Official Bio

Thomas Sage Pedersen is an American podcast host, filmaker, musician, cultural/political consultant, public speaker, artist and author. He is best known for his podcast Speak For Change podcast, which broadcasts from Santa Cruz, California and has produced more than 100 episodes around a variety of topics and change makers in our local and global communities.

His mission is to help expand community by producing and providing space for thought provoking, courageous and artistic projects and conversations..

He is the founder/CEO of Everyone's Music School which is an award winning music school in Santa Cruz, California whose mission is to create positive and lasting change in people’s lives with music education. Through this school Thomas created the Compassionate and Progressive Music Instruction method"(CPMI) which is a research based and ever changing method of teaching music in a way that is accessible to most people and can create transformative change in the individual. Everyone’s Music School has three locations throughout Santa Cruz county and has a commitment to make music education accessible to our local BIPOC community.

He is also a member of the Santa Cruz Equity Collab which is responsible for the Black Lives Matter mural in Santa Cruz. He is a member of the Community Foundation’s Rise Together Santa Cruz which is an intercultural coalition of BIPOC leaders working to advance racial equity in Santa Cruz County, and on the advisory board of Black Health Matters initiative of Santa Cruz County.

As a Black and Bi-racial man raised primarily in white spaces Thomas set out to find connection with the Black community in Santa Cruz County and that inspired him to create, alongside other Black men, The Black Kings of Santa Cruz County, a Black mens group which has already shifted the cultural fabric of Santa Cruz County by uplifting and connecting Black men of Santa Cruz County.

Thomas currently is expanding the Speak For Change platform into a production company whose primary focus is to generate thought provoking, artistic and courageous projects. This currently includes producing short films that prioritize the BIPOC community.

He is currently working on his first book which won’t be released untill 2025.