The Band Together Mullets

Mullet noun ˈmə-lət : a type of fish that lives in the ocean and is often eaten as food.For most of us, a Mullet is urban dictionary speak for a hairstyle with a short front and a long, wild and uncut back. It has laughable nicknames: Neck Warmer; Canadian Passport; Mud Flap; Kentucky Waterfall; Tennessee Top Hat; El Camino; and, Yep-Nope.But my favorite is “Business in front, Party in back.” And in a very real way, the mullet is a symbol for much of what Band Together represents.Business in FrontOur mission is to use live music as a platform for social change. We embrace audacious goals. We have a strategic plan, a SWOT analysis and an organizational development plan for sustainability. And we want to grow our reach and help others in our community through the assumption of calculated risk.

We are entrepreneurial. Board room meetings often feel like advertising agency pitches. Our guides are accountability, transparency, a unified vision and most importantly - getting business done. Our singly-staffed, little-engine-that-will successfully supports other nonprofits to grow in order to help even more people in need.Ultimately, we care. We want to improve our communities and we believe we can be effective.We shave, suit up, behave well, whether in the executive suite or a room full of donors, politicians and decision makers.Yet we are also what Steve Jobs affectionately called the crazy ones; the misfits, the rebels and the troublemakers. We’re the ones you will disagree with, glorify or vilify. The only thing you can't do is ignore us because we change things. We are the ones who are crazy enough to think that we can change the world, and are the ones who do.We are undeniably social. We believe 1+ 1 = more than 2.Party in BackWe absofreakinglutely love MUSIC. You’ll see us at a music venue on a Monday night, loving what some band is delivering from the stage. We’ll help them load in – and not because they asked. We’ll hang out with them after the show and give their sweat-clad bodies hugs and slap their clammy, calloused hands with high fives. They’ll bypass the Motel 8 or their rented, dirty white van full of Little Debbie wrappers to crash at our homes.They keep the $42 they made the night before (post bar tab) for gas to get to Next Town, USA. We’ll put them on the road the next morning with coffee in a mug we will never see again. And through those mugs, we’ll travel the open road with said band. Adventuring. Expanding.We do all this because in a small, hopefully consequential way, we help these bands fulfill their dreams.Most of us are not in bands, but we are in Band Together. And that’s good enough for us. Because we can live vicariously through the musicians by supporting them at shows, buying their merch and showing them some southern hospitality when they come to our towns. And maybe, they’ll join us on one of our stages one day and give what we are doing a shout out.Band Together delivers social capital to anyone who gets involved. BT may help you find a job, meet your future wife/hubby and it will fill your loving/giving cup. We are all about having a big time – and doing things that matter in a socially responsible manner. “Championing FUN” is actually a core value.You don’t need to grow your hair in back out and cut your bangs to be a part of Band Together. But we’d welcome you if you did. If you love music and care about community,  grab the bull by the horns and JOIN US.   There are enough slacktivists out there.  Liking our Facebook page is great but we really need good people to invest in our vision through donations, attending our events and volunteering!  Here’s to those of us who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. We call them “mullets.”Danny Rosin 8/6/14Co-Founder, Volunteer President