"My name is Elexa Dawson and I am an Instrument of Change."
From Juried Artist Elexa Dawson
What makes up a strong community? As a Potawatomi person, I believe it comes down to embracing diversity, sharing resources, valuing intergenerational wisdom, fostering interdependence, and living in a “Good Way" - a principle of meaningful work done with integrity, reciprocity, and respect for each other and the Earth. This philosophy has long guided my path, inspiring me to create Good Way Gardens.
Living within a pervasive capitalist culture that encourages us to take too much and leaves us feeling empty, I wanted to unite my community and spark a new way (or really, an old way) of appreciating the land. However, before this vision could truly take root, I realized something significant was missing.
While I am fortunate to be part of many meaningful communities - my family, my Native community, my local community in Emporia, Kansas, and my fellow musicians - I lacked a connection with others who were striving to create structured change through their art, as I was.
Discovering Music to Life filled that void and helped make Good Way Gardens a reality. Suddenly, I found the support I didn’t know I was missing: like-minded musicians with diverse methods and passions, access to shared resources (both financial and otherwise), generously offered wisdom from peers and mentors, and a powerful interdependence among us. When one of us achieves something impactful in our community, it illuminates the power of music-driven change for the entire world - a victory we all share as musician changemakers.
We cannot do this work alone, and in a world so focused on profit and division, we need artists who are dedicated to building community. Organizations like Music to Life are essential in helping us transform our visions for a better world into tangible realities.
Please join me in supporting Music to Life as generously as you can. In these uncertain times, let us choose to plant seeds of hope and cultivate a more vibrant and connected culture, rather than retreating inward. Your donation directly empowers artists like me to bring meaningful projects to life and strengthen our communities through the transformative power of music.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Elexa Dawson
Founder of Good Way Gardens
Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) Academy Graduate
Member of Music to Life Board and Artist Advisory Council