Midwest Music Foundation Blog | Kansas City Music

2010 .. it was rockin’

In 2009, we got things started (see last year’s wrap-up). In 2010, we got things rocking.

How did we do that?

Through our website, we continue to provide relevant resources, information and some fun stuff like free music! And visitors to our website more than tripled coming from over 45 countries!
Through our social networks (Facebook, Twitter) we continue to provide news & articles about the music industry and the Kansas City/Lawrence music scene. And just through word of mouth our social network fans have doubled! And our E-Newsletter has quadrupled!
Our Membership Program we started last year has more than doubled as well! And we added some more rockin’ benefits this year with discounts at The Guitar Syndicate, Guttersnipe Recording, and Halcyon Diversified Trading!
We helped put on a lot of shows this year!
- We held several SXSW benefit shows that helped finance the first Kansas City Showcase (The Midwasteland Takeover) at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. For that showcase we helped to bring down over 30 Kansas City & Lawrence area bands for a 3-day showcase of over 30 hours of live music! We also showcased Kansas City area businesses like JayKco Guitar Straps and Kansas City area food like Starker’s Restaurant!
- We co-hosted a benefit with Review Publishing called We Are Synaesthetic which brought the Kansas City music & art scenes together for one great night!
- We helped with the 6th annual Crossroads Music Festival which showcased 25 amazing Kansas City area bands and had the venues absolutely packed (we’re talking one in one out folks)!!!!
- We held our 3rd annual Apocalypse Meow benefit for Musicians Health Care and are very happy to say we raised just about 25% more than we did last year! You all are truly amazing!
- And finally we helped with the 2nd annual Murder Ballad Ball in which the money raised from the raffles also go to the Apocalypse Meow Musicians Health Care Fund. And what a great event to end the year with where everyone is dressed to kill and the music is hauntingly good!
We added over 60 videos to our YouTube Channel of bands playing at the SXSW Midwasteland Takeover event & our We Are Synaesthetic Benefit.
We put the application for the Apocalypse Meow Musicians Emergency Health Care Fund up online and helped a local Musician in need.
We donated $100 to KKFI 90.1FM Community Radio because we LOVE that they showcase local music & Musicians!
We gave away tickets to Stomp! and PiL!
We had quite a few fantastic guest bloggers this year!
- Mary stated the case for Bands/Musicians having their own website in Where’s Your Website and let us know the benefits of Getting Square
- Sherman dug deep & gave us 5 great posts about Crate Digging – One, Two, Three, Four, Five
- Slimm took some amazing photographs in his Scene Shots Series – Greatest Hits, American Catastrophe, The Donkey Show, Lydia Loveless and KC Uncovered
- Lauren stumbled upon some Jazz at Harlings and couldn’t believe This Jazz is Free!?
- Rhonda offered her Advice for SXSW Virgins
- Monica, our Stomp! tickets winner, gave a great review of the show.
- Troy explored the minds of Musicians from Parkville to Raymore – and beyond in his series Inquest Midwest. Subjects included Jason Beers, Andy Schiller, Mike Doss, Patrick Renk, Keenan Nichols, Steve Tulipana, Jim Holopter, and Terrance Moore
- Todd Saw You at the Jazz Geek Out and gave you the lowdown on what was happening New Year’s Eve in Starting a New Tradition .. One That’s Decades Old.

Wow! 2010 was definitely a rockin’ year and we plan on keeping it rollin’ in 2011!

We couldn’t do any of this without our volunteers, sponsors, and donors!! We are run by volunteers and are so grateful for the time you generously give to this organization! We are very thankful to our sponsors who graciously offer discounts for our Membership Program, equipment to back-line our shows, venues & advertising for our shows and all of the amazing things we put up for auction & raffle! And to our donors who donate their hard-earned money to support Musicians Health Care and our organization we simply cannot thank you enough! We couldn’t do even a tenth of what we do without you all! THANK YOU!!!

How can you help us turn it up a notch in 2011?