Music Moves Mountains Foundation

Join us! Get Involved! Give!

The power of music can change lives. Let’s use it to help those in need by giving hope, health, and happiness through the healing art of music. Join together with us in our mission to make music therapy, music education, and community outreach more accessible to those in need!

MMMF is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Charity EIN# 45-5216562

Special thank you to Pete Townshend and The Who for their gift of the song “Join Together” for usage in our campaign video! Here is the face and inspiration behind the Foundation and now one of our Movers and Shakers!

MMMF Campaign Video

NEWS & EVENTS:

Tune in on Saturday, December 5th at 7pm (CST) to enjoy another intimate performance by the incredibly talented Devin Gutierrez via livestream from the East Austin Piano Shop soundstage. This time, we are plugging in and bringing in some special guests to join Devin: Chris Maresh on bass, Nico Leophonte on drums, Paul Deemer on trumpet/trombone, and legendary pianist Red Young will make a special appearance to accompany Devin on harmonica. Be ready for some timeless classics, a few originals, and a little holiday cheer in full fashion for all the family. This one is NOT to be missed! Livestream is free to the public; donations are encouraged. Sponsorships are available for extra perks and shoutouts!

Join the event here to get more info and reminders: Devin Gutierrez livestream Dec. 5th, 2020

Devin Gutierrez is a 21-year-old powerhouse singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and teacher based in Austin, Texas. He is on the Autism Spectrum and was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia which left him blind. Music has always been his passion and lifeline, and he cites Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Donny Hathaway, and Ray Charles among some of his influences. Devin teamed up with the Music Moves Mountains Foundation to join in their mission of making music more accessible to those in need. The Foundation aims to help Devin and others get the musical support they need to be happy, healthy, hopeful and thrive in society.

Follow Devin at https://www.facebook.com/devingutierrezmusic/

Hear Devin here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRF9d_KE1qjqNVMx17vHCPHO3CaHogD5q

Event band:
Chris Maresh (bass) https://www.facebook.com/Chris-Maresh-212501188778969/
Nico Leophonte (drums) http://www.alnicostudio.com/
Red Young (piano) https://redyoung.com/
Paul Deemer (trumpet/trombone) https://pauldeemer.com/

Event venue:
The East Austin Piano Shop is a specialty piano shop/service by day and a live sound stage by night, run by local musician and piano virtuoso Collin Shook. The Shop has become a highly in-demand resource and hot spot for musicians seeking to adapt to the challenging times. The Shop’s set up continues to evolve to accommodate the best live experience for artists to shine and connect with their audience. Follow the EAPS at https://www.facebook.com/EastAustinPianoShop/

Event sponsor:
Loro Management founders, Cris Flores & Paul Deemer. Latinx/womxn owned and operated. Austin based. Provides music business and creative consultation, as well as artist management and development. Supports local musicians and music industry professionals, and advocates for marginalized groups. Loro artist roster: Gina Chavez, Aubrey Hayes, Sheridan Reed, Elijah Zane, The Kraken Quartet, Todd Rogers, Paul Deemer. https://www.loromanagement.com/

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Save the date! December 1, 2020 #GivingTuesday is the Tuesday directly after Thanksgiving and is “a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” Of course we believe helping those in need should be something that we do everyday – but bigger mountains can be moved if we all lift together at the same time, right? All donations made on #GivingTuesday will be matched by companies like PayPal, Facebook, GoFundMe Charity, and Fidelity Charitable to double our impact. And remember, there are many ways to get involved and invest in your community. Check out our Give page and see how you can become a mover and a shaker! https://musicmovesmountains.org/give/

AND visit our new AmazonSmile charity wish list:

We urge you to always shop local, but for those who can’t, this is an easy way to donate items we need for our programs and get it shipped directly to us!

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8.15.20

Thank you to the East Austin Piano Shop for hosting the ever inspiring Devin Gutierrez with his first solo livestream! Big shout out to those of you who tuned in, donated, and gave such supportive love. Special thanks to Collin Shook for being the master behind the scenes and for sitting in on a couple of tunes! It was a beautiful thing!

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7.5.20

Right now is a very trying time. Fundraising in this current crisis and recession is extremely challenging, so unfortunately we are limited in our current services. Many of our music mercenaries have been hit hard financially, so we launched the MMMF Special COVID-19 Emergency GoFund Me Charity campaign to “play it forward” and support them in this time of uncertainty. We added the new SHOP page on our website to offer audio downloads of our past benefit concerts to purchase and offer as perks for donating to this special fund. All proceeds will go directly to MMMF’s musicians, music educators, MTs, and partners in need.

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5.5.20

Newsletter 5.5.20_MMMF Turns 8 and Special Emergency Fund

#GivingTuesdayNow – Join us in the global movement of giving and donate to our special *COVID-19 emergency fund for our music community and get free downloads!

In response to the current challenges we are all facing with the COVID-19 crisis, we at the MMMF are trying to adapt and modify our mission to still meet the needs of the community while supporting our musicians, music educators, MTs, and partners who have been hit hard financially. We need to ensure that our music community stays strong and can continue to help others. Music is one of the most crucial resources to keep us connected as a society, as well as a powerful tool to keep us all healthy, happy and hopeful in times like this. As a perk for donating, we have made available digital downloads of past MMMF benefit concert performances on our website. Donate as little as $10 and you will receive a coupon code to use at https://musicmovesmountains.org/shop/ These are some very one-of-a-kind collaborations from legendary Austin artists (including some Grammy Award Winners and Texas Music Hall of Famers!) and MMMF recipients covering everyone from Jimi Hendrix to The Beatles! These special compilations include tracks from the likes of Larry Seaman, Kevin McKinney, Dan Dyer, Tameca Jones, Adrian Quesada, David Garza, Jesse Sublett, Mike Flanigin, Colin Gilmore, Matt Hubbard, Henri Herbert, English Teeth, The Beatle Boys and many more!

https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/musicmovesmountainsfoundation

Thank you to Devin Gutierrez for this uplifting cover of “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King (from her Grammy-award winning album “Tapestry” produced by Lou Adler) to help kick off our campaign and raise awareness for our special emergency fund!

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3.10.20 Lou Adler is not only one of my heroes, he is also a big supporter of the Music Moves Mountains Foundation. Aside from his countless contributions to the music and film industry, his charitable work is just as impressive. We just received another generous donation from Lou and the Monterey International Pop Music Festival Foundation to help make music more accessible to those in need. This couldn’t have come at a more critical time with the current state of affairs and will help us continue to support our community! If you are unfamiliar with Lou or the MIPFF, check this out. Monterey Pop was the first of its kind, and what many people don’t know is that all the artists played for free to support the Foundation which still generates funds to charities like ours after 50 years!

https://montereyinternationalpopfestival.com/pages/foundation

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3.8.20 Thank you to all of our movers and shakers that made this year’s benefit concert so much fun! We rocked it ’70s style while raising funds for music therapy, education and community outreach. Huge thank you to film/music producer Lou Adler for donating some signed ’70s memorabilia for our silent auction, to all the incredible musicians, volunteers and supporters who made it all come together.

Check out the MMMF 3.8.20 benefit concert photo album here: MMMF benefit 3.8.20 Photo Album

Newsletter 3.8.20 MMMF Newsletter 3.8.20

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3.2.20 Thank you to International renowned pianist Henri Herbert for a stellar performance for the students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired tonight! And shoutout to the equally talented Devin Gutierrez for playing a new original for us!

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12.13.19 Thank you to our volunteers Gregg Standridge and John Barbour for bringing some musical joy to Among Friends Activity Center, and to Kenneth Heffron for donating a brand new acoustic guitar to the center, and to Jimmy and Terrence for all the support! It was such a blast singing along to some Gospel, classic Christmas tunes and requests for Van Morrison, Neil Diamond and Elvis with some new friends!

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11.26.19

Check out our latest newsletter! It’s time to gear up for the season of giving! MMMF Newsletter 11.26.19 #GivingTuesday

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11.15.19

What a beautiful experience it was to host International piano phenom Henri Herbert (click on pic to listen) this month at Austin’s Rosedale School (AISD’s only school exclusively for students with multiple disabilities and profound needs). Access to quality live music is essential in our programs, whether it’s for children, adults or elders. Music is the greatest equalizer that unifies and bonds us all.

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10.1.19

We were so honored to have been invited to participate in #ACLCARES at Austin City Limits Festival this year! So awesome to be included with this group of amazing non-profit organizations who are all making a big difference in their communities. https://www.aclfestival.com/cares/

Thank you to everyone who came by to play, engage, share stories and learn about our mission! Click here to watch a recap video and listen to lyrics contributed by ACL Music Fest attendees to our interactive songs arranged, played and sang by Board-Certified Music Therapist Abraham Ludwig of Austin! Music is our home and we are family!

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6.30.19

Thank you to Akin Francis and The Beatle Boys for their performances at the Austin History Center as part of our free All Abilities Rock sensory-friendly concert series! And shout-out to KOOP’s DJ Rush Evans for supporting!

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6.19.19

MMMF & The Beatle Boys in Studio1A on KUTX 98.9 Listen to our taping on Eklektikos KUTX 98.9 in Studio1A from Thursday, June 20th to hear The Beatle Boys play and us talk about their upcoming performance at our next sensory-friendly concert! Thank you to John Aielli and all the KUTX staff for having us on! It was such an honor for the boys to play in Studio1A!

The Beatle Boys & MMMF in Studio1A on KUTX 98.9

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Campaign Update

Campaign Update 5/1/20:

Dear movers & shakers,

As we celebrate our eighth year operating as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, we want to thank all of you who have helped in the journey of making music therapy, education, and community outreach more accessible to those in need.

In the past eight years, we’ve garnered support from all over the globe, including the use of the song “Join Together” from The Who/Pete Townshend for our campaign video, donations from Lou Adler and the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation, partnerships with Austin City Limits (ALC Cares), The Joe Strummer Foundation, Martina McBride’s Team Music is Love, ACM@UCO, Band Aid School of Music, Sonder Music and SixTwelve, and received auction items from rock’n’roll icons Bob Gruen, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon, Lou Adler, and The Who. We’ve hosted eleven benefit concerts (as well as a special fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey victims) in Austin and Oklahoma City at partnered venues, the One-2-One Bar, Antone’s, the Continental Club, and the Blue Door, with some of the region’s most legendary musicians. We have received support from local businesses and artists such as the Brain Music Center of Austin, Strait Music Co., Antone’s Records, Waterloo Records, End of an Ear Records, Whetstone Audio, Rupert Neve Designs, ACL Live at Moody Theatre, Old Settler’s Music Festival, Austin Land & Cattle, Mustang Brewery, Earl’s Rib Palace, Alamo Drafthouse, Hotel St. Cecilia, Forward Foods, Amy’s Ice Cream, P. Terry’s, Crimson & Cream, Ralston Services, Dangerbird Management, the LBJ Library & Museum, Kelly D Tees, Jesse Sublett, Tim Kerr, Keisha Register, Dave Mead, Judi Newberry, Matt Hildebrand, Chris Green, Curt Ganem, and Kim Yarbrough, as well as media sponsorships from the Austin Chronicle and This Land Press. MMMF has been featured in the Oklahoma Gazette, the Norman Transcript, the Oklahoman, Oklahoma Today, KOKH/Fox News, Inside Austin, CBS/KEYE We Are Austin, ABC/KVUE News, KLBJ 93.7, KOOP 91.7, and KUTX 98.9. Together, we have donated over $8,000 worth of instruments and gear to individuals, schools, therapists, special needs educators, and organizations as part of our “Play It Forward” initiative. We have raised over $5,000 for music scholarships and mentorships for the underserved and special populations. As part of our “All Abilities Rock” program, we have hosted free sensory-friendly concerts, music therapy awareness events, adaptive music education classes, and brought live musical performances via our “Feeding the Soul” series to memory care facilities and homeless shelters. This past year, we also were honored to be selected as a featured charity at ACL Cares/Austin City Limits Fest and collaborated with music therapist Abraham Ludwig on an interactive song with ACL Fest participants about the power of music.

So, as we continue in our mission to fill the gaps where music therapy, education and outreach is needed, we ask for your continued support. We rely on public donations and volunteers and do not have a budget for advertising, marketing or staff. The Foundation is an inclusive, non-partisan, non-religious, and independently loving organization that serves all in need. If you are a believer in the healing powers of music and its impact in our community, there are many ways to join us in our journey. You can donate directly or through our online platform partners (Facebook Fundraisers, Paypal Giving, Charity eBay, AmazonSmile, inLieu, Giving Assistant, etc.), you can become a partner, sponsor or in-kind donor – or best of all, a volunteer! Your contribution is a direct investment into the community, which also supports the music community, music educators and therapists along the way – it’s a win-win!

Right now is a very trying time. We are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and are taking all precautions to be extra safe and creative in how we serve the community. Fundraising in this current crisis and recession is extremely challenging so we are limited in our current services. Many of our music mercenaries have been hit hard financially, so we launched a GoFundMe Charity campaign for a special emergency fund to “play it forward” and support them in this time of uncertainty. We added the new SHOP page on our website to offer audio downloads of our past benefit concerts to purchase or to offer as as perks for donating on the GoFundMe page. All proceeds will go directly to MMMF’s musicians, Music educators, MTs, and partners.

Music will get us through.

Much love and gratitude,
Julie Frost, Founder & Director

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Special Note of Inspiration:

When the Foundation launched in 2012, we reached out to The Who for support in our campaign video for the use of their song “Join Together” as our anthem, and they did not hesitate to donate the rights and get behind us. This song was chosen by my son, who is the inspiration behind the Foundation and is an obsessive fan of The Who. It all came full circle when we had the chance to meet them and thank them personally – and then get to sing the very song “Join Together” with thousands of people at their concert. The guys were very gracious knowing my son’s challenges and focused on his ability by inviting him onstage to play during sound check (which they allowed due to his sensory issues and anxiety in case he couldn’t make it through the concert). The band, their management and staff understand the power of music and were very supportive in giving him this opportunity. It was a moving experience we’ll never forget and it gives us continued inspiration to keep pushing towards our goal to help others.

In February of 2017, Hudson finally had the opportunity to play a Who song with a dream band for the first time!

WHAT IS THE MUSIC MOVES MOUNTAINS FOUNDATION?

MOTTO: The power of music can change lives. Let’s use it to help those in need by giving hope, health, and happiness through the healing art of music.

MISSION STATEMENT: The Music Moves Mountains Foundation is a perpetual series of projects, programs, and services utilizing the scientifically proven powers of music to change and improve the quality of lives. The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that uses tax-deductible donations to facilitate its goal in making music therapy, music education, and community outreach more accessible to those in need. MMMF’s work is a vital resource that supports both the music community and our most vulnerable populations.

WE SERVE: Children, adults, and seniors suffering mental, emotional, or physical illnesses, developmental disabilities or disorders, depression or loss, trauma or stress, as well as underserved and at-risk communities and schools. We also offer opportunities to partner with musicians, music educators, music therapists, and other organizations.

OUR PROGRAMS:

“All Abilities Rock” – Community music workshops and experiences, adaptive music education/mentorship, and sensory-friendly concerts for children and adults with disabilities or special needs

“Play It Forward” – A cooperative effort to offer donated musical instruments, music scholarships, and mentorship to low-income or at-risk individuals who commit, in return, to donate their time and talent to someone in need

“Feeding The Soul” – A series of musical performances and outreach at hospitals, memory care and nursing homes, VA centers, rehab centers, hospice care, homeless shelters, etc.

REACH: Based in Central Oklahoma and Texas, the Foundation currently is regional, but hopes to maximize access and growth nationally with the support of patrons, sponsors, and giving-institutions. Priority will be given to underserved/special needs individuals and communities based on availability of funds. We provide the community a resource that educates, empowers, strengthens and supports its citizens in need while employing local musicians, music educators, and music therapists.

Clinically Proven Results Include:

Recovery and development of speech, memory, and motor coordination for victims of stroke, brain injuries, amnesia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Relief and healing progression for life altering diseases and pain management
Improvement of communication, focus, regulation, social and behavioral skills for Autism/ Asperger’s Syndrome/ ADD/ADHD /Sensory Processing Disorder/ Down’s Syndrome/ developmental challenges
Restoration of purpose, hope, strength, connection, and discipline to those fighting physical or substance abuse, depression, PTSD, trauma, stress, grief, anxiety, bullying, or low self-esteem
Rhythmic balance for equilibrium, seizures, tremors, stutters, or ticks

*COVID Special Emergency Fund

Join us! Get Involved! Give!

Campaign Update

WHAT IS THE MUSIC MOVES MOUNTAINS FOUNDATION?