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 empowers youth against hate through collaborative songwriting, multimedia and performance. Our programs bring together teens and young adults from diverse backgrounds to discover and celebrate their common ground. Since 2005, Music In Common has directly served thousands of people in more than 300 communities across the globe and across religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial sectors. In any community, our programs can transform apprehension into trust, fear into acceptance, powerlessness into action. Working together face to face, participants expand understanding, build confidence, strengthen community, 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 250 communities across the US, Middle East, and Far East and operates multiple programs locally, nationally, and internationally.

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 Program participants have included:
                                                                            

• Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East 
• American-born and Somali and Bhutanese refugees in Clarkston, GA
• Jewish, Christian, and Muslim/American-born and Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in Orange County, CA

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Staff

Todd Mack – Executive Director 
Todd has made a 30-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 CDs of his music and produced dozens of album projects by other artists at his Off the Beat-n-Track recording studio in Sheffield, MA and elsewhere.  Todd speaks locally, nationally, and internationally at universities and conferences on a wide variety of topics related to the music business, music production, songwriting, grassroots promotion, and the power of music to create social change.

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Patricia Strauch - Business Manager
Patricia Strauch had a 25-year career in the corporate legal field. After retiring and relocating to the Berkshires in 2003, she became involved in many of the region's extensive music and other cultural venues; as a performer, organizer, and volunteer. In 2013, she merged her passion for music with her desire to help make positive change in the world, and joined the Music In Common team.

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Jason Feddy - Southern California Coordinator
Since moving to the area from the UK in 2000, local singer-songwriter, musician, producer and radio host Jason Feddy has been a mainstay on the Laguna Beach scene, performing events, clubs and hotels, and festivals. He performs original music, as well as with his  Beatles cover band, The Beetroots, as well as Jason Feddy & Shakespeare's Fool. Jason has released 6 CDs of his music and has toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, and Israel. Jason moonlights as Cantor-Soloist at a conservative, Jewish congregation, Temple Isaiah of Newport Beach. 

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Avarie Cooke - Western MA Associate Coordinator
​Avarie is a visual media artist from Springfield, MA. She graduated from Framingham State University with a Bachelor's degree in Visual Media Production. After volunteering abroad throughout high school and college, she decided to spend a year living abroad when she graduated college in 2016. These experiences with other cultures taught her the value of understanding the differences that make us individuals.

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Lynnette Najimy - Director of Outreach & Engagement
​Lynnette is Founder and Director of Beansprout Productions, an independent multimedia production company with a focus on new media strategies. With a passion for 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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Marisa Massery - Western MA Coordinator
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 peacebuilding. 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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Rosa Navarrete - Southern California Associate Coordinator
Rosa is a freelance artist born in Perú and raised in Los Angeles. She works as a Writer, Actor, and Director in the Theater, Film, and Content Making world.  Her immigrant experience has given her an interesting perspective; poignant moments in life that help navigate her vision, feed her storytelling, and encourages her practice with community engagement. The arts has had a substantial presence in her life, especially aiding in her transition from student to professional. 

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Board of Directors

John Van Vlack - 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. 

Samir Nomani - Vice President - Samir is a recent philosophy graduate from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, who loves songwriting, improvised hip-hop, and poetry. Samir has been volunteering for Music in Common for the past year and is interested in training to be a Music In Common program facilitator. Samir also has aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist, which literally means “healer of the soul." He brings to the table strong organizational skills and a strong commitment to making a difference in the world.

Elizabeth Schroeder - Treasurer - Elizabeth is the vice-president of Plunkett & Associates in Carrollton Georgia. 

Corey-Jan Albert - Clerk - 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."
 
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. 

Barbara Watkins - Barbara is owner of Evergreen Contemporary American Crafts in downtown Great Barrington, MA. Barbara believes the power of young people combined with the magic of music will help create peace and understanding in our 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.

Farah Kidwai - Vocalist Farah holds degrees from Simon's Rock College and Westminster Choir College. Farah is Pakistani-American, and has traveled extensively to Pakistan and the Middle East. A passionate advocate of interfaith dialogue, she has served as the director of media outreach for Muslims Against Terrorism, a grassroots organization that was formed in New York following the September 11 attacks.

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. 

Brandon Pantorno - Brandon is a retired Library Director from Long Island, NY.  He was also a Rotary past-President and a board member of a youth club and a Chamber of Commerce. He performs with the Berkshire Ukele Band. His experiences have show him first-hand the power, energy, and exhilaration received from creating music with others. Serving on the MIC board, he wants to ensure that diverse groups of youth can continue to come together through music in order to make our world a better place to live.

Sandra Pantorno - Sandra is a former high school teacher from Suffolk County, Long Island.  With joy for collaboration, an appreciation for our unique backgrounds, and the connections of humanity, she has been an advocate for civil rights most of her life. She believes that Music In Common builds the bridges of peace in a safe environment, helping each person to discover his or her  “best self” within an atmosphere of respect and appreciation for each other. 

Becky Herring - Becky is the associate director of InterfaithFamily/Atlanta, a non-profit Jewish organization that empowers interfaith couples and families to engage in Jewish life. She is also the immediate past president of the board for the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, member of the semi-professional co-ed a cappella group The Graduates, a trivia and karaoke hostess, and volunteer at the no-kill animal shelter Best Friends Atlanta. She is excited to dedicate her remaining free time to Music in Common and it's profound effect on the future musicians and thought-leaders of our community.