MUSIC Matters

In the Fall of 2011, a group of 10 University of Michigan students came together to found MUSIC Matters (MUSIC Matters stands for Michigan Undergrads Serving In the Community), an organization that was built to combine the power of music and the enthusiasm of college students to make the world a better place. In order to do so, MUSIC Matters hosts a capstone event for the University of Michigan community, bringing people together to celebrate another successful year. This event begins with SpringFest, a SXSW-style gathering designed to promote innovation, creativity, and community and display the achievements of University students. The day’s festivities are capped off with a benefit concert, featuring a major headlining artist, with proceeds going to a unique philanthropic cause selected and designed by MUSIC Matters members. In year one, we brought Grammy-nominee J.Cole to Hill Auditorium and donated $10,000 to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. In year 2, we brought indie-rock legend Ben Folds and gave a $50,000 gift to endow the MUSIC Matters Big Thinkers Scholarship, one of the first of its kind. In year 3, we brought rapper 2 Chainz to a sold out Hill Auditorium and are creating a camp in Ann Arbor for at-risk youth. In 2016, the University of Michigan athletic department has set aside a date for the MUSIC Matters concert in Crisler Arena. SpringFest 2014 was modeled after South by Southwest in Austin, TX and will feature a mash-up of student groups from the innovation, arts, sustainability, music and social justice communities on campus. The day will include exciting events such as a a live Shark Tank-style event, a student-entrepreneur product launch area, a food truck face-off, and an awesome lineup of live music, speakers, and other performances.