“We’re not corporate. We’re heart and soul” – DC
2025 was another successful year for Tune In & Tune Up (TITU), a 501c3 non-profit that brings mental and physical health awareness, resources, and support to individuals in the local music industry. In their first full year as a non-profit organization, they focused on building a website that is informative and easy to navigate. They held two fundraising concerts, Give the Drummer Some and Alstock, which successfully grew their brand and left audiences in awe. Most importantly, they helped at least 12 people that had serious medical conditions and 20-25 people with behavioral health issues.
“We’ve helped about a dozen people this year for a variety of issues,” says co-chair Dr. Al Puerini. “One was recovering from an amputation. We helped a woman that needed eyeglasses and a drummer with diabetes. Two were diagnosed with cancer. One used to own a sound company before he got sick. He’s just coming back and we’re trying to get him going again.”
“The behavioral health team of Kate Noveau and Mike Petrarca, is getting calls from musicians for our Trouble No More program,” Puerini adds. “They receive two free visits before discussing where to go from there. They may stay with Kate or Mike or go to someone with talents specific to their needs.”
“The fact that we’re a non-profit now is amazing, thanks to Doc’s efforts,” says co-chair and musician Don Culp. “We put together an incredible board with unique talents. Life is overwhelming right now for everybody and this board has experts in the field volunteering their time for this cause. It’s really heartwarming and touching that 11 people come together who are now friends and supporting this cause. To see that community outreach the way we have pulled together reinstalls my faith to the community.”
TITU started small, with Puerini and Culp pairing up to give supermarket gift cards to musicians in need during COVID. While the organization has grown, the gift card program has remained an important aspect. They went local and partnered with Dave’s Fresh Marketplace this year to give away over $5,000 in gift cards ($100 each) to individuals that apply and qualify.
“A lot have poor eating, smoking, and/or drinking habits,” Puerini says of their decision to offer Dave’s gift cards instead of cash. “We want to educate them and show better alternatives (shop at markets, drink in moderation).”
“The shit that people are eating is not food,” Culp adds. “Musicians grab stuff from gas stations because that’s easier or what’s open after a gig. It’s a horrible cycle and we hope to make a little change with education and offering better shopping options.
“I’ve always been aware of a diet,” Culp, who recently started a vegan diet at Puerini’s suggestion, continued. “I’m 64 years-old. I have a karate studio, tree farm, and am a musician. I want to play music for a long time. That’s important to me.”
Puerini and Culp have nothing but good things to say about their partnership with Dave’s for this program and plan to speak with them about a sponsorship in 2026.
“We are going to be more aggressive about getting sponsors,” Puerini says of one of their 2026 goals. “100% of the money raised goes to musicians. We are hoping sponsors can give good-sized donations to keep us expanding.”
“The end result is helping more people,” Culp adds. “We’re not a rich organization and we rely on events, donations and occasional grants. I want to go bigger. Corporate sponsors to help us get to that next level, which will help local musicians and musician workers.”
TITU has gained great exposure from word of mouth, their concerts and appearances. They are especially grateful for their partnerships with Rich Lupo, Mike Ryan of Motif and Tess Lyons of RI Monthly. They appeared on “The Rhode Show” and “Studio 10.” They’ve had multiple people reach out to them to offer their assistance. Bands are asking to play Alstock, with many donating their (already reduced) fee back. People have held their own benefit concerts to help the cause.
“Someone showed up at my karate studio and donated a couple hundred dollars from a benefit concert they did,” Culp says. “People have been really supportive. Our community is so small, and we want people to live this idea and offer to do a concert themselves. Everything helps.
We are always looking for donations. Contact Doc or myself if you’d want to put together a fundraiser. We’ll run it by the board.”
Puerini and Culp both feel that the Board of Directors has been a huge 2025 accomplishment and the strength of the organization as a whole. It can be difficult to get 11 people with their own ideas to mesh, but they found people dedicated to the cause that each bring a different strength to the table. They have the same goals and enjoy working together.
“We were selective with choosing people to be a part of the board,” Puerini says. “They each offer different talents, ideas and expertise. We have active board meetings with a lot of input from everybody.”
“The board that we put together is one of the single most important things we’ve done,” Culp says. “The way that this board came together is the biggest reason we’ve grown to this level. We have everybody working in the same direction.”
“It can be extremely challenging for us because we have so many ideas brought to us by the board,” Culp says of a problem he admits is good to have. “It’s like being in a band where everybody’s working together. Some bands have someone that’s the leader. We have a lot of leaders, but we all keep our egos aside.”
The website received a complete overhaul, thanks to board member Lia DelSesto. It is easier to navigate, contains numerous links to outside resources and plenty of information about the organization. The homepage is welcoming with their “Your health is music to our ears” motto. There are links to apply for assistance (each application is looked at individually and all in the music industry are encouraged to apply), ways to get involved and upcoming events.
2026 will feature the 6th annual Alstock over the summer. They are in the planning stages of a female-centered music event at The Met in October.
They will be promoting healthy eating and hearing protection, in addition to mental and physical health. They are hoping for more donations and sponsors to continue to expand and, most importantly, help those in the music industry that are in need.
“Music is great medicine and we want to keep it going,” Culp concludes. “We want to keep our community healthy and aware.”
The Board:
Dr. Al Puerini and Don “DC” Culp (musician) — Co-Directors
Lia DelSesto – Graphic Designer
Sarah Puerini – Secretary/Web Administrator
Kate Noveau — Behavioral Health provider
Mike Petrarca – Behavioral Health provider
Kai Nanfelt – Marketing, musician
Bob Howard – Community Outreach, musician
Pam Howard – Community Outreach
James Montgomery – musician and musician liaison
Steve Smith – musician and musician liaison