How New York’s Music Scene Is Sparking Social Good

Anti Social Camp, a grand-scale five-day music camp and festival, is making its comeback June 10-15 in New York City. More than 200 music artists and industry creatives including Jacob Collier, Alec Benjamin, Miranda Lambert, Cults, Daya and Rob Thomas are planned to gather for more than 100 recording sessions and catalogue of shows.

Known as “the SXSW
SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF
for Songwriters,” the fourth annual Anti Social Camp is free of cost to participants and designed to put a new spin on traditional, private songwriting camps. The public event will connect participating artists to create new hit songs that positively impact culture and energize the city’s music scene.

Grayson Music Group CEO Bridget Flynn, title partner bringing sync expertise to this year’s event, says, “Sync can create incredibly powerful opportunities for producers, songwriters and artists. We’re grateful to have the space to promote its value and empower the New York songwriting community.”

The first official event album, Anti Social Camp Volume 1, was released this past March by Amuse. The second volume will be released later this year featuring songs created at this June’s camp.

Anti Social Camp Founder Danny Ross says that many New York creators have relocated to Los Angeles, Nashville and Austin over the last decade, so he is spotlighting the city as a music capital of the world and connecting artists with key industry leaders to elevate their careers.

Also inspiring positive social change through music is New York-based Road Recovery. Now in its 25th year, the music industry-driven non-profit guides young people facing addiction and other adversities in life to develop healthy coping, communication and life skills.

Mentors at Road Recovery include mental health professionals and entertainment industry leaders who have overcome similar life challenges. Action-driven programs guide youth through the process of creating, planning and presenting their own live musical performances and studio recording projects.

“Two unlikely characters, the healthcare world and the entertainment industry, have come together to work with youth,” says Road Recovery founder and president Gene Bowen. “The ultimate goal is to give the kids a safe space where they can use creative content to express their voice and validate what they want to talk about and present it in live performance.”

Youth Clubhouses within the Road Recovery Trax program offer a safe place for youth and young adults in recovery from addiction as well as those who have been impacted by a family member’s substance use disorder or who are at risk for developing a substance use disorder.

The Clubhouses offer a program throughout New York State in a federal grant partnership with the US Department of Justice/Office of Justice Programs, and a state program partnership with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). Community-based curriculum is offered in a non-clinical setting to promote long-term recovery through skill-building, recreation, education, wellness, evidence-based prevention programs and additional social activities throughout the state.

Road Recovery artist ambassador Slash (Guns N’ Roses) says, “Road Recovery promotes hope and creativity. It brings people together to learn to work as a team and not isolate or ruminate inside one’s head, which is crucial to recovery for a lot of addicts. I have seen Road Recovery truly rehabilitate a lot of people. It helped me to stay sober in my early years of sobriety, and the ideology stays with me to this day.”

Several young adults who Slash mentored in Road Recovery’s Trax program wrote a song for the rock star. He recorded it, and Road Recovery released “Crimson Chaos” featuring Slash in August of 2022.

Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses also believes in the power of mentoring in music and says, “Learning how to play music and playing in early punk bands really brought out (things like substance use) that were not good for my future as a human. Seeing how successful the program has now become is just simply super damn stellar.”

Additional artist ambassadors include: Mick Fleetwood, Don Miggs, Peter Frampton, Simon Kirke, Fred Schneider (The B-52’s), James Hetfield (Metallica), Tom Morello, Wayne Kramer, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October), Tony Bennett, Doug E. Fresh, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Adam Clayton (U2) Iggy Pop, Ronnie Wood, Joe Perry, Keb’ Mo,’ Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), Joan Jett, Jon Anderson, Duff McKagen, Smokey Robinson, Doug E. Fresh, Paul Williams, Juliet Lewis and Reeve Carney.