FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SoundstageEDU Officially Launches as a Community-First Platform Supporting Arts, Education, and Volunteer Leadership Nationwide

Gardner, Kansas — SoundstageEDU today announced its official public launch, marking a major milestone in the evolution of a grassroots movement dedicated to strengthening fine arts programs, empowering volunteers, and restoring clarity, culture, and sustainability to educational communities.

What began as a single podcast conversation has grown into a multifaceted platform offering tools, training, mentorship, and governance support for arts educators, parents, booster organizations, and nonprofit leaders across the country.

At its core, SoundstageEDU exists to answer a simple but urgent question:

How do we better support the adults who support the kids?

From One Conversation to a National Movement

SoundstageEDU was born out of lived experience — decades inside marching bands, drumlines, theaters, production teams, booster boards, and volunteer-run nonprofits. Founder Mike DeJohn, an educator, event production professional, and longtime arts advocate, saw the same patterns repeat everywhere:

Volunteers overwhelmed and undertrained
Boards operating without clear governance
Parents burning out or burning bridges
Arts programs quietly held together by a few exhausted people

Instead of offering opinions from the sidelines, SoundstageEDU began documenting real conversations — first through a podcast, then through shared resources, and eventually through purpose-built tools designed to help people navigate high-stress environments with clarity and confidence.

The response was immediate and organic. Educators shared episodes. Parents shared posts. Volunteers shared stories. The community grew not because of marketing — but because people finally felt seen.

What SoundstageEDU Is Today

Today, SoundstageEDU is a community-first education and support ecosystem designed to serve both the arts world and the broader nonprofit and volunteer landscape.

The platform now includes:

Educational tools that help volunteers and boards navigate meetings, bylaws, ethics, and decision-making
Mentorship and consulting for arts programs, booster organizations, and school-adjacent nonprofits
Content and training focused on culture, sustainability, leadership, and burnout prevention
Technology-assisted resources built intentionally and ethically to support — not replace — human judgment

Every tool and offering is designed with one guiding principle:

Technology should reduce harm, lower stress, and increase understanding — not create distance or dependency.

Community-First. Community-Supported.

Unlike traditional platforms, SoundstageEDU is intentionally structured as a community-supported initiative.

Rather than relying on large corporate sponsorships or paywalled access, SoundstageEDU is funded through:

Individual supporters
Programs that choose to invest in shared tools
Transparent partnerships aligned with its mission

This model ensures the work stays grounded in real needs — not investor demands or vanity metrics.

SoundstageEDU does not position itself above the community. It exists within it.

A Broader Vision for the Arts and Nonprofit World

While SoundstageEDU’s roots are in fine arts education — marching band, theater, percussion, choir, orchestra — its mission extends beyond any single discipline.

The challenges faced by arts boosters are the same ones faced by countless volunteer-run organizations:

Unclear roles
Poor governance
Emotional decision-making under pressure
Burnout disguised as “commitment”

SoundstageEDU aims to help normalize healthy systems, ethical leadership, and sustainable participation — not just louder fundraising or bigger budgets.

Because strong programs aren’t built by force.

They’re built by trust.

Looking Ahead

As SoundstageEDU enters this next chapter, the focus is clear:

Continue developing practical, ethical tools
Expand educational resources for volunteers and educators
Build partnerships rooted in shared values
Protect the human side of arts education in a rapidly changing world

This is not a quick launch.

It is a long-term commitment.

About SoundstageEDU

SoundstageEDU is an education and support platform dedicated to strengthening arts programs, nonprofit organizations, and volunteer leadership through community-centered tools, training, and mentorship. Founded by educator and production professional Mike DeJohn, SoundstageEDU exists to support the people behind the scenes — so the mission in front of the curtain can thrive.

For more information, resources, or to support the initiative, visit:
www.soundstageedu.com