Ask someone who goes to a lot of concerts what the organization HeadCount is, or what it does, and they’ll probably say it’s a voter registration organization. Ask HeadCount co-Founder and Executive Director Andy Bernstein the same question, and you’ll get a very different answer. He’ll also tell you about voter registration, of course, but in almost in the same breath he’ll make sure you understand that’s not all they do.
He’s understandably very proud of HeadCount’s success with voter registration, registering over 250,000 people in their short history. That’s an incredible accomplishment, but it is only part of their mission. He’s equally very proud of the organization’s role as the “grassroots organizing arm of the live music community.” He believes passionately in the potential of music to affect positive change through grassroots efforts and effective use of the political system. That, to my mind, is the new and innovative aspect of HeadCount’s vision.