Shoegaze for Good: Why I'm Donating Revenue from My Music Releases
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Shoegaze for Good: Why I'm Donating Revenue from My Music Releases
A lot of people need a lot of help. From Shoegaze, Ukraine, Dawn Watson, Hammock, Headphone Commute and Tony Robbins to Mint Julep, how did I get here?
As a musician, I've always believed in the power of music to inspire, heal, and bring people together. But I also believe that music has the potential to do even more - to create a positive impact on the world around us. That's why I've decided to donate revenue from my music releases to those in need. In today's blog post, I'll be discussing my reasons for making this decision, how music can be a universal force multiplier for good (credits and thanks Allan for this!), and how my day job as a cloud and AI architect plays a role in my tiny philanthropic efforts.
It's urgent. A lot of people need help. A lot of help.
There are countless people in the world who need help. Whether it's due to poverty, illness, conflict, or natural disasters, there are always those who are struggling to get by. While it's impossible for any one person to solve all the world's problems, I believe that every little bit counts, and that each of us has a responsibility to use our talents and resources to make a difference.
For my 1st release, the Hope EP, I decided to donate to the Deaf Academy UK. Maybe I’ll detail reasons on a next post (and maybe not), for now, just worth mentioning that I always wanted to give back in some way to Rachel Goswell, who was not only a huge inspiration when I started playing music, but also so kind to do some vocals in my first band - Phase - first and only record. Rachel’s journey is one I've been deeply touched and inspired by.
My new EP - Go Baby Go - was inspired in Dawn Watson's story, who I got to know by watching Tony Robbins' "I'm not your guru" documentary. If you haven't done so yet, I highly recommend learning the insane amount of pain Dawn's been through and how she turned it around and made it a force for good.
Ukraine and mental health
Every dollar made by the Go Baby Go EP will be donated to help mental health support in Ukraine, which FGIP (Global Initiative on Psychiatry) is providing. I know and worked with some people who were directly affected by the war in Ukraine and I really wanted to help as much as possible. I can't even begin to image what the Ukraine population is going through at the moment but one thing I do know - it's going to take an insane amount of time to recover and every gesture counts.
Having been through some mental health issues myself (more on that on a future blog post), it deeply resonated with me and I was completely drawn into what FGIP is doing.
Inspired by Dawn, it seemed like the perfect moment to do it. I believe the mission is main thing so the Go Baby Go video is all about Dawn’s story and FGIP, not about the music at all.
If you don’t want to buy the EP, I encourage you to contribute directly at https://www.gip-global.org/
Music as a Universal Force Multiplier for Good
Music has the unique ability to transcend language, culture, and geographical boundaries. It can evoke powerful emotions and create connections between people who may have nothing else in common. The insane amount of people in this video of Pulp at Reading 2011 still gives me the chills. By donating the revenue from my music releases, I aim to harness the universal power of music to help those in need, multiplying the positive impact that my songs can have on the world.
An easy pick would be something like "Imagine" by John Lennon., which I love and yes, it does evoke every feeling of peace and kindness inside us all. But there are so many songs with that uplifting mood that are not mainstream, eg:
Pulp - Common People (well, this is kind of mainstream, sorry)
Maybe I'll describe how Go Baby Go came to life in a future post. For now, all of the above are pushing me to stay sane and turn the negative into positive these days and are just a small sample.
Tony Robbins' 6 Human Needs
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has identified six core human needs: certainty, variety, significance, love/connection, growth, and contribution. While the first four needs are focused on personal fulfilment, the last two - growth and contribution - are centred around a person's impact on the world. As a musician, I strive to fulfil these needs through my creative endeavours, and by donating the proceeds from my music releases, I am actively working to contribute to the greater good and help others in need.
A few years back I attended 2 of Tony's seminars - Unleash the Power Within (focused on the personal side) and Business Mastery (focused on the business side). Loved them both and each had massive impact in me.
The 6 human needs is a critical exercise done in UPW and when I did it, I decided to be less focused on my needs for certainty and significance and be more focused on growth and contribution. I've had countless moments since then that made me so grateful for making that decision. Not easy, but 100% worth it.
Having a “Day Job” makes this possible
My day job as a cloud and AI architect (disclaimer: currently at Microsoft) has provided me with a stable income, allowing me to pursue my passion for music without the pressure of relying on it for financial support. This freedom has given me the opportunity to use my music as a tool for change, rather than simply as a means to make a living. By donating the revenue from my music releases, I can leverage my day job to fund my philanthropic efforts, making a positive impact on the world while still maintaining financial stability (and financial stability, with 3 kids, does matter). It may change at some point, but for now, this is how it is.
Shoegaze for Good - a Spotify playlist
My decision to donate revenue from my music releases stems from a deep belief in the power of music to make a difference and a commitment to using my talents (if I do have any!) for the greater good. By combining the universal force of music with the principles of Tony Robbins' 6 human needs and the financial stability provided by my day job, I am able to create a lasting, positive impact on the world. I hope that my actions will inspire others to use their talents and resources to help those in need, and together, we can create a noisy shoegaze classic of hope and change.
If you are also doing something similar or know some shoegaze/dreampop bands who are, let me know. I’m starting a “Shoegaze for Good” playlist on Spotify.
And, by the way, what I’m doing is peanuts compared to what Headphone Commute recently did for Ukraine. Check out vol 1, 2 and 3. Every single song in these volumes is beautiful, inspiring and all of them contribute to Ukraine.
#shoegazeforgood