The simple act of attending a concert has yielded major results in the effort to support music education programs across the United States.
Over the past few months, Stubhub partnered with emerging artists Lykee Li, Grouplove, Troy “Trombone Shorty” & Orleans Avenue, Portugal. The Man and Walk the Moon to simultaneously create unique and intimate experiences for music fans.
The real fun started when the concerts were over.
Through the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, 100% of the ticket sales were donated to support music education programs across the country. As a result, nearly 16,000 students felt the positive impact of StubHub’s Next Stage Concert Series, as to close to $600,000 in musical instruments was donated to public schools in desperate need of equipment.
“We feel we have a positive role to play in helping to move the needle on this issue and Next Stage is a good example of how StubHub approaches giving back,” says Emma Leggat, StubHub’s Head of Corporate Communications & Social Responsibility. “It’s not just about writing checks, it’s about lending another even more powerful asset: exposure. Partnering with these artists has been a wonderful way of putting a spotlight on the issue of music education and why public support is so vital.”
StubHub’s Next Stage concert series represents a major commitment to the music space. From a charitable standpoint, the company has made a commitment to support youth music education, with nearly a third of its $2.7 million in charitable giving in the past three years dedicated to arts causes, and that number is rising as the company focuses even more on music education specifically.
“Next Stage isn’t a one-off,” Says Leggat. “As a company, StubHub is deeply committed to supporting music education and to finding innovative ways to lend our very platform in support of causes that matter. A ticket is sold on StubHub every second. We have the scale to truly help move the needle on this and other issues and to be a powerful fundraising engine.”