Music & Arts Festival Produced by Yes I Can

Now Recruiting Students for our 2024-2025 Festival Project

VIEW 2023 DOCUMENTARY FILM (10 min)

Yes I Can Unity Through Music & Education and Bobby Dee Presents held the first edition of The Good Karma Music & Arts Festival on November 4th in Santa Clarita, CA. The festival, previously known as the Summer Meltdown Autism Awareness Art & Music Festival, re-branded with the goal of training and educating people with disabilities to work in the entertainment industry. The Good Karma Music & Arts Festival was created by Yes I Can Unity Through Music & Education, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Santa Clarita, CA.

The festival featured a range of artists on two stages including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Xzibit, and Too $hort; live art, a beer and wine garden, a diverse selection of mouthwatering food, and local vendors. Unlike most other music festivals, the Good Karma Music & Arts Festival is organized by a group of students with disabilities who believe that everyone deserves a chance to showcase their abilities. The festival provides a platform for them to do just that. By working at the management and production level of the entire operation, students are able to work alongside industry professionals, and in many cases, are mentored directly by the industry’s most elite concert promoters, bands, artists, media publicists, managers, booking agents, production companies, photographers, and more.

The goal of GKMAF is twofold: to provide residents of Southern California with a fun, unique festival experience, as well as to celebrate diversity in the workplace, which enables students to showcase their strengths and talents to potential employers.

“There is a strong feeling of equality and community at this festival.”

Iya Terra

“It is cool because the students are actually a part of the festival, no, they are a part of the very fiber of everything that is happening here, which for me was really cool to see.”

Karim Israel (Arise Roots)

“People with and without disabilities come together to put this show on; its a pretty big show and gets bigger every year. I’m just proud to be a part of it.”

Ontronik (System of the Down/The Apex Theory)

An amazing cause and the crowd is joyous and having an excellent time because of it , and it is more fun for us as a band to perform because the crowd is so excited.”

Katherine Ramirez (Mystic Roots)

The fact that the students put this festival on is really unique and amazing. The experience the students get and that of the people coming is just that much more rewarding.”

Cisco Adler

“An amazing cause, and truly an incredible festival. I can’t think of another festival like this.”

Eric Rachmany (Unified Highway/Rebelution)

“This festival features more live artists painting on-stage than any other festival. They care about the art and the experience.”

Evangela Masih

We played the festival years ago too; we did it with Shwayze and Cisco Adler. We met the students and had a great time. Its a good cause and when they asked us to do it again this year, we said of course we will do it.”

Dustin Bushnell (Dirty Heads)

What is unique about this festival is disabled creatives are the backbone of putting the festival together. Amazing cause.”

Forrest Day

This festival is unique because it is focused on the cause. Everyone is here to have a good time.”

Seedless