“Concerts are where I meet all the closest members of my chosen family," Satterfield says. "When I stopped to really look at the ADA area, I saw this barricaded space. Even if there was someone there I wanted to meet, I couldn't have. I became fixated on it. I looked around at all my friends and realized I had met everyone I was with that day at a live-music event. I remember thinking, 'Man, if any of us had been in the ADA section, we would never have met.' I just made a mental note, and it became an obsession."
That moment of clarity gave birth to Shine Music Festival, a nonprofit that’s reshaping the live-music landscape by creating a "music festival that is accessible to all." Now in its fourth year, Shine Music returns on Saturday, August 24, to ReelWorks Denver for the second time. The event aims to provide fans with an experience that combines the exhilarating energy of a traditional festival with innovative accessibility practices and adaptive technology.
"Everybody thinks that making things accessible or inclusive is difficult or expensive — and it's not. It's only expensive when it's an afterthought," Satterfield says. "We do not have an ADA section. In order to do that, we've made sure the entire space caters to people's needs. Most venues and events follow the minimalistic ADA laws, but those are largely based on people with mobility concerns, right? They don't take into account people who are blind, deaf, neurodiverse or have any other type of disability, but Shine Music does."
This year's festival includes a packed lineup across three stages, with a ticketed main stage headlined by Karl Denson's Tiny Universe and a number of free performances throughout the day. Attendees can explore vendors, food trucks and interactive experiences by groups such as Dateability and Full Body Sound, all designed with inclusivity in mind.
"Everybody thinks that making things accessible or inclusive is difficult or expensive, and it's not; it's only expensive when it's an afterthought," says Shine founder Shawn Satterfield.
Courtesy of Nikolai Puc Photography
"ReelWorks has been a real partner in our mission to not only have a great music festival once a year, but also to use the power and platform of music to make more accessible events," Satterfield says. "ReelWorks is a venue that is saying, ‘Wow, it didn't take a lot to make our space more inclusive,’ and that's our mission. We want everybody who comes to realize how easy it would be to make their workplace or event more inclusive. I think that's the power that we have. We're not in the music industry, so there's no excuse. If we can do it, anybody can do it."
Shine Music Festival provides a variety of accessibility services, including ASL interpreters.
Courtesy of EJ Carr
The festival's impact is already making waves in the broader music community. This July, Live Nation, one of the world's largest entertainment companies, contacted Satterfield to learn how she had adapted an entire festival to accommodate people with disabilities.
"I spoke with the heads of DEI and ADA for Live Nation," Satterfield says. "The ADA girl was kind of defensive, but the DEI guy was trying to be pretty cool about things. She just said, ‘Well, how would you even do something like that at Coachella?’ And I said, ‘Have you ever even tried? I'm not willing to answer that question for you when you haven't even thought outside of the box once.’ Then they're like, 'Well, we're going to fly in for it.’ I'm like, ‘Oh, I can't stop you from flying in for it,’ and hey, maybe they'll learn from it and they'll start making their events more accessible." Although she isn't sure how Live Nation heard about the event, she speculates that some of her biting comments about the music industry might have gotten back to the company. "I speak out against the industry because they have the power, venues and money to do all of this instantly without it even impacting their bottom line, but they don’t," Satterfield says. "Especially with everything that's going on and ticket sales being down, there are roughly 61 million people with disabilities in America. That's a whole new market that will come to your event if you just consider their needs."
The journey from idea to reality wasn’t an easy one. Satterfield, who had no prior experience in the music industry, threw herself into the challenge with the same passion that fueled her love for live music. Originally planned for 2020, the inaugural Shine Music Festival was delayed by the pandemic and eventually launched in 2021 at Levitt Pavilion.
That venue’s accessibility issues led to a move to Civic Center Park the following year. Although the new location offered flat terrain that seemed promising, the financial strain of the 2022 event and the planning process for 2023 at the venue almost led to the festival’s cancellation.
“We almost threw in the towel,” Satterfield admitted. "We moved our event from Civic Center Park to ReelWorks last year in thirty days, which was really chaotic. This year's production is much easier, because we knew we would be hosting the event at ReelWorks. ReelWorks is only charging us for what they pay their employees who work the event. We saved, like, $40,000 on the facility because we're in a venue that cares about giving back to the community. Reel Works is our home. As we grow, we'll expand out into 35th Street. I don't see us going anywhere for a very long time."
Despite its success, including attracting 10,678 attendees to its past three events, Shine Music faces ongoing fundraising challenges. Satterfield says the event costs $100,000 to produce. Though she initially helped fund the event using her 401(k) and savings accounts, she made her last withdrawal last January, "so there are no more funds on my part to fill the gap.
"We spend 90 percent of our time finding money," Satterfield says. "It's really hard to raise money right now. That is probably the most difficult challenge we face; making the venue and our event accessible is the easiest part of what we do. Shine Music would like to add more new features and upgrade our technology; the only thing holding us back is money."
Even with financial constraints, the festival's impact is undeniable, and its mission remains relevant to both the disability community and its allies. As Shine Music Festival prepares to welcome thousands of attendees to ReelWorks Denver, Satterfield remains focused on the bigger picture.
“We’re small, and the fact that we're growing at the level that we're growing without money is crazy,” Satterfield says. “I mean, we got Live Nation's attention, right? Copying is the greatest form of flattery; if the entire world copied us, that would be fantastic. I would love it if Shine Music became obsolete; that would be fantastic. I would be happy to close our doors because we succeeded and the world became more inclusive, but we have a long way to go before we get there."
Shine Music Festival, Saturday, August 24, ReelWorks Denver, 1399 35th St. Learn more at shinemusicfestival.com.
