In the Podlight: Theresa Wolters - MusiCares in the Grammy Organization

Summary: In this episode of In the Podlight, hosts Grant and Caroline speak with Teresa Walters, Vice President of Health and Human Services at Music Cares. Teresa shares her extensive background in humanitarian work and discusses the critical role Music Cares played during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing nearly $36 million in emergency relief to music professionals. The conversation explores the ongoing challenges within the music industry, the importance of inclusivity, and the organization's commitment to community engagement and philanthropy. Teresa emphasizes the need for compassion and confidentiality in their services, and reflects on her personal inspirations and future goals.

Takeaways:
●  Music Cares provided nearly $36 million in relief during the pandemic.
●  Artists play a crucial role in advocating for social justice.
●  There is a significant stigma around substance use in the music industry.
●  Every industry should prioritize the well-being of its people.
●  Inclusivity is a core value for Music Cares.
●  The Day That Music Cares fosters community connection and service.
●  Teresa feels fulfilled in her personal and professional life.
●  Americans are incredibly philanthropic and generous.
●  Confidentiality and compassion are essential in helping those in need.
●  The next generation of women leaders inspires Teresa.

Chapters:
00:00Introduction to Music Cares and Teresa Walters
02:50Teresa's Background and Humanitarian Work
06:09The Role of Music Cares During the Pandemic
08:55Challenges in the Music Industry
12:11Success Metrics and Community Engagement
15:03Philanthropy and Fundraising Strategies
18:03Inclusivity and Collaboration in Music Cares
20:58The Day That Music Cares
23:48Inspiration and Future Goals
26:56Final Thoughts and Lightning Round

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Connect with In The Podlight on the Website

Check out the MusiCares on their website

The Team:
Caroline Liem – Producer & Host
Grant Kretchick – Producer & Host
Cris Graves  - Producer & Editor
David Margolin Lawson  - Composer
Emily Yaneth Perez – Administration
The Lee Agency - Press Agent
Brandon Mills - Cover Art Photo Credit 

In the Podlight is produced in collaboration with Pace University – Sands
The thoughts, opinions, and views expressed by the guests, hosts, and producers of this podcasts do not necessarily reflect those of Pace University 

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, School of Education, Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems and, most recently, the Sands College of Performing Arts.

Transcript

01.04_09.23_Theresa Wolters - MusiCares in the Grammy

[00:00:00] Caroline: In The Podlight is hosted on SANDS Talks, the official podcast platform of SANDS College of Performing Arts at Pace University. 

[00:00:08] Grant: Hi, I'm Grant. 

[00:00:09] Caroline: And I'm [00:00:10] Caroline. 

[00:00:10] Grant: Welcome to In The Podlight, where we spotlight creatives from different identities and experiences. 

[00:00:15] Caroline: Join us as we illuminate how they blaze a path forward through the [00:00:20] challenges and opportunities of the post pandemic entertainment industry.

[00:00:23] Grant: On today's episode, we're excited to sit down with Vice President of Health and Human Services at Music Cares. [00:00:30] Teresa Walters is a lifelong humanitarian and plays a pivotal role in helping Music Cares provide essential services to music professionals, including financial assistance, mental [00:00:40] health support, and addiction recovery.

[00:00:41] Grant: Music Cares was especially critical during the COVID 19 pandemic, where they distributed nearly 36 million in emergency relief to those in the music [00:00:50] industry affected by the crisis. 

[00:00:51] Caroline: Teresa is a Such an inspiration, a woman who embodies the intersection of art and advocacy and always leads with [00:01:00] her heart.

[00:01:00] Caroline: We discuss how vital it is to uplift artists to give back to the community by supporting them in both their creative endeavors and their personal well being. [00:01:10] There are so many takeaways in this conversation for creatives to see how the power of advocacy and service can feed their art and life. Let's shed [00:01:20] some light.

[00:01:20] Grant: Hi, Teresa. 

[00:01:21] Theresa: So great to see you. Hi, Grant. Hi, Carolyn. Thank you so much for having me join today. It's such a pleasure to see you. 

[00:01:26] Grant: Pleasure to have you. I wanted to get a little background on you. You [00:01:30] hold a bachelor's degree from George Washington, a master's of business administration degree from Harriet Watt University and studied African Affairs at the [00:01:40] University of Cape Town.

[00:01:40] Grant: Then your international work with Medical Corps, where you directed the health and refugee programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, [00:01:50] Somalia, and Uganda. Can you tell us about that work? 

[00:01:53] Theresa: Absolutely. Sure. So I spent prior to coming to Music Cares about 20 years [00:02:00] working primarily in Sub Saharan Africa. In a number of different roles, a lot of it was focused on infectious disease and health systems, but [00:02:10] my early days were focused initially with a large UN project, a multi sectoral project, that was really trying to demonstrate how we would [00:02:20] achieve The millennium development goals in a real world setting.

[00:02:23] Theresa: And so working a lot with villagers across 14 countries. And then, like you mentioned, I transitioned to international [00:02:30] medical core where we were primarily supporting refugee communities, especially Somali refugees who were fleeing to Northern Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. [00:02:40] And so there are enormous refugee communities there really without any resources.

[00:02:44] Theresa: And so my team and I were on the ground providing a lot of what they need to just get by and [00:02:50] survive. 

[00:02:50] Grant: Amazing. So then you went on for about over a decade at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which is also really impressive and impactful work. Can you tell [00:03:00] us a little bit about how you got there?

[00:03:03] Theresa: So children are an enormous part of my personal passion in [00:03:10] life and protecting children. I just believe so strongly The entire role of adults is to protect the next generation of children. And we are really at [00:03:20] this moment where we, especially a decade, 15 years ago, had the opportunity to make momentous strides in infectious disease for [00:03:30] children, especially.

[00:03:31] Theresa: in low resource settings where they were not getting the same care as they do in higher resource countries. And so a lot of what [00:03:40] I focused on with Elizabeth Glazer was getting essential medicines to children, especially children in really remote parts of sub [00:03:50] Saharan Africa, and then also helping to de stigmatize.

[00:03:53] Theresa: infectious diseases. We still have so many places in the world where being gay is a criminal [00:04:00] act. And so there was so much effort around trying to take down a lot of those stigmas and discriminations that still literally prevent people from staying alive and [00:04:10] getting access to health care. 

[00:04:10] Caroline: That makes absolute sense.

[00:04:13] Caroline: With the next question, because music cares, it is a safety net of critical health and welfare [00:04:20] services to the music community in several important ways. I think the initial question is what or who led you to music cares and please feel free to speak to your different [00:04:30] roles and interests, and then. You know, why this organization, why is this important for you, but also important for us?

[00:04:36] Theresa: So I think there are so many ways that I [00:04:40] connect with Music Cares, even though it may not have been the most obvious career step, you know, from Sub Saharan Africa, but from the earliest days that I had been traveling [00:04:50] globally. One of the things I always noticed was, regardless of the country I went to, when they were fledgling democracies, it was always the artists who were at the [00:05:00] forefront.

[00:05:00] Theresa: It was always the artists who were pushing advocacy, who were pushing messages of human justice, social justice, human rights. And I really [00:05:10] connected with that and really connected with the idea of protecting the people who fight for and protect for the justice we all want to have. And [00:05:20] so when the pandemic hit, I had all this time to really think about the changes that I wanted to make.

[00:05:26] Theresa: To have in this next phase of my career, had the [00:05:30] chance to learn about music cares, had the chance to connect with the organization about this role that I'm in, and I was so blown away by the impact that music [00:05:40] cares was having. Not only on the music community and music professionals, but as a model of an organization and an industry [00:05:50] taking care of the people.

[00:05:52] Theresa: At every level of that industry. And I remember thinking in the first conversations I had with the team at music cares, why does [00:06:00] every industry not have a music cares? Every industry should take care of its people the way we do at Music Cares. And so, especially during the pandemic, Music Cares [00:06:10] was there for this community.

[00:06:11] Theresa: Music Cares was there hugely for music professionals. And it really resonated with me and I wanted to be a part of this change. 

[00:06:18] Grant: Fantastic. Some of our focus [00:06:20] is how the industry has changed, the impact of the pandemic on the entertainment community. I'd love to hear a little bit about the focus Of music cares [00:06:30] during the pandemic, but also now we are four years out from the start of the pandemic, how the focus is shifting.

[00:06:35] Grant: Is it shifting? Where do the needs go when they're not so [00:06:40] acute as a global pandemic? 

[00:06:41] Theresa: Yeah, it's such a great question. And I think we can all remember. What the world felt like on March 15th [00:06:50] and March 16th of 2020, you know, there was live music on March 15th. There was not live music on March 16th and the impact on music professionals [00:07:00] was so severe.

[00:07:01] Theresa: It was so immediate and it was so dramatic. That music cares truly overnight pivoted and we started providing [00:07:10] immediate financial assistance to help people just get by with their basic living needs, helping to pay their rent, their medical insurance, anything that we [00:07:20] could to keep people until they could get to that next gig or until the world would start to normalize again.

[00:07:26] Theresa: So during the pandemic, I have to give just an [00:07:30] enormous. Shout out to the team at Music Cares who was all hands on deck working day and night to process support as quickly as they possibly could. We [00:07:40] ultimately through the pandemic provided almost 36 million dollars in emergency assistance and over 140, 000 services to the music [00:07:50] community.

[00:07:50] Theresa: So We are so proud of that. We hope we never see something like that again, yet we do regularly respond to disasters. And so we're, we're always [00:08:00] still here for folks when they have that environmental or, or personal need. But I think in terms of pivoting, you know, we really evolve as the [00:08:10] industry does. And so you can just imagine over the course of the last 30 years, since Music Cares was launched by the Recording Academy, The way that, that this industry has [00:08:20] evolved, the way that the lives of music professionals has evolved.

[00:08:23] Theresa: And so we are constantly thinking about how we can be responsive to people's [00:08:30] financial needs, their mental health needs, their recovery needs as they're recovering from substance use, their health needs. And so, We're really trying [00:08:40] to constantly look at our data, understand the industry, and not only be responsive, but also position ourselves to support with whatever that next major [00:08:50] evolution is going to be.

[00:08:50] Grant: Yeah, I am curious, what are some of the consistent obstacles? 

[00:08:54] Theresa: I think a couple of the current and constant obstacles. The first is that [00:09:00] music continues to be an industry with a lot of substance use. and a lot of shade and hiding still around that substance [00:09:10] use. There's a lot of enabling around it that still exists.

[00:09:12] Theresa: And so we are constantly working to break through that to be a safety net to create greater awareness [00:09:20] that the drugs don't work. There's actually been really bad marketing and drugs don't make you more creative. They don't make you more social. So how do we help people to Not only [00:09:30] recover from substance use, but not start using substances in the first place.

[00:09:34] Theresa: We continually provide access to treatment in a range of different ways. [00:09:40] Inpatient and outpatient, so that can be virtual or in person treatment. I think the second major area that we continue to see is that this is a really [00:09:50] challenging passion and occupation to sustain yourself in. And so there's a lot of need for for education around financial management, financial [00:10:00] coaching, legal guidance.

[00:10:01] Theresa: How do you actually navigate a 30 year plus career in music? And then how do you hopefully have a little bit of money to retire on [00:10:10] afterwards? So in addition to providing financial assistance, we spend and we invest a lot of effort in building the awareness of financial management. [00:10:20] Amongst music professionals, because there's just such a dearth of that information out there right now.

[00:10:26] Caroline: Well, 

[00:10:26] Theresa: gosh, 

[00:10:26] Caroline: you're right. When you say that every part of the industry needs to [00:10:30] have a music cares, can you share some of the benchmarks for success that inspire you and also your team and just knowing that things are moving forward [00:10:40] in a really positive way? 

[00:10:41] Theresa: Yeah, of course. So the first thing I'll, I'll just say is that as an organization at Music Cares, we are very results driven [00:10:50] and we're very strategically focused.

[00:10:52] Theresa: We really put a lot of priority on having very clear institutional benchmarks and strategic goalposts and, [00:11:00] and working towards those. So we're very systematic in that sense. On the health and human services team, you. There are some benchmarks that we are guided [00:11:10] by every day, in addition to the broader organizational strategic goalposts that we have.

[00:11:15] Theresa: The first is that we answer every call with [00:11:20] compassion. We put ourselves in the shoes of the people who come to Music Cares, and we know that for so many people, They're coming to Music Cares on probably one of the lowest days of their [00:11:30] lives. And so what's the voice on the other end of that call going to be?

[00:11:34] Theresa: And how are we going to be compassionate? How are we going to be as responsive as we can to the situation that we're [00:11:40] in? The other thing is that we really prioritize confidentiality. We know that reaching out for help is really difficult. It's also really difficult sometimes with the [00:11:50] situations that people are navigating, the visibility they might have, and we need them to trust that when they come to music cares, their information, their experience, their [00:12:00] confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us.

[00:12:03] Theresa: So those are two things every day. We're really driven by on my team. The other thing that I would just mention [00:12:10] is. I oftentimes end my day, I spend a lot of time looking at data and thinking about our trends and looking at a lot of graphs and I'm a little bit of a data nerd, but [00:12:20] I also always think to myself at the end of the day, what did our team, what did this organization do?

[00:12:26] Theresa: To make someone's life a little bit healthier, a little bit better, a little bit [00:12:30] easier, and that's incredibly gratifying and inspiring to me. 

[00:12:34] Grant: Yeah. I'm curious, there's a lot of grants and funding in the public sector, but then there's [00:12:40] philanthropic giving and funding is difficult. Development is not for the faint of heart.

[00:12:44] Grant: It is not a space that I would ever step into. Speak to [00:12:50] Occupy. Do you have a giving back philosophy? Do you have strategies that lead you to engagement and fundraising? 

[00:12:56] Theresa: Yeah, absolutely. And I, I love this [00:13:00] question because I think I come at it from the, from the Music Cares perspective and how we operate as an organization.

[00:13:07] Theresa: And then also as an [00:13:10] individual who really wants to think about how I can put the dollars that I have to to use in the best way possible. On the Music Cares side, the first thing is I will say [00:13:20] we have an outstanding development team. And so that is the first pillar, finding credible people to do that work.

[00:13:26] Theresa: But a few things that really strike me at Music Cares in [00:13:30] particular is that we do a really excellent job. of matching the mission focus that we have with donors who are passionate and want to [00:13:40] invest in those areas. And I think that we really think outside the box oftentimes in terms of our donors.

[00:13:46] Theresa: Some of our donors are not those who would necessarily be the most [00:13:50] obvious candidate to be a Music Cares donors, but I think our team is really outstanding in, in that matching sense. The other thing is that again, we prioritize the quality [00:14:00] of our programming and the impact that we have. We've all written so many proposals.

[00:14:04] Theresa: We know how, how much easier it is to write a proposal when you've done [00:14:10] really good work with that donor's funding, you've achieved the metrics, you've achieved the objectives, and it's so much easier to go back. So we always prioritize. Making sure that our [00:14:20] programming is of the highest quality it can be.

[00:14:22] Theresa: And then the last thing I'll just mention, which I know is not super sexy, but. Wow. Unqualified audits are a really good thing. [00:14:30] Our financial management and having financial management and unqualified audits that really demonstrate to the world, we take stewardship of our donor funds so [00:14:40] importantly. We place a lot of emphasis on being accountable, not only to our donors, To the community we serve.

[00:14:46] Theresa: And so those are some of the same pillars that [00:14:50] I actually think about when I give my own a hundred, 200, 300, whatever it may be. To an organization. I always look at the audited financial statements, [00:15:00] but I also, I'm personally really focused on committing to the community that I live in. Especially food insecurity is [00:15:10] something that's very important to me and environmental stewardship.

[00:15:13] Theresa: And especially in the particular community that I live in, those Those are two big areas of importance. [00:15:20] So I spend a lot of my personal focus there. 

[00:15:22] Caroline: You had mentioned strategic partnerships in the ways that Music Cares is serving community. It's so challenging to do. I [00:15:30] would say anything alone. It really does take a village.

[00:15:32] Caroline: It really does take a huge community and there may be competition for resources, medias, campaigns. They can drown out each other, [00:15:40] but collaboration is really key. What innovative ways. Would you say that Music Cares is serving aspects of community, [00:15:50] inclusivity, and where might there be an exchange of like minded ideas or collaboration to lift up this area of our industry?

[00:15:59] Theresa: [00:16:00] Yeah. I love this question, and it's just so aligned with The core values that we have at Music Cares, inclusivity is one of our core [00:16:10] values. We have core metrics around our reach because it's so important to us that we're, we're not only talking about inclusivity, but that [00:16:20] we are actually measuring and working towards each year, a more inclusive response.

[00:16:25] Theresa: We partner with hundreds of providers and [00:16:30] organizations across the United States because Music Cares can't do this alone. We don't want to do this alone. We want to tap into the resources, the expertise, [00:16:40] the infrastructure that exists all across the country to make all of this as accessible as we can to the music community.

[00:16:48] Theresa: And so we work with a number of [00:16:50] different community based providers who understand the specific needs, the specific challenges in their communities in ways that we may not. Um, and [00:17:00] similarly, with providers. And so that's really one of our core strategies with inclusivity is work with and through people who have [00:17:10] trust and networks into various different communities.

[00:17:14] Theresa: This year, we were really proud. We launched a new initiative, a three year initiative called the Humans of Hip Hop [00:17:20] or H3 as we like to acronym it. It is a three year effort to really build bridges and support between music, Harris and the hip hop community. We [00:17:30] recognize that even though hip hop is the largest music genre in the world, it's still really underrepresented in terms of support that it receives from various players in the [00:17:40] music industry.

[00:17:40] Theresa: So it was so important for us to do that. And as we've launched H3, we've gone around the country and had a series of really wonderful conversations [00:17:50] in Atlanta, Washington, D. C., Philadelphia, Chicago. Soon we're going to be doing it in L. A., Oakland, and Detroit, talking about Topics [00:18:00] that are really locally relevant to hip hop communities, whether it's trauma and gun violence, the legacy of women in hip hop and how we bolster women [00:18:10] in hip hop, financial management, how do we transfer what one generation knows to the next generation.

[00:18:15] Theresa: So I think that's just to say those are, those are some of the ways that we're really [00:18:20] Prioritizing and demonstrating the importance of, of inclusivity to us. 

[00:18:25] Grant: Amazing. There's a lot of organizations doing wonderful things out there. And you say every [00:18:30] industry should have an organization like Music Cares.

[00:18:32] Grant: So there's Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS. There's the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. You've got the Entertainment Fund. My [00:18:40] question is. Do you all ever get in a room together? Because you have a great idea that works and you don't share it. Are you really contributing to a solution for a larger [00:18:50] mission?

[00:18:50] Theresa: Great. This is so important. And I think you're reading the minds of a lot of us who work in this space at the intersection. Of philanthropic support and [00:19:00] the entertainment industry. We need more of that. We have a lot of informal partnerships, a lot of sharing of lessons learned. We [00:19:10] don't have yet a time or a space where we get in a room and we all say, this is what we do, and this is what works.

[00:19:15] Theresa: And can we borrow this from you? And let's adapt this from you. But we need to [00:19:20] be doing that more. That's actually something for music cares. That's part of our strategic focus in this current strategic plan is how do we not only better share [00:19:30] what we do as an organization that's effective, but how are we really taking the best practices from everyone else?

[00:19:36] Theresa: And adapting those and implementing those and learning from those. Because [00:19:40] exactly like you said, none of us are doing it on our own. None of us want to be doing it on our own. And there's more than enough need out there that we all need to be supporting each other. 

[00:19:49] Grant: A [00:19:50] hundred percent. Let's talk a little bit about the Day That Music Cares.

[00:19:53] Grant: Tell us a little bit about it. It feels like a way to engage the grassroots community. How can our everyday listener, how can our audience, [00:20:00] engage in the day that music cares? 

[00:20:02] Theresa: Well, first off, I'm so delighted to talk about the day that music cares. We are so proud of this at music [00:20:10] cares, and we also think it is just so important.

[00:20:12] Theresa: So we really want to keep amplifying ways for folks to get involved. So last year in [00:20:20] 2023, the surgeon general Of the United States issued a public health advisory on loneliness and isolation. And I think, frankly, this was probably not [00:20:30] news to anyone, but loneliness is really at epidemic levels in the US.

[00:20:34] Theresa: And so it's now literally having. Health effects on our mental health and our [00:20:40] physical health. And then this was also still happening at a time where we're, we're normalizing after the pandemic. So we're finally getting away from our screens. We're [00:20:50] getting back out into the community. And so the day that music cares was really this beautiful opportunity for the music community.

[00:20:58] Theresa: To come together [00:21:00] in a day of service. It's a chance for us to reconnect as a music community, but also to give back to our own communities in so many [00:21:10] different ways that matter to us, both individually and collectively. So this year, this April, we had over 2, 500 people join us [00:21:20] for the day that music cares.

[00:21:21] Theresa: This was our second annual, the day that music cares. And they just supported in so many inspirational and creative ways. As sure you [00:21:30] can imagine, when music people think about service, there are so many different ways that they give back. So we had a number of folks across the U. S. working at food banks, cleaning up beaches [00:21:40] and parks, baking cakes for kids in need.

[00:21:42] Theresa: So kids who don't get a birthday cake because maybe they're low income. We had people baking cakes for them, volunteering at children's [00:21:50] hospitals. So It was just this really incredible way that everyone came together. And so we are going to be having our third annual day that music cares [00:22:00] next year 2025.

[00:22:01] Theresa: And we'd love to, as we get that up and running, share that with all of you and really invite all of your community to join that as well. We really [00:22:10] try to just schedule it around a day that a lot of people can hopefully come together. 

[00:22:14] Grant: Fabulous. It's just beautiful. It's really beautiful. 

[00:22:17] Caroline: So it's very clear that you are deeply [00:22:20] involved in organizations that do beautiful and challenging work.

[00:22:24] Caroline: And so much of what's been shared today is so inspirational. I'm [00:22:30] wondering who inspires you? Who are your heroes and sheroes? And if you want to take that back to Musicares, in what ways do you then inspire your [00:22:40] team around this? 

[00:22:42] Theresa: It's such a, I love this question. You know, I've said this before and I, I just am so excited by the [00:22:50] team at Musicares.

[00:22:51] Theresa: I'm so inspired by this team. It is a team of doers. It is people who just, you know, Every day show up and whether they are [00:23:00] on our marketing team, our development team, our finance team, they are thinking about how do I take this organization and the impact that we have to the [00:23:10] next level. And I'm so inspired by that.

[00:23:12] Theresa: I'm so in awe of the creativity and the smarts and the The pizzazz of the people that I work with, and that's, that's a [00:23:20] personal and a professional level. I will say, I also just feel incredibly fortunate because I've been surrounded for much of my [00:23:30] career by super smart, super cool women. And I think there are few things more amazing than getting to start your [00:23:40] career.

[00:23:40] Theresa: With incredible women bosses who just lift you up, who find every opportunity, who kick down doors for you. And those are the [00:23:50] women that I've had the privilege. Of working for and with and I really try to think about how do I bring that to the team to the team that I [00:24:00] lead And the way that I interact with my team.

[00:24:03] Theresa: I will also say I am so inspired I have an eight year old daughter who is about the coolest chick i've ever met in the world. [00:24:10] She is Like just kicking butt and taking names. And so I'm constantly amazed by the way that she's really charting her course in [00:24:20] this world. And I think when I look at this, this next generation of women leaders, I'm just so excited to see what they're going to do with this world.

[00:24:28] Grant: I really [00:24:30] appreciate you giving the women on your team a shout out. 

[00:24:32] Caroline: Last couple of questions, Teresa. I can't believe we've just been flying by through here. This has to do with the goal, the dream. [00:24:40] All that you have accomplished personally and professionally, what's the next dream? What's the next goal? And again, personally and or professionally, whatever [00:24:50] you wish to share.

[00:24:51] Theresa: It's such a big question, isn't it? I have to admit, I'm at a moment in life where that question comes up a lot. I think we all kind of hit a certain age in our life [00:25:00] where we start asking ourselves what the remainder and what the focus of, of life is going to be. I. I feel every day like [00:25:10] I am robbing a bank and getting away with it.

[00:25:12] Theresa: I married to the love of my life. We have this incredible child. We live in this beautiful place that we [00:25:20] had worked for years to figure out how to move to. And then I get to spend my days doing work that is incredibly fulfilling. [00:25:30] Emotionally and intellectually fulfilling and challenging. So there are all kinds of goals.

[00:25:35] Theresa: I still have, I'm a really avid marathoner and [00:25:40] I every year want to try to beat my, my last best time. there's all kinds of crazy fun adventures that my husband and I still want to do in life, but [00:25:50] I have to admit that I really feel like when I look back at my, my life, my career, 20 years ago. I could not have imagined that I would [00:26:00] have ever gotten to do the things I got to do with the people that I got to work with and learn from and become great friends with.

[00:26:08] Theresa: So I kind of [00:26:10] feel like I, I'm living my dream already. 

[00:26:13] Grant: You've choked me up a few times on this, on this conversation. We're so incredible to talk [00:26:20] to. So articulate. And. I'm sure that you are engaged in a lot of conversations, but one of our favorite things to ask is, what's the one thing that somebody hasn't [00:26:30] asked you?

[00:26:30] Grant: Or what's the one thing that you feel like somebody didn't have the guts to ask that? Or what's the one thing you wish somebody would ask? 

[00:26:38] Theresa: Such an interesting question. Such [00:26:40] a, it's such a tricky question to answer because I've got a lot of opinions on a lot of things. I think one of the, one of the things I'm just always struck by, and I think [00:26:50] especially At this moment where we are, as a country, in a very divided place, and talking and thinking about non profits, [00:27:00] I'm always amazed, having worked overseas, having worked in the U.

[00:27:03] Theresa: S., at the generosity of the American people. In terms of how much we [00:27:10] volunteer, how much we individually give. How much we give through our tax dollars and government programs that go overseas. And for everything that divides [00:27:20] us for all the relevant big fat disagreements that we have, we are a country of incredibly philanthropic giving people.

[00:27:29] Theresa: And I would [00:27:30] love to see us spend a lot more time talking about how much Americans give and how much Americans love, because I think that's, That's really not talked about enough. [00:27:40] Fabulous. 

[00:27:40] Grant: Beautiful. 

[00:27:41] Caroline: Are we ready for our lightning round? Woo. 

[00:27:44] Grant: Here we go. 

[00:27:45] Caroline: Teresa, what is the first music you bought or the [00:27:50] first concert you ever went to?

[00:27:51] Caroline: It was a Samantha Fox tape 

[00:27:54] Theresa: circa 1987. Wow. 

[00:27:56] Grant: I love it. That was very quick. I mean, some people have to, that was, [00:28:00] Really fast. 

[00:28:01] Theresa: I, I may still have that somewhere. , 

[00:28:03] Grant: what is your favorite family tradition or chosen family [00:28:10] tradition that you sort of hold onto? 

[00:28:12] Theresa: Ooh, a ton of family traditions. Two, I love in particular.

[00:28:17] Theresa: Several years ago, we started a [00:28:20] tradition. We don't give gifts in our family. We only make donations. So love that as a tradition. And then my husband, daughter, and I also every Friday night have a really [00:28:30] wild Friday night dance party. 

[00:28:31] Caroline: I 

[00:28:31] Grant: love 

[00:28:31] Caroline: that. I love that so much. I love dance parties. All right. If you could compete in the Olympics.

[00:28:37] Caroline: What sport would you compete in? [00:28:40] Definitely running. An avid runner. Love 

[00:28:42] Theresa: everything about running. Perfect. 

[00:28:44] Grant: Great. And since you're answering so quickly, I'm going to go with one more. If you had to relive one [00:28:50] day for the rest of your life, what day would you choose? 

[00:28:53] Theresa: Oh my goodness. Probably the day that my husband and I got married.

[00:28:57] Theresa: We got married in Italy. We [00:29:00] had 20 of our dearest friends and family there, and it was spectacular and delicious. 

[00:29:06] Grant: Yes. We love it. Thank you, Teresa. This [00:29:10] was inspiring and hopeful and positive and it's just fantastic to talk to. Can't thank you enough. 

[00:29:17] Caroline: Yeah, thank you so much for your time. 

[00:29:19] Theresa: Oh, thank [00:29:20] you guys.

[00:29:20] Theresa: This was so much fun. This was such a treat. So thank you for taking the time to do this. 

[00:29:24] Caroline: Loved this conversation. Teresa has such an [00:29:30] amazing and impactful life. Hearing about all her work with NGOs in Sub Saharan Africa, like International Medical Corps, and the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS [00:29:40] Foundation, to her transition into her position at Musicares, to follow her passion for protecting the critical role that art plays in societal change, and her [00:29:50] desire to help artists who use their platform to fight for social justice and equality.

[00:29:55] Caroline: It really got me thinking about what more I can do. 

[00:29:59] Grant: Me too. [00:30:00] I was so impressed and blown away by her. God, it's so rare to meet someone who spends their entire life being of service and truly working to make the world a better, more compassionate place. [00:30:10] I, for one, feel inspired, empowered to find ways to be of service, and I hope our listeners do too.

[00:30:15] Caroline: You can follow Music Cares on Instagram and threads at Music Cares. 

[00:30:19] Grant: [00:30:20] And if you're curious to learn more about Music Cares and how you can join their mission, make sure to visit their website at musiccares. org. The links are in the show notes. 

[00:30:28] Caroline: Thanks so much for listening to In the [00:30:30] Podlight. If these conversations resonate with you, follow on SANDS Talks or wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:30:37] Caroline: Visit our website at inthepodlight. [00:30:40] com. Until next time, step into your light. 

[00:30:43] Grant: Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its students with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. With [00:30:50] campuses in New York City and Westchester County. For more information, visit PACE study edu.

[00:30:54] Grant: The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the guest post and producers of this podcast do not [00:31:00] necessarily reflect those of Pace University.