[2] That year Elder brought together Voices of Afghanistan,[5] an Afghan ensemble featuring vocalist Ustad Farida Mahwash, rubab master Homayoun Sakhi, and The Sakhi Ensemble,[6] Angelique Kidjo, and other notable artists, and helped compose several tracks on the group's debut album.

[9] Among other events, in 2014 and 2015 she created the concept for[10] and "masterminded" the When Music Matters concert as the finale of the larger Abu Dhabi Festival.

[3] Elder attended the University of California, Berkeley in the early 1980s, pursuing a double degree in biochemistry and music.

"[3] Also in 1995, Elder coordinated the Project Teach Tomorrow’s Teachers scholarship program,[4] working with Mike Love on fundraising concerts.

"[3] The project expanded, and the Los Angeles Times states "What became known as the International Friendship Festival aspired to bring to one California venue as many ethnicities and bands as possible.

For the first event, the LA Times stated "Sabah assembled an all-Arab American orchestra to back her up, performed to a packed Southern California crowd and added her voice, along with the Kan Zaman players, to a live rendition of Sembello's song about global oneness.

[4] She helped on the One Planet One People global broadcast and PBS special from 1997 to 1998, and also in 1998 she worked on the first Arab-American Music, Arts, and Literature (AMAL) Awards, with over 50,000 attendees at the live broadcast and events in Washington D.C.[4] Also in the 1990s she started producing and managing artists such as Sabah, Wadi al-Safi, Michael Sembello, The Bridge, Simon Shaheen, Mohammed Wardi, George Clinton and the P-Funk, Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami, and certain projects for Stevie Wonder.

[14] The following year she began producing a large number of albums on Ark 21, starting with Historic Live Recording of Arabic Masters by Two Tenors & Qantara (Wadi al-Safi and Sabah), The Lion Roars Live (Hakim), and Blue Flame (Simon Shaheen & Qantara).

[7] According to The Boston Phoenix in 2001, "this past summer, two savvy world-music labels, Putumayo and Six Degrees, released Arabic-music samplers.

[17] Also in 2002 she started managing special projects for Quincy Jones, assisting him in coordinating the inclusion of Middle Eastern artists into the World Economic Forum.

[4] Elder also co-wrote with Rod Temperton the lyrics to a composition by Simon Shaheen ("Everyone Everywhere") originally written as an instrumental piece for the United Nations.

[3] She also co-produced “We Want Peace,” featuring Lenny Kravitz, Kazem Al Sahir, Simon Shaheen and Jamey Haddad.

[4] Elder was an executive producer, co-producer, and co-writer on the 2005 song "Love to the People," a duet between Carlos Santana and Algerian vocalist Cheb Khaled.

The Los Angeles Times called the track "American ethnic fusion,"[3] and "Love to the People"'s album Peace Through Music was nominated for a Grammy.

Featuring artists such as Khaled, Assala Nasri and Rida Al Abdullah, funds were raised for Children's Medical Aid in the Middle East.

[4] Elder organized the Citizens of the World event in 2010 as well, followed in 2011 with the first concert in the Middle East for Quincy Jones' Global Gumbo All Stars.

Elder wrote one of the main songs, "A New Day on the Horizon," which was introduced by Whoopi Goldberg and performed by TEAL-ONE 97, a band of young Middle Eastern artists.

In 2013 Elder adapted the lyrics for the Arabic version of "White Rabbit" on the American Hustle Soundtrack,[7] bringing in then-unknown vocalist Mayssa Karaa to sing the main line.

[1] Song producer Mark Batson has suggested using non-English lyrics, and the film's music supervisor contacted Elder.

The group focuses on contemporary music and "a blend of ghazals, Afghan folk songs imbued with Sufi mysticism."

"[5] As of 2014, Elder was developing several new festivals, along with continued work with artists including Assala Nasri, Simon Shaheen, Kadim Al Sahir, Alphonso Johnson, Bassam Saba & the New York Arab Orchestra, Ustad Farida Mahwash, Voices of Afghanistan, Enzo Avitabile, Amina, Souad Massi, and others.

The group performed in Morocco with musicians such as Siedah Garrett, Naturally 7, Patti Austin, Alfredo Rodriguez, Paulinho da Costa, Richard Bona and Lionel Loueke.

[4] She was the international talent advisor to the MasterPeace concert that year,[8] and Dawn Elder World Entertainment produced the event, bringing in artists such as Riffat Sultana, Assala Nasri, Andy to perform on September 21, 2014.

The program offers "mentorship, vocal and music industry coaching, songwriting, performance and producing" for children looking to pursue careers as vocalists.

[18] Each summit lasts three to five days, with a team of coaches offering both classes and individualized sessions at CenterStaging studios in Burbank, California.