CINCINNATI — Getting access to instruments, music lessons, and technology in music is not as easy as it once was, especially with schools across the nation cuttings art and music programs. But one Cincinnati nonprofit is making music accessible again.
What You Need To Know
- The Music Resource Center offers instrument lessons as well as rapping lessons and beat-making lessons
- The MRC is open to 7th-12th grade students for just $2 a month
- The hope is to give students more hands-on experience and get them on track for a career in music
- The MRC was up for a big grant to create a mobile van to get out in the community, but did not get it. They hope to continue to apply for grants to be even more accessible to kids in the community
At the Music Resource Center, it’s music all the time and Kyle Cadena, the operations director, is there every step of the way.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for the students to test out an instrument,” said Cadena.
Kyle Cadena helps a student (Spectrum News/Katie Kapusta)
According to the Ohio Arts Council, arts enrollment across the state has gone down by more than 7% since 2016, with 15% of students not having access to the arts at all. Which is where Cadena and his staff come in.
They provide access to equipment like this to learn how to play instruments and even create music.
“Some of the kids will come for music lessons and then they leave, but then they see all the stuff that we offer and then they’ll stay,” Cadena said.
Earlier this fall, the MRC was up for a grant to make their services mobile with a van to get out in the community. They didn’t win it this time, but Cadena and his crew are not missing a beat.
Cadena said while they didn’t get the grant for the mobile studio- they won’t stop trying to apply for grants to hopefully get enough money raised to be able to impact more kids in the greater Cincinnati area. For now, they’re staying focused on helping these students, like Brian Riley.
“It allows me to make stuff that I can’t do by hand,” said Riley, a high school senior and Platinum-level artist at the MRC.
To eventually help him get to a career he’s always dreamed about.
“I want to be kind of like big,” Riley said. “Like I want to make stuff for people and people will kind of know my name.”
For Cadena, seeing students like Riley blossom is the best part of his gig.
Cadena helps Riley with his music (Spectrum News/Katie Kapusta)
“That’s the best part is seeing them develop and grow,” Cadena said. “That’s why we’re doing this. We want to not only help them with their music and the arts but grow as a person too.”
