Philanthropic ‘Minnesota Holiday’ album, created by Carlson School alum, celebrates 15 years

For the past 15 years, Phil Thompson, ‘07 BSB, has been using his entrepreneurial acumen and musical prowess to spread local holiday cheer, all while giving back to the community in a big way. The Woodbury musician has been producing the annual “A Minnesota Holiday” charity album since 2009, with all proceeds over the past few years benefiting Second Harvest Heartland, one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the nation.

“The Minnesota Holiday charity album came out of my desire to create a sampler of local music while giving back to the community,” Thompson says. “At the time [radio station] Cities 97 had a popular production of national artists, but I really wanted to create a local version that had a charity component. Philanthropy and giving back is always a big part of the music scene as well.”

Thompson credits his Carlson School Entrepreneurship degree with helping lay the foundation for a career as both a producer and world-touring musician. His success has made it possible for him to recruit and feature some of Minnesota’s top musicians for these holiday albums, making this project the largest collection of Minnesota music ever released with 225 recordings by 73 different artists on 15 volumes.

“What I love the most about this project is seeing how diverse and talented the Twin Cities’ music community is, featuring everything from gospel, to R&B, to original singer-songwriters, to instrumentalists,” Thompson says. “I absolutely love [holiday] music and I like to hear the classics, but I enjoy hearing these new arrangements every year.”

Past years have included some of the state’s most famous artists, Bob Dylan, Brian Setzer, and Sheila E., to name a few. This year’s milestone Vol. 15 lineup is no exception, with tracks by former NBC's The Voice contestant Kat Perkins, Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness, Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus, and more.

To date, Thompson’s holiday album has raised $600,000 for Twin Cities-based Second Harvest Heartland. With inflation and sky-high grocery prices, the need has never been greater, with 1 in 6 Minnesotans reaching out for food help last year.

“We’ve partnered with Second Harvest Heartland since the pandemic, as hunger needs have been really high, and it’s important to me to tie the charity in with the need,” Thompson says. “For every dollar raised, it provides three meals. It’s pretty amazing the impact it makes.”

"A Minnesota Holiday Vol. 15" is available on Spotify and Apple Music, but in-store CD purchases best support the cause. The CDs are available for $14.99 in all 11 Kowalski's Markets check-out aisles across the Twin Cities and include $200 worth of bonus gifts. But hurry, as the CD sells out every year!