We are always looking for interesting stories that highlight innovation and happenings around our great State of Texas. This week’s featured article about Melody of Hope a Frisco based nonprofit is from CommunityImpact.com.
In 2013, when Charlie Wendell launched the nonprofit Melody of Hope, she said it was in response to needs she saw in the community and in the music industry. Armed with two years of experience working for a music label and a bevy of likeminded friends, Wendell set about filling a void.
“I thought there was so much good that could be done with music. We could use music to help others,” she said.
Melody of Hope aims to advocate for local nonprofits through music.
The board of directors determines 20 nonprofits they will partner with each year. Once the organizations are selected, Melody of Hope artists are scheduled as live entertainment for about 150 events a year. Performances are either solely a live musical component for an event, or the nonprofit can charge admission to the show as a fundraiser.
To pay the artists, Melody of Hope receives funding via grants from the Frisco Arts Foundation, the Texas Commission on the Arts and others.
“[Nonprofits] range from hunger to ... cancer research. It’s all over the map,” Wendell said.
There are 100 vetted local artists filling performance requests. The vetting process assures that the performers have clean social media sites and are “upstanding humans,” Wendell said.
Their artists represent a variety of genres, such as country and pop singers, rappers, mariachi bands, and much more, Wendell said.
In May, Music on Main was launched through Melody of Hope. This monthly event allows local merchants to hire Melody of Hope artists to perform at their businesses, resulting in increased tourism and providing exposure to local artists.
When explaining her “why,” for the nonprofit, Wendell said, “I firmly believe God calls us to share him with others. ... God is the ultimate creator, and he has put that in us to create.”
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