Yes Is A World is a nonprofit organization working to promote peace and social change through musical diversity and the collaboration of young artists.

Since its inception in 2002, Yes is a World has produced several large-scale performances notable for their artistic variety. These include Kiss the Speaker Wire (2003), an exploration of protest-music traditions in South Africa and America; The Quieting (2004), featuring music by Ives, Britten, and settings of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies; and Music in the Social Sphere (2006), which included music by Ted Hearne, David T. Little, The Mountain Goats and Samir Zarif’s anti-war jazz suite “The Many Wines.” In 2005, Yes is a World’s A New Wake featured performances by Nellie McKay, Dinuk Wijeratne, Julia Lichten and over 60 musicians from New York to raise money for the Southeast Asian tsunami-relief efforts of Faithful America. Other performances have succeeded in raising money for OxFam International’s Afghanistan relief fund and for Tanzania’s Shinda Basic School. Yes is a World has also produced a reading of Tony Kushner’s one-act play Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall be Unhappy and solo recitals by David Hanlon, Jody Redhage and Taylor Levine.

Integral to the mission of Yes is a World is the belief that a true integration of musical styles results in meaningful dialogue and avoids the confining parameters of traditional form. The juxtaposition of contrasting musical genres exemplifies the individual richness of these forms rather than the limitations. This concept parallels the belief that humanity should be stronger and more unified through its diversity, rather than be divided by it. Past performances have ranged from Bach to Ives to Radiohead to Bjork to Grisey to American folk, spirituals, hiphop, and gospel to new and traditional music from Cuba, Guinea and South Africa.