I've been asked to serve on the Board of Directors for the Slants Foundation. I've spoken about my time playing lead guitar in The Slants. During those tours, we'd have long stretches of road to talk about the woes of keeping a day job while on tour and began brainstorming on how we could start a non-profit that could help emerging Asian-American Artists. Simon, founder of The Slants, was working for several non-profits at the time so he was getting more educated on how to create his own. Sometime after I parted ways with the band, a few of my bandmates started the Slants Foundation. Since the formation, they've made huge strides in creating programs to help artists including Grants, Festivals, Conferences, and Workshops. The board's job is to help fundraise and offer advice and assistance for these artists.
Being asked to join sounded like a good chance to help provide resources for people needing a leg up with their upcoming careers. Though there were resources around when I was first starting, none of them seemed like they were specifically focused on educating and artist development. Everything seemed like it was just another paid service that you'd get somebody's half-assed work. Which leads you down the path of, "To hell with them, I'll do it myself." Though I think this is a great attitude in general in life -- you do end up spending time learning something that might sidetrack your original goal -- making music maaaaan!
The 2024 submissions are already filled up but this is a resource that could help someone in the next 2025 and beyond sessions so share this article with any Asian American artists looking for some help. Get on the radar by filling out this form. Keep an eye on the Foundation, and checkout this link: https://theslants.org/asian-pacivics
If you're interested in making a tax-deductible donation to the non-profit Foundation, touch base with me here.
Much love, your friendly neighborhood Will
Current and Past Works Include:
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AAMV Fest - A free bimonthly music video festival delivered through AsianAmericanMovies.com to highlight some of our community’s brightest stars.
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Artist Residency & Incubator Program - A comprehensive program to allow artists to have focused time for creation, mentorship/growth, and developing a plan to help make their projects scalable and sustainable. Artists are provided their own home in one of the main hubs for arts and activism in the United States and have unparalleled access to industry leaders.
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APIA Voice - A National Voter Registration Day event that featured Asian American artists, elected officials, and change-makers to help raise awareness around the census and 2020 election. Our evening event featured nearly two dozen “voices” and helped over 500 people register to vote for the first time.
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Artist Think Tank - We host a free monthly call that provides opportunities for mentorship and coaching, networking, and collaboration between musicians of Asian Pacific Islander descent.
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Asian PaCIVICS - A television and radio program that helps foster collaboration between artists and grassroots organizations.
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Countering Hate with Art - During the COVID-19 crisis, we saw two trends: declining support for the arts and a massive increase in anti-Asian discrimination. We saw that as an opportunity to help fund artists who were creating works that sparked empathy and compassion.
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DIY Musician Accelerator - We partner with CD Baby to provide a program that includes six months of mentorship, 1000 Digipacks, and distribution. Artists who have completed the program have multiplied their streams/following, secured major endorsement deals, and developed sustainable and scalable strategies for their careers.
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Fiscal Sponsorship - We help other aspiring nonprofits pursue their work by providing administrative and financial oversight, grant opportunities, and allowing their supporters to receive tax deductions for their contributions.
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The Troublemaker Scholarship - This former non-academic scholarship helped support unconventional approaches so addressing social issues using art and activism. It included a cash gift of up to $1500 as well as continuous mentoring and network support.