Music is a great force for good. In our modern age, it can often feel reduced down to a trivial way to fill time. After all, most music is consumed in the background, such as while we're driving, doing chores around the house, or shopping at the mall. It's not like there's no music worth listening too anymore, but it is becoming increasingly common to absorb it passively without actively listening to it. With this understanding, it is easy to forget that great art can actually change the world we live in. For this reason, I wanted to seek out musicians who are using music to improve the lives of people around them.
As a brief disclaimer for this list, I want to say that these are not listed in any particular order. I'm not trying to rank anyone, rather, it is my hope to celebrate people for trying to spread good vibes. Secondly, I wanted to focus more on the music than the individual. I myself am an avid fan of musicians such as Adam Neely and TwoSet Violin, however, I find that their influence has much to do with their personalities and not as much with the music they are presenting. For this reason, I have tried to steer away from "musicians who are doing good" and focus more on "individuals who are using music to do good." Though do consider Adam Neely and TwoSet as honorable mentions in that regard.
#1 Guitaro 5000
Also known as Reginald Guilluame, Guitaro 5000 has amassed a following of several million people across YouTube, Tik Tok, and Facebook. Guilluame is a successful recording and performing artist but what puts him on this list is his content series called "Sing With Me" where he encourages strangers to sing any song of their choice with him.
Guitaro has posted dozens of videos documenting his variety of experiences singing with his new friends. As these people sing, they share a piece of who they are. For several of them, it is clearly a therapeutic respite from their challenging lives.
In his Tik Tok bio, Guitaro 5000 includes a simple mantra that musicians everywhere can learn from; a three step process that is sure to take any sort of music making to a more meaningful level: "Make Music Everyday - Get to know your Neighbor - Discover More".
Find Guitaro on his several social media outlets listed in his linktree: https://linktr.ee/guitaro
#2 Jill Scott
R&B and Soul artist Jill Scott is a jill-of-all-trades and master of good music. Birthing career in Hip Hop at a time when women were not always welcome in the genre, Scott has been a trailblazer and an inspiration for several black and female artists that have followed.
Throughout her career, Scott has been active in bringing awareness to prejudices in the music industry that prevent artists like her from succeeding. She has notably called for more empowering portrayal of women in popular music, a sentiment reflected in her 2015 album Woman. The album depicts a grounded reality of the human experience, while instilling hope and empowering people to confidently face their challenges head on.
#3 Dan Cohen
For the majority of human history, neurodegenerative diseases (such as parkinson's and dementia) have been seen as an unavoidable consequence of old age. In recent decades, several advances in medical science have been able to slow the effects of these ailments but few have appeared to cure them entirely.
Dan Cohen, while working as a social worker, began a campaign in 2006 to provide long-term care facilities with iPods for their patients. The effort was originally geared towards providing older patients with activities that appealed to their personal interests. As he worked on the initiative, nurses and families of patients reported that some patients who would listen to the music of their youth exhibited improved memory. Shortly after, Cohen founded the non-profit Music & Memory with the mission to conduct further research regarding music and its ability to restore cognitive function, as well as provide dementia patients with resources to listen to their favorite music.
The results have been astounding.
"Even those people who no longer recognize their families suddenly become talkative and animated when they listen to the songs they listened to when they were young." (Growing Bolder Podcast).
Music & Memory has gone on to be one of the most successful organizations in the field of music psychology. Cohen has largely remained behind the scenes but his impact is widespread and evident if you care to look for it.
#4 Apartment Sessions
Hardly a single individual, Apartment Sessions is an artist collective that covers a wide range of artists and styles. What makes this group unique is their choice of recording space. Each arrangement is recorded live in a single New York City apartment building. Musicians are crammed in every corner of the place and it's surely a logistical nightmare, but the finished product is remarkable.
Part of the art is the community of people all gathered in a single space. You can see it on their faces and hear it in the music, they're all having a great time and forming a memorable experience. What's more, the works are often reactions to current events and call for societal change, making those gathered to record activists in a way.
Apartment Sessions is produced by Luke McGinnis, Evan Tyor, Drew Krasner, and Liz Maney. You can learn more about their work at https://www.apartmentsessionsnyc.com/
#5 Jacob Collier
Much is to be said about Jacob Collier's musical skills. At the ripe age of 21, he was winning Grammys for songs he produced in his bedroom. He is constantly pushing the boundaries of music in a way that remains accessible to most listeners. While touring in 2022 after the release of his fourth studio album (Djesse Vol. 3), Collier employed the services of his own audience to create music that's the epitome of bringing people together.
Listening the audience choirs are amazing, but watching it is even better. You can see the engagement in every person's face. In some concerts, even the orchestra and backing band join in. Collier's mission to bring people together extends to his recorded music as well. His most recents volumes of Djesse include a collaboration on nearly every track.
Collier's career is hardly one centered on him. He appears to be a vessel of the music in the universe, simply sharing the good melody. In a musical landscape when so many artists are idolized and placed on pedestals, Collier's fanbase and persona is a refreshing change that focuses on music and the power of together.
#6 Lauren Coons
Lauren Coons might be the least-widely known musician on this list, but don't let that fool you. Coons is not just a musician, but a skilled dancer, poet, and visual artists. Her works often involve an intersection of these art forms. The resulting work challenges the listener and the performer alike to listen to music in a new way. This ultimately leads to a more open mind in general.
"Sonic Pathways" for example, instructs the performers to create their own motifs through prescribed instructions (a set on notes, dynamics, rhythms, etc.). Then, performers adapt their playing to match the sounds they hear arounds them. While this may not be enjoyable for an audience to listen to, I can attest (as someone who has performed the piece) that the exercise has changed how I view music as an art form. It was a truly communal experience, where I felt every single person in the ensemble was equally important. For such an experience, I have to include Coons on this list, since her music has literally changed the way I think for the better.
#7 Aubrey Bergauer
Bergauer is a business consultant that is primarily known for her efforts to change the narrative around classical music, specifically the way it is marketed to the general public. This may be an odd choice to include on this list, but bear with me. What Bergauer is advocating for goes hand in hand with "music that changes the world".
Bergauer frequently points out that the data and surveys conducted around classical music indicate that there is nothing wrong with the product of classical music. "No one is asking for more Beethoven, or less Beethoven" she frequently states. Instead, audience members are confused about when to clap, what to where, and why they can't bring their drinks to their seat. All of this gets in the way of letting the music do good.
While not the one actively creating the music, Bergauer is relentlessly advocating for presenting music in more relatable ways. In other words, she is pleading with orchestras to use music to change lives.
#8 Gustavo Dudamel
Dudamel has long been the poster child of Venezuela's El Sistema. Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for "the power of music to unite, heal, and inspire" (https://www.gustavodudamel.com/biography). Those who attend a concert conducted by Dudamel will attest to his passion and intensity, but also his ability to connect with the audience.
Look for evidence no further than his performance of Leonard Bernstein's "Mambo" from West Side Story with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. It's a literal riot on stage, and in a good way. Everyone from the musician on stage to the audience member furthest back in the room is having the time of their lives. This is what music should be, an opportunity to come together as a community and have a shared human experience.
#9 Jesse Welles
Folk music has often been associated with advocacy and societal change, and the tradition continues today with artists like Jesse Welles. His music, often sung in the woods accompanied only by a guitar, openly critiques societal norms that are detrimental to our communities. The music is meant to leave a sour taste in your mouth, since it attempts to shake you out of your normal way of thinking. Any art that succeeds in letting yourself question your point of view is doing good, even if you didn't change your stance in the end. Welles is constantly questioning the status quo and inviting people to consider ways we could improve our way of living. If that's not doing good, I don't know what is.
#10 Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste became a household name during his years as band leader and sidekick for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste left the show in 2022 and has since gone on to pursue several artistic pursuits. Batiste has built a reputation of being a genuinely wonderful human being. Every interview and every performances paints a picture of a man who is just happy to be playing music, and its infectious.
Like Jacob Collier, Batiste does little to call attention to himself, instead he celebrates the privilege it is to experience good music. He is constantly performing music at advocacy shows, such as the 2020 Juneteenth Celebration in New York City, that inspire people to fight for change. His music is simply a reflection of his beliefs and an invitation to join him in learning more about the world.
My list of 10 is definitely not the end-all-be-all of great musicians using music as a tool for good. This list will certainly expand and change as time goes on, but as for 2024, I'd say it's an okay list.
I would love to hear about people you know using music to make a difference. Let me know who come to mind for you and share their names down below!