Photo courtesy of Flickr’s Out.of.Focus
No doubt you’ve heard about actor Hugh Jackman’s starring role in the new movie to be released Christmas Day, Les Misérables. You may even have heard about his latest honor, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Madame Tussauds Hollywood.
Or maybe you heard about his 2012 Special Tony Award honoring his work as a performer and humanitarian.
A while ago I wrote an article about Hugh Jackman and what he’s done to help the poor around the world by speaking out on their behalf.
You’re probably thinking, “well of course, Hugh Jackman can do that, because he’s a big star with a big audience and a big fan base!” Yes, Jackman uses the “stage” he’s on to tell his audience about an opportunity to help the poor. And his audience listens.
Jackman isn’t the only star who does this. Award-winning country duo Thompson Square and legendary rocker Gene Simmons both speak out on behalf of the charity ChildFund International. Widely acclaimed indie/bluegrass artist Annie Moses Band and award-winning Christian band NewSong tell their audiences about international adoption advocates Holt International.
And yes, these artists and some of the others who do this might play to bigger audiences than you do. But not all the artists who partner with these charities are “big names.” Ever hear of Frank Grubbs? Doug and Linda Tidwell? Julian Drive? Krystaal? They do it – and even though they don’t play to “big” audiences, they have changed 1000’s of kids’ lives!
You may not be a TV or movie star, a Grammy winning band, or a mega-star in the music industry. If you play regularly in either the US or Canada, there’s no reason you can’t do the same thing as these other artists!
Right now, we work with 3 charities in the US and several in Canada who would love to have you use the stage to tell your audience about an opportunity to help children around the world.
These charities don’t want your money – they simply want your voice.
Before you dismiss this as something you think won’t work for you, think about these facts:
1. A child dies from hunger-related causes every 8 to 12 seconds. Over a billion people do not have easy access to safe water. And there are over 143 million orphans in the world.
2. The charities we work with are established, responsible, and caring organizations who are doing something about the need. But they need people to help support their work.
3. You could just go on playing your gigs like always. Or…. you could check into partnering with one of these great charities to help the poor around the world AND make more money for your gig!
Change some lives, help people worldwide, give your audience something important to get involved with, make more money so you can get in front of more people, support people who are working to alleviate poverty in our world … Hugh Jackman and others care to use the stage they’re on. I hope you’ll be interested in doing the same thing.
It doesn’t cost anything to ask or get involved. To get more information about how you can partner with charities and get tour support for your own gigs, go to our Artist Tour Support page, read our Tour Support Q&A, fill out an inquiry form… but don’t miss the opportunity to care in a big way!
Tom Jackson
Tom is uniquely talented and skilled at transforming an artist's live show into a magical experience for the audience; helping artists at every level create a live show that is engaging and memorable, teaching them to exceed their audiences' expectations and to create fans for life. Tom has taught indie and major artists of every genre. He has worked with Taylor Swift, Le Crae, Home Free, The Tenors, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, & many more. Tom also teaches at colleges, conferences and events worldwide.
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I wrote “Broken Hearted Christmas” in tribute to those who mourn the loss of a child. The world needs to hear this song and it deserves more than my humble iPod recording on Facebook and YouTube. I am inviting musicians to perform, record, duplicate, and post this song to reach as many people as possible this Christmas. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdTpZecQ-xw. Although Christmas may not be “merry” for everyone, we surely can bring someone comfort and hope. Thank you.