I am honored to have asked to participate on the music panel for Santa Cruz Speaks 2017, part of the annual Santa Cruz Music Festival. Here are a few notes from my panel topic.
Grants - a.k.a. - free money. A lot of musicians think "arts" grants are limited to the fine arts like painting, sculpture, etc. but there is a significant amount of grant money available to all artists, including musicians. If you have the motivation to apply, locally, check out the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, specifically their site for Grant Seekers. Musicians should check out the Develop Grants – for individual artists and arts organizations seeking support for their professional and business development activities. Spring applications are being accepted now through March 15. Example proposals: A pianist taking a technique class to help recover her playing ability after an injury, A visual artist creating a website to promote his work, An installation artist creating a Kickstarter video to fund their next project. Locally, also check out the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County.
Nationally there are also grants that revolve around music. Check out the California Arts Counsel Artist Calls. Music focused grant sites include:
New Music USA provides over $1 million each year in grant support for the creation and performance of new work and community building throughout the country. Lists current funding, as well as past awardees. Includes knowledge base.
Musical Online | Funding Resources features a compilation of funding resources including foundations and associations, grants, scholarships, and organizations.
Community - There is a lot of art in Santa Cruz and a good deal of infrastructure built in to support it, but somehow musicians don't always "join" and can miss out on natural opportunities that arise from being part of a group of like minded individuals. Some examples include:
Arts Council Associates - Arts Council Associates are a group of local artists and representatives of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations interested in mutual support, collaboration, and the promotion of arts events and programs. We meet every other month to chat, network, and catch-up, but also to share our challenges and triumphs, and figure out where partnerships can strengthen our community. They also co-produce the Gail Rich Awards (Feb. 22 this year), which celebrates local creatives and philanthropists who enrich our artistic community. Due are only $35 year.
Event Santa Cruz - Event Santa Cruz is a monthly happening that showcases thriving local businesses, and the people behind them. Our events provide valuable (and fun!) networking opportunities, delicious bites and drinks from local vendors, and live shows by talented local musicians. If you’re interested in volunteering or speaking at our next event, or if you’d like to showcase your artistic or culinary talents for the Santa Cruz community, please contact Matthew Swinnerton at Matthew@EventSantaCruz.com.
Balanced Breakfast San Jose - Balanced Breakfast is a music industry meet up, the local chapter to Santa Cruz is San Jose (currently over 900 members) - a group of Bay Area music industry professionals that meet every week to create community in our the music industry. Our topics change, but often relate to actions we can employ that will help the scene become a place where musicians & industry professionals can make money doing what they love. (Music).
People will to help you: We have many talented local music writers willing to help the community. One is Cat Johnson, a freelance writer focused on community, the commons, and music. She’s a regular contributor to Shareable and Good Times and has been writing about music since 2010. She helps coworking spaces and collaborative organizations tell their stories, amplify their message and grow their communities. See more on her coworking blog. Follow Cat on Twitter: @CatJohnson
Other cool ways to make money and get the word out locally include:
SoundSwell - a streaming database of Santa Cruz local music that library cardholders can download for free. It was created through a partnership between the Santa Cruz Public Libraries and the Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios and is growing to become a comprehensive discovery tool for finding local music as well as a robust historical archive of the local music scene in Santa Cruz County. Under the licensing agreement, the library will pay you for a 2 year non-exclusive license as follows: $100 for a full length LP consisting of 9 or more songs, $75 for an EP consisting of 6-8 songs, and $50 for an EP consisting of 4-5 songs. During the term of the license, only those users with a valid library card will be able to download licensed songs. If you meet the criteria and wish to submit your work, please review, fill out, and sign a license agreement form. If you have any questions or concerns or would like to meet in person to go over any aspect of the agreement prior to signing please email Project Manager Diane Cowen at VirtualServices@santacruzpl.org or call Library Administration at 831-427-7706.
Local Open Mics
Rosie McCann's Open Mic Night Tuesdays in the Fireside lounge. Sign-ups 7:00, show begins at 8:00. Each person that buys a drink receives a ticket to vote for their favorite performer; the person with the most votes at the end of the night will win a prize! Contact rosieopenmicsc@yahoo.com
Ready for your open mic tour - check out Open Mic Bay Area for venues any day of the week.
Have more to add? Contact Jenn at jenn@santacruzrehearsalstudios.com