“Hungry for Music’s goal is to embrace and promote the positive qualities of music: its ability to enhance communication, create community, inspire a talent, unite all people, and most importantly to heal.”  Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell has a deep conviction that every instrument he puts into a kid's hands is a tool for peace in the world. Since 1994 Jeff's agency, Hungry for Music, has made it possible for almost 5000 kids to participate in music programs that they otherwise wouldn't be able to attend because the cost of the instruments was prohibitive for their families. Campbell's belief that music heals, coupled with his dedication to his mission has brought Hungry for Music from humble beginnings to it's current recognition as an emerging international resource that connects people who wish to donate instruments with kids and music programs who need them.

After a four year Navy stint at the Pentagon, which served as a ticket out of his childhood home of Shreveport, Louisiana, Campbell enrolled in a fund-raising certificate program at George Washington University. For one of his class projects he had an idea. “What if I organized a benefit concert for the homeless that featured local street musicians?”, he remembers. The resulting two concerts in 1992 and 1993  were the beginning of his charitable work. As his work and organization evolved, his focus shifted from assisting the homeless to marrying people's unused instruments with the kids who wanted and needed them. In March 1994 the non-profit agency, Hungry for Music was launched.

For Campbell the organization has been an ongoing channel for his main passions, helping kids, sharing music...and baseball? Yes, baseball. “When Hungry for Music first started, because we were such a new organization with no track record, none of the foundations or corporations would give us funding”, Campbell says, “One of the ways we raised money was by enlisting local artists to contribute their songs to CDs that we could sell to raise money”. So what does that have to do with baseball? Plenty, as it turns out. Hungry for Music Records is preparing to release it's twelfth volume in a music series called, “Diamond Cuts”, which features songs about nothing but baseball. From MLB to the Baseball Hall of Fame, “Diamond Cuts” has been received as the finest repository of music about America's pastime. The scope of the songwriters has grown as well. Artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon have contributed songs, and pianist George Winston has supported each of the 12 releases with a song on each, as well as performing several benefit concerts for the program.

The need for instrument donations is ongoing(If you'd like to donate an instrument, click here). One of the latest sources of instrument donations has been kids who are adopting Hungry for Music as their community service projects for things like Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Scouting and school. “This has been unsolicited help up until now”, Campbell says, “Imagine if we actually had the opportunity to pursue this kind of contribution”. He also is quick to mention the support that comes from a group of benefactors from his home state, Louisiana. "The Hungry for Crawfish Boil is one of our top fundraisers every year and gave us a much needed boost when we were a start-up. I am deeply grateful to my Louisiana friends and others that produce the best crawfish boil on the east coast to support us. It's a huge lift every year. " 

Personally, Hungry for Music has also provided a number of rewards for its founder. “Mostly I've learned that I have perseverance. I've developed a lot of confidence in my own abilities and I've learned that the universe will come through when I'm in need.”, he goes on, “When I started this, I didn't know what I was getting into. The most important lesson has been that you should do what you're passionate about doing. If everyone worked their passion, the world might be a happier place. I feel like my purpose on earth is to help people. Period. I don't need to make it any more difficult than that”.

There are a number of ways that people can support Hungry for Music. Financial contributions, instrument donations, CD purchases, attending benefit concerts and events like the Crawfish Boil, the COF-a-que barbeque competition, and purchasing raffle tickets for the occasional premium items that are donated(these have included a custom motorcycle and instruments, one a Gibson guitar signed by Les Paul). Contributions are tax deductible.

Please visit http://hungryformusic.com and share your generosity today.

Also, 'like' Hungry for Music on Facebook.

Some of Hungry for Music's CD's are available on CD Baby and for download at bandcamp.com