Glen Hansard, Patti Smith, Richard Marx, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne are among the many artists participating in an April 15 virtual concert to raise money for 10 music education organizations.
Entrepreneur Michael Dorf will host the Best of the Music of 2004-2020, in association with City Winery, with proceeds going to Grammy Foundation, Young Audiences New York, Church Street School, The Orchestra Now, Center for Arts Education, Little Kids Rock, D'Addario Foundation, Sonic Arts For All, Midori & Friends, VHI Save the Music Foundation.
Dorf founded the Knitting Factory, a New York City music performance venue, and City Winery, a chain of restaurants that feature live music and wine. Since 2004, Michael Dorf Presents’ Annual Carnegie Hall Tribute Series, Music Of, has donated over US$1.5M in proceeds to organizations that provide music education programs and opportunities to underserved youth.
The show will also include Keb' Mo', The Mountain Goats, Raul Malo, Nicole Atkins, Marc Roberge (O.A.R.), Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers), Deva Mahal, Martin Sexton, Joseph Arthur, Bettye Lavette, Ron Pope and Son Little.
Tickets start at $25 with VIP packages available. Exclusive package deals include:
Ticket tiers:
Livestream Ticket; $25: includes entry into the livestream
Livestream Ticket + Poster; $50: includes entry into the livestream and a commemorative poster of past shows of choice signed by Dorf
Soundcheck; $50: includes the link to the stream plus a 10-minute Zoom call with producer Dorf to learn about what goes into producing a show with 21 artists at Carnegie Hall and an opportunity to ask questions and hear some behind the scene stories
Give more package; $1500: up to 20 streams, 100 percent of your money will go to one of the music education organizations of your choosing
The Charities:
GRAMMY Foundation: The GRAMMY Foundation runs programs and activities that engage the music industry, cultural community and general public in partnership year-round with The Recording Academy to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education.
Young Audiences New York: Founded in 1952 to bring live performances (specifically chamber music concerts) to children in their own schools and neighborhoods. Young Audiences New York provides children with opportunities to be creative alongside professional teaching artists and to engage their families in the art-making process.
Church Street School: Church Street School for Music and Art is a nonprofit community school for the arts in lower Manhattan that offers art and music programs for students of all ages, abilities, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and socioeconomic backgrounds. At Church Street School faculty and staff are professional artists, musicians and educators who believe deeply in the importance and accessibility of the arts to all.
The Orchestra Now: The Orchestra Now is a group of young musicians from across the globe who are making orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences by giving on-stage introductions and demonstrations, writing concert notes from the musicians’ perspective, and having one-on-one discussions with patrons during intermissions.
Center for Arts Education: The Center for Arts Education, established in 1996, advocates for art education by focusing on providing future-oriented teaching and learning at all grade levels and in all disciplines; increasing college and career readiness for teens; family and community engagement initiatives; professional development for educators; and model programs and research.
Little Kids Rock: Little Kids Rock’s network of thousands of K-12 teachers across 48 states leads a national movement that brings innovative and inclusive music education to students. The students see themselves reflected in their classes, which strengthens their connection to their school, their peers, and their community. Little Kids Rock also donates necessary instruments to many school music programs.
D'Addario Foundation: The D’Addario Foundation is a non-profit organization that identifies the highest quality, most impactful instrument instruction programs in communities of need and awards grants and product donations to assist their growth and development. The organization believes in the power of music to unlock creativity, boost self-confidence, and enhance academics.
Sonic Arts For All: SAFA courses and workshops are an alternative or supplement to traditional K-12 and special needs music education. Rather than learning to read music before you can make music, technology allows us to interact directly with sounds. Therefore, the heart of our program is hands on, open-ended projects where students develop a portfolio of their own pieces.
Midori & Friends: Midori & Friends provides high-quality, culturally and socially enriching music programs to students in grades PreK-12 in New York City schools who have little or no access to the arts. M&F’s virtual programs enable students and their families to discover musical traditions from cultures around the world, express themselves creatively, and build social connections.
VHI Save the Music Foundation: This foundation partners with public school districts to donate grants for music education in the form of new musical instruments, technology, equipment, and other resources. Grants offer opportunities to jumpstart and support school music programs every year.