Audio-Technica is a proud sponsor of Playing for Change (PFC), founded by Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke. Playing for Change was created to inspire and connect the world through music – traveling across the globe since 2002. For the past two decades, Playing for Change has traveled to several countries, from Africa to Spain, and has even developed a yearly event, Playing for Change Day, where musicians come together and put on performances all over the world for people to attend and support the Playing for Change Foundation.

It’s been a bit since Audio-Technica caught up with Mark Johnson, a Grammy award-winning producer/engineer and film director. If you missed our first Q&A with the PFC co-founder, check it out here. In this exclusive interview, we catch up on upcoming Playing for Change events, pandemic update, and more.

It's been a while since we last spoke, how has Playing for Change developed or changed since we last spoke?

 Well, I am super excited to share that we are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Playing For Change this year as well as getting the PFC Band back on the road after the pandemic.  We’ve just played Jazzfest in New Orleans and It feels great to see people coming together again for live concerts.  We are also currently working with the International Red Cross in partnership to create a song around the world for the U2 classic, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”. I’ve just returned from recording and filming on the streets in Barcelona, Spain.

Can you share background on the founding of Playing for Change for readers who might be unfamiliar?

Playing For Change is a movement of people around the world who believe that no matter how many things in this world divide us, they are never as strong as the power of music to bring us together. For the past twenty years a small crew and myself have been traveling the world to over 65 countries recording and filming musicians everywhere from city streets to subways, Indian reservations, African villages and into the Himalayan Mountains.  As we travel, we create Songs Around the World to create a starting point for building common ground all over the world and then we can use this connection to build a global family.  We tour the PFC Band around the world and all our actions help to support our Playing for Change Foundation building and supporting Music and Art programs around the world for kids.  We currently have 17 music programs in 12 countries!

The last time we spoke was prior to the pandemic, can you tell us how the pandemic impacted your global music programs?

All our Playing for Change Music Programs shifted during the pandemic to become places for the community to receive essentials for living and then once restrictions were lifted in their respective countries they have since returned to fully open and functioning programs serving children around the world.

We know that Playing for Change has been to all different parts of the world, what are some new places you were able to visit in the past few years?

One of the great places we visited with Playing for Change last year was the town of Cahuita, Costa Rica.  We went to record and film musicians on new songs around the world and while there we build a great relationship with local musicians and the community. I am proud to say within one year of that visit we now have a new PFC Foundation Music Program in Cahuita.  It’s a great story because as we continue to travel and record more music the global family we are building grows and that is how we are better able to learn about each other and find ways to support each other.  The music is the spark!

We know you just recently launched a new music program in Uganda, the Salam Music Program, can you tell us about how that launch has been?

Our program in Uganda is connected to the largest refugee camp in the world and with our new program, we are excited to bring music, art, and dance to young people in desperate need.  From the poorest places often comes the greatest art and with this program we can show the power of music to lift us from the darkness to the light.

Last time we spoke it was right before Play for Change Day; tell us, are you expecting to have a Play for Change Day this year? What can we expect for that event this year?

Playing For Change Day 2022 is a big celebration since it’s the first year in a while where all our programs are running and not closed due to the pandemic.  We had an amazing event at our Bizung School of Music in Tamale, Ghana as we brought over teachers from the neighboring country of Mali representing our PFC Music school in the ancient village of Kirina.  At this point many of our students have become teachers and now seeing them travel to meet and learn from one another is a dream come true!!

Have you been able to update any of your favorite recording equipment to support the music of this foundation?

Yes! Thanks to Audio-Technica, all of our schools get great headphones and microphones and we are now including Recording Engineering as a class at some of our programs and plan to extend this to all our PFC Foundation Programs in the near future.  As we say with our PFC / A-T Partnership, “great sound is everywhere!”

With a mission of widening access to music and cultural activities to underprivileged children, can you tell us how people can get involved to further that mission?

Two great ways to further support Playing for Change and our PFC Music Programs is to sign up at playingforchange.com to become a member as well as directly listing the playingforchange.org website to find ways to directly support each of our 17 Music Programs.

Since it has been a while since we last spoke, we want to know if there are any lessons or pieces of advice that you have been able to take away after growing the foundation, especially during the pandemic?

Some of the great lessons I have learned in recent years is that no matter how many things in this life divide us, they will never be strong as the power of music to bring us together.  The pandemic taught the world that we are all in this together and as in music and in life, the things that make us different make us stronger! This is our time to rebuild the world we want to live in, a world that cares more about each other and see’s that we are all interconnected.  This is our time to come together as a human race. One heart and one song at a time.

How can readers stay connected with you and up to date on all the wonderful programs your foundation is continuously launching?

Become a member at playingforchange.com and help us continue to make songs around the world, tour the PFC Band and support our music programs.  We need your support and thank you for believing in Playing for Change!!