7 Meaningful Ways To Give Back As A Musician

In three years and nearly 700 articles, we’ve delivered you healthy chunks of pragmatic advice for musicians. We’ve also seen some of you get discovered and get signed by major labels, for example. But as all decent human beings, one must give back sooner or later, irrespectively of how much they were helped along the way or not. How do you do that if you’re not in Bill Gates’ position? In very many ways, as a matter fact! Read below the 7 meaningful ways you can give back as a musician. Being a financially rich musician is not a prerequisite for generosity. Creativity will do just as well!

7. Perform in hospitals and nursing homes.

Most of us know what it’s like to sit next to a dying family member in the hospital. Well, not everybody has had the fortune to have a healthy family nucleus, and with the famine and wars around the world, even those who did, often end up alone and sick. When we’re young and healthy, we take for granted having company as it comes so easy to us! But when you sit down and talk to an 80-year-old, they thank you for your time spent with them. You can very easily call up a hospital, or go in person to ask, see if they allow you to perform acoustic music (do NOT try to carry your boombox and scream your head off along to hard metal songs as those people need peace and calm), and go meet these people, sing for them, talk to them, and give them memories they will treasure be it in this lifetime or in the next one. And who knows? If karma is real, the favor might get repaid when your time is up, and you have some youngling tuning their guitar for you.

6. Volunteer for charity events.

People will obviously care to some degree about fundraisers for good causes, but they won’t be incentivized to share the word afterward. In our years of studying media, marketing, and social consumption, people are much more likely to spread the word if they have something cool to talk about. Your presence and performance at a charitable event might just give the attendees the nudge to get the ball rolling. It goes something like this: a person goes to a fundraising show, likes the music, donates money, takes a selfie with the artist, posts the shot on social media, mentions the occasion behind the picture, thus increasing awareness of the fundraiser.

5. Publicly support a fundraiser.

Sister with number 6, make sure you talk out and loud about your donations to X charity, group, association, petition. Don’t mind people who bad-mouth folks who share their acts of kindness. They likely are envious that the social feedback is positive. The much more important outcome is that you lead by EXAMPLE and put your money where your mouth is at. And the human brain is a funny thing. If all celebrities overnight supported animal shelters and subscribed to their monthly donation plans, tens of millions will follow suit because it has become the new thing to do. Whether your followers will copy your actions for clout or not, is not your concern. Remember how much of an impact the ice bucket challenge had on society and the ALS foundation in charge of research on the disease and its treatment (over $220 million raised!).

4. Mentor younger people.

Mentoring can take many forms. From having discussions with young people who aspire to be in the entertainment industry one day, to giving free vocal classes (or piano lessons, production instructing, dance lessons, instrument tutoring, etc.) to children of impoverished families. When you help the young, you help your future self. Always and forever!

3. Become an unpaid brand ambassador.

Radancy.com defines a brand ambassador as someone “who represents and advertises a company, supports its offers, and acts as the embodiment of the company’s corporate identity through words and actions. Brand ambassadors are experts when it comes to talking about the brand online and offline.” When you believe in something, it is really easy to include said belief in your daily life and activities. After you choose what your heart cares most about, see if the people behind the idea want you to promote the cause in a certain way or form. They will often give you plenty of instructions on what you can do to help other than donate.

2. Raise awareness through clothing statements.

Pulling this one off is easy. All you must do is WANT to do it. You can buy a 99 cents acrylic marker, literally hand write yourself on a white T-shirt, “Ban Balenciaga,” then wear that T-shirt out and proud for your next show when you know people will take photos of you. A ton of celebrities have promoted their silly ideas, brands, and skincare lines with on-brand fashion statements. Use their exact same strategy to make the world a better place instead.

1. Dedicate a song to the cause.

This should be one of the easiest things for you to do. You can create a song from scratch or change the lyrics to an existing record you have to promote a cause you believe in. Whether you want to raise breast cancer awareness or put sir Fauci on blast for having funded beagle torture, your canvas is your music and your brush are your words. Use them to benefit yourself and your career but also put them in application for the greater use of everybody.

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