Before a gig last weekend in Winona, Low frontman Alan Sparhawk led a songwriting workshop that pretty well summed up the mission of the newest local music nonprofit of note, the Minnesota Music Coalition (MMC).
For starters, here was an internationally known indie-rock star from rural Minnesota chatting with would-be rock stars from rural Minnesota, instead of just kids in Minneapolis.
He then made a comment about how pop/rock music is treated as an important art form in Europe instead of "just something the kids do," as it is here in the United States. Or so paraphrased one of the coalition's musician board members, Chuck Hermes of the bands Mile One and Stickman and the boss of a Web strategy company.
"One of our goals is to get music treated and promoted as a valuable art form throughout the state," Hermes explained.
Sounds good. But now comes the hard part: raising money to do so. Saturday's 25th anniversary party at the Summit Brewery in St. Paul is the first big fundraiser for the MMC, with 50 percent of the $12 tickets going toward the cause. The coalition is also the recipient of a Legacy Amendment grant. All told, as Hermes said, "for a nonprofit, it has gotten out of the gate relatively quickly."
Summit Brewing president Mark Stutrud is one of the MMC board members. Others include Chris Osgood of the Suicide Commandos and McNally Smith College of Music; Mark Wheat from the Current (89.3 FM); entertainment attorney Tony Mendoza, and Mark Gehring of fellow music nonprofit Vega Productions.
The Low show in Winona was the first of seven MMC shows being produced statewide as part of its so-called Caravan du Nord. Others include the New Standards in Grand Rapids and Fergus Falls (Sept. 17 and Oct. 15, respectively), Heiruspecs and Roma di Luna in Luverne (Oct. 1), Trampled by Turtles in Faribault (Oct. 8) and Doomtree in Red Wing (Oct. 22). The coalition's other plans include an online database for networking and more educational workshops.
Doomtree teaching kids in Red Wing? Sounds like a noble cause to me.
Schooled in the blues