Live Music Society, the nonprofit organization that has awarded more than $4 million in grants to small venues and listening rooms across the United States since 2020, is excited to announce the opening of applications for their third annual Music in Action grant. This year’s application window runs from January 8 to February 14 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Initially launched in 2023, Music in Action grants are designed to support initiatives that will improve the venue experience for musicians, audiences, and staff, cultivate an engaged and connected community, and achieve long-term health and business growth. Applicants can request up to $50,000 in funding. This year’s grant recipients will be announced in June.
The Music in Action grant empowers small venue owners and managers to develop strategies that engage local communities, expand audiences, and boost revenue. It supports the creation of committed networks of patrons, volunteers, artists, staff, donors, and sponsors while promoting inclusivity and economic growth in the communities served. Particular focus is given to uplifting historically marginalized groups, including BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities.
To kick off the third annual grant round, Live Music Society is bringing back its American Road Trip series, celebrating grantee venues nationwide. The latest installment, "American Road Trip: Music in Action at Cole's Bar", spotlights the 2023 grantee's Open Jam project in Chicago—a bi-monthly event that provides emerging artists with opportunities to perform with other local musicians. The next event will take place on Monday, January 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mel7QE-4WKE
Since its inception, Music in Action has supported 41 venues in both major cities and small towns across the country, spanning both coasts, the South, and the Midwest. Recipients have included intimate spaces like Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge in Berea, Kentucky, which hosts residencies for emerging artists, and Jalopy Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, home to the expanded Brooklyn International Music Festival. Nonprofits like the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center in Sarasota, Florida, is using their grant to support the second annual Creative Nexus series while other recipients, such as The Spot on Kirk in Roanoke, Virginia, Devil’s Backbone Tavern in Fischer, Texas, and La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, California, are celebrating Latinx and Hispanic music in their communities. The Blue Jay Listening Room in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, will host an emerging women songwriters series, while the Acorn Center for the Performing Arts in Three Oaks, Michigan, brought the JazzReach residency to their venue in November, offering free clinics and all-ages concerts to expand music education in rural Michigan.
Go to the Live Music Society website to learn more about the Music in Action grant and the application process: https://www.livemusicsociety.org/grantinfo
General Eligibility Requirements for applicants include venue and grantee business entity locations within the United States or its territories, a legal capacity of 50-300 individuals (including standing room), operational status on or before January 1, 2021, a primary focus on live music (featuring solo artists or bands), a minimum of 50 annual music performances per year.
