Music Will’s annual benefit concert will honor three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Wyclef Jean.
The benefit concert is set for April 9, at New York’s Gotham Hall. Proceeds will support the nation’s largest non-profit music education program for schools, helping Music Will expand its reach to more students and children nationwide.
Wyclef Jean, this year’s music benefit honoree, follows his 2022 collaboration with Music Will. He donated instruments and introduced a new music curriculum and training for 12 schools in his home state of New Jersey.
“I’m truly honored to partner with Music Will and be a part of their important work, which I was able to experience firsthand visiting a school in Passaic, NJ, a few years back providing instruments and resources for their music program,” Wyclef Jean said in a statement.
“Music has the power to change lives. It changed mine, and through these music programs, we’re providing young people with the tools they need to find their voices, tell their stories, and connect with the world. It’s an honor to help provide that opportunity to increase access to music education, especially in my home of New Jersey and New York.”
This initiative was part of the organization’s rebranding from Little Kids Rock to Music Will, which also featured partnerships with Darryl “DMC” McDaniels in Brooklyn and Smokey Robinson in Los Angeles schools. Continuing the partnership, Wyclef will help launch the program in 10 additional schools across Brooklyn and New Jersey.
“Wyclef’s passion for empowering young people through music perfectly aligns with our mission to ensure every student, regardless of their background, has access to a music program that inspires creativity and unlocks potential,” Mike Wasserman, CEO of Music Will, said. “This event will be a celebration of the transformative power of music and its ability to change lives as we look ahead to reaching millions of students annually through our programs in the years to come.”
The lineup for Music Will’s 2025 benefit concert has yet to be announced.
Past honorees and performers include Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Jett, and Usher.
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