By Hyedi Nelson
Give to the Max Day is probably my favorite holiday. I love the energy and excitement that’s focused on Minnesota nonprofits for an entire day, and I’m really excited about my first Give to the Max Day as a Dissonance board member.
When I joined the board, I was somewhat familiar with the important work the organization had been doing for more than five years. But getting more intimately involved over these past eight months, I’ve gotten to see the impact of Dissonance firsthand—both in individual lives and in the community.
Dissonance Year in Review
In 2022, thanks to generous donations from our supporters, Dissonance launched its Sessions series, releasing episodes one and two featuring Charlie Parr and Chastity Brown, respectively. And a third installment is on the way.
We’ve also seen our monthly StoryWell series evolve. After converting the format to virtual throughout 2020 and 2021, we’ve been able to resume some in-person meet-ups, bringing back an important component of connection and support.
To kick off the year, we contributed to the Star Tribune’s multimedia project challenging community members to give up drinking or cut back, and supporting them in that effort, during Dry January. Throughout 2022, we spread our mission and reached more people through interviews with various media (i.e. MPR, Fox 9, MinnPost, Star Tribune, Mostly MN Music, Adventures in Americana, Duluth News Tribune) as well as content shared via our own website and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter).
In February, we amplified and gratefully accepted proceeds from Twin Cities music legend Cindy Lawson’s touching song and tribute to her friend, the late beloved singer/songwriter Lori Wray. We also sponsored the Morningside After Dark event series, featuring amazing Minnesota artists, from January through April.
In May, we participated in MTV’s second annual Mental Health Action Day, joining others around the country in sharing resources with our community. We also had the opportunity to host the very talented Chris Koza for a house concert. Chris played an intimate set for those in attendance and also sat down with Dissonance co-founder Sarah Souder Johnson for a conversation about wellness in the music industry and his personal experiences, challenges and successes.
We were happy to sponsor music for an event in July at Jinx Tea in Minneapolis, featuring the mobile Sans Bar from Austin, Texas, which provided an alcohol-free night full of spirit. And it was an honor to lead a mental health workshop for BETA , a nonprofit that supports the founders of Minnesota-based tech startups.
Next up was a screening of the The Creative High, an award-winning film profiles nine artists in recovery from addiction who are transformed by creativity in the search for identity and freedom. Dissonance, along with Passenger Recovery and The SIMS Foundation, three nonprofits separated by thousands of miles but connected by the mission of supporting wellness in and through the arts, came together to host an exclusive online screening and discussion of the documentary.
And last, but not least, we held our 2nd annual Ghost Notes Fall Block Party on September 17. The day was full of music, art literature, activities, N/A drinks, food, and fun. So many awesome folks came together to make it happen as volunteers, vendors, organizers, sponsors, and guests. But we’re especially thankful to the musicians who embraced the concept of a sober performance space and brought their all to the stage.
And 2022 isn’t over yet: On Friday, December 9, Unhappy Holidays is BACK. Join us for a stellar panel and of course, delicious N/A beverages and be around others in a laid-back, low-key atmosphere as a bit of respite from the usual holiday hectic-ness.
Dollars for Dissonance
OK, so back to Give to the Max Day. This year, we’re introducing Dollars for Dissonance, a focused fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $5,000 (with a stretch goal of $10,000) to help fund Dissonance’s major initiatives in 2023 (including Season 2 of Sessions!) with the following goals:
Continue to fairly compensate artists who participate in our events, such as Sessions and Ghost Notes
Make our events accessible to as many as possible – without the barriers of cost or the presence of alcohol
Keep our Get Help Directory available at no cost
Engage more youth in our programming and activities
Early giving for Give to the Max Day is officially underway – so join us by making a donation now and/or creating your own fundraising page, or wait until Nov. 17 and join in the fun that day! Watch our website and social media channels for more.
Hyedi Nelson is a Dissonance board member.
(L to R) Dissonance board members Sarah Souder Johnson, Hyedi Nelson, Katy Vernon, Jeremiah Gardner, Jen Gilhoi and Manual Garcia.