Dance music makes a difference

Anyone that’s been to an Insomniac show knows that dance music is a community of people that care for each other as much as they do about the music. Remember that time a stranger gave you water or helped you find your friends? Part of being a community is helping each other out, and we want to shed light on some of those instances.

Every time you go to one of our shows, you’re making a difference. Insomniac’s Charitable Giving Initiative allocates $1 per ticket sold and $10 per guest list attendee to local charities, many of which focus on arts education. It’s our way of becoming part of the fabric of the communities where we host our events. Last year, we donated $115,000 just from funds raised with your help from EDC Las Vegas.

Feel free to share this information with people who say dance music doesn’t make a difference. And Insomniac isn’t alone in donating money to charities; here are three artists taking it to the next level.

Avicii: House for Hunger

Regardless of whether you loved or hated his unique Ultra performance, you can’t deny that Avicii has used his money for good. He and manager Ash Pournouri have created their own charity, House For Hunger. Their mission is twofold: to showcase the positive powers of dance music and to address world hunger. Avicii’s House for Hunger January 2012 Tour generated $1 million for hunger-relief charity Feeding America. In addition, House for Hunger also donated two million meals to schools in Africa through funds generated from Avicii’s 2013 Grammy week performances.

The Steve Aoki Charitable Fund

While he was already involved with Peta2 and Music for Relief, Steve Aoki stepped up and founded his own charity, the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund. The Fund focuses on humanitarian crises—but there’s a twist. People get to vote on which organization receives money raised. That money comes from ticket sales and auctioning off all the clothes that Steve Aoki wears on tour. Aoki also personally pledged to match up to $35,000 in funds generated—$1000 for each year he’s been alive.

Steve Angello SIZE Foundation

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” That’s the driving philosophy behind Steve Angello’s SIZE Foundation. The organization focuses on using education as a means of empowering youth. The foundation has donated classroom supplies to schools, and funded scholarships and projects organized by NGOs. Steve Angello felt compelled to create the foundation after he became a father and recognized the impact that support and funding can have on childrens’ futures.

By Anum Khan