Solange's summer of soul

  via US Magazine
Solange Knowles doesn’t need her big sis’ name to create her own positive contributions to society.  Now, she is taking the initiative to step out from Beyonce’s shadow and make her own statements about our world.

On Friday, Solange and Ne-Yo performed at the VH1 Save the Music’s Summer of Soul Concert in the Hamptons to raise awarneness for music education.

Solange, who is very passionate about music education, wrote an exclusive article in the August issue of Hamptons Magazine about music’s effect on her life, “Music has always been an excellent source of inspiration for me.  I started writing lyrics at the age of seven to help me cope with different situations.  I found that putting my feelings on paper enabled me to sort through my emotions and inspired me to start a career in the music industry.”

Solange continues to speak out for music in our schools as well, “In the quest to bring music programs to every school in the nation, artists and celebrities including Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Sting, Billy Joel, Kiefer Sutherland, John Legend, Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, and Jewel (to name just a few) have donated their time to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of music in a child’s education.”

Save the Music Foundation has restored and maintained instrumental music programs in 1,500 public schools in 100 communities across the country since it’s conception in 1997.  Thus far, the foundation has provided over $40 million worth of new instruments, which has affected the lives of over one million children.