Rock For Charity! :: Part 1 & 2 - Morten Grove, IL :: 11.07.09

<--demetra and syra "backstage" at rock for charity

The Just Because Initiative has some new stars! The weekend was an incredible culmination of a year's worth of hard work by Demetra Londos and Syra Vasquez, two seniors at Regina Dominican HS in Wilmette, IL. These two have taken what we've been trying to do with The Just Because Initiative and exceed our wildest expectations. The result? Over $4000 raised for two different charities, great exposure for a number of local independent musicians, praise in the form of a feature in the local Tribune newspaper, and the emergence of two bonafide student leaders.

Last year we were approached by the two young women when they expressed interest in putting together a concert benefiting a charity promoting autism awareness. They faced some serious pessimism from administrators but Syra, Demetra, and their Regina counselors were able to get enough support from students and parents to pull it off. After a few months of working out the logistics, the concert finally happened in April at a parish auditorium near Regina. 70 or so students from Regina showed up, student bands performed before Cavashawn, and all in all, they managed to make $1200 for the charity. By anyone's standards the concert was a success.

But Syra and Demetra were determined to take the lessons they learned from planning the first concert and put together an even bigger and better one. Rock For Charity, as they dubbed it, was going to raise money for To Write Love On Her Arms, a teen suicide prevention organization. They wanted get more people to show up, raise more money, and get more local bands. A hefty goal, but we weren't about to get in their way! We got to work devising a strategy with the girls.

<--promotional flyers were everywhere!

After meeting a number of times over the course of the fall, we were able to help them come up with a workable approach to promote and pull the concert off. They were interested in getting other popular Chicago bands for the show, and they wanted to expand to promote at other schools. We discussed sound equipment needs, promotional strategy, and how they were going to work within a budget to make a significant amount of profit from the show. These two stepped up. They convinced the bands they wanted that the show would be worthwhile, and they put together promotional and day-of-show logistical strategies that any local band or club would envy.

<--cavashawn closed out a fun night of local music.

Not surprisingly, the show was a huge success! About 200 students showed up, and between raffling off prizes and selling refreshments and snacks, the students created multiple sources of revenue. In addition to Cavashawn, four other prominent Chicago bands shared the bill: Coventry, Last Fast Action, A Kidnap in Color, and Devon Kay & the Solutions. Budding independent musicians were exposed to new fans, students enjoyed themselves, and in the end, profit from the November concert was over $2700!

The process was smooth, but that's not to say the two didn't experience their fair share of challenges. I think its safe to say these girls learned a bit about leadership throughout the process, and we witnessed a few very real moments of personal growth.

There was one point last month where Syra and Demetra came to us particularly frustrated with what they perceived as a lack of support from some of the other students who had promised to be involved. What they realized (or at least what we talked about) was, as leaders, it was their responsibility to inspire the people around them, not the other way around. Every entrepreneur or leader has moments of despair where the pressure of self-imposed responsibilities becomes overwhelming. It's easy to blame others for not pulling their weight, perhaps rightfully so. But great leaders dig within themselves and find a way to motivate instead of blaming. That's what Syra and Demtera were able to do. With huge support from their student body, the concert was one of our best. Great work guys! We're proud of you.

12.05.08 at York Community HS - Elmhurst, IL

<--students packed the foyer at York HS during the concert Friday.

Last Friday's concert in Elmhurst, IL at York Community High School was incredible! We were thrilled to work with York's VERY active Amnesty International Program to organize and execute Change You Can See, a concert benefiting Invisible Children. Invisible Children is a national organization that "aims to improve the quality of life for individuals living in conflict and post-conflict regions." The students in York's Amnesty program were particularly interested in supporting Invisible Children, and we were happy to aid their efforts.

About a hundred students at this suburban Chicago HS braved snow and blistering cold temperatures (hovering between 5-10 degrees!) to come watch Cavashawn perform in an indoor campus foyer at the school. Kudos to Stephanie Ann and the dozens of Amnesty International members for putting together such a successful concert. Proceeds were more than $1000 dollars!

<--stephanie ann with scott & jesse after the concert

Stephanie approached us in late October about the event and throughout November we were in close contact, brainstorming the best ways to make this concert a success. Despite between extremely busy with school and other extra-curricular activities, Stephanie put hours and hours of her time into seeing this concert through. She may have been a bit stressed at the beginning of the night, but by the time we loaded out, she seemed to be satisfied with her efforts. We were certainly impressed.

Stephanie and the dozens of other York students involved were especially organized and did a fantastic job of promoting and executing the concert. Amnesty moderator and York teacher Joan Davis, who has been involved with the organization for over 15 years, said this was one of the most successful fundraisers in their history! Great work guys!

Success in St. Louis!

<--scott and chris from cavashawn rock out at hazelwood west HS in september

The Just Because Initiative is 2 for 2! Last month we worked with the Hazelwood West HS National Honors Society chapter to put together a concert at the school benefiting To Write Love On Her Arms, a national organization dedicated to helping "people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide."

Hazelwood West is located in St. Charles, MO, a suburban area north of St. Louis, and we could not have asked for a better group of motivated and passionate students to be involved in making this a successful endeavor!

<--marisella and cavashawn post show

Senior student and NHS member Marisella Barrera was perhaps the most involved in seeing the concert through, and she did a fantastic job of promoting, organizing, and improvising in order to make sure people showed up and the show went down as planned. To Write Love On Her Arms is an organization deeply important to Marisella, and we were happy to work with her to support the cause. About 80 Hazelwood students attended this concert in the school's auditorium, and it was a rockin' good time. Great job Marisella!

We're still waiting on final numbers, but this concert was definitely financially successful in raising money for To Write Love On Her Arms. We kept the costs down and instead relied on the passion and ingenuity of these great teens. Thank you Hazelwood West. We had a blast!

First Concert Success!

<-- st. xavier's gymnasium was transformed into a world-class music venue!

On May 3rd, 2008 we launched the Just Because Initiative with a bang! Thanks to the impressive efforts of the St. Xavier HS student council in Cincinnati, Ohio, the concert was a huge success, with over 400 students in attendance and $2000 raised!

None of this would have been possible without the vision and dedication of Dan Lewis, St. Xavier HS student body president for the '07-'08 school year. Despite facing a number of obstacles to making this event happen, Dan stepped up and met the challenges with exceptional poise and determination.

<- dan lewis, st. x student body president

Dan personally had quite a stake in seeing this concert through. In the Summer of 2007, Dan visited the village of Durán, a small town in western Ecuador. The experience seemed to have left him inspired, so much that he suggested we donate the proceeds of the concert to the various villagers he met. Dan mentioned a farmer who dreamed of starting his own market but lacked the necessary funding.

<-- the flyer used to promote the concert

Dan, along with the rest of the St. Xavier student council, learned a lot about the hassles of putting a successful event together. Between concerns of crowd control, electricity capacity, and sound arrangements, Dan called me a number of times expressing grave doubts that we could pull the concert off. But we worked through those various roadblocks (including the last-minute problem of a lack of chaperones), and the concert was a wild success. These guys showed a lot of leadership and heart, and in the end we were able to create social good from nothing except music, passion, and the dedication of these students. Dan will be a freshman this fall at Marquette University in Milwaukee, and we have no doubt that he will go on to do great things. Congratulations!

The Just Because Initiative Background

The Just Because Initiative is a venture designed to encourage and foster the spirit of social entrepreneurship among high school students through well-executed benefit concerts. It is a means for high school student leaders to work together with bands, artists, and music industry professionals to plan and execute a benefit concert that raises money for a cause of the students’ choice. We want to help funnel the passion and energy of our youth into something effective, successful, and self-affirming.

About two years ago I made the 3-hour trip from Cincinnati to Ohio University in Athens, OH for a benefit concert raising money for Malaria No More, an organization that helps buy bed nets for communities in Africa. Even though we weren’t going to be making much money, we agreed to play the show because the student who asked us to play seemed to be passionate about Malaria No More, and we supported the cause. We also hoped to make a few new fans.

Simply put, the show was a disaster. Besides the 3 students organizing the event, not a single person showed up, the sound & lighting was terrible, and the schedule completely disorganized. No one seemed to even know there was a concert happening. Instead of raising money for Malaria No More, the group actually lost money for their student organization on the concert. Everyone involved left frustrated and disappointed. We spent 150 dollars on gas and hadn’t made a single new fan.

The above scenario became all too familiar to us as a band supported almost exclusively by teenagers and college students. A young person passionate about music and a particular cause takes the initiative to support what they believe in, to do something in the form of a benefit concert. But because of a lack of adequate guidance, support, and experience, their efforts end up having little actual impact, and are frustrating to those involved. After playing one too many of these fruitless “benefit” concerts, we found ourselves torn. We cared deeply about supporting the passion of young people dedicated to making a difference, but we couldn’t continue to donate our money and energies to events that were, by our standards, complete failures.

And so we decided to do something about it. The Just Because Initiative is a venture designed to encourage and foster the spirit of social entrepreneurship among high school students through well-executed benefit concerts. It is a means for high school student leaders to work together with bands, artists, and music industry professionals to plan and execute a benefit concert that raises money for a cause of the students’ choice.

I was first introduced to the notion of social entrepreneurship while earning my bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University of Ohio. My bandmates (who also studied social entrepreneurship) and I found the idea of creating sustainable entities that fundamentally promote a social good particularly inspiring. Sustainability was the key for us, though. Experiences like the one described above had taught us there is a big difference between wanting to make a difference and actually making one.

I think one of the most exciting current trends among America’s youth is the increasing number of teens who, aware of their privilege and potential, are inspired to make a difference in the world around them, to actually do something. It seems that more and more high school student leaders are actively supporting causes they believe in. New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof has been following this trend for the past few years.

College students used to be the activists, but increasingly they’re joined by high school pupils and even younger children. The spotlight may be on billionaire philanthropists like Bill Gates, but one of the country’s healthier trends has been the rise of piggy-bank philanthropists… Today’s young social entrepreneurs come across as more constructive than my generation of student activists, and more savvy about how to accomplish their goals cost-effectively.
Kristof. Nicholas. "The Age of Ambition," New York Times 27 Jan 2008. 5 Nov 2008

The teenage love affair with music has long been historical fact, so it should come as no surprise that many high school student leaders turn to live concerts as a way of raising awareness and funds for a cause. Indeed, benefit concerts can be an exciting way to accomplish these goals. But it has been my experience that while many students are passionate about doing something, putting together a successful event can be challenging and frustrating, especially the first time around. I think it is imperative that, especially in the early stages, young social entrepreneurs are given every possible opportunity to make their efforts a success. This is the foundational idea behind The Just Because Initiative. Our aim is to provide support and guidance to students trying to make a difference. We want to help funnel the passion and energy of our youth into something effective, successful, and self-affirming.

And so The Just Because Initiative is currently searching for high school student leaders who are passionate about a social cause or charity. We’ve started small, with our band Cavashawn helping students organize concerts at their high schools in Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati. We’ve been absolutely floored by how capable and dedicated these student leaders have been in making sure these concerts are successful. At St. Xavier HS in Cincinnati we helped student body president Dan Lewis raise over $1500 for a village in Ecuador he’d visited on a Mission Trip. At Hazelwood West HS near St. Louis we helped Marisela Barrera raise over $800 for To Write Love On Her Arms, an organization dedicated to preventing teen suicide. We're in the process of planning more events in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Northern Virginia. We’re humbled that The Just Because Initiative is helping students make a difference for causes they believe in.

- Jesse Feister
(jesse@justbecauseinitiative.org)

Board of Advisors

Our Board of Advisors includes a number of esteemed educators, university professors, and music industry professionals. Feel free to contact these individuals with contact info listed with inquiries about The Just Because Initiative.

Sarah Baer
4 Fini Inc.
www.4fini.com

Jill Katona, J.D.
Paperwork Media, Chicago, IL
Music Manager
708.946.7878
jill(at)paperworkmedia(dot)com

Julie Schumacher
Francis W Parker School, Chicago, IL
History Department
773.353.3000
jschumacher(at)fwparker(dot)org