowned musicians, authors and celebrities including R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Yoko Ono, Shepard Fairey, Salmon Rushdie, Tony Bennett, Philip Glass and Sting have created hand-crafted books and prints that they’re auctioning off to benefit the Lunchbox Fund.

The Lunchbox Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a daily meal for extremely poor and at-risk school children in South Africa, where more than 35% of the population is devastated by poverty and AIDS.

Most items are one-of-a-kind, and include a book of photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York, handmade cookbooks by chef Mario Batali, images and meditations by Deepak Chopra and more.

The online action takes place on eBay from now until March 31. All proceeds will benefit the Lunchbox Fund.

Wire Image: Salmon Rushdie & Michael Stipe

“The books are great, The Lunchbox Fund is great, the people are great, the artists are great. This is mind-blowing to see all of these great talents collaborate for such a great cause,” Stipe said in a statement.

Click here to participate in the auction.