Social Impact through Music

A #RisingYouth Alumni Impact Story prepared by Jennifer Corriero

Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Alumni Jessi Hall who is a contributing author in Flourish: A Workbook for Social Innovators. As a musician, Jessi understands how to set herself up in a way that allows her to be generative. Here’s a quote from the book:

“Cultivating creative space is both a physical and mental endeavour. There is our physical space in which we can create a supportive environment for creativity. And then there is our mind space where we can create supportive thoughts and learn to attune to creativity.” Jessi Hall

When Jessi ran her #RisingYouth community project back in 2022, her approach involved music, her passion, as a way to raise awareness about the Opioid crisis in the North. The event involved an online music performance with local artists as a way to promote good health and mental well-being.

“Listening to and writing music is an excellent way to cope with stress in hopeless times. Music is an alternative to using substances, it has saved many lives.” Jessi Hall

It was fun to meet Jessi in person while at our Flourish celebration event on June 20th in Whitehorse (traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council), Yukon and exchange ideas together with contributing author Michelle Friesen along with those in attendance at the gathering.

Looking back and reflecting on lessons learned, I have invited Jessi to share responses to a few questions about her experience leading her project last year.

What did you learn in organizing your project last year and how has this experience had an influence on your leadership journey?

Through my experience with TakingITGlobal and #RisingYouth, I learned so much. I got funding to put together a live-streamed concert bringing awareness to the opioid crisis in the north, and honoring those who have passed in my community.

For this project we brought together many young local Yukon artists and one artist who streamed remotely from Ontario. Personally, I learned about project management and how it’s important to have a clear overall vision that everyone can get on board with from the start. I learned how to structure an event and work with artists and tech support staff.

As a leader, this experience showed me the importance of persistence in problem solving and overcoming obstacles as well as how every individual involved in a project brings a valuable and unique perspective to the project. Ongoing communication is key. My vision differed from others at times and we had to find common ground to proceed.

What are some of the initiatives you are currently working on or hoping to develop in the near future?

Currently, for my full time job I am working as a manager at a record shop and am collaborating with local musicians to provide live music outside our shop every Friday night.

Personally I hope to begin a litter clean up campaign this summer to spruce up our parks and public spaces in the downtown of Whitehorse. I am still working on details of this, but I have a strong personal drive to contribute to keeping my community clean and safe.

As an artist, how do you feel you can have a social impact through your music?

As an artist, I think that I get a unique opportunity to share truth with others. Whether it is through story-telling or social commentary in my lyrics. Music is a bridge that connects us all, it is a universal language. Although I am new to sharing my original songs, I want to deliver messages of hope through my music in the future. The world is full of a lot of darkness and corruption and music has a way of reaching people differently than if you were just on a soapbox trying to get a point across.

I’ve also discovered the power of simply showing up when it comes to my music. Although at times I might be hard on myself for not performing something as well as I wanted to, I’m learning to be present and connect with my community more through music. I recognize the impact and influence that other artists have had on me in my life and I believe I will continue to see positive effects over time as I go through my journey as an artist and support other artists that I know on theirs.