What we do

We register voters at concerts and make civic participation part of the live music experience. Our message is simple "Make Your Voice Heard." Artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, The Dead, Phish, John Mayer and Wilco have helped us register over 160,000 voters by welcoming us at their concerts, pointing to our tables from stage and appearing in our public service announcement campaigns.

How we do it

We have a network of 4,000 volunteers across the county, divided into local street teams. Any time one of our 80 affiliated artists plays a concert in a city where we have a team, our volunteers set up a HeadCount table. At those tables, people can register to vote, write a letter to Congress or sign up for educational email lists related to specific issues. We also maintain a website and blog (www.HeadCount.org and www.headcount.org/blog) with information on voting, current events and volunteer opportunities.

Why We Do it

We believe that musicians and their fans have the potential to be the leaders of worldwide social movements. By harnessing this untapped energy and giving fans the tools to be active and informed citizens, we can galvanize the music community into an influential force -  one capable of making a massive contribution to society.

Who is Behind It

HeadCount was founded in 2004 by Marc Brownstein of the popular electronic rock band The Disco Biscuits and Andy Bernstein, author of the Phish fan guide “The Pharmer’s Almanac.” They were quickly joined by a collective of fans, music industry professionals and musicians including Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, who is  on the organization’s board of directors. Today, HeadCount has a small full-time staff, more than 75 volunteers holding leadership positions and 20 board members.

What Are We Doing Now?

With our "What's Your Issue?" Campaign, we ask voters to pick the issues that matter most to them. We then keep them informed on those issues and present opportunities to take action. The issues are:

• Food and Farm Policy
• Health Care Reform
• Personal Liberty
• Gulf Coast Recovery
• Human Rights
• Sustainability and Conservation

This lays the foundation for advocacy campaigns tied to each issue championed by individual musicians. It also sets the stage for the 2010 elections, when our issue and electoral work will converge around a large "Midterms Matter" initiative to Get Out the Vote. By working with famous musicians to publicize how the midterm elections will impact America’s future, we hope to turn the Midterm Elections into a pop-culture event.

Board of Directors

• Peter Bahouth, U.S. Climate Action Network
  
• Andy Bernstein, Pharmer's Almanac
  
• Diane Blagman, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  
• Marc Brownstein, The Disco Biscuits
  
• Andrew Dreskin, Virgin Mobile Festival
  
• Andy Gadiel, JamBase
  
• Richard Goodstone, Superfly Productions
  
• Ken Hays, Founder, Gathering of the Vibes
  
• Patrick Jordan, Red Light Management
  
• Jonathan Levine, Paradigm Talent Agency
  
• Dave Marguiles, High Sierra Music Festival
  
• Virginia McEnerney, Alliance for Young Artists and Writers
• Nadia Prescher, Madison House Inc.
  
• Stefani Scamardo, Hard Head Management
  
• Al Schnier, moe.
  
• Jonathan Schwartz, Sirius XM
  
• Peter Shapiro, 3ality Digital Entertainment
  
• Stephen Simon, Simon Equity Partners, LLC and Melvin Simon & Associates, Inc.
  
• Don Strasburg, AEG
  
• Robert Weir, RatDog, Grateful Dead

Who's Who @ HeadCount

HeadCount has a wealth of talent helping it accomplish our goals. This talent reaches across the country and areas of expertise. From Community Organizers in New York City to Graphic Designers in Colorado to Green Energy Consultants in California, HeadCount relies on volunteers on it's mission to inspire participation in democracy.

Check out our Who's Who page to see the bios of the people that make HeadCount a successful force in today's music scene.