In addition to supporting the workshops as an instructor, DJ Lillyanne will also hit the decks at the main event. The evening will include live art, spoken word performances by LA youth, and hors d’oeuvres. Appetizers will be provided by Zip Sushi & Izakaya. The event is free though donations are encouraged. For details, please click here.

After-party
• Sat. 10/24/15, 9:00pm – 2:00am
Pattern Bar
A Positive Spin: Remixed’s after-party, which will take place a few short blocks away, will feature DJ Garth (Wicked SF), Wiseacre (theLIFT), Tamara (Universal Rhythm), Sascha Lahti (Beat Anomaly), and more.

America’s Mass Incarceration Epidemic –
The United States loves to lock people behind bars more than any other country on the planet. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2.3 million people are incarcerated in our country. While we only make up 5% of the world’s population, we account for an estimated 25% of the world’s prisoners, according to the ACLU. Federal spending on prison costs the U.S. $80 billion a year (The Hamilton Project/Brookings Institution).

Through active collaborations with music producers, promoters, artists, and socially conscious companies, Give a Beat raises awareness about America’s mass incarceration epidemic through live music events and online platforms, while providing dance and world music lovers with a unique channel for activism and philanthropy.

“Give a Beat is launching programs that aim to address and transform the racist and profit-driven policies of mass incarceration,” says Give A Beat Director Lauren Segal. “Our goal is to bring down the walls of injustice and support those trapped inside with love, compassion, forgiveness, and real life opportunities to live dignified, creative lives.”

Lauren Segal, Give a Beat Co-Founder, President, & Director –
Lauren Segal is best known as the Co-Founder and Director of NextAid, an LA-based organization that supported sustainable development projects in South Africa and Kenya for a decade. Determined to find innovative solutions and having been influenced by LiveAid, Segal became inspired to engage in her own brand of activism and quest for social justice at an early age. While earning a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Barbara, in Political Sociology, she developed an interest in harnessing music as a vehicle for creating positive social change. She became enveloped in the dance music scene and started building relationships with influential electronic music DJs, marking a pivotal time in her life.

In 2000, she was hired to help produce the largest outdoor dance music event in Mexico’s history at the time, the ACA World Sound Festival, which was attended by 60,000 people from around the world to experience 75 global musical artists. A percentage of proceeds from the event supported the Million Wishes Latin American Charity in the building of a kindergarten and a generous donation was made to an HIV orphanage in Acapulco.

Her experience in Acapulco led to the inception of NextAid in 2002. Imagining the potential of the international dance music community, NextAid was born in order to help children in Africa orphaned by AIDS. Through NextAid, Segal coordinated over 100 charity events, organized several benefit CD projects, and initiated dozens of campaigns, earning NextAid the role of a leading activist organization in the dance music industry.

For Segal, a tireless public servant, social action is the most fulfilling aspect of her life. Her efforts have raised immeasurable awareness and hundreds of thousands of dollars for humanitarian projects. A recipient of the prestigious 2010 African Goodwill Ambassador Award, Segal has been featured on VH-1, KPFK-FM, various panels addressing African issues, and in numerous publications. Her current focus is Give a Beat, the new non-profit organization that she co-founded with Virginia Cheung, to change the lives of at-risk youth and communities impacted by mass incarceration.

Virginia Cheung, Give a Beat Co-Founder & Vice President –
Virginia Cheung is a non-profit development professional with experience in helping small- to mid-sized organizations create and implement fundraising strategies and organizational infrastructure.

Greg Lucas, Give a Beat Founding Board Member & Treasurer –
Greg Lucas is the Director of Development for the world famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has over 15 years in the creative industries, developing brand partnerships and activations to leverage pre-event marketing initiatives, on-site media, and post-event rich content distribution to maximize ticket sales and exposure for sponsors.

Give a Beat –
Give a Beat is a California-based 501c3 organization that provides music lovers with a dedicated channel for activism and philanthropy, while facilitating change in the face of inequality. Serving as a catalyst for tangible social change by bridging global electronic dance music culture with youth and families impacted by incarceration, the non-profit:

• Partners with youth organizations to provide impactful music workshops
• Shares inspirational stories that demonstrate the transformative power of music
• Creates a mentorship and entrepreneurial program for previously incarcerated individuals
• Generates gift-giving campaigns for exonerated individuals and their families