5 Ways To Be A Charitable Music Creative
The Internet went crazy when Drake’s charitable efforts in Miami in January became the visuals for his newest track, “God’s Plan.” With a near-million dollar budget to shoot the video, Drake used all of the music video budget to give money and resources to people in the Miami area, mostly to people of color. The gesture was a beautiful and touching one, which I hope we continue to see more of in the future.
Music creatives do not have to have a million dollars to impact another person’s life like Drake did. It’s mostly about creating an impact in the community or communities that have done a lot for them. Here are a few ideas on how to be charitable without a major budget:
Collaborate with other artists to host a concert or other free event in your area.
A lot of times, experiences are some of the best things you can provide people. Providing a good time and motivation to people will encourage them to keep going when they think they can’t do anything more than what they already have. This also gives you a chance to share your music with a new crowd. The group of creatives can self-fund the entire event or find businesses to co-sponsor the event to help cover costs for space rental, permits (if needed), food, and other things you may offer at the event.
Co-sponsor a community event.
If putting on an event isn’t your thing, then collect your coins and donate your money to an event that you may want to be a part of that is already being formed. This means that you should keep track of what is going on in your area or know an event planner or organizer who stays on top of events that are going on. The best thing you can do alongside co-sponsoring the event is being present there, which also gives you an opportunity to network.
Teach a free class in your area.
There are so many people that are learning about music creation and the technology behind it. Use your knowledge and your resources to teach a beginner’s class on music production (the techniques or any of the software producers use), songwriting, playing an instrument (the piano/keyboard may be best), music theory, or anything else that you like to do creatively. That keeps you present in continuing to learn your craft and can also provide you with a side hustle as you get comfortable with it. If teaching isn’t something you want to do continuously, then you can help another teacher by sitting in on his/her class to help them out in assisting their students.
Donate a portion of your tour, merchandise, and/or project sales to a cause.
If you want to donate money to something local, national, or international, this would be great. For example, you can donate funds to an effort like feeding multiple families in need or paying a utility bill for a needy family. You can also donate money to arts programming in a specific school (like Drake did). Or, you can donate to ongoing efforts in natural disaster relief, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and more, specifically to those who are doing the groundwork in that effort. The ideas and possibilities are endless. Find something that speaks to your heart and fund that cause.
Speak to or volunteer your time to youth in your area.
The youth are the future and it’s important that they know that we acknowledge them, that we value them, despite differing points of view. This can happen in a school setting, during an after-school program, or during the summer months during a camp. This is something that can be done every few weeks, every month or every few months. It’s all up to you.