Using Music to Make the World a Better Place

Event Context & Overview

• Event: A panel discussion at Music Cares titled "Using Music to Make the World a Better Place," moderated by Doug Herzog (former president of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group).
• Panelists: Hugh Evans (Global Citizen founder), Harvey Mason Jr. (Recording Academy/Producer), French Montana (Artist), Diane Warren (Songwriter), and Michael Lang (Woodstock co-creator).
• Core Theme: The capacity of music to inspire social change, unify generations, and drive political action, contrasted against the challenges of the modern "microwave era" of consumption and digital scrutiny.

Historical Catalysts & Personal Transformations

• Michael Lang (Woodstock): Planned the 1969 festival to counter the despair of 1968 (assassinations of MLK and RFK, Vietnam War) by gathering "the tribes" to reclaim peace and love.
• Harvey Mason Jr.: Cited Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror and the We Are the World initiative as pivotal moments that demonstrated how music could generate tangible global aid.
• Diane Warren: Found early inspiration in Amazing Grace, written by a reformed slave owner to aid the abolitionist movement, proving music can be a tool for legislative change.
• French Montana: Describes arriving in the US at age 13 post-Tupac Shakur's death; realized music is a universal language that transcends vocabulary, prioritizing "feeling" over lyrical understanding.
• Hugh Evans: Started Global Citizen after Bono and Eddie Vedder unexpectedly performed at his university "Make Poverty History" concert, which directly led to Australia doubling foreign aid by $6.2 billion.

The Evolution of Protest Music & Generational Shifts

• Diane Warren: Argues against David Byrne's claim that protest songs don't change minds; contends that songs that move the heart inevitably change the mind.
• Hugh Evans: Observes that while the millennial generation lacks a single "anthemic protest song" like What's Going On, the current climate of nativism and xenophobia is ripe for one to emerge.
• Michael Lang: Notes a lack of current "spokespeople for movements" compared to the 1960s, where artists like Dylan and Seeger were central to the anti-war and civil rights movements.
• Harvey Mason Jr.: Suggests that for young artists, success is increasingly measured by "acceptance" and attention rather than pure quality, necessitating a strategic approach to reaching audiences.
• French Montana: Contrasts current "fun" club culture with the "pain music" of past generations; credits his time in Uganda with inspiring his hit Unforgettable and his focus on healing through art.

Strategic Activism & The "Global Citizen" Model

• Hugh Evans: Implemented a "gamified" model where 80% of tickets to the Global Citizen Festival are free, earned only by taking specific political actions (e.g., signing petitions, calling representatives).
• Financial Impact: Global Citizen has secured over $35 billion in financial commitments from world leaders and corporations for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Action Currency: The model treats "action" as currency; in the first year, it drove over half a million actions by 27 million members worldwide.
• Social Media Leverage: Rihanna's Twitter campaign directly pressured French President Emmanuel Macron to increase his pledge to the Global Partnership for Education from 100 million to 200 million euros during an international summit.
• Corporate Strategy: The panel advises private sector entities to utilize entertainment sponsorship budgets and use foreign aid as "first-loss capital" to de-risk private investment in poverty alleviation and climate change.

Industry Challenges: Streaming, Pay, & Algorithms

• Harvey Mason Jr.: Highlights a critical revenue disparity where Ed Sheeran's song (the biggest of the year with 500 million streams) generated only $17,000 in songwriter royalties, less than a minimum wage barista.
• Harvey Mason Jr.: Warns that without legislative changes, a generation of songwriters may be lost to low-wage jobs (e.g., Starbucks, gas stations).
• French Montana: Defends streaming platforms like Spotify for democratizing access and allowing artists to bypass traditional gatekeepers, despite the payment issues.
• Diane Warren: Notes that while technology (email, DMs) has made pitching easier, songwriters must still fight to place songs in the best "home" for the message.
• Hugh Evans: Cites a stat of 300,000 new songs released weekly (the "microwave era"), arguing that listeners have short attention spans, requiring activists to "mold" messages to avoid "preaching" fatigue.

Future Outlook & Actionable Directives

• Diane Warren: Emphasizes that for a message to stick, the song must be "great" and immersive; average songs fail to move audiences regardless of the lyrical content.
• Hugh Evans: Advises artists to use their platforms to meet with world leaders (e.g., inviting Macron to Senegal) rather than solely relying on lyrics to solve policy issues.
• Panel Consensus: Successful social impact requires a synergy between "pop and public policy," where artists act as activists and leverage their cultural capital to force political responses.
• Call to Action: The panel urges investors and fans to support artists who champion social causes, not just through consumption, but by investing in their pro-social business ventures (e.g., Pharrell's recycled shoe initiative).
• Forward-Looking Statement: Despite the fragmented media landscape, the panel asserts that the combination of high-profile artists, social media pressure, and corporate engagement will inevitably drive significant social change in the coming years.