Bryan Olesen is more than a musician—he’s also a passionate humanitarian. And his deep-rooted efforts span across the globe.
Bryan made a huge impression on the music world with his recent The Voice blind audition, and many fans were surprised to learn that he’s already an established mainstream artist. Bryan got into the industry in 1979 and went on to help form the Christian rock band Casting Pearls, which is now known as VOTA. He also played guitar for the Grammy-nominated group Newsboys for two years in the early 2000s.
Being in two successful bands gave Bryan the chance to travel the world. Experiencing different cultures while jet-setting was “the time of [his] life.” But it also gave him a different perspective. For the first time, he saw the depths of poverty, starvation, and more. And Bryan knew God was calling him to use his platform for good.
Over the years, Bryan Olesen and the members of VOTA have partnered with several not-for-profit organizations.
VOTA Helped Fund and Spread Awareness For Tiny Hands
In 2013, VOTA teamed with Tiny Hands International and launched a campaign called “Love Found Me,” which funds monitoring stations from Nepal to India that combat human trafficking.
“Together, our efforts will be instrumental in helping to rescue as many as 3000 girls from an unthinkable future,” VOTA announced at the time.
The musicians pledged five years to the organization, but their fans helped them meet their monetary goal by 2014. However, their overall plan was not just to raise money but also to raise awareness. Fans were given an entire album for free—as long as they watched an educational video.
“Since we, as a band, don’t need to make as much money from touring, we decided, ‘You know what? Let’s do something crazy, and let’s give this album away,” Bryan told 100 Huntley in 2014. “And we did it to draw attention to the tragedy that’s happening at the Nepal/India border. And we basically told our fans before they could get the record, they have to watch a quick video of me saying why we’re doing this.”
If the fans donated to the fund, they also received a special bonus album.
Bryan Olesen Sponsored a Child Through Food For The Hungry
In 2016, VOTA partnered with the Christian non-profit Food for the Hungry and used profits from their Fearless album to support 300 children in Panali, Nicaragua.
More recently, Bryan Olesen and band member Peter Furler joined Child Fund International. The 80-year-old organization works to help give children in developing countries brighter futures by offering financial support, education, and more.
“I’m on a journey to find people that want to join me to make a very reasonable sacrifice to take on sponsoring a child so we can change the trajectory of a child’s life and entire community in Mexico,” he said in a promotional video.
Bryan Olesen earned an instant three-chair turn when he sang the first line of OneRepublic’s Love Runs Out on March 4. The rocker will compete on Season 25 with John Legend as his coach.
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