1% for the Planet may be one of Mad River Valley, Vermont’s best-kept secrets. Housed on the top floor of downtown Waitsfield’s old high school building on Main Street, the organization (which recently relocated to Vermont from southern New England) “exists to build and support an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet,” according to CEO Terry Kellogg. 1% serves as a global broker of good will on the planet’s behalf, linking profitable and socially responsible businesses that donate 1% of their annual sales to environmentally-focused organizations with a growing network of conservation-minded nonprofits (more than 1500 are now on the 1% roster) always on the lookout for new financial resources to expand their good work. To date, 1% for the Planet has 1100 companies in 38 countries contributing $50 million through the 1% network – not too shabby.

And, on the artistic front, 1% for the Planet has gotten into the music promotion business, recently releasing what may be the most remarkable musical compilation of the new year: a collection of 41 songs donated by musicians from around the world who support the organization’s work.

How did this ground-breaking musical project come about?

“We realize the power artists have to inspire,” explains Kellogg. “Pop star Jack Johnson was our fiftieth member; when he traveled on his ‘In Between Dreams’ tour we watched the phone ring off the hook, town-by-town, as he traveled around the world playing and sharing his sustainability message. Music rallies artists, fans, companies and nonprofits together; fans listen to an artist’s music and are inspired to get involved themselves,” Kellogg concludes. “The music compilation is an easy way to make a difference for anyone who loves good music.”

Or as one featured 1% artist, Spring Standards, humorously put it: “We were pretty sure that a compilation of songs by really smart scientists would suck, so we musicians are doing what we can to help out, and hope everyone else does the same.”

So when you buy the 1% for the Planet music collection – all the financial proceeds go to support 1%’s work.

And here’s the kicker: the 1% collection – all 41 songs - costs a mere $10.00.
It is easily the biggest bargain, musically speaking, I’ve seen (and heard) in a long time.
And, in keeping with 1%’s commitment to sustainability, the music is available online, through iTunes, Amazon, and other digital streaming sites. Even cooler? 1% has made an online “widget” available to any organization interested in promoting the 1% project, so other organizations interested in supporting the 1% message can help get the word out easily and effectively.

And the best part of all is the music itself.

True confessions.

It took me and my kids two weeks of “in car” listening before we finally pushed ourselves past the first five tunes to get to the next thirty six.
The opening songs were that good.

Here’s a quick audio run down.

The 1% Project opens with the incomparably gifted songwriter Josh Ritter of New York City singing “Great Big Heart,” a beautiful stripped down acoustic six-string ballad that must be heard to be believed. On track 2, Madi Diaz (one of the dozens of artists on this collection whom I had never heard of before) follows up with a bouncy toe tapping pop number called “Nothing at All,” (my kids’ current fave), while “Prodigal Son,” the collection’s third track, features Aidan Hawken performing one of the most hooky and haunting sonically interesting songs I’ve heard in years. Folkie Mason Jennings gruffly sings “How Deep Is That River” on track 4, with an unexpected musical up-tempo change up midway through the tune, while Mad River’s very own Grace Potter performs a beautiful ballad entitled “Til The Morning Comes Around” – just Grace and her acoustic guitar – on track 5. I was completely hooked by the time I heard the immediately recognizable voice of the 1% project’s biggest musical name, Jackson Browne, performing a live version of “About My Imagination” on track 6.

And the project goes on like that for another 35 songs. Truly incredible. Just a few other highlights: Birdmonster’s roadhouse-worthy rocker “Yuma” (track 18), Chris Velan’s brilliantly written “Sandpaper Shoes” (track 25), and Lori McKenna’s achingly soulful “Mercy Now” (track 28) were all standouts for me. But I have to confess to liking just about every single song on this project, and the mixing and mastering of so many different tunes into a single ear-appealing sonic collection was equally impressive, from a production standpoint.

In short, if you are an acoustic music lover of blues, folk, traditional, or Americana music, you can’t go wrong dropping a mere $10 to buy an entire library of new artists for your collection, while supporting Vermont’s newest socially-conscious nonprofit in the process.

Find out everything more you need to know at http://music.onepercentfortheplanet.org/.

And enjoy the experience of listening to these gifted musicians sing to help keep the Earth in business.