Musical innovation for the issues of our time
Musical innovation for the issues of our time
—Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Music to Life
Founded in 2000 by Noel “Paul” Stookey (of the 1960’s folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary) and his daughter, Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, Music to Life builds on the strong historical legacy of social movements’ intentional use of music to educate, recruit, and mobilize. We revitalize music to meet the challenges of the modern world and revolutionize the role activist artists can play in accelerating social change.
Music to Life understands the complexity of contemporary causes and the diversity of musical genres. We blend this knowledge with multimedia technologies and programming techniques to develop unique musical experiences that amplify an organization’s message, spark engagement with a cause, and empower activist artists to stand on the front lines of social change.
Historically, social movements have used music to attract and educate new activists, to inspire them to devote time and energy to a cause, and to secure their long-term engagement. Music constitutes a fundamental means of articulating collective identity, necessary to forming and sustaining social groups. This sense of collective identity binds individuals to a movement as dedicated supporters.
Neurological studies further indicate that listening to music with lyrics results in higher brain activity in regions involved with attention and memory. Listeners become emotionally receptive to a song’s message when lyrics are set to music. Delivered in a multisensory context, music for social change not only engages listeners’ emotions in the moment, but it also inspires sustained loyalty to a cause.
Nonprofit Consultant
Marketing Consultant
Advisor, Production and Design
Script Writer and Advisor, Event Development
Videographer and Documentarian
Talent Search and Special Projects
Research and Special Projects
David Altschul, Partner, Altschul Olin & Vandergast, LLP
Paul Beaubrun, Artist
Jeff Birdsong, Attorney, Liskow & Lewis
Sam Byrd, Adjunct Professor, Hunter College, CUNY
Karen Hudson, Marketing & Strategy Consultant
Barry Krostich, Director, Fuoco Group, LLP
Colleen McDonough, Executive Director, ASCAP Foundation
Ruth Scheer, Former Director, Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Noel “Paul” Stookey, Artist; Co-Founder, Music to Life
Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Music to Life
Abbie von Schlegell, Principal, a. von Schlegell & co.
Keith Wheeler, Business and Strategy Manager, ZedX/BASF
Steve Antebi, Founder and President, Maple Capital Management; Chairman, CTRL Collective
Ysaÿe Barnwell, Artist
Judy Collins, Artist
Ralph Jaccodine, Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music; President, Ralph Jaccodine Management
Kevin Merritt, Producer and Writer, One Foot Productions
Tom Paxton, Artist
Joseph Pineda, Founder, JRNE Artist Management
E.W. Stetson III, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center
Jasiri X, Artist; Founder and CEO, 1Hood Media
Peter Yarrow, Artist