Live Music Society shares impact of $1M in funding for small venues
The Live Music Society awarded $1 million in Music In Actions Grants to 58 small US music venues in 2024. As they prepare to open a new round of Music in Action grant applications, the non-profit shared some of the most transformative and impactful projects that this year’s grants made possible.
Live Music Society shares impact of $1M in funding for small venues
Small independent music venues already know to stretch a dollar to survive. But what they did with a little bit of extra funding provided by the Live Music Society is truly remarkable.
The first is from my favorite hometime venue, The Spot.
The Spot on Kirk in Roanoke, Virginia: Música y Cultura
“Thanks to the Music in Action grant from Live Music Society, we have widened our reach by addressing a significant need in the local Hispanic community,” sahred John Pense, The Spot On Kirk venue manager, “Ten exciting events make up our ‘Música y Cultura’ series, within Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond, including music, dancing, art, and even comedy from extremely talented local, regional, and touring artists. We’ve made a huge impact by providing an inclusive environment and we couldn’t be happier to support the Hispanic community here in Roanoke!”
Bossa Bistro in Washington, DC: Bossa Tributary Project
The Tributary Project brings together culturally connected ensembles to showcase the music of specific cultural spheres, reflecting the rich diversity of Washington, DC. These concerts not only feature talented musicians from around the world but also culminate in a unique compilation record release, blending global influences and showcasing the vibrant spirit of DC’s music scene.
Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge in Berea, Kentucky: Pop Pop! Emerging Artist Incubator Program
Pop Pop! supports emerging Kentucky musicians through workshops led by industry professionals on essential topics like sound engineering, branding, grant writing, and activism in the arts. Participants also host open mics and curate monthly music nights. Aja Haynes is one of five musicians in the first cohort and describes the benefit to her artistic development, “Getting to know the others in this program as artists, and discover our shared anxieties and ambitions as working musicians, has enabled me to look at myself from a new perspective. Seeing everyone’s efforts in action has inspired me and strengthened my resolve. This program has granted accessibility to tools for better presenting myself as an artist, through photography and videography sessions, skills workshops, and showcase opportunities that have been a great space for sharing the progress I’ve made.”
One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine: Advancing Community, Connection, Engagement, Storytelling, and Sustainability (ACCESS)
Through initiatives like the ‘Square to Square’ outdoor concert series and a partnership with the library system to offer free and discounted admission, One Longfellow Square (OLS) is enhancing inclusivity and accessibility. “Thanks largely to the Music in Action grant, OLS increased the number of concerts, doubling the number of artists employed and audience members engaged. Over the course of the summer, we estimate that the performances, indoors and out, reached nearly 4,000 audience members of all ages, many of whom we learned anecdotally were previously unaware of OLS.” – Beth Given-Sorenson, Development Director.
The Royal Room in Seattle, Washington: ‘Staycation’ and ‘What’s Going On’ Festivals
This fall, The South Hudson Music Project presented two groundbreaking festivals at The Royal Room. Over Labor Day weekend, the Staycation Festival celebrated African American artists in jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, bringing vibrant performances to a typically slow weekend. Six weeks later, ‘What’s Going On’ honored the legacies of Sun Ra, Butch Morris, and Julius Hemphill. Owner Wayne Horvitz could not have been happier, “The [What’s Going On] festival was incredible; great crowds, great response, and I had multiple people say ‘that was the most amazing concert of my life!’ As principal music curator since 2011, I can say this was the apex of over a decade of music presentation.”
Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, Louisiana: Funkin’ 50th Anniversary
Marking its 50th anniversary in 2024, Maple Leaf Bar launched new initiatives to engage audiences and ensure business stability, including a Weekly Wednesday Emerging Artist Showcase and an oral history video project to celebrate and archive the legends who have graced its stage. Assistant manager Jonathan Brown explains, “Through our Music in Action project, we’ve been able to collect over a hundred hours of video and audio, capturing oral history around the Maple Leaf Bar’s role in the development of New Orleans’ music tradition over the past 50 years. Preserving these timeless stories for future generations of music fans would have been a lot more difficult, if not impossible, without Music in Action funding.”
About The Live Music Society
“Live Music Society’s goal has always been to uplift small venues as economic, cultural, and community hubs,” said Cat Henry, Executive Director of Live Music Society. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’ll truly celebrate when our impact has touched every state in the union, ensuring that live music remains a vital part of communities everywhere.”
The Music in Action grant, which debuted in 2023, is designed to develop audiences, encourage community engagement, boost visibility, and promote diversity while empowering small venues to take creative risks through curated live programming.
Learn more, donate and get involved in the Live Music Society here.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
