A Letter from Executive Director Amy Sabin
Friends,
We did big things in 2023 and there is so much to be grateful for. We celebrated my first full year as ED and we fulfilled Ian's vision for completing a major renovation and move-in at our new home at 89th and Stark!
Programs are up and running and as we settle in we are already seeing growth in our programs, and more flexibility in what we are able to do.
AT THE NEW MVM STUDIOS...
We hosted Music Exploration Sessions during the PPS strike
We shared our performance space with Arts for Learning’s Live Set training series for teen live sound engineers
We expanded our annual Youth Music Showcase into a multi-organization event at our building that featured incredible performances from youth served by our program partners at p:ear, Synth Library, and Friends of Noise.
We’re hosting the City of Portland's Arts Education and Access Fund meeting for arts educators.
We are nearly doubling capacity for 2024 Summer Rock Camps!
We're collaborating with community partners, organizations, artists to develop and host a variety workshops, performances and events in 2024. Stay tuned!
We're asking the community for feedback to help shape the future of MVM Studios. Take the MVM Community Survey today to share your voice and ideas.
“I am so grateful for this program...MVM is solely focused on the kids and their lived experiences, how they handle things...It’s such an awesome place to be, it’s where I want to be. Working with youth and playing music...It’s improved my mental health so much in the last year.”
Now that we are here it's important to make this space truly home, a fun and vibrant place for youth. That means murals, exterior signage and of course plenty of sound absorbing panels to make their experience here the best it can be.
Most importantly: we know that the need for low or no cost programming access will increase as we continue to welcome in more youth and community partners. That means more no-questions-asked scholarships.
We need your continued support to make it all happen! We hope you will consider including us in your year-end giving or stretching your planned support just a little bit further. This is a grassroots effort and every dollar counts, whether you can give $10, $100, or $1000 it all makes a difference and will help us to continue amplifying youth voices.
“Being at My Voice Music was life-altering...It makes me feel great and like I have a place to go when I don’t feel like I have a place to go.”
With gratitude,
Amy Sabin
Executive Director