What does music mean to you?
That’s what VH1 Save the Music Foundation is asking Voodoo festival-goers as part of their partnership with Toyota to support music education in public schools. The interactive activation, located in the Toyota tent, features a pointillism art piece made up of plexiglass and multi-colored globes.
Participants have the option of either writing or drawing on their globes to sum up what music means to them, said Natania Reed, with Anthemic Agency. The mural, depicting a multi-colored sugar skull, has evolved and grown throughout the weekend as more and more globes have been added.
Each color globe represents a different dollar amount, but Toyota has promised to donate $30,000 no matter the amount raised.
Festival-goers stopped back by the tent late Sunday to view the completed design and hundreds of personalized messages. Those who took part shared their involvement and support on social media with the hashtag #ToyotaGiving, which brings awareness to the campaign and the importance of music education.
Some Voodoo acts stopped by to share their story and show their support, including G-Eazy, Slander and Saint Motel.
In addition to the globe mural, there is a body safe paint station. Participants dip their arms into marbled paint, which creates a unique design. Also offered are custom vinyl LPs with cityscapes of major cities, such as New Orleans, New York and Chicago, drilled into them.
Colorful bandannas advertising Toyota and VH1 were also handed out. They were in “huge demand,” attracting long lines, Reed said. They completely ran out of bandannas around 2 p.m. on Sunday, mere hours before the festival’s conclusion.
The campaign, which began in April at Stagecoach in Indio, California, ran throughout the festival season, Reed said. Having made stops at Sasquatch, Country 500, Firefly and Lollapalooza, the campaign concluded this weekend at Voodoo.
On a mission to raise funds for music education, the campaign celebrated its conclusion by providing three Chicago area schools with the VH1 Save the Music’s Keys + Kids Grant — $10,000 worth of musical instruments.
“Toyota is so dedicated to music education,” Reed said. “Especially by going into a city like Chicago, where they don’t have a lot of highly funded programs.”
The grant will be presented Nov. 3 at a John Spry Community Elementary School assembly. John Spry is one of the schools receiving the donation, along with Daniel Boone Elementary School and Goudy Technology Academy. Some students from Daniel Boone and Goudy Technology will be bussed to John Spry for the assembly.
“There will be a performance by Sir the Baptist, who performed Sunday, with some of the school kids who have learned the chorus to one of his songs,” Reed said.
Spokespeople from Toyota and VH1 will also be speaking and, after the presentation, the children will find out they won a grant. The campaign also took place last year, culminating in New Orleans with a grant presentation at LaPlace Elementary and a performance by Santigold.
“It feels good to be working with a brand that has philanthropic, community oriented goals,” Reed said. “It’s really fruitful to feel like you’re contributing.”
A worker counts off the balls in the VH1 Save The Music installiation on Saturday Oct. 29, 2016 at the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience (Voodoo Festival) at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana.
