Kalani Artis On Musicians Making A Difference: ‘There's A Home Within Everything & Everyone’

Over the last two decades, Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD) has operated as a form of safety, visibility and refuge for young people in Australia who are deprived of basic needs like shelter, security, education and employment.

Starting as a voluntary project helmed by a community of people wanting to ensure a better future for young Australians, MMAD has now become an organisation with nationwide reach, joined by those eager to support the wellbeing and development of our future generations.

Through the power and passion of music, MMAD has been able to host initiatives, including a music soup kitchen, street support group, leadership development and creative mentoring courses for young, disadvantaged Australians.

For young, Central-Coast artist and MMAD Ambassador Kalani Artis, initiatives like MMAD uplifted him in ways that helped spearhead his ventures into music full-time.

“I came up from a fairly musical background; my uncles and pops were in bands. They've passed on now, and I guess they left a sense of legacy in a way because I’ve always wanted to take that on and take it to the next level. That was always sort of on my mind,” he told The Music.

“I guess when I made the decision that I definitely want to be doing it full time was around the time that I got introduced to MMAD. I was going through a bit of a rough gig mentally as a kid, and I’d lock myself away. When I got introduced to them guys and came out the other side, I was just ready to book gigs and go tunnel vision.”

For the last ten years, MMAD’s annual Musicians Making A Difference Day has signified a time of togetherness and connectivity between disadvantaged youth, musicians and music mentors. To celebrate ten years of MMAD Day, the organisation have dialled in on their focus of helping the youth through their donation-generating campaign Sounds Like Home. 

“MMAD Day is about celebrating the work that the MMAD curators and the young people who go through our programs do and highlighting the good that they do,” said MMAD representative Leanne Stamps. 

“The big thing this year is that we’re fundraising as well. It's not just a campaign day. What's really important is that the idea of fundraising was created by young people and driven by young people. It was their idea. It's their day. They're home. So this year is a big one for them.”

The campaign aims to honour the way MMAD has provided at-risk kids with the feeling of security and safety over the years, establishing a sense of “home” within the comfort and confines of MMAD – something that Kalani declares everyone deserves to experience.

“It's about bringing the youth together in a sense that they can feel like home and feel like they have a place to come to and spread their wings and be who they want to be without any judgement,” said Kalani.

“Everyone needs something like that in their life, no matter their age, in my opinion. Adults go there and still get as much out of it as the people participating. I think it's important because that's something that everyone needs to feel loved for, and everyone needs to feel like they've got a place to go. That team mentality does a lot for someone growing up and feeling that they're a part of something.”

MMAD have received incredible lengths of support over the years from international artists like YUNGBLUD, Bliss n Eso and Ryan Tedder, who have helped spread awareness for MMAD Day by sharing and communicating their hurt and experiences through the kinds of music that got them by.

This year, James Bay, Sam Fisher, Jada Weazel, and Cyril joined the initiative by sharing a song online that sounds or feels like home to them. Accumulating all of his adversity into a song of solidarity for all people having it rough, Kalani created the campaign’s spotlight track, Sounds Like Home. Through emotive lyrics, sincere and gentle guitar melodies and a voice that carries as much hardship as it does hope, Sounds Like Home is a touching, anthemic song that provides audiences with an auditory shoulder to lean on. 

“Home to me stems from growing up around music and being in the bush a fair bit camping and the smell of Nan’s incense and listening to Jack Johnson and Donavon Frankenreiter,” he said.

“I wanted to create a song that could feel at home wherever you go. Just whack that song on, and it’ll bring that sensation. We want it to be able to give reassurance that there's a home within everything and everyone. I think there's a lot of warmth just in the song itself and comfort within the song itself. And that's where I think the power of music comes into things.”

While the power of MMAD and MMAD Day has proven time and time again to incite hope and faith in the minds of disadvantaged youth, it’s the resilience of all parties – from the curators to the mentors and programmers, to the young kids who walk into the arms of MMAD every year – that make a collaborative effort to ensure the future of Australia is healthy and bright.

“Things are constantly moving; MMAD’s always getting bigger, and I hope that this campaign especially brings a lot of light and movement to these guys,” said Kalani.

“It's the first year that we've done donations, so hopefully that gives people a bit more insight into MMAD. I've got a good feeling about this year.”

MMAD Day is held on October 25th, and you can support the movement by donating to the cause here. All donations will help MMAD in breaking cycles of abuse and neglect for at-risk youth. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

You can listen to Kalani’s Sounds Like Home now on all streaming services.