My client, Band Together, is an organization that uses music to bring attention to important issues affecting today’s world. Band Together chooses music through an annual contest in which independent musicians submit their music to be judged by prominent industry leaders. The winners of the contests are featured on the Band Together albums. This year, all proceeds will benefit Youth Service America (www.ysa.org) and the What’s Your Issue Foundation (www.whatsyourissue.tv).
The newly released Band Together 3 album is available on iTunes and Amazon. I hope you will support independent music for a great cause. The official press release is below with more information on Band Together, the artists and this year’s supported charities.
Band Together 3 Album Debuts to Encourage Youth Service
Young musicians from the US and UK win competition to inspire their peers to action
WASHINGTON, DC, September 15, 2010 – Six musicians between the ages of 13 and 25 are finalists in the 2010 What’s Your Issue competition for their original songs about the social and political issues that concern them. Through the resulting album Band Together 3, they hope to inspire their peers to take action in their communities.
British rapper Dan Bull (age 24) is one of the contributors, recording the song “America” to advocate for a new American healthcare system. After he fell seriously ill with peritonitis in 2008, he relied on the UK’s National Health Service for recovery.
“The competition gave me the incentive to put my thoughts together to try and dispel the myths about universal healthcare, and from first hand experience, show people in the USA how vital it is,” Bull said. “Having a ‘pre-existing condition’ myself, I wouldn’t have been insured in the USA. I believe I would now be dead if I had been an American citizen when I fell sick.”
Other musicians featured on the album are Hayley Reardon (age 13) from Marblehead, MA; Kimberly Paige (age 17) from Jacksonville, FL; Georgia Napolitano (age 18) from Los Angeles, CA; Cameron Ernst and Devon Feldmeth (age 21) from Los Angeles, CA; and Tiffany and Whitney Taubman (age 25 and 22) from West Hills, CA. Their tracks touch on issues ranging from middle school bullying to civil rights.
“We believe in the power of music to touch hearts and change minds on issues,” says What’s Your Issue founder HeathCliff Rothman.
Adds Steve Culbertson, President and CEO of Youth Service America: “This is great music, but it is only the first step. This album is about more than listening – it is about calling youth to service for important issues. We’ll be working to engage youth in more than 100 countries this year through Global Youth Service Day to address issues in these songs.”
Youth can learn more about the musicians, their songs, and how to take action to create positive change at the website www.geturgoodon.org, an online community led by Miley Cyrus and Youth Service America that connects music and community service.
Band Together 3 is the result of a global contest produced by the What’s Your Issue Foundation, with the support of YouTube, Apple, Sony Pictures and others. After youth submitted their songs through YouTube, a judging panel chose the final tracklist. The panel included industry insiders Pat Magnarella, the manager for the popular band Green Day, Jonathan McHugh, vice president of Island Def Jam Records, and Joe Lamond, the President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants.
The songs span the genres of rock, rap, pop and country, and can be downloaded via online stores including iTunes and Amazon. Proceeds from album sales will be split between Youth Service America and the What’s Your Issue Foundation.
About Youth Service America
Youth Service America improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, age 5-25, serving in substantive roles. Learn more at www.ysa.org.
About What’s Your Issue Foundation
The What’s Your Issue Foundation is a national not-for-profit organization which runs an internet-based film and song competition, as well as Y/E, The Young Entrepreneur Network and a program of Video Tutorials. Learn more at www.whatsyourissue.tv.
About Band Together
Band Together empowers musicians to impact social causes through benefit albums and innovative non-profit and corporate partnerships. Learn more at www.bandtogether.org.