Our Story
Music to Life is rooted in the humble beginnings of a song. In 1970, Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary), ‘blessed’ his singing partner, Peter Yarrow’s, wedding with his divinely inspired, “Wedding Song”. Once recorded, it was heard in movies, television shows and marriage celebrations. Feeling that the song was a gift to the world, Noel created the Public Domain Foundation to donate all proceeds to charity. In 2000, Noel and his daughter, Liz, began to build upon this legacy (and Noel’s work as a social change artist) by exploring the capacity of music to make meaningful change.
Evolving at a deliberately slow pace, and as a predominantly volunteer/artist-driven organization, Music to Life’s early goal was to be of unique service to the field of arts and social justice. From 2000-2015, Liz and her father recruited a diverse, cross-functional national team of artists and volunteers in the entertainment, business and nonprofit communities, and produced songwriting contests, multimedia programs, educational panels, and commemorative events. In 2018, Music to Life (MtL) became an official nonprofit to strategically address the needs expressed by activist musicians. Fueled by input from the 300+ artists in their network and research into best practice social change music efforts and creative incubator programs, MtL seeded a pilot of its primary program in 2020: the Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA), an intensive leadership/entrepreneurial training opportunity that helps social-change musicians partner within communities facing persistent racial, environmental or economic injustice.
In late 2022/2023, assessed by Americans for the Arts and Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, and with support from the Mellon Foundation, MtL launched two MCA models to serve communities throughout the United States: a 6-month MCA Academy (virtual and serving 10 artists across genres, geographies, generations and issues with instruction, coaching and matching grants) and a live MCA Workshop (a 1-day deep-dive social change business incubator conducted in close collaboration with community partners). Responding to artist needs, MtL also developed its Performance Platforms (album releases of original social justice music, Speakers Bureau and online showcases) and National Network (professional development, mentor exchanges and newsletters). Music to Life now cultivates, supports and sustains musicians at all stages of their careers and their creative visions for a better world. Furthermore, because MtL has always operated virtually and nationally, our overhead costs are significantly reduced, we can tap best-in-class talent (staff, volunteers, board) and serve a broad roster of artists, tackling a range of issues. Our commitment to DEI is reflected through the diversity of our board and staff, our living values statement (implemented throughout our programs), and our intentionality in seeking out artists from all walks of life.
Music to Life has its roots in the humble beginnings of a song. In 1970, Noel Paul Stookey was asked to ‘bless’ his singing partner, Peter Yarrow’s wedding with a song. The prayerful request: “How would You manifest yourself at Peter’s wedding?” resulted in the “Wedding Song”
Initially an answer to a spiritual question, the song, once recorded, became a popular radio selection leading to its inclusion in movies, television shows and countless marriage celebrations. But the question arose: where to assign the writer’s royalties? That challenge was answered by the creation of a foundation (Public Domain) to distribute publishing earnings to local and international charities of all kinds.
Fast forward to the 1990’s when Noel Paul's daughter Liz Sunde suggested how they might build upon the legacy of the “Wedding Song” (and Noel Paul's work as a social change artist) to inspire and support singer/songwriters and their visions for a better world. The exciting and continually evolving answer to that question has resulted in Music to Life.
Since 2000, Music to Life has collaborated with musicians and nonprofits nationwide to develop music-driven programs that raise awareness, spark engagement and empower vulnerable populations. Artists in our network have created LGBTQ operas for teens, an eco hip-hop curriculum for elementary kids, a mind, spirit and music project to heal from Parkinson’s Disease, and lyrical self-esteem circles for women in prison, veterans and homeless individuals. Music to Life's work insures that these multi-genre musicians, at all stages of their careers, and their creative visions for a better world, are cultivated, supported and sustained.