All of our projects focus on helping struggling musicians while lessening their impact on the environment.

THE POWER WHEEL is a bicycle-powered generator used to power amplified music, and to educate the music community about its environmental impact. The Power Wheel can power up to 2500 watts of musical equipment, including PA systems, amps, guitars and other instruments. We can power a show of roughly four 30-minute sets, for a total of two hours playing time. Contact make.shift if you’d like to see the power wheel at your next show.

THE MAGIC VAN: make.shift’s Chevy Box Van is a formidable beast that once served the Bellingham SWAT team. The van will be used to take independent northwestern musicians on two-to three-day tours across the region.  The service will be provided free of charge to bands selected through an application and interview process. Tours will focus on at least one underserved community, where live music in infrequent.

Bellingham’s VacationLand RV recently helped convert the van to run on biodiesel and to do the basic maintenance it needed to get on the road. Now make.shift is fundraising to insure the van and to purchase the biodiesel we’ll need for tours.

THE COMPOUND: make.shift is working to provide workspace for make.shift members and artists. The space will include practice space for artists and space to conduct workshops and skillshares. Also provided will be equipment and materials for printing, copying and creating publications to be used in preserving and promoting independent northwestern music and culture.