Sydney Guerrette of Chattanooga will be featured by national nonprofit Music to Life - founded by Noel “Paul” Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary) - in an virtual intergenerational benefit and auction to raise support for training programs that empower emerging change-oriented musicians. Pass the Mic includes music and conversation with celebrity artists Melissa Etheridge, Michael Franti and Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter, hosted by Stookey and Judy Collins. In addition to Ms. Guerrette, viewers will also meet emerging musician changemakers Jessica Harned and Byron Au Yong, who are all using music to heal, unify and promote justice in their communities.
At just 23-years-old, Ms. Guerrette has founded the nonprofit Be the Change Youth Initiative with her brother Brayden, making safe spaces for youth to discuss their struggles with mental health and encouraging them to give back to their community. Ms. Guerrette said, “[We are cultivating] an opportunity for youth to get involved and say that they have something to contribute to the table, no matter how old they are.” She has recently graduated from Music to Life’s Musician Changemaker Accelerator Academy, the only incubator of its kind to train community-driven musicians as social entrepreneurs.
As part of the show, Melissa Etheridge will symbolically pass on the legacy of musical activism and mental health advocacy to Ms. Guerrette. From advocating for gay rights, to funding research into new treatments of Opioid Use Disorder after the loss of her son to an overdose, Ms. Etheridge’s participation in Pass the Mic is only the most recent example of her commitment to social justice. Her 2024 documentary, “Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken” explores the rising rate of female incarceration and the cycle of addiction. Ms. Ethridge said, “I could see that the best advocacy, the best activism I could do was to be myself, was to be absolutely who I was and proud of it and represent it.”
An intergenerational event, Pass the Mic demonstrates - through stories and song - how musicians have evolved as vehicles for change over the decades. “In terms of its potential to galvanize people, the 60’s seemed so much easier because the issues were so clear, not so refracted,” says Music to Life Co-Founder, Noel “Paul” Stookey. “Nowadays the issues are so diverse and so competitive for your attention; thank goodness we have a raft of young singers and songwriters who are addressing each one in their communities.”
Pass the Mic will be live streamed through YouTube on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m., followed by a private virtual After Party where Stookey will interact with audience members and play some songs live. The accompanying online auction of musical experiences and memorabilia includes a signed Billy Idol Fender Acoustic Guitar, a custom original song written by Noel Paul Stookey, a signed John Mellencamp record, a virtual Musical Around the World Wine Tasting Experience, and more. Bidding opens on Dec. 2 and will close on Dec. 12 at 11:59 p.m.
Tickets to Pass the Mic are free, and donations are encouraged. All donations over $100 include an invitation to the After Party. Tickets are available here.