Music

Rock Band GOODING Teaches Finance Skills To Teens

May 19th, 2017

Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are a supposed trifecta. But drop the drugs, drop the sex, and add financial literacy.

Then, you get GOODING, a rock band that preaches fiscal responsibility and rails against financial inequality. They visit middle and high schools across the country to rock out and to encourage young people to get the lowdown on their own finances. They performed at Inman Middle School earlier this week

GOODING unofficially started financial literacy education six years ago. Now based in Nashville, the group has an official nonprofit called Funding the Future, which has support from several financial and education groups. The current members are seasoned musicians: Erin O’Neill on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jesse Reichenberger on drums, and Eric Santagata on bass

The band doesn’t just go to schools. It brings its music to music venues across the country. And their songs are not literally about credit scores or the perils of same-day lenders.

“Some people ask, ‘So do you actually sing about credit score?’ That sounds like the worst thing I’ve ever heard,” GOODING, which is also the name of the band’s founder and leader, said. “These issues were in music before we knew it was financial literacy, just as far as hope and the search for truth and justice. You know, all the folky type of stuff you channel when you’re trying to write.”

The band has their work cut out for them: financial literacy is rarely taught in schools. In several recent reports, income inequality is on the rise in the United States.

With these school talks and performances, GOODING’s wants to give young people hope: that you can follow your passion, but it requires a lot of hard work and smart financial decisions.