April 2020

Thanks to a generous gift, Memphis Music Initiative (MMI) has established an Emergency Relief Fund to provide some short-term, immediate relief for individual musicians and young people who are part of our extensive network of programs. We recognize that creatives and the arts have been disproportionately negatively impacted by restrictions taken in response to the […]

Welcome to MMI’s Fellow Spotlight series! Every other week we’ll be posting an interview with one of our amazing teaching artists. Not only do they lend their talents to support MMI and engage Memphis youth all over the city, but they’re also helping to build and sustain our arts ecosystem through their independent projects.  Today, […]

The past few weeks have been a roller coaster—and that’s putting it mildly. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the country, we’ve all had to re-evaluate even the most basic aspects of our daily lives, from grocery shopping and visiting family members to, yes, hand washing. These are certainly turbulent times. But […]

On Friday, the Memphis Business Journal published an article on how COVID-19 is impacting local arts and community organizations. The piece featured insights from our very own Director of Grantmaking and Capacity Building, Rychetta Watkins, as well as Tonya Dyson, Executive Director at Memphis Slim House, and Sabrina Norwood of the Young Actors Guild. The […]

Welcome to MMI’s Fellow Spotlight series! Every other week we’ll be posting an interview with one of our amazing teaching artists. Not only do they lend their talents to support MMI and engage Memphis youth all over the city, but they’re also helping to build and sustain our arts ecosystem through their independent projects.  Meet […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Short-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Local Grassroots and Community Arts Organizations As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to disrupt Memphis-area businesses across every sector, local grassroots and nonprofit arts organizations are struggling to find ways to deliver programming, pay staff, and continue daily operations. Memphis Music Initiative (MMI), a leading music engagement […]