REVERB: The Road to a More Sustainable Music Industry

REVERB: The Road to a More Sustainable Music Industry

There is no denying the significant impact the music industry has on the environment. Bus touring leads to substantial carbon emission, and performing in large concert venues comes hand in hand with incredible energy usage and excessive waste. Reverb was born from this issue.

Based in Portland, Maine, Guster singer and guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan founded Reverb to make music a more green activity. The idea sprung from the disconnect Adam felt between living an eco-friendly lifestyle at home and then negating those efforts while on the road. Lauren, a long-time environmentalist, crafted a slew of actions that could be taken on the road to make touring a more sustainable and responsible endeavor.

Reverb launched in 2004 greening the joint tour of Barenaked Ladies and Alanis Morissette. To date, 1,823 events and nearly 100 major tours (Dave Matthews Band, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson) have benefitted from their expertise. Reverb also creates unique backstage greening programs to combat the negative impact of the industry.

"Each artist we work with can choose which greening elements they'd like to incorporate into their tour," says Amy Makowiecki, Community Outreach Coordinator at Reverb. "These decisions are based on a few things, including their interests, budget, and what size venues they are playing."

Greening options Reverb offers: ensuring that tour buses run on sustainable fuel sources; providing local, organic catering and green cleaning supplies for tour buses; and implementing recycling programs to control the massive amounts of waste that shows generate. Reverb even assists musicians in recycling guitar strings.

Always in the forefront of the sustainability movement, Reverb frequently launches new outreach programs to spread their message beyond the standard music tour. "One project that we're especially proud of is our Campus Consciousness Tour," says Makowiecki. "This tour visits schools around the country and combines environmental outreach on campus with an awesome concert each night." Past headliners include Guster, O.A.R., Ben Harper, Drake and Passion Pit. This spring they will hit the road with Wiz Khalifa.

Reverb's impact on artists clearly resonates past the initial consultation. During a recent performance at a college venue, Jason Mraz described his unique source of lighting: the show's stage lighting was fashioned entirely out of recycled water bottles. Reverb greened Mraz's tour in 2008, and he continues to deliver a message of sustainability to his fans.

To learn more about Reverb, see their full range of services for artists and fans, and find out what green tours are on tap for this concert season, visit Reverb's official website. Find out ways that YOU can reduce your carbon footprint!

And to learn about the buzz in today's music industry, be sure to check out The Music Initiative, a free, online music magazine created to help readers discover up-and-coming bands/artists and learn about the latest happenings in the music world.

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