Jason Newsted is a six-time Grammy-winning American musician who was the bassist of American heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001. After leaving Metallica, Newsted was a member of metal bands Echobrain and Voivod and toured with Ozzy Osbourne, using the pseudonym Jasonic for Voivod. He also fronted heavy metal band Newstead from 2012 to 2014. Newsted was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.

Newsted’s mother taught piano and he was exposed to music as a child, listening to the record collections of his older brothers. His first instrument was a guitar, which he started to play at 9 years old, but he moved to bass at 14, after listening to Gene Simmons of Kiss. Newsted cites Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath as his major influence. Newsted has been an avid supporter of Little Kids Rock since 2004 and regularly advocates for music education in our schools. Most recently Newsted has been working to support Little Kids Rock’s expansion in his home state of Florida.

In 2005, as a result of three career-altering shoulder surgeries, Newsted turned his attention to visual arts. During the time he was unable to play, Newsted decided to put down his instrument and pick up a brush. It was during this time that he began to express himself through painting. Since then, he’s become an accomplished modern artist and since has turned out a number of large original works of art over the last half a decade. Newsted says that he went “from making crazy and colorful music to making crazy and colorful paintings.”

Photo by Adam Byerly

Pierce Freelon is a musician, Durham City Council Member and storyteller.

Pierce is the founder of Blackspace, an Afrofuturism digital maker space. He is the writer, composer and co-director of the PBS animated series, The History of White People in America. He is a co-founder of the Emmy-winning PBS web-series Beat Making Lab. His critically acclaimed Children’s Music has been featured on NPR, Today Show, Rolling Stone and New York Times. In 2022, Little, Brown books will release his debut Children’s book, Daddy Daughter Day.

Pierce earned a BA in African and African American Studies at UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in Pan African Studies at Syracuse University. He has taught in the Departments of Music, Political Science, and African American Studies at UNC Chapel  Hill and North Carolina Central University. Pierce is the son of 6-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and the late architect of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Phil Freelon.

Pierce lives in Durham with his wife and their two young children.

Due to technical difficulties on our virtual conference platform, the recording of this session was unfortunately not retained.

Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN is a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, and published author, most recently penning “Stop Self-Sabotage,” published by HarperCollins in August 2019; a book detailing a scientifically driven six-step program which has been translated into 7 additional languages around the world.  Dr. Judy maintains a private practice in Manhattan Beach, CA where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and expert witness work. She regularly appears as an expert psychologist on television, podcasts, radio, and contributes to other media including print and electronic periodicals. She is a co-host on the syndicate daytime television talk show “The Doctors,” co-host of CBS’s Face the Truth, and host of The SuperCharged Life podcast produced by Stage 29 Podcast Productions.

Dr. Judy Ho is an avid researcher and is a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award. She hosts an active research program to improve mental health care for high-need populations and is the chair of the Institutional Review Board at Pepperdine University. Her treatment approaches integrate the scientific principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She often speaks at national and local events including research, clinical, and corporate conferences and workshops for organizations and schools.

Dr. Judy received her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from UC Berkeley, and her masters and doctorate from SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed a National Institute of Mental Health sponsored fellowship at UCLA’s Semel Institute.

Fueled by his belief that we are all innately musical, Dave Wish founded and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that funds and runs one of the largest, free instrumental music programs in US public schools today. Little Kids Rock is also a leading provider of free instruments and curriculum. Dave has initiated and managed the launch of campaigns to restore and revitalize music education for more than 950,000 low-income children in 48 states.

A recognized social entrepreneur, Dave has been awarded numerous honors for his work in the field, including prestigious fellowships from Ashoka, The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, The Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation, and The Goldhirsh Foundation, as well as receiving the New Jersey State Governor’s Jeffersonian Awards in the ‘Ambassador’ category for his exemplary volunteer service beyond the borders of New Jersey.

Dave’s work has been highlighted by national and local media outlets including The New York Times, CNN Headline News, Time Magazine, MTV, A&E, The Dr. Phil Show and National Public Radio. He has also been a speaker at the LEGO Idea Conference, Imagine Solutions Conference, Social Innovation Summit, TEDxSantaCruz and the Net Impact Conference.

Dave is active in the broader field of music education. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium as well as the Advisory Boards of SpreadMusicNow and Oberlin’s Music in America Initiative.

Innovator, Motivator, Philanthropist, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels changed music and made history when he broke down cultural barriers with his legendary band Run-DMC. Forty million record sales later he continues to inspire & impact the world…

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is a legendary music icon who first impacted the world over 35 years ago. From the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine to the first to appear on MTV, Grammy nominated Run-DMC changed music, culture, fashion, language and made American history. It would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture.

Forty million record sales later, and more than fifteen years after the untimely death of his bandmate Jam Master Jay, DMC still continues to create, inspire and motivate. In 2009, as a member of Run-DMC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy given to “performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.”

In 2014 he launched a comic book company called Darryl Makes Comics, a new journey that helps bridge the gap between the worlds of hip-hop and the fantastic adventures he got wrapped up in as a youth. The company’s first full length graphic novel hit stores in October 2014. His company has since followed up with a new release annually, and he speaks multiple times a year at various comic conventions.

Darryl is also the co-author of two critically acclaimed books: his recent memoir entitled, Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide (2016/Harpers/Amistad), and a past autobiography King of Rock; Respect, Responsibility and My Life with Run-DMC (2001/ Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martins) as well as an award winning solo album Checks, Thugs & Rock and Roll.

That album produced the hit single “Just like Me” featuring Sarah McLachlan; a song DMC wrote after discovering he was adopted, that spoke to his new revelation and began his journey down another life path, in search of his birth mother. While his search struggle was captured in the 2007 Emmy Winning VH1 documentary DMC: My Adoption Journey, the process gave DMC tremendous insight and purpose, prompting him to become an advocate for adoption and children in foster care.

In 2006 he co-founded the Felix Organization with Sheila Jaffe- a nonprofit that works to provide inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing in the foster care system. https://www.thefelixorganization.org

All the while, DMC’s music continues to inspire! In 2017 he released the eagerly anticipated special vinyl-only limited edition EP, Back From the Dead- The Legend Lives on National Record Store Day/ Black Friday, November 24, with the 4-track power-bolt featuring iconic collaborations from the rock and hip hop worlds including Chuck D (Public Enemy), John Moyer (Disturbed), Rome (Sublime), and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash), and others.

The Deluxe Package (a limited rollout of 4000, individually numbered and pressed in red vinyl) with the cover artwork for Back From The Dead portraying DMC as a zombie, was designed by award winning Walking Dead graphic novel artist Tony Moore.

The EP is in advance of a new album entitled DMC: Dynamic Music Collaborations that will feature new songs with Rome (Sublime) Joan Jett, Travis Barker (Blink 182), Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Chuck D, Sum 41, DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Mick Mars (Motley Crue) and more due to be released in 2020 on King of Rock Entertainment with an accompanying music film to follow in 2021.

When DMC is not in the studio recording he’s on the road with his rock band DMC and The Hellraisers performing around the globe, including sold out shows across the US, Europe, Hong Kong, Bahrain and more. The group is set to release a new single “Monster” in Fall 2020.

In between his work as a musical artist and producer, published author and speaker, or his work with his nonprofit, McDaniels finds time to talk with kids across the country about respect, responsibility and self-awareness. One of his many engagements included an invitation by then President Obama to speak at the White House to a group of young men about fatherhood.

Darryl has also appeared before Congress and various State legislatures in support of adoptees and foster children, has worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on part of her “Get Fit” Campaign, was a featured speaker at the 2016 Kennedy Forum #Young Minds Matter event on Mental Health, and was a featured speaker at the 2017 SXSW Music Festival and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors.

DMC has received numerous awards including the Hard Rock’s Love All Serve All Award for his numerous philanthropic endeavors, the Doing Art Together (DAT) Honoree Award for his contributions to helping under-served communities in NYC in the classroom and life, and the coveted CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Champion Award for his tireless work on behalf of foster children through his FELIX ORGANIZATION/ Adoptees for Children, as well as his work providing other year-round opportunities for children in foster care.

In addition to the Felix Organization, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles.

 
Grammy, Golden Globe, Critic’s Choice award nominated producer and Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Linda Perry is one of the most accomplished people working in music today. Her career epitomizes what it means to be successful as an uncompromising and independent musician. Beginning her musical journey as the lead singer of 4 Non Blondes, she has profoundly impacted pop culture through her work as a producer and songwriter. Her resounding influence on female empowerment resonates through her sincere artistry, which has helped shape the sounds of P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, and Adele to name a few. In 2019, Perry earned a groundbreaking Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year, making her the first woman in 15 years to be nominated in the category. Nominations for Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards followed for her work on “Girl In the Movies,” a track she co-wrote with Dolly Parton for the Netflix film ‘Dumplin’, that earned her a new 2020 Grammy nomination as well.
 
In 2017, Perry and fellow multi platinum producer Kerry Brownco-founded We Are Hear, a Los Angeles-based artist empowerment label/publishing/management/production
company. Home to artists including Grammy award nominated Natasha Bedingfield, Grammy award-winner Imogen Heap, Jesse Jo Stark and Terror Jr among others, the company’s mission is to provide a creative community for artists and give them freedom usually restricted by major labels. We Are Hear also curates artist lineups for prestigious concert events such as 2018’s One Love Malibu Benefit concert, which featured performers including Katy Perry, Joe Walsh, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morrisette, Robin Thicke, Rita Ora, Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, raising more than 1 million dollars for victims of the Malibu fires. Most recently, WE ARE HEAR and The Art of Elysium partnered to bring their gala ‘HEAVEN IS ROCK AND ROLL’ to the Hollywood Palladium, reuniting surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear) with St. Vincent, Beck, Violet Grohl, L7, Cheap Trick and Marilyn Manson. Perry is also on the board of Sean Penn’s CORE organization, curating their fundraisers in LA and Nashville with artists like Billie Eilish, Cat Stevens, Maren Morris, Dwight Yoakum, Jenny Lewis and others.

 
Fueled by his belief that we are all innately musical, Dave Wish founded and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that funds and runs one of the largest, free instrumental music programs in US public schools today. Little Kids Rock is also a leading provider of free instruments and curriculum. Dave has initiated and managed the launch of campaigns to restore and revitalize music education for more than 950,000 low-income children in 48 states.
 
A recognized social entrepreneur, Dave has been awarded numerous honors for his work in the field, including prestigious fellowships from Ashoka, The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, The Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation, and The Goldhirsh Foundation, as well as receiving the New Jersey State Governor’s Jeffersonian Awards in the ‘Ambassador’ category for his exemplary volunteer service beyond the borders of New Jersey.
 
Dave’s work has been highlighted by national and local media outlets including The New York Times, CNN Headline News, Time Magazine, MTV, A&E, The Dr. Phil Show and National Public Radio. He has also been a speaker at the LEGO Idea Conference, Imagine Solutions Conference, Social Innovation Summit, TEDxSantaCruz and the Net Impact Conference.
 
Dave is active in the broader field of music education. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium as well as the Advisory Boards of SpreadMusicNow and Oberlin’s Music in America Initiative.

 
Steven Van Zandt is a musician, performer, songwriter, arranger, music producer, music supervisor, TV producer, actor, director, Broadway producer, TV and film composer, live event producer, international DJ, activist, historian, teacher, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recognized internationally as one of the world’s foremost authorities on both Contemporary and Traditional Rock and Roll. He is a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an original
principal cast member of The Sopranos. Steven founded The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation (www.teachrock.org) dedicated to the development, preservation, dissemination, and continuing support of Rock and Roll, past, present, and future.

“He’s not the only one, nor the oldest, nor the richest. But Little Stevie Van Zandt might currently be the planet’s most charismatic, dedicated, and visible crusader scrapping to preserve the dirty purity of Rock ‘n Roll.” – BruceSpringsteen.net

“I know it sounds a bit silly but I do believe Rock and Roll can change the world. It’s about bands, and that for me suggests brotherhood, family, friendship, and community” – Stevie Van Zandt