Check Out Pandion Music Foundation’s Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Pandion Music Foundation.

Hello Pandion Music Foundation, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
PMF was founded in 2022 by Rebecca Trujillo Vest (Los Angeles, USA), Jordan Stobbe (Melbourne, AUS), and Carls Woolf (London, UK), who were inspired by the idea of helping other creators gain access to the resources that can build their careers.

PMF Teen Camp is the latest in Pandion’s roster of programs, which includes weekly educational workshops covering a range of music industry topics and the wellness initiative Pandion Unplugged. Pandion Music Foundation Teen Camp is an immersive summer music program held in June for youth ages 15-18 who are interested in careers in music.

All PMF programs are free. PMF partners include Earthstar Creation Center, 2indie, and Sweetwater. To register for upcoming PMF weekly workshops, visit pandionmusicfoundation.org/upcoming-events/. Participants can opt-out at any time. Benefits also include access to evergreen replays of PMF’s programs, an informative, industry-based newsletter, and access to the Creators Circle, Pandion’s private Facebook group community that encourages discussion and networking among PMF music creators.

The Pandion Unplugged wellness programming will relaunch as a podcast in the summer of 2024. Replays of past Pandion Unplugged sessions are available on PMF Facebook and Instagram platforms. Since PMF’s launch, programming has expanded greatly and increased 250% over the past six months alone. Audience engagement has increased annually for Facebook (close to 90%) and Instagram (close to 120%); Mailchimp subscribers represent a 525% rise.

Pandion benefits from a dynamic, women-led Board of Directors that includes PMF Board Secretary Martha Champlin, Elementary School Director, New Roads School; PMF Board Treasurer Candice Rosales, Director of Development, New Roads School; and PMF Board Members Seven McDonald, producer and award-winning journalist; Abby Wills, co-founder of Shanti Generation and mindfulness educator; and Margaret Yen, documentary filmmaker. Vest is the CEO/Programs Director and PMF Board Chair.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always obstacles in new endeavors, but for PMF Teen Camp, we were fortunate to work in collaboration with the Earthstar Creation Center recording studio in Venice, CA, with generous support from Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of the leading global instrument brand Gibson.

Gibson continues to shape the sounds of generations of musicians across the globe and uplifts the global music community through Gibson Gives. The mission of Gibson Gives–a 501(c)(3)–is to support nonprofit organizations worldwide in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, music, and health and wellness initiatives.

Erica Krusen, Global Executive Director of Gibson Gives, spoke to obstacles teens may face building their early careers: “Gibson Gives is amplifying the power of music in people’s lives by supporting nonprofits whose work aligns with our core mission of advancing musicians through music education programs and health and wellness initiatives worldwide. When Pandion presented us with the opportunity to provide resources to PMF Teen Camp, it really resonated with us, especially its potential to open doors of possibility for more young people.”

Additional support was provided by 4Imprint through their One By One grant program.

PMF Teen Camp featured three days of hands-on workshops for 26 unique students per day over three days. Each day offered a unique focus, including songwriting, music production, and band camp. PMF Teen Camp also included guided mindfulness and wellness activities designed to highlight the importance of holistic health in a music career.

We wanted to host students interested in the music industry but didn’t have access to tools to further their early careers. So, we selected students from Roosevelt High School (LAUSD), Happy Trails for Kids, and Linked Learning.

Roosevelt High School’s student population is 99% minority and 97% economically disadvantaged; Linked Learning exposes students to previously unimagined college and career opportunities; and Happy Trails for Kids engages foster youth with unique learning and extracurricular pathways.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our co-founders Rebecca Trujillo Vest, Jordan Stobbe, and Carls Woolf are three women—spread across three continents (North America, the UK, and Australia)—who came together in 2022 inspired by the idea of creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help level the playing field for fellow music creators so they can gain the tools to further their careers. In addition to PMF Teen Camp, they all had busy, music-centered summers.

Rebecca, our CEO/Programs Director, traveled to Europe with her family, released several singles and accompanying videos from her forthcoming album “Heartful of Peace,” and somehow managed to stay plugged into the business of PMF across Greece, France, the UK, and Spain.

Jordan, our Executive Director/Programs Director, is an intrepid traveler and an even more intrepid musician. She traveled from Melbourne back to the West Coast of the U.S. to help lead the first Pandion Music Foundation Teen Camp with great success. She also managed to play several dates in her native Seattle with her band, The Rayes. Their next album, “Limb Pulled Taut,” will be released in September. She also hosted a PMF booth with our Programs Associate, Anahi Cruz-Bautista, at the third annual Catalina Pride event on June 15. Needless to say, PMF is present.

Carls, our Operations Director/Programs Director, somehow balanced life as a supermum with music and travel as well. She has been working throughout the summer to help PMF realize the next Sync-o-Thon 2024 on August 8 in partnership with Pandion partner 2Indie. It offers a full day of sync and song discussion that will bring together sync experts and music creators for inspiration, knowledge, connections, and song feedback to provide real career tools for artists.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
All three women were music-focused growing up and pursued careers in the industry across multiple areas, including singer/songwriter, instrumentalist, performance, production, and now giving back through Pandion Music Foundation. All of Pandion’s services are 100% donor-funded.

That makes PMF different from most other organizations in the music and entertainment space. PMF’s work does not rely on music creators’ personal funds, which should go toward creating, collaborating, and producing their art. This means fewer financial barriers and more music.

Contact Info:

• Website: pandionmusicfoundation.org; Pandion Music Foundation Teen Camp Sponsors: https://www.gibsonfoundation.org/home; https://www.gibsonfoundation.org/home https://www.4imprint.com; https://earthstarvenice.com; Sync-O-Thon Partner: 2indie
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pandionmusicfoundation/
• Facebook: Pandion Music Foundation

Image Credits
Pandion Music Foundation (2024)