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How The GeoMetro Party Teamed Up With Booboo Stewart To Raise Over $10K For MusiCares

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The nimble L.A. skateboard company ramped up its focus on art & music to adapt, collaborate and donate to support music people in need
Nate Hertweck
MusiCares
Aug 25, 2020 - 5:48 pm

Like most cultural visionaries, GeoMetro Party founders Jarvis Anderson and Charlie Cosser faced a much different set of challenges in 2020 compared to 2019. This time last year, the duo were not only gearing up to host GEO's flagship live event with 2,000 attendees, but also plotting the skateboard company's party expansion to New York and Mexico City. The pandemic, of course, changed everthing, and as Anderson and Cosser got their footing early on during quarantine, they saw the opportunity to give back. Having personally witnessed the impact of MusiCares helping music people in need during the pandemic and beyond, the choice for a charity was clear.

"MusiCares had been brought up in conversation with us several times by artists near and dear to our hearts who quickly received grants after applying,” Cosser said.

Meanwhile, actor/painter and GEO fan Booboo Stewart, known for his roles in X-men and Twilight, connected with Anderson and Cosser to brainstorm how to collaborate, and the GEO X BOOBOO Musicares Charity Clothing line, designed by Stewart, was born. Primed to raise funds and awareness, the GEO X MusiCares collab kicked into full swing, enlisting nearly a hundred music artists and creators wearing and promoting the charity clothing pieces on their social media profiles. Their efforts yielded hundreds of donations.

"I never would have thought we would raise over $10,000 for MusiCares. It’s truly inspiring and powerful to see people from all over come together and lend a helping hand. I am so thankful to my brothers at GEO and our partner at MusiCares for all they do." said Stewart.

But Jarvis and Charlie didn't stop there, continuing to build out their online store they had built to handle charitable sales and launching skateboard collabs with music artists like Lauren Sanderson, which has sold over 200 skate decks already, building out their next collaboration with live event giant, Emo Nite, and launching fREE THE STrEETS, a limited invite, safe and socially-distanced gathering bringing together the best female skateboarders in L.A. for a day of empowering music and skating.

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"The skateboarding community has always had a strong presence within the The GeoMetro Party, and now we are fully dedicating our operations to build what has always been percolating; a revolutionary skateboard company with a profound footprint in female skate.” Jarvis explained.

"It’s no surprise that fREE THE STrEETS is creating quite the buzz in both the music and skate world as seemingly the only safe socially-distanced gathering happening that has commercial appeal and is just downright fun AF," reads a statement from GEO. "Jarvis, Charlie and Booboo would like to send 10,000 thousand thank you's to all who participated in the MusiCares campaign and to the countless people who messaged encouraging notes on this wild journey toward a donation that we are most proud of. We encourage anyone thinking of giving to a noble cause to choose MusiCares charity. We have seen them help. We love MusiCares!"

For more information on GEO, including sponsorship opportunities for fREE THE STrEETS, visit the GEO website.

Elton John, Billie Eilish, Cher, U2 & Many More: MusiCares Auction Items Announced

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Jason Isbell

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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Jason Isbell, Yola & More To Perform For Sound Mind Live's Come Together Mental Health Music Festival

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Now in its second year, the landmark concert on Oct. 8 will also feature Smith & Myers, Kiiara, American Authors, Jade Bird, Shamir, Son Little and others, plus mental health resources, discussions and more...
MusiCares
Sep 24, 2020 - 2:34 pm

In celebration of World Mental Health Day, which just around the corner, Sound Mind Live has announced Come Together, a virtual mental health music festival to be broadcast live on Oct. 8. Featured perfomers include Smith & Myers, Jason Isbell, Kiiara, American Authors, Jade Bird, Yola, Shamir, Son Little, and more.

Comedian Jordan Carlos will handle hosting duties, and various mental health eperts from Mental Health America, MusiCares, and the landmark event's founding partner National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City will provide information on virtual mental health resources, support programs and best practices for self-care. 

"Now is the time to break down walls of stigma surrounding mental health and elevate awareness of mental health resources when support is more needed than ever," Sound Mind Live Director Chris Bullard said in a statement. "This is the most important World Mental Health Day of our lifetime. We have experienced global collective grief like never before. Despite this, we can still come together through the power of music to heal these wounds, find hope, and support one another as we move on to more positive horizons in the future."

Festival viewers will be able to access a live interactive chat and donate in real time, with proceeds benefiting affiliates of National Alliance on Mental Illness, the largest grassroots mental health organization in the U.S., and their pandemic-response mental health programs around the country.

The pioneering event will also feature "virtual side stages," featuring break-out performances and panels discussions such as "Mental Health and the BIPOC Community," "Mental Health in the LGBTQ+ Community," and "Mental Health and the Music Community." Leading up to the festival, How Are You Really site will present a series in collaboration with Kenneth Cole's Mental Health Coalition of approximately 20 short videos of artists and notable musicians speaking about their mental health.

Come Together, for which AbbVie is generously acting as presenting sponsor, will be streamed live on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT via the Relix YouTube Channel. For more information and updates, visit the festival website.

Inside VAULT Productions' Real-Time Doc On Electronic Music's Evolution During The Pandemic

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Sofi Tukker

Photo: VAULT Productions documentary trailer

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Inside VAULT Productions' Real-Time Doc On Electronic Music's Evolution During The Pandemic

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See how you can support the making of this independent, women-lead film and MusiCares' ongoing efforts to help music people in need
Nate Hertweck
MusiCares
Sep 22, 2020 - 3:25 pm

Electronic music remains one of the most nimble, connected and innovative communities in the industry, even as its musicians, professionals and fans have been drastically affected by the 2020 coronavirus crisis. Now, a unique new documentary from VAULT Productions is exploring the devastating impact of the pandemic, how the genre has adapted and how the music will continue to pull us through. Check this out: 

"Electronic music halts, evolves, and heals the world through the 2020 global pandemic and social revolution," the project's GoFundMe page. In addition to seeking to raise funds for the film's production, VAULT is also donating a portion of all proceeds to MusiCares.

The documentary will tell the story of today's unprecedented pandemic through the lens of electronic music and feature artists such as Sofi Tukker, Channel Tres, VNSSA, and Rinzen. The film will take you behind-the-scenes with well-know industry titans such as Billboard Dance, VitaMotus, Sound Nightclub, KCRW, Beatport and more, capturing the initial live event shutdown in March 2020, the subsequent rise of virtual performances and beyond, whereever the journey takes us.

"We’re living this story in real time, and will be in production until the day we capture artists stepping foot on a festival mainstage. Until that day, this production is our lives," the project's backstory reads. "So we’re committed to seeing it through with you."

The unconvential project exudes the passion and fierce indepent drive of the duo who back it, VAULT's Stephanie “Zilla” Barbosa and Leah Barylsky. The duo were both raised in Hawaii, althought they met on the mainland at a chance encounter after moving to Los Angeles to pursue careers in music, Barbosa as a DJ and radio producer and Barylsky as a cinematographer and editor.

"We discovered a shared reverence for electronic music and the community it birthed in warehouses, clubs, and festival grounds; a true melting pot that reflects the values we grew up with back home on the islands, sharing deeply-held beliefs about the power of both music and cinema, we knew we had to create together," they said. "Documenting this historic time from within our beloved electronic music community was a clear inspiration." 

VAULT began to tease the documentary in early August, launching the GoFundMe shortly thereafter and setting out on a quest to raise the money needed to fund the film, all while supporting the ongoing offorts of MusiCares to help those in the music industry affected by the pandemic. Now you can get involved and support this independent, women-lead production while also helping music professionals and serving all genres of music.

"Our intention is to cinematically illuminate the unsung heroes who create your live music experience, and celebrate the resilient culture of the underground," they state, "right up until its onstage return."

Read more about VAULT Productions on their website. To learn more about the ambitious documentary and contribute to its making as well as to MusiCares, visit the project's GoFundMe page. 

Read More: Committing To Kindness: MusiCares Teams Up With Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation For The #BeKind21 Challenge

 

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Avicii

Photo: Sean Eriksson 1838

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Avicii Birthday Tribute For Mental Health Awareness Takes Over SiriusXM's BPM Channel

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During Suicide Prevention Week, the Tim Bergling Foundation and SiriusXM honor the late DJ/producer with specialty programming, including never-before-heard Avicii set and more
MusiCares
Sep 8, 2020 - 4:09 pm

Today, SiriusXM and The Tim Bergling Foundation have teamed up to announce "BPM Presents: Avicii Birthday Tribute for Mental Health Awareness" will kick off Sept. 8 in honor of Avicii's birthday and during Suicide Prevention Week. The takeover of SiriusXM's BPM channel will benefit MusiCares and Vibrant Health's National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and feature specialty programming, including one never-before-heard Avicii set from 2016, as well as tracks from the 2019 Avicii Tribute Concert in the beloved DJ/producer's hometown of Stockholm, Sweden.

Klas Bergling, Tim's father, will sit down for an exclusive interview to discuss Tim's life and music and the mission of the Foundation, which is to prevent suicide and remove the stigma attached to mental illness.

"Anki and I want to thank Geronimo and SiriusXM for their continued support of Tim's music and for taking this time to put a spotlight on the global issue of mental health," said Klas Bergling. "We want to encourage Tim's fans and all young people to know that they are not alone.  It's important to talk to someone, a friend or family member or workmate.  There is help for any emotional struggle they or their friends may have."

The take-over will also feature music from Avicii all weeklong and commentary from artists including Sandro Cavazza, Aloe Blacc, Zak Abel, Armin van Buuren, Nile Rogers, Nicky Romero, Laidback Luke, Martin Garrix, Bonn, Joe Janiak and Diplo discussing Avicii, as well as sharing personal stories about Tim, his music and their experience with mental illness. Additionally, the channel takeover will include a special broadcast of Avicii's SiriusXM Town Hall from 2013.

"SiriusXM championed Avicii from his start and we hope his fans will join us in celebrating him and his music as we take this special week to premiere a never-before-heard set, play music spanning his career, and hear about the importance of mental health wellness from those who knew him best," said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's President and Chief Content Officer. "We are honored to work with The Tim Bergling Foundation to spotlight the issue of mental health, while also celebrating Avicii's legacy through his music."

Programming will also feature John Draper, PHD, Executive Director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, who will share advice and resources on SiriusXM's Doctor Radio for listeners experiencing emotional distress or struggling with thoughts of suicide.

"The loss of Tim was personal for me," said Geronimo, SiriusXM's Vice President of Dance and EDM Programming. "Tim was my friend and like many fans around the world, I was excited to watch his career grow exponentially. I'm honored to work with his father, Klas and his family, to bring awareness to mental health and how asking for help is equally as important as the world has changed so quickly due to the pandemic, this topic is more crucial now than ever."

Listeners can experience BPM Presents: Avicii Birthday Tribute for Mental Health Awareness Week starting on Tuesday, September 8 at 12:00 pm ET through Sunday, September 13 at 9:00pm ET on SiriusXM radios (channel 51) and on the SiriusXM app.

Elton John, Billie Eilish, Cher, U2 & Many More: MusiCares Auction Items Announced

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Clockwise: Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, MusiCares Executive Director Laura Segura, Thomas Rhett, and Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

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Thomas Rhett & Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta Surprise MusiCares With $100k Donation

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The country superstar and label exec team up to help music people in need with their generous donation on the heels of Rhett's star-studded, uplifting hit, "Be A Light"
MusiCares
Sep 2, 2020 - 9:01 am

Today, multi-platinum entertainer Thomas Rhett and Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta surprised Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and MusiCares Executive Director Laura Segura via video conference with a $100,000 donation toward MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

In March, Rhett released his uplifting hit song “Be A Light” featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban and accompanied by an announcement that he and the song’s all-star collaborators would donate all proceeds from single to the ongoing MusiCares COVID-19 Relief efforts.  

“Thank y’all so much for everything y’all are doing. The fact that y’all are helping people pay mortgages and hospital bills, I commend y’all so highly for that," said Rhett. “Hopefully we can get a lot more on board this train to continue to give and continue to help out our people.”

The donation arrives as “Be A Light” nears the top of the Country Radio charts, and fans all over the world share messages of hope with the #BeALight campaign. The song’s accompanying music video features fan-submitted footage of spreading love and kindness with the message of “Be A Light.” Thomas Rhett co-wrote the timeless message alongside Josh Miller, Josh Thompson and Matt Dragstrem.

In partnership with the Recording Academy, MusiCares established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help people in the music industry affected by coronavirus. As cancellations of everything hotel and bar gigs to major music festivals continue to impact the music community, MusiCares helps across the spectrum of need – from physical or mental health emergency, addiction recovery, threat of eviction and preventative services.

"On behalf of the Big Machine Label Group, we are going to donate $50,000 today to the MusiCares COVID Fund to keep moving this forward in an aggressive way and try to be more aggressive that this terrible disease that we are dealing with,” Borchetta shared, before Rhett agreed to match the monetary amount.  

The donation will go a long way toward directly supporting those in the music community with the greatest need, as the urgency for assistance remains high.
 
"That’s incredible you guys, that’s so generous," said Mason Jr. "That is really big and so important, so thank you so much."

Winning Bidder To Place Alicia Keys Signed Piano In Inner City Rochester, NY Venue