My affinity for Grounded in Music, the nonprofit that brings music education back to kids, is no secret, as I’ve covered the organization here many a time. Equally transparent is my affinity for Jack Ingram, who hugged me yesterday. It was a side hug, and just for a picture, BUT STILL. He and Patty Griffin were at the Boys and Girls Club for the groundbreaking of their brand new studio, funded by Grounded in Music.
The brand new state-of-the-art charitable media and recording studio at the Boys and Girls Club in South Austin is a fully-functioning studio made possible through contributions raised from various local donors is complete with the latest technology in recording software and will be used to record single artists and full bands.
Kids will be given the opportunity to record and mix, of course, but Grounded in Music Founder Joe Stallone also notes that “We’ll teach them marketing, how to build web pages, to do music videos … we wanna light a fire for these kids.”
Patty Griffin, a Grounded in Music board member, agrees: “I benefited as a kid from some free music programs. I don’t know if I would have known music was playable, that anyone could do it, without those. This came to me through public education and that doesn’t exist anymore. We have to make sure the kids have access to this stuff.”
(Sweet stacked leather bracelets, Patty!)
Patty and Jack recorded a little song in the studio:
Tomorrow night, Thursday January 21st, Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram, and Scott Miller will perform at the 3rd annual VIP fundraiser for Grounded in Music at the Paramount Theatre located at 713 Congress Ave. in Austin. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 purchased here.
For more info on the organization, check out www.groundedinmusic.org
