The Butterfly Concerts blog

11th March 2010

Post

Giving back with your music

March 10, 2010

I learned something I had previously overlooked about the cycle of giving and receiving with regards to working as a musician.

Though it is true that it is rewarding to give of your self or your resources to worthy causes and/or friends in need, it is the community or environment created by the act of giving — the relationship engendered between giver and receiver in the act, AND the opportunity the relationship is as powerful galvanizer and teaching tool — that is the real payoff.

I’m hooked!

Quite by accident, I recently created a concert series — The Butterfly Concerts — to create a forum to fundraising for families and grass roots non-profits in profound, transformative situations. This concept took shape after the CD release concert event for my last release, Chronicles of a Butterfly, morphed into a concert to raise funds for a family in my apartment complex recently burned out by a tragic fire.  The original intent when I booked the concert space was to celebrate the release of my new CD release following a 6-year hiatus.  Two things happened to change the focus of the event.  First, my neighbor’s house caught fire and the husband and 2 young boys were burned out of their apartment — the wife, stationed in Iraq, could only come home for a weekend, and was required to return.  This rocked my world, and bought to mind the experience I had at 12 years old, losing our house and belongings in a fire in my hometown of Chicago, one bitterly cold New Year’s Eve.  Secondly, the neighbor’s fire and the community‘s response to the family sparked thoughts about who the people were that I leaned on times of personal crisis.

I recently experienced a 6-year hiatus from touring and recording, enduring the kinds of life challenges that can and do destroy people.  During this tumultuous time, I was sustained and able to emerge triumphant on the other side because those few individuals’ compassion forming a netting of linked hands and hearts.  I thought seriously about quitting the music business altogether.    But a dear, smart, friend, financial education trainer and master networker, Irvin Watson II of Momentum Corporation, gave me a little book I will treasure forever.  That book,“The Dip” by Seth Godin talks precisely about quitting — when to quit, and when to stick.  I didn’t quit, but I learned I had to reassess and identify “true north” in order to rid my life of the distractions masking itself as “priorities”.  I had to take those life challenges and recreate a personal and creative foundation true to my values and career goals for my life’s work. Luckily, my support system of family and friends proved awesome!  I likened the transition to the changes a caterpillar undergoes to emerge a triumphant butterfly.  I can say I truly understand the metamorphosis of a butterfly in a visceral, surreal way.  But how many people have such a foundation of folk on which to depend?

How could I help this family struck by this tragic fire?  I thought the concert might be a small way for me to contribute.

I got on the phone, and started sharing the new focus and intention for the concert event.  We raised several hundred dollars for the Elm family that night.  Though the Elm family were my neighbors, I didn’t really know them, and they were strangers to those in attendance as well.  That didn’t matter.  People all of sudden appeared out of nowhere, galvanizing behind the concert’s mission.  All the bills got paid for the costs related to producing the concert with ticket sales, in-kind donations or partnering sponsors.   But the most profound epiphany resulting from the concert was the the power of community.  An impressive cadre of individuals convened on that family’s behalf, and in the name of Jazz.  There were Jazz lovers in attendance, but also people, who cared not so much about Jazz, but about helping a neighbor — and then bought Jazz CDs, or joined the Jazz radio station (WNCU) who served as a community partner.  My college students from NCCU (where I serve as a visiting instructor in the music department) donated their time at the event.  As a result, several met local business people who later hired them for paid internships or offered mentoring on projects.  The audience in attendance were made up of nurses, doctors, occupational health and safety professionals and construction management professionals, musicians, jazz lovers and artists of all disciplines, students, families and children.  The energy and love in the building was surreal!

But yet another surprise was in store at this initial concert.  I gave each audience member a free copy of my new CD, and urged them to keep the cycle of giving going, by purchasing a CD for a friend who was not in attendance — and a portion of those proceeds were also given to the desginee family. (I heard about this idea used in another scenario after our concert played from a blog I read by Derek Sivers)   We made an appeal from the stage for persons in the audience to write a check directly to the family, buy a CD or offer services to the family. EVERYONE bought another CD or wrote a check!

It was the best concert I ever experienced!  I have a half dozen more booked for this year — all with families and grass roots non-profits who need someone to bring attention to their needs.  After I shared the information in my monthly newsletter, the story became a news item in JazzTimes magazine. livepage.apple.com I will continue the series as long as I find families and organizations in transformation — the true spirit of the Chronicles of a Butterfly CD recording.

The “success” of event and concert was not due to my talent, or merits of the CD or having anything to do with me at all — it was all really about the persons involved — working like spokes in a bigger wheel.  The music facilitated the event, and my change in focus to helping the family was due to a shift — a decision to appeal to the humanity in the people in attendance that night — to help that family. Hugh MacLeod wrote in his awesome book “Ignore Everybody (And 39 Other Keys to Creativity)”, that an artist has to find their own voice.  That moment when they finally find their true voice, once and for all; to find something into which they can put their whole selves - to find their schtick.  I love creating projects that create community, and serve everyone in the process.

I hope this may inspire other musicians to find a family, person or grass roots organization that could use your help or your service.  You never know what you can create!  I found it to be incredibly fulfilling and provided a real sense of purpose!

Read about the Butterfly Concert series here The Butterfly Concerts overview.