What is this task trying to achieve?

There are many musical charities that transform the lives of people living in difficult circumstances.

Instead of giving a financial donation, this task is about giving your time, presence and skills, and experiencing first-hand the power of helping people in difficult circumstances through music.

How should I do it?

It may not be easy to find a local charity AND organise a time for you to volunteer in the next month. Therefore, just take the first step of looking for and contacting a charity, and don’t worry if you don’t manage to do the volunteering this month.

Use a search engine (we suggest an eco-friendly one such as ecosia) to check online for a local charity. If they don’t have volunteer information on their website, give them a call and ask about it.

Here is a list of charities that invite volunteers to take part (we’ll continually update the list; please let us know if you have one to add):

Europe

United Kingdom

Help Musicians is an independent UK charity for professional musicians of all genres, from starting out through to retirement. We help at times of crisis, but also at times of opportunity, giving people the extra support they need at a crucial stage that could make or break their career.

Sing Inside delivers group singing workshops in prisons, connecting volunteers drawn from the local community with their local prison communities. Their workshops use musical learning to build confidence, break down social stigma and create and strengthen communities.

Music Support’s mission is to make sure that nobody in the UK music industry is left to suffer alone with mental or emotional health issues or addiction. You can volunteer to be part of their helpline, or work at their Safe Hubs at UK music festivals.

Key Changes provides music engagement and recovery services in hospitals and the community for young people and adults affected by mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.

France

Musique pour Tous accompagne les musiciens passionnés désireux de s’impliquer à l’échelle locale dans un projet de société concret : rencontrer et partager avec des jeunes leur passion pour la musique.

Canada

Music Heals raises awareness and funds to increase access to music therapy for vulnerable Canadians.

USA

General

Visit Volunteer Match to find volunteering opportunities in your local area. You can specify ‘Arts & Culture’ organisations in your search.

Musicians On Call brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.

New York

Daniel’s Music Foundation’s aim is to empower individuals with developmental and physical disabilities through music.

Los Angeles

Education Through Music-LA partners with inner-city schools to provide music education as a core subject for all students in the school.

More resources:

How Can I Help? is a hugely insightful and helpful book for anyone interested in developing their ‘giving’ side. If we’re honest with ourselves, giving isn’t always selfless, and we don’t always feel like it. This book discusses the challenges we face in trying to give to others and how we can do it more enjoyably.

Please remember, as with every task, feel free to get in touch with us if you have any ideas, comment or questions, or post these on the Facebook page.

If you have completed this task, please tell people about it, and post on social media about your experience so that others are inspired by your action.

A touching and inspirational story of how singing in a prison choir transformed the life on an inmate