If you find yourself with a little extra change in your piggy bank and you’re feeling charitable, check out these local nonprofits and organizations that facilitate the sharing and playing of music through education, fundraising and empowerment.
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My Voice Music
Under the passionate guidance of Ian Mouser, My Voice Music features several programs that explore the therapeutic aspects of music. Partnering and collaborating with local human services and education organizations, MVM reaches underserved youth with musical experiences that interest and challenge them. These programs target young people who are struggling to develop emotional and social skills and use creativity to... read more![Generous [CLOSED]](/site/assets/files/10796/generous_logo.-picks.png)
Generous [CLOSED]
There’s no telling what motivates human generosity, but it turns out that asking people to pay what they want—or what they feel something is worth—and bundling it with a good cause is a stimulating force. The pay-what-you-want pricing strategy has been effectively employed by Radiohead and Amanda Palmer, yielding incredibly successful media campaigns and very generous results. With a focus on supporting local... read more
Ethos
Greek for character, ethos refers to the power of music to influence the emotions, behaviors and actions of both those who listen and participate. Charles Lewis founded Ethos in 1998 when he was a graduate student at Harvard by taking his master's thesis on how to create an innovative community-based music school and bringing it to life. Dismayed by budget cuts that were slashing music ed programs in schools... read more
The Jeremy Wilson Foundation
There’s a vulnerability to being a full-time musician. It’s not only what happens onstage when one puts him or herself out there night after night to entertain, and it’s not just the paycheck that varies from month to month. Musicians work like freelancers, and those who don’t rely on a day job for regular income or, more importantly, health insurance are especially vulnerable. Jeremy Wilson, former frontman of... read more
Oregon Music Hall of Fame: Honoring The Past, Building The Future
From the sublime to the arcane, the inductees into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame comprise an august body of superstars, side players and contributors to the state’s musical history. They are bound by geography and a longtime contribution to the art, craft and business of an industry that gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson once famously decried as “a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where... read more
PDX Pop Now!
Returning to AudioCinema for the second consecutive year, the 12th annual edition of Portland’s premier all-ages, free music festival—which features only PDX-based acts—will once again be a yearly snapshot of our scene’s sights and sounds. With a reputation for offering a diversity of genres back to back, each year the three-day fest features an amazing array of up-and-coming talent—some of which go on to... read more
Piano. Push. Play.
“Please Play Me!” a blue upright piano exclaims in white hand-painted letters with Ps that look like the flags of musical notes. This piano is parked outside, on a city block, for anyone passing by to play. Certainly not the kind of instrument one simply carries around to busk or perform, this is not your typical concert hall. It’s a pop-up piano concert. And that’s one of classically trained pianist and founder... read more
Waterfront Blues Festival
Celebrating its 27th year, this is not just Portland or Oregon’s largest festival: It’s the largest blues fest west of the Mississippi River. With entry by suggested donation or by purchasing festival passes, the Waterfront Blues Fest is also the biggest fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank each year, netting more than $4 million in the past five years. Family-friendly and featuring plenty of local talent as well as... read more
Youth Music Project
Local, passionate community leadership has been the cornerstone of Youth Music Project from the outset. Former Columbia Sportswear marketers turned Moonstruck Chocolate owners, Dave and Sally Bany, established the Youth Music Project in 2012. Their founding executive director, Charles Lewis, spent 13 years at Portland-based Ethos before coming on board, and the Banys have continued as a family affair with daughter... read more
