Local Kansas Musician, Kareen King, Partners with National Nonprofit, Music to Life, to Bring Creative Intergenerational Connection to Nursing Home Residents
WILDER, VT, AUGUST, 2024—Music to Life kicks off its next Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) Academy on August 12, 2024, when community-driven musicians will engage in 6.5 months of online training and coaching as social entrepreneurs. The only accelerator of its kind for musicians, the MCA provides training in strategic communication, concept/program development and partnership/resource development, followed by 1:1 coaching with experts in the nonprofit, business and entertainment fields. Developed from best-practice accelerator models in the tech, non-profit, and music industries, the MCA has been positively assessed by Americans for the Arts, the Tuck Consulting Group (at Dartmouth College), the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kareen King, a Registered Drama Therapist, Keynote Performer, and Creative Engagement Specialist, is one of 10 mission-driven artists participating in the MCA Academy. Through generating grant proposals, business plans and artist changemaker statements, artists will build a theoretical and practical roadmap for making their concept a fundable reality. Through the MCA, Kareen will develop “Ageless Harmony,” leveraging the power of music and storytelling to raise awareness about the importance of socialization for nursing home residents. This program aims to bridge the gap between generations, foster empathy, and promote meaningful connections for those in continuing care environments.
The Fall cohort hails from across the country, working in genres such as hip-hop, punk, soul, experimental percussion and Kareen’s warm blend of folk and blues. Each artist will develop or expand a community program that addresses an issue of social concern, including LGBTQ+ representation, youth mental health, gun violence and energy poverty.
“We are elevating a new model of how musicians can make sustainable change, supporting themselves and returning value to their communities” says Liz Stookey Sunde, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Music to Life. “This is about making a living while also making change.”
The MCA is made possible by the generosity of The Mellon Foundation, Shards of Light, and other individual and corporate contributors. To download a .pdf of these artists' projects and bios, click here. To learn more about the individual artists of the Fall 2024 cohort, visit https://www.musictolife.org/news/musician-changemaker-accelerator-academy-fall-2024/.