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GIVING BACK

Song Summit Foundation℠

Song Summit Foundation

ABOUT

Song Summit Foundation is more than music.

Song Summit Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to utilizing music’s unique ability to promote healing, wellness, and education. Working at the intersection of music and wellness, we provide accessible programs and resources designed to support individuals of all ages and backgrounds in their journey toward improved health and emotional well-being; because everyone’s wellness story is different.

Building on the impactful work and momentum of Park City Song Summit, which provides a different way to experience a music festival by emphasizing wellness, mental health, recovery, and inclusivity, the foundation supports the welfare of the people who make the music happen and those that come to enjoy it.

There is a growing health crisis evidenced by high rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. The foundation provides annual recovery and wellness services to over 150 artists during Song Summit.

Beyond the festival, the foundation partners with other nonprofits, schools, and community organizations to offer educational initiatives to foster growth, healing, and empowerment for the larger community.

We know music is a catalyst for positive change. It is a universal language that has the power to reach and resonate with people on a deep emotional level. At Song Summit Foundation, we are committed to creating a healthy music ecosystem and making a meaningful impact on the lives of those we support.

OUR MISSION

Song Summit Foundation’s mission is to use the transformative power of music for wellness.


Become a Song Summit Foundation Music Maker

Lead Singer – $50,000

A Music Maker Lead Singer provides a guiding voice through sponsorship of a Wellness Lab discussion at Park City Song Summit.  The Labs provide educational programs that address wellness, mental health, recovery, and inclusivity.  Be the Lead Singer in fostering community and healing by building a more supportive music ecosystem for professionals and attendees alike.  In 2024, we anticipate surpassing 1,250 Lab participants.

Guitarist - $25,000

A Lead Guitarist shines the spotlight at center stage by providing access for traditionally underserved and marginalized communities to educational, innovative programming and opportunities for mentorship and community building at Park City Song Summit. Already this year, we’re proud to have extended scholarships to 50 students between the ages of 13 and 25 from Cuba, New Orleans, Salt Lake City and Park City.  Becoming a Lead Guitarist will yield more scholarships.

Drummer - $10,000

As the drummer of the Music Makers, you are the heartbeat of the Song Summit Foundation in supporting the welfare of musicians and crew.  For the people that make the music happen, there is a growing health crisis evidenced by high rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. The Foundation provides annual recovery and wellness services to over 150 artists during Song Summit.  Become a drummer and provide access to onsite health and wellness activities ranging from clean rooms and recovery hangs to yoga, meditation, vitamin drips, and onsite therapists.  Help support those that make the music happen.

Back-Up Singer - $5,000

The Back-Up Singers bring harmony to the Foundation. A gift in support amplifies the Song Summit Foundation megaphone with free wellness programming at the Foundation tent where music goers can escape the heat, have a mocktail and engage in spotlight discussions from the healing properties of music to narcan education. Year-round Back-up Singers support programming for the community that showcases the powerful connection between music and wellness.  Join the chorus of voices.

Bassist - $2,500

The Bassist keeps us grounded on the low end, helping build the foundation for the SSF Band.  As the bedrock of the Foundation, support from the Bassist can both expand and deepen the impact of the Foundation with growth from within as well as to support and shine a light on other worthy programs outside of Song Summit such as the Healing Harmonies veteran songwriting program. The rhythm of the Band is dependent on the Bassist to achieve the crescendo in its mission.

Devoted fan $1 – $2499

The Fans of the Song Summit Foundation band are as important as the band in the musical ecosystem.  The Fans are essential to the Foundation’s growth and success.   Fans create community and connection with the band.  Without our Fans, there is no energy and buzz from which to fuel our wellness journey.


RECENT EVENTS

SongwritingWith:Soldiers Logo

HEALING HARMONIES

A celebration of veteran storytelling, connection, and LIVE music. Presenting: SongwritingWith:Soldiers. A moderated panel and performance with special guests: Jay Clementi, Danny Myrick, and Erin Enderlin.

  • WHEN:
    Tuesday July 2, 2024 6:30pm

  • WHERE:
    National Ability Center
    1000 Ability Way, Park City, UT 84060

  • TICKET PRICE:
    Single Ticket $100
    Veteran Ticket/Active Military $50

  • Food and Beverage available for purchase

PARK CITY SONG SUMMIT

Song Summit Foundation proudly presents all Summit Labs and the Song Summit Village at Park City Song Summit. Both activations help to make the festival about more than music. 

Summit Labs are thoughtful discussions focused on artists’ journeys with music and wellness.

In the Song Summit Village there will be live music, amazing vendors, and delicious food. Plus there will be activities, wellness discussions, & information. Plus there is live music, vendors, food, wellness, and more! Entrance to Song Summit Village is FREE for everyone!


WHO WE ARE

The board draws from years of experience with 501 (c) (3) non-profits. Also by support of music culture as expressed via live performance and recording arts. Board values are honed by years of testing assumptions related to serving a variety of community constituents. Focusing on championing wellness, nurturing creativity, honoring diversity, and prioritizing accessibility. We are growing and look forward to adding additional members to serve our mission & values.


Our Team

Meredith Lavitt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Meredith Lavitt has over 30 years of experience working in the independent film arena and with non-profit arts organizations. Her passion centers on harnessing the arts for education, self-expression, and empowerment; joining Song Summit Foundation as our Executive Director, Meredith is excited to focus on the power of music for wellness.  Previously, Meredith was president of Original Thinkers, where she co-produced the annual multi-media ideas festival and curated year-round programming for organizations and companies. Before that, she spent over 20 years at Sundance Institute, focusing on program development. She was the founder and director of the Sundance Ignite Program, where she cultivated and supported a new generation of filmmakers ages 18 to 25 and the Director of Sundance Film Forward. Meredith spearheaded Sundance Institute's youth and community programs and was also instrumental in establishing the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, serving as the Associate Director of the Program and lead administrator for the Sundance Documentary Fund. Her producing credits include the critically acclaimedHome Front, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and on Showtime, andThe Grand Rescue, which premiered at the Mountain Film Festival in 2014 and first aired on PBS in 2016.She has also been a consulting producer for numerous award-winning documentary films. Meredith holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and lives with her family in Park City, Utah.

Courtney Caplan

Courtney Caplan

PRESIDENT

Courtney has a deep love and appreciation for non-profit work and finds herself at live music shows near and far throughout the year, so when the opportunity to help with the start-up of More Than Music Foundation arrived, she jumped!  The mission of the organization resonates through and through as the focus of mental health and wellness intersects her life as well as her family and friends.  Courtney’s expertise lies in both new and established non-profits, having worked locally for Sundance Institute and Park City Chamber/Bureau and while living abroad in London, England, for Pilotlight.  She helped start and establish EATS (Eat Awesome Things) Park City and recently finished her term on the Board of Park City Community Foundation.  To her, the best thing about investing time and energy in non-profit work is the people and passion involved:  it doesn’t get better than having a product to represent that impacts others in a meaningful way.  Courtney enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially tied together with good food and traveling to new places.

Ellen Silver

Ellen Silver

VICE PRESIDENT

Ellen Silver has 45 years of non-profit experience.  A significant focus has been providing programs and services in support of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, as well as their caregivers. Under her leadership, Jewish Family Service of Utah became the second community based agency in the country to provide the Music and Memory program to families and then trained a dozen other JFS organizations to do the same.  An outgrowth of this program has been the Gleeful Choir, composed of individuals with dementia and their caregivers, which performs throughout the Wasatch front and back.  Ellen recognizes the power of music and is excited to be involved with the More Than Music Foundation.

John W. Comerford

John W. Comerford

John’s motion picture writing and producing credits for Paradigm Studio include award winning, coming-of-age, music driven drama AROUND THE FIRE currently in rerelease for its 25th anniversary, The New York Times acclaimed documentary feature film/series ICONS AMONG US: JAZZ IN PRESENT TENSE. In his role as a producer, story guide and content owner, John has three feature films in active release. WALLFLOWER an EDM music community drama drawing raves in Variety and two documentaries: MARSHWAN LYNCH: A HISTORY an experimental race and sports film composed entirely from the internet clips profiled in The New Yorker and a sequel to wildlife conservation documentary THE BREACH, environmental award winner THE WILD which focuses on the successful fight to preserve wild salmon in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. 

He is now helping produce Charles Hambleton’s (Academy Award winner THE COVE) and Johnny O’Hara’s (Sundance award winner FUEL) documentary KINSU MARU which tells the story of a treasure hunter’s return to the South Pacific to recover a treasure whose proceeds will be used for the good of local communities. John is also adapting David Harris’ book The Last Stand about the resistance to a hostile takeover of family redwood timber Pacific Lumber in the 1980’s by Wall Street junk bond kings. He served on the board of Seattle’s Earshot Jazz and now at Los Angeles’ The Jazz Bakery. John graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder where he was mentored by experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage earning degrees in Psychology & Film Studies. His films have been distributed by Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Showtime and Starz/Encore. 

Danika Knieriem

Danika Knieriem

SECRETARY

Danika is thrilled to be a founding board member for More Than Music Foundation.

Danika moved to Park City from Manhattan Beach, CA in 2019. Since calling Utah home she has turned her attention to the powerful collaboration between music, the arts and nonprofit work. Danika is passionate about how music aids in education, mental health, and undoubtedly strengthens both individuals and communities. She has previously held various positions in sales, marketing and design. While running her business in CA she also held a volunteer teaching position with Young at Art, a nonprofit organization providing art enrichment lessons seeking to make community resources in the Arts more available to children.

In addition to More Than Music Foundation she currently serves on the board for Mountain Town Music, and also works with PC READS, a learning advocacy nonprofit. Originally from CO, Danika is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder. Danika’s hope is that More Than Music Foundation will provide unique educational opportunities and enriching experiences to all those it touches!

Andy Hecht

Andy Hecht

Andy currently serves as the Climate Fund Manager at the Park City Community Foundation. Hailing from Chicago, he ventured westward to collaborate with the National Park Service. In 2008, with the support of over 30 public and private partnerships, Andy pioneered a natural resources education program for the U.S. Forest Service in northern California. His decade-long leadership of an environmental education site on the Oregon coast for a consortium of Northwest Oregon school districts earned him a spotlight on PBS NewsHour, thanks to his innovative collaborative strategies.

Adding to his academic accomplishments, Andy received a Master’s in Educational Business Administration in 2018. True to his passion for seasonal work, he consistently dedicated his winter months, from 2006 to 2021, to the Sundance Film Festival. In 2018, Andy and his long-time partner tied the knot, choosing Park City as their forever home.

Andy’s commitment to the community shines through his active participation in numerous committees and boards, such as More than Music, Community Foundation Climate Collaborative, Park City’s Green Business Program, Park City’s Sustainable Tourism, and the feasibility study for the Bonanza Park project. When not immersed in professional or community endeavors, Andy and his wife, Brittnie, savor the myriad activities that Park City’s seasons offer. They’re also proud curators of an impressive board game collection.

Sarah Henderson

Sarah Henderson

TREASURER

Sarah Henderson has been an avid music fan since birth, attending her first concert before age two, seeing Jackson Browne. She began her career in finance in New York and San Francisco and has spent the last eight + years working in tech (Eventbrite, Amazon Web Services, Aumni / JP Morgan) in various leadership roles across finance and business operations.

She got involved with the Park City Song Summit in 2021, helping as a strategy and finance consultant. She joined the More than Music Foundation in fall 2023 and is excited to raise awareness on such an important issue.


EIN: 92-2452067

Song Summit Foundation
PO Box #982733
Park City, UT 84098

(435) 200-3166

info@songsummitfoundation.org

*We're in the process of a name change. What was once More Than Music Foundation is now Song Summit Foundation. Our mission and dedication remain the same, with a fresh new name to better reflect our vision.

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