HeadCount

Summary

HeadCount is a national non-profit organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy in the United States. It is best known for registering voters at concerts – having signed up over 1,000,000 voters since its launch in 2004.[1][2]

HeadCount
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
FoundersAndy Bernstein, Marc Brownstein
FocusMusic and politics, civic engagement, voter registration, voter turnout
Location
Area served
United States
Executive Director
Lucille Winegamie
Websitehttp://www.headcount.org/

Origins edit

The organization was co-founded in 2004 by Marc Brownstein, bass player for the popular electronic rock band The Disco Biscuits, and his friend Andy Bernstein, author of The Pharmer's Almanac, a series of books about Phish. As of July 2019, Peter Shapiro serves as chairman of the board, Bernstein is executive director of the organization, and Brownstein is a board member with the title "founder, chairman emeritus".[3][4][5]

 
HeadCount booth at Dave Matthews conference

Activities edit

Some of HeadCount's higher-profile activity includes the release of public service announcements starring Jay-Z and Dave Matthews,[6] a compilation album featuring Pearl Jam, Wilco and Phish, and various activities involving board member Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. HeadCount also has served as the voter registration partner for the March for Our Lives movement,[7] as well as Spotify, SoundCloud, American Eagle Outfitters, and the Grammy Awards.[8][9][10]

For the 2020 election, the organization registered roughly 400,000 voters, through its work with Ariana Grande, Spotify, YouTuber David Dobrik, and hundreds of other musicians, brands and partners.[11][12] Although HeadCount is largely known for its on-the-ground work registering voters at concerts, and is a mainstay at festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, the Coronavirus pandemic did not stop the organization's momentum. Instead, it had its best election cycle ever.[13][14][15][16]

 
HeadCount tent at Phish concert

This followed many years of activity combining music, culture and democratic participation.

For the Midterm Elections in 2018, HeadCount also rolled out a campaign called "The Future is Voting" featuring many elements, including an anthem film, a get-out-the-vote tour, and a series of limited edition Levi's Trucker Jackets worn by musicians and social media influencers for National Voter Registration Day.[17][18][19][20][21] Earlier that year, HeadCount ran the voter registration efforts for March for Our Lives, the organization created by students from Parkland, FL after the mass shooting at their high school.[22][23][24]

HeadCount is a founder of National Voter Registration Day and stages a massive social media campaign around it each year. The campaign has featured hundreds of musicians and entertainers posting "Register to Vote" photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with a link to an online voter registration form. Participants included Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Fergie, Russell Simmons and The Black Keys.[25][26][27][28][29]

In 2016 HeadCount partnered with music streaming services Spotify[30][31] and Pandora Radio[32] to help music fans vote. American Spotify users received a message from President Barack Obama directing them to HeadCount.org for voter information. Pandora ran short HeadCount Get-Out-The-Vote PSA's 750 million times and helped over 10,000 voters register through ads on the app. HeadCount also partnered with Ben & Jerry's to hand out free ice cream on Phish tour to fans that registered or pledged to vote.[33] HeadCount works with the non-partisan VoteRiders[34][35] organization to spread state-specific information on voter ID requirements. And for the first time ever, HeadCount registered voters at every stop on Vans Warped Tour.[36]

Beyond concerts, HeadCount has a large presence on the Internet. Its blog features updates on "music, politics and everything in between,"[37] and it launched a platform called #SoundOff (www.SoundOffatCongress.org) for Tweeting directly at members of Congress.[38]

In 2008 HeadCount produced the documentary A Call to Action,[39] which has aired on cable television. In early 2012 HeadCount conceived and produced "The Bridge Session" a live performance from Bob Weir's TRI Studios featuring Weir, members of the National and various other guests.[40][41][42] A live webcast on Yahoo! also featured a roundtable political discussion.[43] The collaborations in that session led to Day of the Dead and Blue Mountain.[44][45][46][47]

The non-profit also runs the "Capitol Community" program for the Capitol Theatre (Port Chester, New York), which sends school teachers to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for curriculum training.[48][49][50][51]

Lizzo invited HeadCount to her concerts to encourage her fans to register and vote in the 2022 midterm elections.[52]

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that they partnered with civic non-partisan HeadCount to pilot a program to register voters at ballparks during MLB games.[53]

The Body Shop, a cosmetics and skin care product firm, have launched a joint initiative with HeadCount to host voter registration events.[54]

Participation Row edit

HeadCount manages Participation Row activism villages at various music festivals including Lockn' (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) in Arrington, VA, True Music (2013) in Scottsdale, AZ, Phases of the Moon (2014) in Danville, IL, FloydFest (2016) near Floyd, VA the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival in Okeechobee, FL, The Traveler's Rest Festival in Montana, and Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. HeadCount also put on a Participation Row for the Dead & Company tours, which was preceded by Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead in both Levi's Stadium and Soldier Field and on Dead & Company's 2016 Summer Tour. Participation Row traditionally hosts 8-16 different non-profits, allowing concert-goers to take actions related to the non-profits. Each Participation Row has also included a silent auction of signed merchandise, with proceeds going to the participating non-profits. At the Fare Thee Well shows, the Participation Row silent auction included a D'Angelico EX-DC electric guitar signed by all 7 performers and played by Bob Weir on stage during the second Santa Clara show. The auction for the guitar closed at $526,000 [1], making it the 20th most expensive guitar of all time [2]. For Dead & Company's 2023 Final Tour, ten unique D'Angelico guitars designed by AJ Masthay will be auctioned. Proceeds benefit both HeadCount as well as environmental activist group REVERB.[55]

Structure edit

Since its inception, HeadCount has been largely volunteer-driven. It fields volunteer teams in most major U.S. cities. Each consists of a trained team leader who runs the local operations, and a cadre of volunteers. These teams then set up tables at concerts through which they register voters and disseminate information related to political issues and upcoming elections. This approach has allowed HeadCount to keep its operating costs low while reaching a very large number of people. In any given year, the organization sets up these tables at 500 to 1,500 concerts or more.[56]

HeadCount is supported by a Board of Directors[57][58] including Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir.[59]

HeadCount is based in New York City, but has volunteer street teams all over the U.S.[60]

References edit

  1. ^ "Comes A Time: Headcount on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  2. ^ Fry, Naomi (2018-06-18). "Voter Registration on the, Like, Festival Circuit". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  3. ^ "For a Upstart Voter Non-Profit, a New Chairman Leads the Way". Rolling Stone. 8 July 2019.
  4. ^ Mims, Taylor (2023-05-01). "HeadCount Launches Search for New Executive Director, Founder Andy Bernstein to Step Down". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  5. ^ "Enjoy Music, Change the World: HeadCount on the Festival Scene – RoadtripMojo". 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  6. ^ Vote Again 2010. Jay-Z, Dave Matthews and Headcount.org. 2010.
  7. ^ Willingham, A. J. (2018-03-26). "Thousands of new voters signed up during the March for Our Lives". CNN. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  8. ^ Willingham, A. J. (2018-03-26). "Thousands of new voters signed up during the March for Our Lives". CNN. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  9. ^ "Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, DJ Khaled & More Team Up With Global Citizen & HeadCount To Encourage Fans To Vote". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  10. ^ McDonald, Samantha (2020-09-11). "How American Eagle Is Getting Out the Vote This Election Year". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  11. ^ Kaufman, Gil (2019-12-20). "Ariana Grande Breaks HeadCount Voter Registration Record: 'Thank U So Much for Investing in Our Future'". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  12. ^ Paul, Larisha (2022-10-10). "Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande Helped Register 150,000 Voters Ahead of Midterms". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  13. ^ Starling, Nick (2020-09-13). "Voting group taps Boulevard Brewery as site for election booth". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  14. ^ "Election Day | News & Articles". The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  15. ^ Bird, Jen (2020-08-05). "Evanescence and HeadCount Launch PSA & Campaign to promote Voter Registration & Easy Access to Voting • Red Light Management". Red Light Management. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  16. ^ "YouTube Creators Are Taking A New Approach To Make Sure Their Fans Are 'Good To Vote.' And It's Working". Tubefilter. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  17. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2014-09-23). "Pearl Jam, Jeff Tweedy Help Kick Off Voter Registration Day". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  18. ^ "HeadCount - The Future is Voting". Working Not Working. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  19. ^ "The Future is Voting – Blis Joins Forces with Headcount | Blis". blis.com. 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  20. ^ Aniftos, Rania (2018-09-20). "Jim James Announces 'The Future Is Voting' Tour in Collaboration With HeadCount". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  21. ^ Nudelman, Geoff. "Our Ultimate Guide to Looking Your Best as the Leaves Fall". AskMen. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  22. ^ O'Brien, Andrew (2018-05-30). "HeadCount Teams With Parkland Students & March For Our Lives For Dead & Co Tour Participation Row". L4LM. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  23. ^ "Parkland students featured in new get out the vote video". Sun Sentinel. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  24. ^ Reid |, Calvin. "PRH, HeadCount Team to Launch Book the Vote". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  25. ^ Aswad, Jem (2020-09-21). "Dave Matthews Band, HeadCount Rally Music World Around National Voter Registration Day Tuesday". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  26. ^ Dailey, Hannah (2022-09-20). "Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift & More Musicians Encourage Fans to Register to Vote for Midterm Elections". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  27. ^ "Dave Matthews Band, HeadCount Rally Music World Around National Voter Registration Day Tuesday". Yahoo Life. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  28. ^ Advocate, John Katt and Mudit Prashar via Office of the New York City Public. "Office of the New York City Public Advocate". Office of the New York City Public Advocate. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  29. ^ Grubbs, Eric. "HeadCount Will Target Concertgoers on National Voter Registration Day". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  30. ^ "Obama Interrupting Everybody's Spotify Listening Today with Reminder to Vote". Pitchfork. 7 November 2016.
  31. ^ Naomi (2020-09-09). "Spotify Encourages Eligible U.S. Voters to 'Play Your Part' by Registering for and Voting in the 2020 Election". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  32. ^ "Pandora And HeadCount.Org Team Up For Voter Registration". All Access. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  33. ^ Parker, Ashley (2010-10-25). "Motivating Music Fans to Vote". The Caucus. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  34. ^ "Pride Month Letter Writing with HeadCount and VoteRiders 🏳️‍🌈". Swing Blue Alliance. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  35. ^ Wong, Brad (2022-08-23). "Inclusive Strategies for Nonprofit Voter Engagement". Independent Sector. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  36. ^ "Vans Warped Tour Goes Back To Basics in it's [sic] 22nd Year, Founder Kevin Lyman Talks About the Festival's History and What's in Store for 2016". HuffPost. 22 June 2016.
  37. ^ "HeadCount Case Study | Impactive | All-in-One Digital Organizing Suite". www.impactive.io. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  38. ^ Andrew Salmon (2014-03-29). "Musicians: Don't Get Penalized. Sign Up for Healthcare by March 31". guitarworld. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  39. ^ Bernstein, Scott (2008-04-14). "HeadCount Film Debuts: A Call To Action". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  40. ^ "HeadCount's The Bridge Session: Bob Weir and Members of The National in Motion". Relix Media. 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  41. ^ Bernstein, Scott (2012-03-25). "Bob Weir Goes Indie - Headcount's The Bridge Session". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  42. ^ Eisen, Benjy (2012-03-25). "Members of Grateful Dead, the National Perform 'Bridge Session' Webcast". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  43. ^ "Voter Reg Drives On Summer Tours For DMB, Wilco, Phish, Furthur". JamBase. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  44. ^ "The official website for independent record label 4AD". 4AD. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  45. ^ "Behind The Scene: Mollie Farrell on HeadCount's Artist Initiatives and Online Voting Hub". Relix Media. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  46. ^ "Articles | Grateful Web". www.gratefulweb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  47. ^ "Bob Weir Receives Key To Austin Ahead Of Moody Theater Run Opener". JamBase. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  48. ^ Aswad, Jem (2021-11-16). "Jackson Browne, Jorma Kaukonen, More to Headline Headcount Benefit". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  49. ^ "Larry Campbell, Jackson Browne, Jorma Kaukonen Lead Lineup For HeadCount Benefit At Capitol Theatre - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  50. ^ "School's not out for summer at Rock Hall of Fame". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  51. ^ "Westchester Teachers Win Rock n' Roll HOF Music Training from The Cap, HeadCount". Yorktown-Somers, NY Patch. 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  52. ^ Aswad, Jem (2022-09-09). "Lizzo Joins Forces With HeadCount to Promote Voter Registration at Her Concerts". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  53. ^ "MLB partners with HeadCount to register fans to vote". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  54. ^ Shop, The Body. "The Body Shop US Partners with HeadCount to Increase Voter Access and Registration". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  55. ^ Sissler, James (2023-05-18). "Dead & Company Team Up With HeadCount & REVERB For Charity Guitar Auction". L4LM. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  56. ^ "Students seek out voters at rock shows". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  57. ^ "HEADCOUNT.ORG APPOINTS JESSY TOLKAN, PRESIDENT & CEO OF DRIVE AGENCY, TO CHAIR ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS". Grateful Web. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  58. ^ Variety Staff (2019-07-08). "Peter Shapiro Named Chair of HeadCount Board of Directors". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  59. ^ "Bob Weir & Dave Matthews Among Additions To HeadCount & Global Citizen 'Just Vote' Campaign". JamBase. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  60. ^ Aswad, Jem (2022-09-09). "Lizzo Joins Forces With HeadCount to Promote Voter Registration at Her Concerts". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

External links edit

  • HeadCount.org
  • Dave Matthews Band Urge Fans to Vote
  • Disco Biscuits Were Toasted to a Delicious Golden Brown in '06
  • An Interview with Andy Bernstein of HeadCount