Our Beginnings
Delmas 32 and Beyond
Following Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010, MHI Founder and Executive Director, Sara Wasserman began volunteering in the country through J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO). Sara used music as a tool to help children cope and find joy after this traumatic uprooting. After countless visits to the Port-au-Prince community of Delmas 32, she saw the unmistakable impact of music as Haiti began to heal and rebuild. Partnering with J/P HRO, Little Kids Rock and local Haitian educators, Sara started Music Heals International as a way to bring music education to the children of Delmas 32 and communities beyond.
Taking Music to Heart
See how Music Heals International students become
passionate about their education and lives through their love of music.
Founder/Executive Director
Sara Wasserman
A singer/songwriter, recording artist and producer, music has always been an important part of Sara Wasserman’s life. The daughter of Grammy-winning bassist Rob Wasserman, she first began performing on tour with her father and Bob Weir’s band, RatDog. This was followed by solo tours of the US and Europe and the release of her debut album Solid Ground, which featured collaborations with Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Christian McBride, Stephen Perkins, Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman. Sara joined the Board of Directors of the Peruvian children’s orphanage Casa de Milagros in 2007 and produced a series of fundraising concerts, featuring many of the artists with whom she has collaborated...
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Sara Wasserman
Founder/Executive Director
A singer/songwriter, recording artist and producer, music has always been an important part of Sara Wasserman’s life. The daughter of Grammy-winning bassist Rob Wasserman, she first began performing on tour with her father and Bob Weir’s band, RatDog. This was followed by solo tours of the US and Europe and the release of her debut album Solid Ground, which featured collaborations with Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Christian McBride, Stephen Perkins, Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman. Sara joined the Board of Directors of the Peruvian children’s orphanage Casa de Milagros in 2007 and produced a series of fundraising concerts, featuring many of the artists with whom she has collaborated. She also served on the host committee in 2013 and 2014 for Sean Penn & Friends Help Haiti Home Gala. Her passion for music and helping children build better lives led her to volunteer in Haiti with J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) in 2012 and ultimately launch Music Heals International.
MHI Leadership
Meet Our Team
Jean Marc Didis
Program Manager
Jean Marc Didis
Program Manager
Emmanuel Piervil
Program Officer
Emmanuel Piervil
Program Officer
James Joseph Donatin
Field Agent
James Joseph Donatin
Field Agent
Ashley Orton
Strategy & Impact Advisor
Ashley Orton
Strategy & Impact Advisor
For over fifteen years, Ashley has helped visionaries build stronger organizations. She has helped grow small nonprofit organizations operating in East Africa, the Caribbean and Central Eastern Europe. She has also supported large, internationally-focused government and non-governmental institutions including the United States Peace Corps, Amnesty International USA, the National Democratic Institute and USAID’s Democracy Network Program. Ashley has a background in education and youth development with expertise in strategic planning and program development, improving monitoring and results measurement, and designing and executing training programs. She earned a Master of International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/Public Affairs and French from Claremont McKenna College.
Sara Wasserman
President
Sara Wasserman
President
A singer/songwriter, recording artist and producer, music has always been an important part of Sara Wasserman’s life. The daughter of Grammy-winning bassist Rob Wasserman, she first began performing on tour with her father and Bob Weir’s band, RatDog. This was followed by solo tours of the US and Europe and the release of her debut album Solid Ground, which featured collaborations with Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Christian McBride, Stephen Perkins, Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman. Sara joined the Board of Directors of the Peruvian children’s orphanage Casa de Milagros in 2007 and began producing a series of yearly fundraising concerts for Casa, featuring many of the artists with whom she has collaborated. She also served on the host committee in both 2013 and 2014 for Sean Penn & Friends Help Haiti Home Gala. Her passion for music also led her to accept an invitation in 2012 from the Haitian relief organization, J/P HRO, to teach music in Port Au Prince, Haiti. Two years and countless musical visits later, Music Heals International was formed. A collaboration with Little Kids Rock and J/P HRO, Sara’s vision is that MHI will give the gift and healing power of music to kids, in Haiti and other countries, who otherwise would not have that opportunity to grow up with the joy and power of music in their daily lives.
Stephanie Clarke
Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer
Stephanie Clarke
Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer
Stephanie is owner and president of Hamilton Ink Public Relations, one of Northern California’s most highly respected and successful PR agencies, with a diverse clientele in film, music, dance, art, theater and business. From 2000-2002 she held the position of Director of Communications for an internet security firm in Menlo Park followed by a position as VP of Sales and Marketing for World Wine Market, an international wine trade exhibition. Over the years Stephanie has continued to follow her passion for film and music by producing, along with her longtime producing partner, Clare Wasserman, Steep Productions, Inc., many live music events including a star-studded concert for the 52nd Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.; an all-star concert at the Beacon Theater, NYC for the release of Rob Wasserman’s TRIOS album; Dances to American Music at Brooklyn Academy of Music in collaboration with the Mark Morris Dance Company, White Oak Dance (Baryshnikov) and Yo-Yo Ma, and a number of live music & film events and tributes for the Mill Valley Film Festival. Some of these include Music in the Movies celebrating the history of music and sound in films, and more recently, an all blues tribute to the late Michael Bloomfield, a celebration of Arhoolie Records, and the premiere of musician/songwriter Thomas Dolby’s film, The Invisible Lighthouse.
Michele Waldman
Secretary
Michele Waldman
Secretary
Michele Waldman is a Marriage and Family Psychotherapist based in San Francisco, CA. Michele has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from CIIS, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley. Michele has worked and lived in dozens of countries worldwide ranging from Uzbekistan to Indonesia to Pakistan. Her passion for helping others had also led her to live in Central Mexico working with children in an orphanage. Michele became involved with Music Heals International because of her belief in the inherent healing qualities of music and her love of children.
Lynn Asher
Owsley Brown
Peter Fisher
Isabelle Fox
Richard Habib
Shannon O’Leary Joy
Larry “The Hat” Lautzker
Mary O’Mara
Christy McGill
Gardly Philoctete
Sherri Prince
Douglas Rosenberg
Lisa Rueff
Lukas Nelson
Robyn Shore
Art Smith
Dave Stroud
Clare Wasserman
Natascha & Bob Weir
Dave Wish
In Memoriam
Lou Reed
Rob Wasserman
Our partners' support is critical to our success. We thank you!
Implementing Partners
Supporting Partners
Founding Sponsor
Owsley Brown III
Supporting Sponsors
EarthSense Foundation
Erica Abrams
Alan Bauer
Sharik Currimbhoy
Bob Danielson (In Memoriam)
Hope & Pete Fisher
Larry the Hat’s FAMOUS4
Further Foundation
The EACH Foundation
William Hobi
Michael Klein
George & Gloriana Mejia-Gund
Sherri Prince
Brian & Jonette Rockett
Douglas Rosenberg
Brad Swaback
Michele & Craig Waldman
Natascha & Bob Weir
Rusty & Mari Williams
Corporate Sponsors
JONES DAY – One Firm Worldwide
WIGT Printing
Bohemian Guitars
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Here is one of our amazing girls who began our program last summer during our music summer camp and us now in our beginning class at our partner @jphro ‘s Community Development Campus
Happy International Women’s Day from our amazing young women! #haiti #musicheals
Here is a video from today’s inclusive class with our students with disabilities at our partner @jphro Ecole de L’Espoir. So inspired and proud of these kids!