{"id":443341,"date":"2023-09-28T11:00:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newmusicusa.org\/?post_type=nmusa_news&p=443341"},"modified":"2023-09-28T13:45:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T17:45:21","slug":"new-music-usa-announces-inaugural-cohort-of-new-music-inc-awardees-in-baltimore-chicago-and-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"nmusa_news","link":"https:\/\/newmusicusa.org\/newsroom\/new-music-usa-announces-inaugural-cohort-of-new-music-inc-awardees-in-baltimore-chicago-and-new-york-city\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music USA announces Inaugural Cohort of New Music Inc Awardees in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

$244,000 awarded to a cohort of 30 small-budget, artist-led music organizations in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Awardees receive funding plus 12-18 months of mentorship and cohort learning opportunities led by local Program Coordinators.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With New Music Inc, New Music USA expands and deepens its resources across multiple US cities.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

New Music USA<\/strong> is proud to announce the cohort of <\/span>30 new music groups and organizations<\/span><\/b> that have been selected as the<\/span> inaugural awardees<\/span><\/b> for its newest initiative, <\/span>New Music Inc: <\/span><\/b>a groundbreaking incubator program in <\/span>Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City<\/span><\/b> that helps propel small-budget, artist-led new music organizations forward. The first cohort includes 8 Baltimore organizations, 12 Chicago organizations, and 10 New York City organizations.<\/strong> All the awardees are deeply committed to promoting and amplifying the music of our time in all its forms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New Music Inc elevates each participating organization through financial support coupled with 12 to 18 months of mentorship and hands-on skill-building in a cohort environment, led and facilitated by <\/span>local Program Coordinators Marquis Gasque \u2018Mighty Mark\u2019 (Baltimore), Kori Coleman (Chicago), and Amanda Gookin (New York City).<\/span><\/b> The program\u2019s collaborative mentorship opportunities include 1:1 meetings with the Program Coordinators, cohort learning sessions, development of organizational plans, and peer-to-peer feedback from local arts professionals. The fundamental goal of New Music Inc is to create a supportive space that fosters engaging, collaborative learning between the artist-led organizations as they navigate through pivotal stages in their development, as well to foster connection within and between the music communities of Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The launch of New Music Inc, which is an outgrowth of the New Music Capacity Building Program that was launched in 2020 with support from The New York Community Trust, fulfills New Music USA\u2019s vision to create a thriving, connected, and equitable ecosystem for new music across the United States. The inaugural New Music Inc cohort consists of <\/span>50% BIPOC-led organizations<\/span><\/b> to reflect the diversity of creators and artists who are contributing to their local music communities. The program also marks a major step forward in New Music USA\u2019s goal to <\/span>deepen and expand its services across multiple US cities<\/span><\/b> over the next 5 years. Work is in progress to bring the program to additional US cities to further reflect the new music community\u2019s geographic diversity, and to enable New Music USA to extend its reach to areas of the country that are underrepresented in national music funding opportunities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The initial New Music Inc grant cycle drew<\/span> 160 applications <\/span><\/b>from a diverse range of new music organizations across Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City including performance groups, collectives, festivals, and venues. Applications were evaluated and awardees were selected based on the organizations\u2019 demonstrated commitment to music by living creators, with emphasis on local community engagement efforts and on dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vanessa Reed, President & CEO of New Music USA, says: <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud of the step New Music Inc represents in our organization’s continued efforts to expand and deepen our services to music creators and practitioners across different US cities and artistic communities. We thank our funders in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York for enabling us to provide professional development resources and connectivity that small, artist-led organizations need to keep driving innovation in our field.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

James Young, Executive Director of Baltimore awardee Mind on Fire, shares: <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNew Music Inc’s program could not arrive at a better time in the life cycle of this arts organization. Mind on Fire is in its seventh year of operation with a need to grow. Over the course of\u00a0many shows, we’ve established connections between a panoply of musicians and performing artists, commissioning an adventurous body of creative work and gaining a reputation for exciting and thoughtful shows with many of Baltimore’s most powerful art makers. But it has become increasingly tricky to find the road forward, as we brush up against the limits of our own capacity. I’m excited for what New Music Inc will illuminate <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>and what blind spots might be uncovered <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>in the process of this program. Mind on Fire started as an experiment, a different path for new art music outside of the conservatory and academic nest. We’ve proven that this is a living art that can engage with us now, where we live. Now it’s time to build it a lasting foundation <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>and I suspect New Music Inc’s mentorship and this cohort will be integral in laying that groundwork.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago awardee \u00c0k\u00f3j\u1ecdp\u1ecd\u0300 Music Foundation adds: <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u00c0k\u00f3j\u1ecdp\u1ecd\u0300 is overwhelmed with profound gratitude for the incredible support we have received from New Music USA! This generous gesture fills our hearts with immense joy and hope, knowing that it will play a pivotal role in our mission to empower and uplift living composers and musicians. With this support, we can breathe life into new African music, infusing it with the rich tapestry of our culture, and thereby forging a path forward that will inspire and resonate with generations to come. We couldn’t be more touched and humbled by the belief and trust placed in us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

New York awardee Pique-nique Recordings remarks:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNew Music USA is one of the premier champions of jazz and improvised music and we cannot be more excited to join their New Music Inc program and cohort! We have been building out \u2013 and dialing in \u2013 our event offerings over the last five years and are now ready to take our organization to the next level, growing our programming to support more musicians and reach more diverse audiences. We\u2019re confident New Music USA can help us advance our mission, refine our strategy, and deepen our commitment to diverse audiences and musicians for many years to come. We can\u2019t wait to join and learn from this forward-thinking community of artists and practitioners.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit the program page to learn more about New Music Inc.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet the Awardees<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Baltimore, <\/span><\/b>led by Program Coordinator Marquis Gasque \u2018Mighty Mark\u2019<\/span>
\n<\/span>Development grant of $6,000 and 12 months of collaborative mentorship.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n