About Music for Action

Music for Action is a joint initiative by HeadCount and the NRDC Action Fund that encourages action on climate change by giving away a free "Best of Bonnaroo" download compilation. It marks the first time ever that free music has been used to prompt Americans to contact their elected officials.

The "Best of Bonnaroo" compilation is available to anyone who visits Musicforaction.org, where users can also learn more about energy policy and climate issues, and email their Senators, the President, or their local newspaper.

The goal of Music for Action is to give musicians and their fans a greater voice in the worldwide conversation about climate change. It was conceived by HeadCount - a nonpartisan civic engagement organization best known for registering voters at concerts - as a way to point new voters toward being informed, active citizens. The NRDC Action Fund - an advocacy group committed to passing legislation that jump-starts the clean energy economy and reduces pollution - then stepped in with resources, research, strategic guidance and a base of 250,000 supporters. Superfly Presents, co-producers of the Bonnaroo Festival, provided the original music and invited many of the top artists that have played the festival to participate.

Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson and Phish are among the artists who donated their music, in hopes that it will inspire their fans to email their elected officials or local newspapers on the issue. "This generation has an opportunity to be remembered as one that confronted environmental challenges and took responsibility for the future," said Jack Johnson, whose song "Inaudible Melodies" can be heard on the compilation. "With that opportunity comes the responsibility to speak out."

The compilation also includes tracks from Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, O.A.R., and Ani DiFranco, among others. In most cases these recordings have never before been released to the public, and were hand-picked by the artists themselves. Other featured artists include: The Decemberists, Guster, Raphael Saadiq, Gov't Mule, Bob Weir & RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends, moe. and The Disco Biscuits, whose bass player Marc Brownstein is the co-chair of HeadCount. All of the featured tracks are original songs, with the exception of My Morning Jacket's performance of the Velvet Underground's "Oh! Sweet Nothin'".

"The musicians we work with are very passionate about this topic and have great power to drive change," said HeadCount's Executive Director Andy Bernstein. "Their music will serve as a soundtrack for action. We hope this inspires many thousands of Americans to speak out."

"Forging a clean energy future means healthier kids, a safer world, and more jobs," said Heather Taylor-Miesle, director of the NRDC Action Fund. "This is our moment to demand that Congress put us on the path to a clean energy future by beginning to address climate change. We are excited about the opportunity to work with musicians and new activists throughout the country to make it happen."

Other involved include the popular music-oriented website JamBase.com, which actively promotes the campaign to its base of more than half a million users. The nonprofit environmental groups Oxfam America, the Energy Action Coalition, The Worldwatch Insitute, 350.org the U.S. Climate Action Network are also supporting the initiative as coalition partners, as is the music-oriented environmental organization Reverb through its new Green Music Group. Reverb's founder Adam Gardner can be heard on the compilation performing with his band Guster. "This is the exact sort of thing that Green Music Group was created to support, getting fans and musicians together around an environmental action," Gardner said.

Visitors to www.musicforaction.org can still receive the free compilation even if they choose not to speak out on climate change. They also have the option of writing an original email reflecting any personal viewpoint. This ensures that all correspondence is a true representation of someone's beliefs, and that people from varying perspectives have an opportunity to make their voices heard.

"The decisions made today will affect you for many years to come, and your kids if you ever have them or want to," said former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, a member of HeadCount's Board of Directors who can also be heard on the compilation with has band RatDog. "Whether it's voting in an election or speaking out about issues like climate change, it's critical that we all make enough noise so that politicians have no choice but to listen."