In 2014, the world was faced with the most widespread and severe Ebola outbreak of all time. A few of us, mostly starting high school or younger, decided to do something to help. We reached out to our friends and family, teachers and schools, asking for their support. After we set a date and place for the first Music Without Borders concert, our graphic designer friends created a logo and our programmer friends created our website. Some wrote for the blog and others created videos for it; more friends got involved with outreach, fundraising and event planning; and of course, many musician friends agreed to perform. The result was the beginning of a series of successful Music Without Borders concerts and events.

Since 2014, Music Without Borders has drawn on

a broadening network of diverse and motivated volunteers, each contributing their unique talents and backgrounds in the spirit of service. Individual initiatives and peer-to-peer collaboration, rather than competition or top-down leadership, are the drivers of our success.

The project goes beyond borders—from artistic genres and disciplines, to schools, countries and cultures. Our network of musicians, designers, programmers, filmmakers, writers, friends and mentors spans many different communities around the world. Ultimately,

we show that youth can move the world through service.