Grantee Database

Grant Year

2023-24

Grant Program

Statewide and Regional Networks

Award Amount

$17,000.00

Project Description

With support from the California Arts Council, Groupmuse will expand its house concert network and services for musicians by creating 2 Community Manager roles to organize weekly house concerts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. These new roles would focus on featuring artists of African and Indigenous descent, as well as other music to expand beyond Eurocentric programming in these house concerts. Impacted by COVID-19, Groupmuse’s network (717 professional musicians and 582 house concert hosts in California) has not had any Community Managers since 2020.

Since 2014, Groupmuse has organized 1600+ house concerts and generated $500K in musician income from audience’s “pay-what-you-can” contributions (100% to musicians). Groupmuse fills infrastructural gaps in the arts for underemployed freelancing musicians by recruiting hosts and empowering musicians to perform house concerts for new audiences in non-traditional spaces.

Organization Summary

Groupmuse operates a statewide network that supports artists and arts organizations. Together, with members of that network we present live music (classical, jazz, folk, roots, Indian classical, and beyond) in unexpected and non-traditional venues (living rooms, backyards, parks, warehouses, distilleries, art galleries) through an online and in-person network of musicians, hosts, and audiences. Our live music programming falls into these three categories:

1) Groupmuse house concerts – These concerts are at the core of Groupmuse’s work, taking place in the homes and backyards of our network of hosts. Musicians are given total creative freedom to play a 45-60 minute set for a diverse audience.

2) Massivemuses – These are larger-scale concerts of 50+ attendees in public/community spaces, such as co-working spaces, distilleries, or public parks.

3) Planetary Music Movement (PMM) Events – These concert series, began in 2021, features Black musicians and composers. Curated and directed by cellist Dara Hankins and saxophonist Alfredo Colon, PMM events provide professional videography and recording services for musicians to help jumpstart their ability to apply for residencies, grants, and other performance opportunities.

Groupmuse also provides support services for freelance musicians, facilitating in person and virtual meet-ups, educational opportunities, and professional development workshops to advance our mission of fostering solidarity between artists.

Organization

Groupmuse

Address

2320 Mitchell St

Oakland

94601-1846

County

Alameda

Region

Bay Area – Other

Phone

(857) 636-0647

Congressional District

12th

State Assembly District

18

State Senate District

9

Subscribe to the California ArtBeat weekly newsletter

Skip to content