Frequently Asked Questions

May I contribute a song?

Yes! Just follow these instructions.

Would you please speak to the diversity of the featured songwriters and music in this project?

As mentioned in our Statement of Inclusion, we "welcome the voices of people of every race, religion, sexual orientation/identity, gender expression and age to create new music that is inclusive and respectful of all." It is our hope and intent to increase the diversity of songwriters represented and types of music in order to address our mission to amplify the positive power of music to shape a more just and inclusive world. We have a limited number of financial grants available for contributors who would add this diversity. For more information, please contact us.

Are you saying that one should never sing those old songs, even if they are “cleaned up”?

Not quite - but deciding where, when and how they are appropriate requires thoughtful consideration. Certainly, it is important to know our history and this can't be done if we attempt to erase all the "bad stuff". As teachers, parents and performers we continually make decisions about which songs (or books, stories, movies, etc.) are appropriate for each audience and situation. For example, sharing the original offensive version of an old minstrel song for adults in an educational program about racism or American history can be done with sensitivity; however that same song is not appropriate for children who can't understand its historical context.

For some people, singing or listening to the non-offensive lyrics or melodies of those songs is painful because the lens with which they view those songs and melodies is through the eyes of racism and exclusion, in spite of the inclusive lyrics that may be currently sung. For others, it may empower them to take ownership of those songs away from the racists. For still others, not knowing (or in spite of) their dark histories, they associate those songs and melodies only with happy family gatherings, summers with friends at camp, or loved ones from whom they first heard them.

Because of these diverse experiences of singers and listeners, our project assignment specifically asks for new non-derivative songs that do not use the same melody as the originals. We hope that this will meet the simultaneous goals of helping ourselves (and others) to understand the dark histories of some songs (to know better), and creating or choosing new songs that are suitable for as broad an audience as possible (to do better).

Where do you get your funding?

The Know Better Do Better Project is an informal and loose knit volunteer organization. We have no paid staff. We do accept donations to help pay operating expenses (server fees, office expenses, various other expenses). We have received a grant from the Club Passim Iguana Fund to pay some of our server fees. In addition, we have received a grant from Nine Athens Music to support our outreach efforts to attract new music that would add racial, ethnic or other kinds of diversity to our project. Please visit our Community page for more information about our Artists of Color grants.