Pull up a chair for the handbook on guiding top-notch organizations that will change the world!

The daughter of Noel "Paul" Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary), Liz Stookey Sunde is the CEO of the national nonprofit Music to Life, which she co-founded with her father. Music to Life empowers artists across genres and geographies to become sustainable social entrepreneurs. Through leadership and entrepreneurial training, Liz helps musicians strategically connect with communities facing persistent economic, environmental, or racial injustice.

Alastair Moock co-founded The Opening Doors Project – an organization that amplifies voices of color and advances interracial conversations about race through the arts. Through live concerts, storytelling, and education programs, they bring communities together to explore race, identity, and history in a way that only music can. From classrooms to concert halls, their artists create spaces where tough conversations turn into meaningful connections.

Alastair recounts the concert that changed his life as a young person and identifies the legendary folk musician who ultimately became his North Star. Liz describes a particularly memorable and humorous Peter, Paul and Mary concert from her own youth.

Alastair informs us how bias and racism are perpetuated unknowingly without malice and why he respectfully declined his second Grammy nomination. His insights about examining bias and teaching it to youth of all ages is by far one of 2025’s greatest lessons.

Following Alastair’s comments – and even before describing Music to Life’s incredible work – Liz reminds us that her organization carries out its mission to support world-changing artists like Alastair. Music to Life has a network of 400 artists in 42 states and 300 communities who cover 39 music genres. They come to Music to Life with a burning interest to facilitate change. The organization supports artists to recognize and own their worth in today's social change marketplace.

Both Alastair and Liz consider The Opening Doors Project and Music to Life as their life’s work. You will be blown away by their shared wisdom, dedication, passion and heart!

You can visit Music to Life at musictolife.org and sign up for their mailing list. Visit The Opening Doors Project at openingdoorsproject.org and please consider making a small donation to their groundbreaking efforts.

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Liz Sunde and Alastair Moock for their transformational work and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair because Dr. Don Carleton is here to tell us how the Tom Campbell/ Guacamole Fund archives will forever have a home and serve as a part of our nation’s history.

Tom Campbell (1939-2024) is considered by many to be the “grandfather of the benefit concert,” virtually inventing the idea of bringing together musicians and activists to create memorable and often historical events. For over 50 years, Tom and his team organized and produced over 1200 benefit concerts, rallies and receptions for a wide range of issues. Bonnie Raitt has proclaimed that “no one has done more to raise funds and awareness than Tom.”

Dr. Carleton is the founding Executive Director of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas-Austin. The Briscoe Center recently acquired the Guacamole Fund’s archives (correspondence, photographs, press releases, benefit concert posters, t-shirts and items unique to Tom’s work) for the Tom Campbell and Guacamole Fund Collection.

We learn how the immense collection was acquired, how the amazing display was created and how documents can be utilized by scholars at the Center. The public is invited to view the collection, with details available on the Center’s website (briscoecenter.org)!

Dr. Carleton explains to us why the benefit concerts of the late 1970s through 90’s might be impossible to replicate today.

He further describes other incredible items at the Dolph Briscoe Center. We’re talking about 18 linear miles of rare items in all! You might not have been a history buff before you pulled up a chair… but you’ll appreciate history by the time our conversation with Dr. Carleton is complete.

Please consider a small donation to the Guacamole Fund (guacfund.org) to support Tom’s vision. They do such good and important work.

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Dr. Don Carleton for preserving our history of music inspired activism, and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair to hear from Ellis Paul, a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, and losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream.

He is the founder and co-host of the New England Songwriter’s Retreat which supports songwriters with all levels of experience through a variety of workshops, concerts and 1-on-1 coaching. We learn how the David Glaser Songwriting scholarships offer financial support to several of the students who apply.

Ellis identifies the song for us that he is most proud of writing. Then, he does smashingly well during a lightning round of Traveling Songwriter Geography.

Ellis mentions the book, Woody Guthrie, A Life (by Joe Klein) before recounting his own feelings about Woody and first visit to Okemah, OK through his relationships with the Guthrie family.

He fills us in on all the amazing facets of the ninth annual New England Songwriters Retreat (newenglandsongwritersretreat.com) which offers instruction, inspiration and community.

He provides strategies for singer-songwriters and, I promise you…, his advice for tackling performance nerves will further explain why Ellis Paul is a veteran artist held in such high regard.

Ellis describes working with Caffe Lena’s TrueSongs program (https://spac.org/events/truesongs-2024-lyrics-of-life) and his experience this year partnering with veteran, Troy Huggard, who received support from Alliance 180 (alliance180.org). Finally, Ellis explains why he enjoys performing at benefit shows.

Check out Ellis’ website (ellispaul.com) where you can find everything you need like his Patreon page, tour dates and recordings, Retreat information and the vacation trips that he leads.

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Ellis Paul who’s out there changing the world and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair to learn JUST what it takes to host a highly successful music festival! Kim Ansin (President) and Tom Donaruma (Vice President) of RallySound are here to discuss The Ramble in Ashburnham, MA and their amazing community of volunteers. We get to hear how music fans are working together to literally change the world during this day of music, fun, food, art, and information. Last year, Ramble 15 got 151 of our veteran heroes into safe and dignified housing when it raised $151 thousand for the New England Center and Home for Veterans!

Kim and Tom fill us in about music bringing people to the festival while the feeling of community, empowerment and wanting to do a little good turns them into Ramble volunteers.

How would it feel to hear that you’ve just raised $151 thousand with your community of music friends and are changing veterans’ lives? It’s all here in our incredibly inspiring conversation with Kim and Tom.

Please consider a small donation to RallySound (rallysound.org) or the New England Center and Home for Veterans (nechv.org).

Get your Ramble ticket at getrambled.com The festival will be held this year on Saturday, August 23rd. It’s held every year on the weekend before Labor Day and I’ll smile your way when we’re both volunteers.

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Kim Ansin and Tom Donaruma for their amazing work with RallySound and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair for a warm remembrance of the legendary Ken Kragen with the two women who were closest to him. Ken’s wife, Cathy Worthington, shares how she met Ken and that they were married for 43 years. She describes her firsthand memories of the We Are the World recording session, attending the American Music Awards earlier that evening, and standing in Battery Park at the beginning of the line for Ken’s other charitable project, Hands Across America. The women generously recount Ken’s several passions other than his family, charitable projects and the entertainment industry.

Ken’s daughter, Emma Kragen, describes lessons that she learned from her dad. Emma discusses how making a childhood behind-the-scenes documentary (of her book being made into a motion picture) began a natural progression to the producer and cinematographer that she is today! She helps us to understand how cinema might just change the world!

Finally, Cathy and Emma explain how WhyHunger became an important part of the family’s life and how supporting its work today is a perfect fit for the Ken Kragen Memorial Foundation. Please consider a small donation to the organization honoring Ken Kragen’s immense contributions to the world as you are able (kenkragen.org/donate).

Visit Emma’s website (zemma.co) and Cathy’s podcast website (Late Boomers podcast on your favorite platform). And, please read more about the achievements of Ken Kragen at kenkragen.org

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Cathy Worthington and Emma Kragen who made this such a special conversation and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair for an inspirational and redemptive conversation with Jim Sonefeld!

Jim tells us how, even in Hootie and the Blowfish’s early days, the band has always had a heart for giving. In 2000, the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation was established and 25 years later, the Monday After the Masters event is still going strong to raise money for charities. He spoke about the importance of giving back and being in a community of like-minded musicians.

Please visit the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation and make a small donation if you feel led to do so (https://www.hootie.com/foundation).

We look back at the band’s immensely popular Cracked Rear View recording, Hold My Hand getting radio play, and being invited perform on David Letterman in front of 5 million viewers. Jim even fills us in on his favorite Hootie song.

He describes his 20-year history of sobriety – the wake-up message from his daughter, accepting that he needed help and attending his first 12-Step meeting. He discusses his favorite aspect of being part of a recovery community as well as the spiritual truths that he’s reached back to find and how they support him today. Jim currently shares his important inspirational message by speaking to recovery and corporate groups.

Check out Jim’s solo work on your favorite streaming platform and listen to his current favorite composition (the popular, Unafraid).

Jim and I sat down on February 13th and we get to hear about his plans for Valentine’s Day.

Visit Jim’s website (jimsonefeld.com) and BUY HIS BOOK, Swimming With the Blowfish: Hootie, Healing and One Hell of a Ride.

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Jim Sonefeld who’s out there changing the world and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair for an honest and open conversation with Amy Speace!

Amy is committed to helping people uncover their truth – those who cross her path in songwriting programs with veterans and their families, her students, and audience members who connect with Amy’s lyrics. She speaks boldly and with great experience about the healing power of writing one’s life story. We learn about some of the amazing and deserving people with whom she has worked.

Amy shares memories of crafting songs – line by line – during retreats with soldiers and how that practice has supported her own songwriting. She talks about how writing her album, Tucson, saved her life and her own therapeutic journey. Amy discusses her support to Planned Parenthood, how they once worked together and how we might see more to come in the future.

Amy lets us in on why two professors wouldn’t sign her application to graduate school. Finally, we talk about the world she dreams of for her young son.

Amy supports Songwriting With Soldiers (songwritingwithsoldiers.org) and Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org). Please visit both incredible organizations and make a small donation if you feel led to do so.

Visit Amy’s website (amyspeace.com) for more information, tour dates and her Patreon account (where you can find behind-the-scenes nuggets all the way back to 2016).

Hear more rare conversations at Compassionate Measures dot org and invite another music friend to pull up a chair. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks always to YOU for listening, to Amy Speace who’s out there changing the world and to Chris Downey for putting it all together.

Pull up a chair for a sweet and gracious conversation with Caroline Aiken – the “godmother of Atlanta’s folk scene.”

Caroline begins by describing the early days working in Atlanta clubs and her introductions to the Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and other songwriters. She tells us about the amazing crowds that follow Bonnie Raitt, John Prine and the numerous other bands that she’s recorded with and for whom she has opened shows. Caroline started to make music at 14 and has earned her living as a musician in California, Georgia, New York, and Seattle. She shares great stories – along with some of her own unique family history.

Caroline explains the importance of the projects that she supports. She helped to found Guitars Not Guns (guitarsnotguns.org) in the Athens, Georgia area and has witnessed first-hand how the program positively impacts children. She is the proud mother of Page Dukes who, along with Luci Harrell, has founded the Atlanta Community Support Project (atlcommunitysupport.org) to empower individuals in incarceration and transitioning to lives outside of prison. Please visit both incredible organizations and make a small donation if you feel led to do so.

Caroline offers some excellent advice about the importance of relationships and having something to look forward to in the future. And, to close our conversation, she lists those people and experiences that make her most happy.

Visit Caroline’s website (carolineaiken.com) for more information and tour dates. She’s around Atlanta through March before taking her tour to the west coast!