This year, at Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Nocturnal Wonderland, and Life Is Beautiful, Toyota asked music fans to share what music meant to them. Festival attendees wrote their answers on a leaf, then posted the leaves to the Whispering Willow Tree, a giant neon sculpture that traveled to each of the festivals. For every fan who shared their response on social media using the hashtag #ToyotaGiving, Toyota donated $1 to VH1 Save The Music. Even musicians playing the festivals got in on the act: Dan Deacon, Cold War Kids, and Gary Clark Jr. all shared what music meant to them.
Now, with festival season in the rear view, Toyota and VH1 Save The Music are giving back. Together with the help of music fans around the country, they’re donating $30,000 to LaPlace Elementary School outside of New Orleans, LA, to be used to fund an instrumental music program for the school—the first such program at the school in over a decade. With the grant, LaPlace Elementary will be able to hire a music teacher and provide instruments for their students to use.
The grant will be presented to LaPlace Elementary on Friday, October 30, at a special assembly at the school. Genre-defying artist Santigold, who will be headlining that weekend’s Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, will perform a special concert for the students—who will then repay the favor by demonstrating their new music curriculum. It’s a fitting end to an unforgettable festival season.