Conversations with Pandion Music Foundation Co-Founders: Rebecca Trujillo Vest (Los Angeles, USA); Jordan Stobbe (Melbourne, AUS); Carls Woolf (London, UK)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pandion Music Foundation Co-Founders: Rebecca Trujillo Vest (Los Angeles, USA); Jordan Stobbe (Melbourne, AUS); Carls Woolf (London, UK).

Hi Pandion Music Foundation co-founders:, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We are three women spread across three continents but joined by our dedication to fostering growth in the music creator community. We met at a songwriting conference, and in 2022 co-founded Pandion Music Foundation (PMF) a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering growth in the music creator community. PMF recognizes the challenges in today’s music industry and aims to combat these issues by helping artists build resilience and community through music education, shared resources, and collaboration opportunities. PMF centers on accessibility, equity, and sustainability in its mission to create an inclusive and supportive ecosystem where creators from all backgrounds can cultivate long-lasting, fulfilling lives in music. This translates into PMF’s free online music industry workshops and the creation of new offerings for young people interested in a life in music through our Pandion SoundWeavers initiative. PMF partners include Backline, Earthstar Creation Center, 2indie.com, and Sweetwater.

Anyone can register for upcoming PMF workshops by visiting: pandionmusicfoundation.org/upcoming-events/. Participants can opt out at any time. Benefits also include access to replays of PMF’s programs and an informative, industry-based newsletter. Replays of past Pandion Unplugged live wellness sessions are available on PMF Facebook and Instagram platforms. PMF has seen extensive growth over the past year. Audience reach has increased annually close to 270% and newsletter subscribers represent a 185% rise.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At Pandion, we dream big. We anticipate challenges and our team’s ability to overcome them in creative ways. When we launched Pandion Music Foundation Teen Camp in June 2024, we wanted to host students who were 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. Our PMF Teen Camp last year was held 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. Additional support was provided by 4Imprint, through their One By One grant program.

We were so inspired by PMF Teen Camp that this year, we’re launching Pandion SoundWeavers in 2025, a new high-impact program that nurtures the musical outcomes produced by mentorship and collaboration with industry professionals and teens in Los Angeles. Pandion SoundWeavers will give 6 high school students from under-serviced communities in Los Angeles (PMF headquarters) the opportunity to receive 2 months of intensive music mentorship and collaboration experience at no cost to the students. Teens will experience 27 hours of mentorship featuring music education, access to musical equipment, professional recording experience, artist identity growth, collaboration exercises, and wellness tools. With our SoundWeavers structure and curriculum, we hope to build a template that can be offered to school districts across California, the U.S., and beyond. We are looking for sponsors for our Pandion SoundWeavers program in 2025! Please access our student application here, or contact our Executive Director, Jordan Stobbe for sponsorship inquiries: [email protected].

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Pandion greatly benefits from an all-female staff who truly work together. We also have dynamic, women-led Board of Directors that includes: PMF Board Treasurer Candice Rosales, development executive; and PMF Board Members Seven McDonald, producer and award-winning journalist; Abby Wills, co-founder of Shanti Generation and mindfulness educator; and Margaret Yen, a GRAMMY-winning documentary filmmaker who recently launched Win Win Pictures, a new company with director Lindsay Utz. Rebecca Trujillo Vest is CEO/Programs Director and PMF Board Chair.

What were you like growing up?
All three of us were inspired by our families, teachers, and other aspiring musicians. That’s why the sense and purpose of the PMF artistic community is so strong and such a part of our nonprofit’s mission.

Pricing:

• All PMF programs are free. Anyone can register for upcoming PMF workshops by visiting: pandionmusicfoundation.org/upcoming-events/.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pandionmusicfoundation.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pandionmusicfoundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PandionMusicFoundation
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pandion-music-foundation/posts/?feedView=all
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pandionmusicfoundationcreatorscircle