A new music festival coming on December 2nd will feature performances from big-name artists in a unique venue: bed. Launched by the Children’s Cancer Association’s flagship program, MyMusicRx, #Bedstock Fest will broadcast in-bed concerts to kids who are bedridden with illness. The motto: “King size acts, queen size stage.”
Musicians who have already joined the slumber party include B.o.B, Chromeo, Passion Pit, and Jessie Ware. Throughout the day, the online festival will bring about an estimated 25-100 performance videos posted to the #Bedstock website, Tumblr, and the artists’ social media. You can check out the teaser for the event, featuring Chromeo, here.
The goal is to raise $100,000 through $25 donations, which will help fund the continued music initiatives of MyMusicRx. Partners like the Ace Hotel, Atlantic Records, Republic Records, and Stumptown are helping the campaign come together, and Converse has already agreed to match the donations at the $10,000 checkpoint.
Each artist in the #Bedstock lineup will be forced to get creative and figure out how to play a show with the same constraints faced by ailing children every day. “The bed is their stage. Their creativity will come to life in these vignettes,” said Regina Ellis, founder of the Children’s Cancer Association.
Ellis became a strong believer in the healing power of music when her 3-year-old daughter, Alexandra, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. “Music transformed many moments in the hospital,” said Ellis. “We found ourselves battling for her life in a hospital, so we’d bring music to her there – on the floor, in the bed – playing harmonicas and guitars, putting our voices to things. People would come out of their rooms holding their child’s IV pole and doctors would stop by, grab a guitar, and sing with us.”
Alexandra passed away two years after her initial diagnosis. Ellis founded the Children’s Cancer Association and its core program, MyMusicRx, in her memory. MyMusicRx works to bring the joy of music to other kids who are ill or hospital bound. Connected initiatives like JoyRx, PlayRx, and FriendshipRx address the specific needs of sick children and their families. Last year, the organization provided “music medicine” to 4,400 young music fans through online and in-hospital projects.
“We started mobile music carts and allowed kids to choose music experiences – headphone checkouts, bedside sing-alongs, music lessons. Sometimes artists that are traveling would come in,” explained Ellis. “Whether terminally ill, in pediatric care, undergoing chemotherapy, we think it’s what every kid across the globe should be able to access.”
Their online component, MyMusicRx.org, was launched two years ago with the help of brands like Converse, Cornerstone, FADER, Gatorade, and Nike. “It provides kids 24/7 access to artist greetings and things we call ‘Song Prescriptions,’ streaming music concerts, digital instruments, and lessons they can see online,” she said.
“We believe passionately in music medicine. Kids should have access to it. So let’s dream big.”