Emily Koffsky, Copywriter
“Between her love of music and her desire to make a change within her community, MUSIC Matters was seemingly the perfect fit.”
Avery Friedman is a junior from Cleveland, Ohio. She is double majoring in English and Communications, and serves as MUSIC Matter’s Social Ventures Chair. She came across MUSIC Matters her freshman year at Festifall and was attracted to the charitable aspirations of the organization. Through her experiences, she has learned how to pitch, execute, and manage impactful projects and events while always sticking to her principles.
Serving in a leadership position has enabled Avery to realize first-hand just how much students are capable of when it comes to helping others. She has learned what it’s like to successfully manage a team with an abundance of moving parts, and expresses that “as the Social Ventures Chair, [she is] all about putting our hearts into service, while working with experts to make sure our passion meets a strategy that results in meaningful, ethical service.”
This semester, Avery and the Social Ventures team are looking forward to building a library in Flint, Michigan with our Community Partner and fellow student non-profit organization, Books For A Benefit. In February, the Social Ventures team will be selecting their two annual Big Thinker Scholarship recipients. Additionally, they are working with organizations like the Center for Educational Outreach to plan the second annual MOvE Summer Camp for 50 students from a charter school in Dearborn, Michigan.
Outside of MUSIC Matters, you can find Avery playing guitar, reading, snowboarding, or connecting with other people. Her profound love for music stems from growing up on the classic rock that her dad used to play for her, and that love of music has only grown – she is currently into indie-electronic. She continues to pursue her love of music and social change around campus as a writer for the music beat within the Arts section of the Michigan Daily, where she also recently started their podcast network. She also interned at a non-profit music festival this summer called Global Citizen.
It is clear that Avery has a passion for music and the way it can unite people and encourage change. We can’t wait to see the incredible projects that Avery and the social ventures team take on in the future.