Photo Credit: Open Jam at Cole’s Bar in Chicago by Syd Ostrander
Live Music Society announces the opening of applications for their Music in Action grant for small music venues to receive up to $50k in funding.
Nonprofit organization Live Music Society has announced the opening of applications for their third annual Music in Action grant. The grant has already seen $4 million awarded to small venues and listening rooms across the United States in its lifetime.
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, with this year’s recipients to 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.
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, are using their grant to support the second annual Creative Nexus series. Other recipients, like 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. Meanwhile, 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.
Live Music Society will also host a series of free public webinars this month to complement the grant application process, offering small venue owners and operators valuable insights and strategies. Topics range from crafting compelling grant proposals to creating realistic and funder-friendly budgets. These webinars grew from the inaugural Music in Action Summit, held in June 2024 alongside the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) in New Orleans. This summit led to the creation of webinars tailored to the distinct challenges of small venues, offering essential tools to not only survive but thrive in the independent music scene.