‘Green’ is the Next Big Thing in the Music Industry

Jan. 30 was a star-studded evening at Jane’s House in Hollywood as Green Music Group hosted an event featuring performances by Maroon 5, The Roots, Guster and members of the Dave Matthews Band.

An international nonprofit, Green Music Group is a team of musicians, fans, record labels and music industry leaders seeking to inspire positive environmental change through powerful performances that spread awareness of global issues.

Maroon Five’s Adam Levine takes a shot at the drums at the Green Music Group Launch Event at Jane’s House on Jan. 30. Photo: Green Music Group

Founded by Guster band member Adam Gardner and environmentalist Lauren Sullivan, Green Music Group is a project of Reverb, an organization that in less than six years has spread its eco-friendly message to 80 major music tours, totaling 10 million fans and followers of environmental stewardship.

“We believe in music’s ability to bring people together and in the power it has to unite people around common goals,” says Gardner.

“Since 2004, Reverb has had great success working within the industry to reduce the music community’s environmental footprint. All of our founding artists are deeply committed to reducing their own environmental footprints, and by and large their fans are motivated by these artists’ commitment to creating lasting change,” he adds.

One of Green Music Group’s primary goals is to provide a public platform for environmental nonprofits such as the Sierra Club, Oxfam America, Hip Hop Caucus, StopGlobalWarming.org, Music for Relief and Climate Counts.

“With the help of our nonprofit partners, we’ll be bringing environmental issues and actions that correspond directly to millions of fans everywhere,” Gardner says. “Outreach will be accomplished online through the Web site at GreenMusicGroup.org as well as onsite at members’ concerts and events. Some artists will speak publicly about guidelines and standards as well as about direct actions that fans can take as well.”