On April 25, the music community came together to give back on The Day That Music Cares. From musicians and artist managers to touring crews, venue staff, and music fans, over 2,600 people volunteered globally within their local communities on this year's annual day of service.
The collective impact spanned across over 50 cities across the United States as well as international locations in Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, and more. Volunteers supported 13 diverse cause areas: animals; children/youth; differently-abled populations; disaster relief; environment; food insecurity; health/medical relief; LGBTQIA+; mental health; seniors/elderly; unhoused population; veterans/military families; and women's services/support.
No matter the cause, participants rallied behind a central purpose on The Day That Music Cares: to come together as a community and give back. Plus, volunteering not only makes a difference in communities, but evidence suggests it also provides mental and social health benefits for those serving. The Day That Music Cares proves to have lasting benefits for all, aligning with MusiCares' mission to bolster and safeguard the music community's mental health.
Below, hear from organization leaders in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Pasadena, Phoenix, and Tulsa about the inspiring impact of volunteers on The Day That Music Cares.
What kind of work did The Day That Music Cares volunteers do for your organization?
Maria Jose, Atlanta Chapter Lead for Girls Make Beats (Atlanta, Ga.): The Day That Music Cares volunteers played a key role in helping us bring an unforgettable mentoring experience to life for Girls Make Beats students in Atlanta. With their help, we prepared our studio space for an empowering event where girls connected directly with members of the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter including industry executives, engineers, producers, artists, sync professionals, and entertainment attorneys.
The students had the opportunity to learn about everything from mic techniques and music law to hands-on exploration of musical instruments. Volunteers supported event setup and helped create a welcoming space for creativity, mentorship and connection.
Kate Aoueille, President of Rowing Dock (Austin, Texas): Volunteers walked trails near Lady Bird Lake and removed trash in the area. Every bottle, bag and wrapper removed is one less piece of litter negatively impacting our waterways, wildlife, natural ecosystem, and parkland.
The Day That Music Cares also organized three musicians to come out and perform in between trash clean up shifts!
Madelyn Hernandez, Community Engagement Coordinator at Ronald McDonald House Pasadena (Pasadena, Calif.): Volunteers revitalized our outdoor play area and replanted our gardens with fresh vegetables, berries and herbs, creating a welcoming environment for families staying at RMH Pasadena to enjoy during their time with us.
Ashley Dalton, Special Programs Coordinator at Phoenix Children's (Phoenix, Ariz.): The group helped create activity kits for patients and siblings by sorting items, packing the bags and loading them for transport to areas around Phoenix Children's. Phoenix Children's provides activity packs to patients and their siblings throughout the entire hospital. Patients receive an activity pack to use while receiving treatment or upon discharge; siblings are gifted an activity pack to use while waiting with family members. These activities are great for down time between treatment or as a distraction tool. The group also helped organize supplies for Camp Rainbow, an overnight camp that Phoenix Children's runs for our oncology patients.
Jean Tate, Public Relations Manager at Atlanta Community Food Bank (Atlanta, Ga.): Volunteers from the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter spent a morning in the Atlanta Community Food Bank's Hunger Action Center sorting and packing donated food. One group sorted bins of donated food and removed items not suitable for distribution. Another group packed boxes of sorted food for distribution to our more than 700 community-based nonprofit partners in 29 counties. During their shift, the volunteers helped sort 20,911 pounds of food, equating to 17,425 meals.
Rachel Vasquez, Manager of Community Engagement at Cradles to Crayons (Chicago, Ill.): The Day That Music Cares volunteers rolled up their sleeves and dove right into sorting donated clothing for Chicagoland kids. At Cradles to Crayons, we believe that quality equals dignity, and our goal is to help children in low-income, homeless or crisis situations get the high-quality clothing essentials they need to thrive at home, school or play, free of charge. Volunteers at the Giving Factory are absolutely essential to making this happen and this group went above and beyond.
In just two hours, they helped sort and prepare hundreds of clothing items, ensuring each was clean, well-kept and ready to wear. Thanks to their hard work, our Service Partners (schools, community organizations, social service agencies, etc.) can proudly distribute these items directly to families. They tackled every task with focus, teamwork and lots of heart.
Rusty Rowe, Program Director at Food On The Move (Tulsa, Okla.): Musicians, industry workers and fans alike joined Food On The Move to install a 3,000 square foot community garden in North Tulsa.
Can you describe your experience with those who came to volunteer for The Day That Music Cares, from the overall energy of the group to the accomplishments of their shift(s)?
Jose: The volunteers who joined us for The Day That Music Cares brought such heartfelt enthusiasm & a true desire to give back. They came ready not only to support but to listen to our students' dreams, their stories and even their music.
Several volunteers took the time to hear songs our girls had produced or recorded and engaged with them in meaningful ways. Many also opened up about their own journeys in the music industry, sharing both struggles and triumphs. That kind of vulnerability and connection created a powerful sense of belonging.
The overall energy was inspiring, and the impact of their presence will stay with our students for a long time. We were especially grateful to have representatives from GRAMMY U in attendance as well, which was incredibly meaningful for our Girls Make Beats alumni girls who were part of the audience and aspiring to take their next steps in music education.
Aoueille: The group was awesome — super energetic bunch who worked hard to find as much trash as they could. While we do not have the specific trash numbers available for their group specifically, they contributed to a total combined effort of six tons of trash being removed from Lady Bird Lake and surrounding parkland.
Hernandez: The volunteers arrived with incredible energy and a genuine spirit of service. Whether they were sanitizing bikes or pruning plants, they tackled every task with enthusiasm and care. Even though many of them hadn't met before, they worked together seamlessly, moving quickly through projects and consistently asking how else they could help. Their teamwork and positive attitude left a lasting impression on our staff.
Dalton: The group that came brought an incredible amount of kindness and positivity to their volunteer shift. They approached the task of assembling activity bags for patients with a spirit of enthusiasm and genuine care. Every volunteer was focused, motivated and eager to make a difference. The group was very productive, and they were able to complete a high volume of activity bags in a relatively short amount of time.
@musicaresfoundation Service & community are the heart of MusiCares’ mission 🩵 Wrapping up #TheDayThatMusicCares 2025 with so much gratitude for the thousands of global volunteers who made a collective difference!
Tate: The Recording Academy volunteers brought great energy and excitement to their work! From the start, they were committed and eager to complete the tasks at hand to help us provide food for our neighbors in need.
Vasquez: The Day That Music Cares team brought an incredible energy that lit up the entire Giving Factory. From the moment they arrived, they were smiling, laughing, asking great questions, and genuinely eager to lend a hand. Their enthusiasm was contagious and set a positive tone for the entire shift.
One moment that stood out was when a volunteer found an adorable bunny onesie and couldn't stop raving about how cute it was. He proudly showed it off, posed for photos with it, and shared how happy he was knowing it would bring joy to a child who truly needed it. That kind of joy and connection to the mission was felt all around the room.
The team worked hard while bringing a fun, lighthearted spirit that made the shift fly by. It was clear this wasn't just another team outing for them, but instead a shared experience that held real meaning. Their passion and dedication were unmistakable, and their impact will be felt by the hundreds of Chicagoland children who will benefit from the clothing they helped prepare.
Rowe: We had a great, diverse crew of volunteers that worked diligently to move dirt, plant vegetables and mulch beds while listening to music — and even taking a dance break!
Having Caleb Larsen [GRAMMY U Lead Ambassador] from the Recording Academy working with us was great. Not only did he get dirty with us but he jumped in on the media interviews to better talk about the event.
How does the work that The Day That Music Cares volunteers — or any volunteers that come through any time of the year — impact the work your organization does?
Jose: Volunteers like those from The Day That Music Cares make a lasting impact on the work we do at Girls Make Beats. Their time, energy and presence help us amplify our mission to empower girls through music education, mentorship and industry exposure. These moments of connection fuel confidence, spark creativity and help cultivate the next generation of leaders in music.
Aoueille: Since starting the Kayak Clean Up Crew in 2021, we have brought together almost 9,000 volunteers to remove over 50,000 pounds of trash from Austin waterways and parkland. The impact is enormous and we are incredibly grateful to all the volunteers — strangers, friends, family, corporate groups — who have joined together to drive this cause forward.
Hernandez: Volunteers play a vital role in helping us create a true "home away from home" for families whose children are receiving life-changing medical care. Their contributions — from improving access to fresh, healthy food to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment — directly support our mission and offer families moments of joy, comfort and connection during a challenging time.
Dalton: Volunteer groups, like The Day That Music Cares, have a huge impact on the work we do. The activity bags they assembled directly contribute to creating a more comforting, engaging environment for our patients during what can often be very stressful or isolating hospital stays. Thanks to their help, staff members can focus more time on clinical care. Volunteers allow us to extend the reach of our services in ways that would not be possible otherwise.
Tate: Volunteers are a vital piece of the Food Bank's work. In Fiscal Year 2024, volunteers donated more than 128,000 hours of their time (the equivalent of 61 full-time staff!) to help the Food Bank provide nutritious food to families, children and seniors facing food insecurity.
Vasquez: Volunteers are the heart of Cradles to Crayons — we couldn't do what we do without them. They're not just an addition to our model; they are a huge part of the engine that drives everything we do.
Whether sorting through donations or assembling personalized packages, volunteer efforts directly impact children who need it most. Volunteers like those from The Day That Music Cares help make our work possible.
We serve children and families across Massachusetts (headquarters), Chicagoland, the Greater Philadelphia Tri-State area, New York City and San Francisco, and that is made possible by the more than 700,000 volunteers who have helped C2C provide more than 6 million free essential packages of clothing to children since 2002. Their dedication is crucial in addressing clothing insecurity and ensuring children have what they need to thrive, whether it's clothing, shoes or school supplies.
Rowe: The gardens installed by The Day That Music Cares volunteers will directly benefit the area neighborhoods that are in what is called a "food desert." This means that there is no access to fresh produce outside of this garden.
Anything else you'd like to share about your experience working with volunteer groups on The Day That Music Cares?
Jose: Our experience with The Day That Music Cares was incredibly meaningful, and we'd love to see it become an annual tradition. It made a lasting impact not only on our students, but on our team as well. We're excited about the potential to expand this initiative to our other Girls Make Beats chapters in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. It's a powerful reminder of what's possible when community, creativity and mentorship unite.
Aoueille: We're incredibly proud of our volunteers. Their efforts help keep Austin clean, and demonstrate what a community can accomplish in one day through hard work and collaboration.
Dalton: It's inspiring to see how quickly volunteers connect to the mission and how personally they take their role in supporting patients and their families. The group was grateful for the chance to connect with Phoenix Children's and proud to support the community they call home.
Tate: The volunteers were easy to work with and made a significant impact during their time with us. We are grateful to the members of the Recording Academy who generously donated their time to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help us fulfil our mission and end hunger in our community.
Vasquez: We had a blast working with the Day That Music Cares group. Their energy, teamwork and commitment were truly impressive. While most volunteer groups help us prep enough clothing to support 50 to 70 children, this crew went above and beyond — completely surpassing that average and getting items ready for 229 kids! That's a huge impact in just one shift and speaks volumes about the kind of people they are. We're so grateful for their time, their heart and the way they jumped in to be part of the solution.
Rowe: We love The Day That Music Cares! We are always amazed at what a group of dedicated individuals can accomplish in such a short time. Music is about healing and helping, and it only makes sense to pair that with volunteerism.
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