We Make Music Happen

Giving thousands of kids and teens worldwide a voice through music by raising money in our LA entertainment community with viral backyard concerts.

Musack's Mission

Musack's mission is to give kids and teens a voice through music by providing guitars, drums, and support for music teachers - wherever the need arises. So many musicians credit their first guitar with saving their lives. We have the chance to provide that guitar. We take our cue from Woody Guthrie, 

This machine kills Fascists!

Only to us…

This machine… makes music happen.
This machine…empowers.
This machine…inspires.
This machine…changes lives! 

Scroll down or click to learn more about: 

The Cause

Our Music Programs

How Musack Works

Musack’s Future

Musack Donation Opportunities

Musack’s Cause

Q: What do you do when a rash of teen suicides infects your old high school in Nantucket?

A: Start a charity that supports music programs there because music is what got you through high school.

Q: What do you do when that charity starts to work and needs money to operate?

A: Throw an annual Rock n’ Roll carnival in your backyard with great music, comedy, and art and then invite everyone you know to come and hang and donate money.

Q: What do you do when the kids you’re supporting graduate from high school and your programs are successful?

A: Set up college scholarships and expand as fast as you can.Start spreading the music from coast to coast and set up Musack programs wherever kids need them. So far that includes El Salvador, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, Compton, Appalachia, Haiti, Alaska, Australia, Tampa, Oakland, Chattanooga, and Native American reservations across the Southwest US.

Musack’s Programs

Writer/producer Donick Cary (Simpsons/Parks and Recreation/Silicon Valley) began Musack with a simple vision: raise money to fund musical programs for his hometown high school on Nantucket Island. After a rash of teen suicides on the island, Donick thought about how he and his friends got through their teen years. Music. Enter Musack which in 2009 began providing Nantucket’s high schoolers with guitars and music lessons as a way to help them tell their stories. Taking our cue from the kids, we quickly expanded to include drums and other music and arts programs.

Our programs then quickly spread to a variety of different locations worldwide.

Los Angeles
Compton
Haiti
Appalachia
Aboriginal Australia
Alaska
Chattanooga
Oakland
Tampa

Navajo Reservation
Acoma Pueblo
Santa Fe
Pine Ridge, SD
Sarasota, FL
El Salvador
New Bedford, MA

Musack now supports more than 5000 students in more than 18 programs in our 16 geographic locations in 500+ lessons with guitar, ukulele, drum, fiddle, banjo, piano, and more. We have awarded seven (and counting) Musack music college scholarships to Nantucket students.

How Musack Works

Musack is run low-fi as a 501(c)3 with low overhead with an 8-member volunteer board of directors and one year-round part-time staff member. Musack raises funds through events on Nantucket and in Los Angeles. The largest of those events is Musack’s annual Rock n’ Roll Carnival in Los Angeles, which raises as much as $100,000 to cover Musack’s low expenses and put towards instruments for our programs.

Our team checks in with the programs we support on a regular basis to take requests on further supplies needed and ensure that past donations are in use. When receiving requests from new programs, we require an application form to ensure the program’s mission aligns with Musack’s mission and that the instruments will be used effectively. Our board of directors votes on all donations made.

We do not discriminate on types of programs. We support worldwide public and nonprofit programs that occur during school hours, after school, and on weekends as well as scholarships for students to participate in for-profit programs and to go to music college.

Musack’s Future

Musack takes our cue from the kids and programs that we support. We expand to fit our kids’ needs. In the next year, Musack plans to continue donations of supplies and instruments to current programs and to collaborate with new organizations and programs to expand the reach of our donations. Musack recently granted funds to Larchmont Charter School and sent drums, keyboards, and guitars to New Bedford High School and are in touch about future needs!

Musack also plans to add more fundraising initiatives through events both on Nantucket and in Los Angeles to raise more funds for our programs and to invest in more staff. With the goal of our part-time contract employee going full-time and expanding to add more staff for both fundraising and program management, Musack could expand our reach and efficiency.

Through expanding in this way, Musack hopes to reach another 5000 students in two years, giving kids and teens a voice and a way to express themselves worldwide.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Want to contribute to making music happen? Here’s where you can help. These grants can be made on a one-time or an annual basis and are just starting points. We would love to brainstorm what works best for you.

Other Opportunities