Mission

THE MISSION OF MUSIC IN COMMON IS TO STRENGTHEN, EMPOWER, AND CONNECT COMMUNITIES
THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF MUSIC

What we do

Music In Common is a non-profit organization that repairs the fractures dividing communities worldwide. Our programs facilitate dialogue, collaborative songwriting, multimedia production, and performance, and bring diverse youth and their communities together, empowering them against hate. We cultivate compassion and empathy through social-emotional learning and sharpen leadership and peacebuilding skills through our unique peer-to-peer methodology. In any community, our programs transform apprehension into trust, fear into acceptance, powerlessness into action. Working together, participants discover their common ground, expand understanding of each other’s racial, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, build confidence, wage peace and — yes— change the world. 

History

In October 2005, singer-songwriter and producer Todd Mack organized an informal backyard jam in honor of his friend and band mate Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter abducted and murdered by militants in Pakistan in 2002.  Fueled by a resonating belief in the power of music to connect people, that backyard jam grew to become Music In Common, an international non-profit organization with innovative programs that serve as a call to action in communities around the world.  
 
 “As Danny traveled the world as a journalist, he’d take his fiddle and play at local jam sessions. It was his way of connecting with people in the places he visited and, then, connecting them with each other.  Music In Common is the best way I know to honor his memory.” – Founder, Todd Mack

​To date, MIC has directly served thousands of people in more than 300 communities across the US, Middle East, and Far East and operates multiple programs locally, nationally, and internationally.

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TEAM MIC

Staff

Todd Mack
Founder & Director

Todd has made a 35-year career as a musician, songwriter, and producer based upon his unwavering belief in the power of music to change the world. He has toured extensively throughout the United States and Asia as a soloist, with his band, and with Music In Common.  Todd has released 7 albums of his music and produced dozens of albums and other projects by other artists.  Todd speaks locally, nationally, and internationally at universities and conferences on a wide variety of topics related to the music business, music production, songwriting, and the power of music to create social change.

Trey Carlisle
Senior Fellow

Trey is Senior Fellow of the 2021-2022 Youth Leadership Cohort, serving his second consecutive term in that role. A 2020 Fulbright Award recipient, devoted artivist (artist + activist), and recent graduate from Soka University of America, Trey is passionate about advancing peace and social justice through music, dance, and filmmaking. Since 2016, Trey has served been involved with Music In Common as a program participant, peer mentor, band leader, ambassador, and program facilitator. His widening leadership role within the organization has resulted in the development of new programs and initiatives such as the Bridge Sessions and The Black Legacy Project.

Simone Alyse
Marketing & Development Coordinator

In her role as Marketing & Development Coordinator, singer-songwriter, musician, and dancer Simone Alyse is driven to bridge the relationship between music and social awareness. While being in the entertainment industry since a little girl and finding her voice in activism, Simone is dedicated to using any platform she is a part of to be a vessel for those who are silenced. Attending Berklee College of Music then transferring to Emory University receiving her degree in African American Studies, she is super excited to be a part of such a groundbreaking organization! 

Alaina Hoofnagle
​Senior Intern

Alaina is a 21 year old, fourth-year Kennesaw State University student studying Sociology in Kennesaw, GA. She is an activist and advocate for marginalized, underrepresented groups. Alaina sings in the choir at KSU and is seeking a high-impact career that enables the opportunity to create social change, help others, and empower people within their communities. She is elated to serve as the 2021-2022 Senior Intern for Music in Common and sees her role as a fantastic learning opportunity and important first step in her path.

2021-2022 Youth Leadership Cohort
(click or hover over pic to learn more)

Mentors / Advisors

Marisa Massery
Marisa was born and raised in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.  Her most joyful passion is music and singing.  Marisa recently completed her Master's degree at the School for International Training in Brattleboro Vermont.  She studied conflict transformation and specifically the connection between music and peace-building. She is curious how the social space created by music can heal and positively transform relationships, a pursuit that aligns perfectly with the mission and vision of Music In Common.

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Avarie Cook
​Avarie is a visual media artist from Springfield, MA currently living in Atlanta. She graduated from Framingham State University with a Bachelor's degree in Visual Media Production in 2016 and spent a year living abroad after graduation. Her experiences with other cultures taught her the value of understanding and appreciating the differences that make us individuals.

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Lynnette Najimy
​Lynnette is founder and director of Beansprout Productions, a content production, marketing and management company focused on community building and storytelling, Lynnette earned a Master’s Degree in Philanthropy and Media from Suffolk University.  She has traveled around the world producing events and multimedia productions using the power of story in words, images, and music to discover and celebrate positive action in the world.  Music in Common feeds and inspires her passion for positive collaborative and creative solutions.

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Board of Directors

Corey-Jan Albert - President:  Corey-Jan is a marketing strategist, copywriter, playwright and songwriter. She believes in the power of creative collaboration and communication to solve problems and turn "us vs. them" into "all of us together."

John Van Vlack - Vice President: John spent his career in the corporate world and is now focusing on entrepreneurial ventures and Music In Common. Seeing the great work over the last six years as a Board member, John sees MIC expanding its reach to meet the increasing need for peace. ​

Monica Y. Manning  - Treasurer: Monica is passionate about bringing about positive change in the world and excited to join the Music in Common Board of Directors to enact that change. She brings a wealth of administrative expertise through her decades of leadership experience in the municipal, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. Originally from Ohio, Monica earned her Masters Degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University and is involved in a wide array of volunteer activities through her long list of civic and educational affiliations. She is honored to serve as the Board treasurer.
 
Adam Moussa - Communications Officer: Adam was born in Syria and is a student at UC San Diego studying Biology in the pursuit of becoming a physician. He participated in his first JAMMS program in 2015 and has been actively involved with Music In Common ever since. “I believe that any group can come together and create something beautiful regardless of their differences in background. That is why I love Music In Common and choose to be a part of it.” Adam is excited to serve as the newest and youngest member of the MIC Board.

Todd Mack - Executive Director - Todd has made a 30-year career as a musician, songwriter, and producer.  He founded Music In Common in 2005 based upon his unwavering belief in the power of music to change the world. 

Ed Outlaw - Ed is a Tax Credit and Energy Efficiency Consultant, and believer in the idea that cross cultural connections can lead to a more peaceful world.

Dr. Ellen Shanahan - Ellen has been teaching music at Berkshire Community College since 1983.  She is also involved in several arts organizations and works with area high schools and churches to bring performing arts to life.  In 2014, when her music history students first collaborated with Music In Common, she watched them take to heart messages of justice, peace, human rights and collaboration as they created their lyrics, song and video.   She is proud to serve on the MIC Board and would like to see that level of excitement, creativity and caring brought to more students through the work of Music In Common. 

Ching Ching Yap, Ph.D received her MFA in piano performance in Germany and has performed as a soloist and accompanist in the United States, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. She was the Malaysian piano competition champion in 1994. Ching Ching received her Ph.D. in music education and MBA in international business from the University of South Carolina. She was the director for South Carolina Arts Assessment and served on the South Carolina Arts Standards Writing team and the assessment task force for the National Association for Music Education (NafME). Currently, Ching Ching is a Chinese cultural interpreter and substitute teacher for the Fayette County, GA School District. As a lifelong musician and advocate for intercultural communication, Ching Ching is a great fit for the MIC Board.