Arts/Culture|Education/Youth|Event/In-person|Race/Ethnicity/Diversity|Sense of Place

Contact: Maggie Corry
maggie@radiomilwaukee.org

The Music Lab was formed out of vocalist Grace Weber’s desire to give back to her city. Looking for a community partner, Weber reached out to 88Nine. Radio Milwaukee is one of the organizations transforming Milwaukee and galvanizing people to participate in its revitalization. Our unique mission, talented staff and Walker’s Point home makes us uniquely equipped to spearhead this effort. GWML channels the momentum in our music scene, while also addressing the city’s unique racial and social challenges by educating and uniting area youth.

GWML takes place monthly during the school year at Radio Milwaukee’s studios, reaching up to 100 youth per event. A critical element is recruiting participants from across Milwaukee to facilitate connections between students who may otherwise never meet. Partnerships with youth development organizations and high schools support recruitment efforts. Each Lab begins with a 30-minute educational module led by a professional musician or industry expert about different elements of the music business. The next hour is devoted to students’ open mic performances. After each performance, teaching artists and guests lead short, affirmative critiques and conversations with the students.

In the interest of safety during COVID-19, GWML quickly pivoted to virtual programming in March, and saw an increase in attendance with an amazing 606 participants in May’s Lab!
GWML’s caliber relies on the passion and expertise of artists involved, stoking enthusiasm, drawing on real life expertise and providing actionable feedback. We are proud of the musicians and educators who make this possible:

Founder – Grace Weber is a Milwaukee-born, Grammy-winning vocalist, actively working out of LA and returning to Milwaukee for each in-person Lab. With extensive connections in the industry, she is perfectly positioned to program events that are relevant and compelling to young artists.

Music Education Coordinator – Britney Freeman-Farr/B~Free, an educator and accomplished vocalist and flutist, oversees GWML. She brings her experience as a former school music director and practicing artist.

Grace and Britney represent white and Black communities, private and public schooling and a broad range of experiences, making them understanding and responsive to the students they serve. Further, GWML incorporates student voices through surveys, interviews and an internship program. Examples of past featured guests include Jamila Woods; Aja Monet; WebsterX; Nate Fox, Nico Segal, and Peter Cottontail of The Social Experiment; Lex Allen; Kweku Mandela and Elliott Skinner.

An important investment in the soul of a city is creating opportunities for youth to participate and benefit from a thriving music scene. We believe that student collaboration through music is critical to bridging the divides in Milwaukee communities. We hope that new friendships — and maybe even Milwaukee’s next big thing — will form.

Yes, the Music Lab has generated revenue and continues to connect Radio Milwaukee with funding partners that it did not previously have relationships with, specifically institutional funders. In 2018, $40,000 from three funders; in 2019, $50,300 from five funders; and in 2020, $61,000 and counting, from six funders (four of which are new to Radio Milwaukee)

While still a relatively new program, started in 2016, we are beginning to see the ripple effects of the program; Grace Weber’s Music Lab: - Offers free master classes and workshops to Milwaukee youth with nationally known artists; - Motivates students to be themselves, build confidence and nurture their unique talents; - Shows young people various career opportunities in the music and entertainment industries; - Builds bridges between students from different backgrounds and high schools; to date over 43 Milwaukee area high schools have been represented; - Builds relationships extending across communities between young people that would otherwise not meet, connect or collaborate; - Creates exciting opportunities for local students to: strengthen their own work while collaborating with other young artists; deepen their personal appreciation of and exposure to diverse music and entertainment industries; nourish creative and professional potential of emerging Milwaukee area artists; and match participants with resources and opportunities to facilitate their own career development. - Specifically during COVID-19, as many schools will remain virtual and physical distancing remains the norm, the continuation of the Music Lab provides a place for release, socialization, connection and creativity. Through virtual programming we’ve had over 900 attendees! Participant quotes illustrating impact: “This place was magical. You could feel it in the air. I could touch it, you know?” "I felt like I was going to cry. This made me know that music is what I should do, that I have a purpose. This is the best day ever.” “Being able to perform a poem I created for an audience for the first time was extremely life changing for me. The feeling of having my message heard and accepted by the audience is a beautiful feeling that I only dreamed about, but Grace and her team turned it into a reality.”

Project Link: https://www.gwmusiclab.com/