Director of Education François has been an active member of Playing For Change since 2005. He first met Mark Johnson in Barcelona while he was working on PFC’s version of Stand By Me, and introduced him to musicians like Clarence Bekker, Tal Ben Ari (Tula) and Pierre Minetti. He has since traveled the world working … Read More
Chief Program Officer Thomas Duncan has been living in Morocco for over 9 years and speaks fluent Arabic. Thomas Duncan is a previous recipient of the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation through the U.S. Department of State for the project Musical Heritage of the Southern Draa Valley, implemented with PFCF program Joudour Sahara … Read More
Chief Development Officer Stacey Glassman Mizener is proud to be serving as the Chief Development Officer for the Playing for Change Foundation. Stacey is a dynamic, experienced, and consultative Fundraising leader with proven ability to consistently meet and exceed goals. More than 20 years of experience in development, strategy, management, and related fields. Brings best-in … Read More
Chief Operations Officer Jessica has a deep-rooted passion for working with nonprofit organizations. Her love of volunteering evolved into a career over 10 years ago and she joined the Playing For Change Foundation team in 2019. Most recently she was the Managing Director for Adirondack Theatre Festival, a theatre company dedicated to the development of … Read More
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) A longtime fan and proud member of the Playing for Change team, Jake couldn’t be happier to help lead this incredible organization. With a Master’s Degree in Arts Leadership, and having worked over fifteen years in the arts and arts education, he has had the pleasure of working with major artists … Read More
On July 5th, in honor of The Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary and final show, Playing For Change is releasing a brand new Song Around The World covering The Grateful Dead’s 1970 classic, “Ripple.” Featuring an eclectic cadre of legendary artists, and new and veteran Playing For Change musicians, “Ripple” will be released as the final … Read More
With one of the biggest lineups in recent years showcasing a diverse range of international superstars and bluesfest veterans – there was indeed a unifying spirit in the air. The Byron Bay Bluesfest is Australia’s premiere Blues & Roots Music Festival with more than 200 performances of the best blues, roots, folk, soul and world … Read More
“Music education matters”. We heard this message loud and clear in the outpouring of support and enthusiatic participation from the Playing For Change community last month. While celebrating Music In Our Schools Month in March, many PFCF students, teachers, parents, community members, and supporters experienced the joy of learning and sharing music, and took action … Read More
Percussion teacher, Seidou Kone, receives us at his home in a village near Kirina, Mali, and explains how working as a teacher at École de Musique de Kirina in Mali, West Africa, has changed his life and how the music school started by Playing For Change Foundation has made a positive impact in the community.
Since January 2015, the Playing For Change Foundation has been working in the slums of Mirpur District of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to provide music education to underprivileged children. In this district, 32% of residents live below the national poverty line of $2 per day and child malnutrition rates are 48%. Illiteracy rates are among the highest … Read More