Sofar Sounds Los Angeles Partners with Movember Foundation To Host Benefit Concert

Geographer

By Tamara Syed

If you’re looking for an escape from Thanksgiving food coma or the shopping cart wars of Black Friday, be sure to participate in Sofar Sounds and Movember Foundation’s concert ticket giveaway.

Sofar Sounds Los Angeles is partnering with the Movember Foundation to host a benefit concert on November 29, Giving Tuesday, at the Foundation’s headquarters in Culver City, Calif.

The event will feature performances by soulful rock duo Smoke Season, the sly lyricism of hip-hop powerhouse GAVLYN, and the ethereal strings of indie rockers Geographer. All of the proceeds will go towards funding men’s health programs.

“It’s going to be a special night with the artists, the Sofar audience and the Movember community coming together and supporting a great cause,” Sara Mengesha, project manager for the show, told Music for Good.

“It felt natural to partner up with the Movember Foundation because, like Sofar, it’s a passionate global community connecting and building a movement.”

To be entered for a chance to win tickets to the concert, head over to Sofar Sounds’ event page and make a $5 donation, with all proceeds benefitting Movember Foundation. Be sure to share the event on your social networks to increase your chances of winning.

Since its inception in 2009, Sofar Sounds has hosted more than 4,500 intimate gigs spanning more than 270 cities around the world. From Los Angeles to Kolkata, the secret shows play host to up-and-coming artists as well as renowned guests including Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O and Bastille.

The Movember Foundation provides funding and raises awareness for key areas in men’s health including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. It also encourages men to grow their mustaches during the month of November to help spread the word and start conversations around men’s health.

It seems fitting that the show will take place on Giving Tuesday, a worldwide movement to encourage individuals to give to their favorite charities and participate in small acts of kindness to create lasting impact among local communities.

Enter here for the chance at two free tickets to the Sofar Sounds Movember Foundation benefit concert.

Madonna to Hold Star-Studded Benefit Concert with Ariana Grande & Chris Rock for Raising Malawi

By Kennedi Johnson

During challenging times, it’s always good to recognize acts of kindness and humanity. One altruistic event that certainly deserves recognition is Madonna’s star-studded benefit concert, which will be held at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, Florida on December 2. The proceeds from concert will directly benefit Madonna’s non-profit organization, Raising Malawi.

In addition to a highly anticipated performance from the Queen of Pop herself, there will be additional performances and appearances by pop singer Ariana Grande, award-winning comedian Chris Rock, and Oscar-winning actor and activist Sean Penn. The event will be hosted by actor, singer, and The Late Late Show host James Corden. It will take place during Miami’s grand exhibit of art from around the world, Art Basel. The exhibit is set to include works of modern and contemporary art from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Globally known as the “Warm Heart of Africa,” Malawi is a land-locked, Sub-Saharan African country. Although nearly 50% of Malawi is under the age of 15, there are only four pediatric surgeons serving the entire country. To put that into perspective, there are only four pediatric surgeons available for an estimated 7.5 million children.

Raising Malawi aims to address this by improving healthcare, education, and the living conditions of those who live in poverty. The money raised for Madonna’s non-profit will be used for saving surgeries, treatments for those with HIV/AIDS, educational programs, the ability to enroll orphans in child care, the construction of primary and secondary schools, the provision of academic scholarships, and much more.

In 2017, Raising Malawi will open the country’s first pediatric surgery and intensive care unit, the Mercy James Institute. The institute will be able to help thousands upon thousands of children in need of healthcare.

To purchase tickets for the concert, and in turn help construct a life-changing facility in Malawi, email reservations@raisingmalawievent.com. To learn more about Raising Malawi, click here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea Unveils Spacious New Home for His Silverlake Conservatory of Music

Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers

By Tamara Syed

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea and architect Barbara Bestor unveiled the newly designed space for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music last month.

Eight times larger than its previous home, the music school can now play host to double the amount of students.

Offering lessons in a variety of subjects – from instrumentation to songwriting – and focusing on students as young as four years old to adults – the conservatory was developed to bring a quality music education to the local Los Angeles community.

Michael “Flea” Balzary founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music (SCM) in 2001 after discovering that music programs in Los Angeles schools were being cut due to a lack of funding. The scholarship program at SCM offers free lessons and instruments to deserving students from lower income families.

“Due to Reaganomics and Prop 13m they cut all arts programs out of the L.A. schools,” Flea told KCET. “I was determined to fill that void. In our 15th year of having this music school, about half the kids go for free.”

Rendering of the new Silverlake Conservatory of Music

Formerly a makeup factory, the conservatory’s new home on Hollywood Boulevard includes soundproof lesson rooms, an eye-catching retail store and a “Flea-zzanine” which overlooks a large performance space for its students – a first for SCM. Prior to moving into the building, SCM would have to rent out auditoriums for student recitals and concerts.

Flea strongly believes in the power of a music education. “If we care about kids of all flavors, and all economic backgrounds and all ethnicities being intelligent, educated, sensitive people, we need to support education in the arts,” he said.

Click here for more information about the Silverlake Conservatory of Music.

Third Eye Blind Support the Arts with Clothing Line, Surf with Veterans, and Release New Album

Third Eye Blind

By Kennedi Johnson

What’s an award-winning group of musicians to do when they’re not on stage or in the recording studio? While some might take a moment to relax during their free time, others, such as Third Eye Blind, launch their own clothing line to support a local nonprofit organization.

The famed Bay Area rockers are set to release their new clothing line, Mission District, named for the eclectic San Francisco neighborhood. For each Mission District hoodie sold, $10 will be donated to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit cofounded by renowned author Dave Eggers. The Bay Area organization helps under-resourced students develop their creative and expository writing skills while encouraging their teachers to be a literary support system. The goal is to make writing fun – not taxing – for all children who walk through their doors. What’s more, these donations will be matched by the Mark and Alison Pincus Foundation.

In addition to fostering a passion for the literary arts in San Francisco’s children, lead singer Stephan Jenkins recently spent time teaching veterans how to surf at Camp Pendleton. The Third Eye Blind leading man’s surfing lessons were a part of the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation’s ocean therapy sessions. Ocean therapy requires participants to discuss their trauma and recovery experiences and then relate them back to the ocean, followed by a 90-minute surfing session. The Foundation provides therapy and support for the Marines of the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West, veterans from the West LA Veterans Hospital, foster children, and at-risk youth.

“Surfing is foundational to my life,” says Jenkins. “Still it doesn’t feel complete until I share it with others. Sharing it with service members who have carried their trauma home and seeing what it does for them completes it for me.”

Meanwhile, Third Eye Blind recently released their sixth studio album, We Are Drugs, recorded last summer at the Sonic Ranch recording studio in Texas.

Listen to the We Are Drugs opener, “Company of Strangers.”

Learn more about 826 Valencia here. Find out more about the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation here.

Weezer to Headline Rhonda’s Kiss Benefit Concert Honoring Johnny Depp

Weezer

By James Pleasant

Influential power-pop band Weezer will headline the second annual Rhonda’s Kiss benefit concert on November 3 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles to help cancer patients in need.

Actor Johnny Depp, who lost his mother to cancer earlier this year, will be presented with the inaugural Healing & Hope Award at the event for his charitable donations and work to help cancer patients and survivors over the years.

Proceeds from the benefit show will be donated to the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, the leading medical center for cancer care in Los Angeles.

Johnny Depp

“Cancer affects many lives and this year it was my family’s turn,” said Depp in a statement. “The team at Cedars-Sinai works tirelessly to help people in their darkest moments. Their work is invaluable to all of us, and I will support any opportunity to help shine a light on the cause through Rhonda’s Kiss.”

Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath will serve as the emcee for this year’s benefit show. What’s more, his supergroup The Hellcat Saints, featuring members of Linkin Park, Weezer, Queens of the Stone Age, Jane’s Addiction and more, will open the show.

Rhonda’s Kiss has donated more than $750,000 to hospitals in the United States to benefit individuals and patients suffering from cancer. It was established in 2014 after Rhonda Stefanski, the late wife of the organization’s executive director, was diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer. One of her last wishes before her death was to create an event dedicated to helping cancer patients in inner-cities and urban communities pay for treatment. The organization raised $500,000 at the inaugural benefit concert in 2015.

For tickets to the 2016 benefit featuring Weezer and Johnny Depp or to learn more about Rhonda’s Kiss, click here.

Team Up with Music for Relief to Help Victims of Louisiana Flood & Get Rewards

By Kennedi Johnson

In August, southern Louisiana suffered continuous rainfall that resulted in historic, disastrous flooding that submerged thousands of homes and businesses. The flooding was so drastic that it has been declared the largest natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Sandy of 2012.

The flood’s impact was far reaching with 20 of Louisiana’s parishes receiving more than 7 trillion gallons of rainwater in just two days. “Thousands of people in Louisiana have lost everything they own and need our help now,” Brad Kieserman, Red Cross’ vice president of disaster services operations, told CNN. In order to help those in need, the non-profit organization Music for Relief is teaming up with various artists and other activists to launch the #LousianaStrong campaign.

Linkin Park

Music for Relief was founded by the band Linkin Park and is dedicated to preserving the environment and helping those affected by natural disasters. Music for Relief saw the need caused by the massive flooding and began the #LouisianaStrong campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the severity of the situation in Louisiana and raise money for the victims of the natural disaster, and partnered with Propeller, an online community that encourages its members to engage in socially conscious actions to better society.

Those who support and engage in socially meaningful causes are rewarded through a point-based system. The more you support causes, the more points you earn; the more points you earn, the more stuff you get. By donating to Music for Relief’s disaster relief fund, you can earn tickets to live performances by Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Roger Waters and more at the Desert Trip Music Festival, or attend a live recording of Saturday Night Live in October. You could also win a VIP experience with Blink-182 in Irvine, California or with the Chainsmokers at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans.

What’s more, anyone who donates will receive an 18-track compilation dedicated to the #LouisianaStrong campaign, including tracks by artists including Gramatik, The Glitch Mob’s Boreta, Shana Halligan, and the Voice finalist Whitney Myer.

To learn more about Music for Relief, click here. To participate in the #LouisianaStrong campaign, win rewards and donate to the victims of the Louisiana flood, click here.

Violinist for Smashing Pumpkins Ysanne Spevack Creates a Feast for All Five Senses

Ysanne Spevack. Photo: Riley Johndonnel

By Laura Ferreiro

Renowned composer, chef and Smashing Pumpkins violinist Ysanne Spevack is orchestrating a unique, immersive experience featuring live music, plant-based, locally sourced food and much more, dubbed “Cacao in E Major.” The event will take place September 22 at the Alchemist’s Kitchen in New York City, and is the first in a series of YNTEGRITY project events that explore all of the musical keys and how they relate to the other four senses.

Ysanne — who is also known for authoring books on organic gardening and nutritious recipes in addition to her work as a musician — will lead the choir, The Conscious Chorus, which will interact with guests as they dine. In addition to Ysanne’s original compositions, guests will hear the exclusive debut of the song “Wild Wind” by Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan.

What’s more, The Conscious Chorus will sing a live version of the debut single from artist Shepard Fairey’s new band, NØISE, which is set to be released the day after the event. The tune, ‘Little Lions,’ will be reimagined by the choir. “I’m excited that The Conscious Chorus are singing this epic new song as a mashup with the blessing of Shepard Fairey’s NØISE project,” Ysanne tells Music for Good. “Everyone knows they make conscious choices as a group of friends, including Shepard’s long-standing support for animals, and Moby’s vegan and non-profit activities. The new song is emotionally engaging and epic, and it’s perfect for my choir to sing! I’m grateful that my friends are sharing this with The Conscious Chorus in support of iFred.”

Photo: Riley Johndonnel

The inspiration for the unique event, dubbed a “feast for all five senses,” came to Ysanne after years working as a composer, an author and a cook. “It’s a natural evolution for me to now integrate into YNTEGRITY the neuroscience, psychology and technology elements, to enrich my compositions and the superfood-rich molecular menu I’ve developed over so many years,” she says. “Meeting celebrated neuroscientist Professor Pelli at NYU sparked an exponential growth in this integration process, but the foundation for YNTEGRITY was built slowly over the preceding three decades.”

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression (iFRED), whose mission is to shine a positive light on depression and eliminate the stigma associated with the disease through prevention, research and education. Ysanne said that supporting iFred made perfect sense given the struggles with depression many artists face.

“Artists are sensitive by definition – that’s what makes us artists,” Ysanne explains. “We understand depression and meet it in our own lives and the lives of the people we surround ourselves with. I’ve lost friends to suicide, and experienced the depths of depression myself, as have most of my closest friends. On the bright side, I do believe it has deepened my connection with my circle.”

“It’s just wonderful to finally be at a point where I have deep confidence and experience in my music and food abilities, and the world is finally ready to accept that as an artist, we often express ourselves creatively in more than one modality,” she adds.

Click here to purchase tickets for Cacao in E Major. For more information about the YNTEGRITY project and updates about future events, click here.

 

Preservation Hall Foundation Announces Benefit Concert & Relief Fund for Musicians Affected by Devastating Flood

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

By James Pleasant

New Orleans’ Preservation Hall has been a cornerstone of jazz music since its origins in the early 1960s. During this time, traditional New Orleans Jazz was becoming overshadowed by more popular styles of music such as rock n’ roll and bebop. In order to honor and preserve New Orleans Jazz—one of America’s truest art forms — the Preservation Hall was officially established in the music-filled city, where it continues to dazzle audiences with music that sounds as pure as it did in the early days.

To help continue this legacy, the Preservation Hall Foundation recently launched the Southeast Louisiana Musicians’ Flood Relief Fund to benefit professional musicians affected by floods that ravaged Louisiana in August.

One-hundred percent of the funds will be distributed to professional musicians for the replacement of instruments, equipment, studio space, and anything else needed for them to continue practicing their craft and generating income doing what they love.

“I can speak for the musicians of Preservation Hall that it was inconceivable to continue sharing our music after Hurricane Katrina without the immediate support we received from our network around the world,” said Ben Jaffe, creative director of Preservation Hall. “We want to be there for our musical brothers and sisters in Baton Rouge and Lafayette in their time of need.”

In conjunction with the Relief Fund, the Preservation Hall Foundation is also organizing Red Stick Revival, a benefit concert supporting the musicians, taking place on September 18 at the Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge, LA.

Big Freedia will perform at the Red Stick Revival benefit concert

The concert will feature performances from Louisiana musicians GIVERS, Big Freedia, Pell, and Boyfriend, as well as the Preservation Hall All-Stars.

Those who volunteer with the Preservation Hall Foundation’s rebuilding and clean-up efforts in Baton Rouge on September 18 will receive a free ticket to the concert.

Professional musicians affected by the flood can apply for relief funds here. In order to qualify, musicians must submit documented proof of employment in the music industry for at least two years, or any commercially released recordings or videos.

Since 2011, the Preservation Hall Foundation has helped protect and preserve the musical heritage of New Orleans through a combination of relief efforts, media projects, music education and more.

To donate or apply for the relief fund, click here. For tickets to the benefit concert, click here. To learn more about the Preservation Hall Foundation, click here.

Moby to Headline Circle V Festival in Support of Animal Rights

Moby

By Kennedi Johnson 

When American DJ and musician Moby isn’t on stage, he passionately advocates for the rights of animals. He has adopted a vegan diet, opened the vegan restaurant Little Pine in Los Angeles, and authored the pro-animal-rights book Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat). Continuing in his tradition of animal-rights advocacy, Moby will be the main headliner of Circle V, an all-day festival geared towards supporting animal welfare.

On Saturday October 23, Moby will join electronic duo Blaqk Audio and synthpop act Cold Cave performing at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre. It is Moby’s only scheduled live performance this year. Proceeds from the Goldenvoice-produced festival will benefit international animal protection nonprofit Mercy for Animals.

Together with Mercy for Animals and No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, Moby cofounded the Circle V festival. “Circle V is the coming together of my life’s work, animal rights, and music,” says Moby. “I couldn’t be more excited about this event and am so proud to be headlining.” In preparation for the festival, Moby and the Void Pacific Choir released the music video, “Please Don’t Leave Me.” The video draws attention to the inhumane treatment of farm animals while in captivity.

The festival will also host a select group of speakers before the musical performances begin. Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn will lead a panel discussion on animal rights. Andersen and Kuhn directed the documentary Cowspiracy, which was executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the environmental effects of animal agriculture. Mercy for Animals’ president Nathan Runkle, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, and ultra-marathoner and author Rich Roll are also set to speak before the musical performances start. In addition to the live music and the speakers, Circle V festival-goers will also be able to enjoy a wide variety of vegan cuisine from some of LA’s favorite vegan food trucks and chefs.

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Herb Alpert Foundation to Donate $10.1 Million to LACC, Giving All Music Majors a Free Education

Herb Alpert. Photo: Dewey Nicks

By Laura Ferreiro

Herb Alpert, whose groundbreaking style of Latin jazz has made him one of the world’s most respected trumpeters, is now paving the way for a new generation of musicians. His namesake foundation has announced that it will donate $10.1 million to Los Angeles City College (LACC) to provide a free education for all music majors.

It will also give students additional private lessons and further financial aid to pursue their education. The Herb Alpert Foundation grant is the largest gift ever given to a community college in Southern California.

“I love that LACC has helped so many low-income students who have financial challenges but have a strong commitment to education and to self-improvement,” said Alpert.

Alpert, who grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles, told the LA Times that both his brother and ex-partner attended LACC. “LACC is a gem of an institution,” he said. “The biggest motivation was helping kids who don’t have the financial energy to go to a major college. At LACC, they’ve nurtured thousands of dedicated students every year. My brother went there. My ex-partner [record producer] Lou Adler went there. I’ve visited the school. It’s alive. It’s kickin’.”

Robert Schwartz, executive director of the Los Angeles City College Foundation, pointed out that a gift like this is incredibly valuable to LACC students, many of whom face financial difficulties. “The vast majority of our students are from underserved communities and faced with enormous financial challenges as they strive to attain their academic and career goals,” he said. “This generous gift from the Herb Alpert Foundation allows these talented students to focus on their studies while pursuing their individual pathways towards successful careers in the music industry.”

Alpert founded the Herb Alpert Foundation in the 1980s. Since then it has made significant annual contributions to a wide range of renowned arts programs.