Operating Support Grant

The Music Resource Center (MRC) program and its parent organization, the Armory Arts and Music Center (AAMC), are continually assessing, evaluating and seeking feedback to shape the program and achieve its goals. Since the formation of the MRC Advisory Committee several years prior to covid, most of the planning process, goal setting, strategizing, and recommendations regarding MRC programing have come from the committee. When the MRC was operating in-person, the committee included staff, parents, community partners, volunteers interested in the program, and often times a student. This diverse group would assess information such as attendance and feedback regarding the program, discuss how best to move forward, and make recommendations for staff to bring to the AAMC Board. Finally, the AAMC Board reviews the recommendations, and ultimately makes decisions on important issues. The MRC has typically used a number of tools to gather information including: - Student registration packet (which includes the member application and interest survey); to understand each student's background and goals - Daily sign-in/sign-out sheets; to track daily attendance, which individuals are attending, and the time each student spent at the MRC - Open Mic sign up sheets; It takes some courage to get up on the stage and perform the first time for many students. Participation in monthly open mics indicates how students are progressing. - End of year student and parent/guardian surveys; to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program and give opportunities for input. - Feedback from other sources such as students, parents, staff, volunteers, and community partners are also an important source of information. Since going online during Covid we track how many students are taking lessons and how their attendance has been. Teaching students the importance of showing up on time and on schedule is an important life skill which is also a part of the MRC's goal. Over the past several years, we have continued to commit to collecting accurate data. We find this to be very helpful in understanding the overall quality of the program, which our students and parents have always rated between 4 and 5 on a scale of 1--5. (see survey attachment) The MRC is open to all students from the local area who are in grades 6-12 and have an interest in making music of any kind. Our students have come from every public and private school in Duluth and we have had many home-schooled students as well. The MRC has had students from across the bay in Superior and from as far away as Cloquet. We see evidence of our appeal in students of all backgrounds. Some are from middle-class homes and have access to instruments and recording software, yet they enjoy coming to the MRC for the music clubhouse atmosphere. Others are from low-income families and rely on the MRC to provide them tools and assistance that they don't have access to otherwise. Our students are a diverse group -- many of them from the BIPOC community, and the male/female mix is roughly about equal on average. We go out of our way to be a place where all are welcomed and encouraged to speak their truth and share their passion through music that is respectful of others.