At ATC we take a different approach to working with musicians (i.e.: we do not “use” them for social justice but rather, we are here to be used by them as a resource). In this same tradition, we also take a different approach to fundraising.

To celebrate our 6th anniversary (which is today!) & to ask for your support, we are not going to send you the typical, boring fundraising appeal. Instead, we have complied a list of reasons, as written by some of the artists, managers and organizers that we work with, to donate to ATC.

As you can see from the list below, some of the reasons are funny. Some are serious. And some are downright inappropriate. We hope that at least one of them will convince you that ATC and our work is an investment worthy of your contribution. … Read More »

ATC recently came upon this guest post with some great information for musicians looking for best practices on finding health care coverage. The post’s author, Dennis Carlson, runs Bespoke Benefits, an insurance agency in Davis, California as well as Gaslight-East, an artist development and licensing company.

Using his direct knowledge of the complexities of both the health insurance industry and the music business, Dennis put together a list of some of his best tips and tricks. While they provide no guarantee of getting coverage – they do provide some very helpful guidance and direction for navigating the health insurance world.

1) Find a reputable health insurance agent. This is probably the most important step. Agents know much more about health insurance than you do and will only be paid if you secure a health insurance policy. Despite what … Read More »

This Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 will mark the 1-year anniversary of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As that date approaches, we turned to our friends and colleagues at the Gulf Restoration Network (healthygulf.org), a New Orleans based environmental organization who have been following, monitoring, reporting and activating concerned citizens since day one of the disaster.

From today through the 20th sales from ATC’s Dear New Orleans digital benefit album will be dedicated to @HealthyGulf. http://bit.ly/dhYrNx. Help spread the word by tweeting, re-tweeting or posting this message to Facebook.

Below you will find an update from the folks at Gulf Restoration Network including sample calls to action and ways to engage your fans in the protection and restoration of the Gulf Region for … Read More »

There are a number of great online tools that provide a variety of solutions for independent musicians in a post-major label world from direct-to-fan marketing to booking your own gigs to DIY licensing/distribution services. ATC has also started to see an influx of online tools targeted at helping musicians raise money for various charities and causes. Here are a few that are using these new technologies and funding models to connect musicians and their fans directly to the causes they care about.

Please note: ATC has worked with a few of these groups directly, but not all of them and each platform may have different case scenarios for charitable project contributions. Let us know if you have any questions or if we have missed any good ones.

Topspin (+ ATC)
ATC and Topspin have been working in partnership over … Read More »

ATC has been monitoring the status of the Net Neutrality debate and paying close attention to several policies in play in Washington that will determine whether access to the Internet will remain open and accessible for all. These rules will impact every aspect of our world today, including the lives and livelihoods of artists, musicians and entrepreneurs who rely on open internet policies to treat all websites equally — from the busiest online music store to the smallest blog allowing for a legitimate digital music marketplace where artists have access and fans can find the music they want.

According to a recent New York Times editorial titled, “Net Neutrality, Back in Court” lawsuits have been filed by Verizon and MetroPCS earlier this year against the F.C.C.’s net neutrality rules. In addition, the continuing resolution passed … Read More »

ATC’s network has been inquiring about helpful and meaningful ways to support the current protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere. Below are a few suggestions that came from recent conversations with artists, managers and on-the-ground organizers. Please contact us directly if you would like to discuss any of them further and/or would like some support for your own idea.

HOW ARTISTS CAN SUPPORT:

Send a Message of Support + Take Action

Artists and fans can send messages of support and solidarity via the AFL- CIO website. The site also has some additional actions for supporters to take. Click here for more: aflcio.org.

Suggested text for Twitter:

Support workers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana fighting for middle-class jobs. Send messages of solidarity + take action: http://bit.ly/dSlniw

Donate Food and to the Protestors in Madison

Ian’s Pizza and several local food businesses have been fielding donations … Read More »

A recent Topspin blog post highlights how ATC and Topspin having been working in partnership with several musicians to create successful and engaging social change campaigns. The post also notes some of the ways in which ATC can help to support artists in their efforts – helping to identify a beneficiary, collecting & delivering funds, managing compliance paperwork, evaluating the donation’s impact and more. Below is the original post showcasing some of the most successful case studies from the past year.

(Original post by Topspin can be found here: http://www.topspinmedia.com/case-studies-2/musicians-for-charity/)

Musicians For Charity

At Topspin, we talk a lot about how artists can use our tools to make money for themselves. While that’s certainly our core mission, we also love to see our artists raise money for others. Whether it’s … Read More »

Over the last five years, there have been many articles lamenting a false conclusion that there are no good protest songs these days. In fact when asked, most writers and even many music fans think that the art of the protest song died in the sixties. In an effort to both highlight some of the great and creative examples that came to mind when pondering the question, and to attempt to curtail those naysayers continuing to report that they are none, here is ATC’s list of the best protest songs of THIS YEAR. Please email us with any we may have missed: info @ atctower.net

It Ain’t My Fault: Mos Def + Preservation Hall
Written about British Petroleum’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gay Vatos in Love: Ozomatli
Written in reaction to the Prop. 8 debate in California … Read More »

ATC Supper Club is an intimate dinner event series designed with a guest artist with the goal of hosting an evening of music, food and community. Each event features a guest musician who curates and cooks a full dinner menu before giving a private acoustic performance.

ATC developed this idea with Thao Nguyen in the middle of 2010, after she attended one of our Artist-Activism Retreats in New Orleans. Thao piloted the first event, which sold out in a matter of days of its limited announcement and raised over $1200 for ATC and People’s Grocery.  Future ATC Supper Clubs will be presented according to artist schedules.

The twenty-five guests at Thao’s Supper Club not only enjoyed a delicious three-course menu of fresh, seasonal ingredients, but also a short presentation by Jumoke Hinton-Hodge, Program Director … Read More »

While policies around gays in the military and same-sex marriage remain unmoved and harassment of gays in schools has led to dozens of suicides across the United States, pop music remains an arena where gay rights and tolerance is embraced. Several songs such as Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R”, Taylor Swift’s “Mean”, Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” and Katy Perry’s “Firework”, many of which were written in response to the recent wave of gay teen suicides and anti-gay bullying incidents, contain themes of overcoming persecution and self acceptance. Lady Gaga, who has spoken out many times against “don’t ask don’t tell” both in public appearances and on her website, will also add her upcoming single “Born This Way” to this list.

Ozomatli also released a song earlier this year … Read More »