It is rare to find a community as dedicated and passionate as the one that has been cultivated at the Music Resource Center here in Charlottesville. Since 1992, the center — which is driven by a small staff and a passionate group of volunteers — has provided consistent support and important resources for young people to connect with music, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The MRC found its current home in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in 2004 with assistance from the famed Charlottesville-originated Dave Matthews Band. Since then, the organization has built an unparalleled support system around the goal of encouraging students to find their place in the community by providing access to classes, one-on-one lessons and other amenities such as recording spaces, dance studios and summer workshops.
MRC Executive Director Alice Fox has been at the helm of the MRC since she was appointed in 2016. In this position, she says that she stresses the importance of safety and caring relationships within.
“This is really a safe place for kids to come,” Fox said. “They really find a home here where maybe they don’t fit in at school or they haven’t quite found their people.”
Fox also said that students gain experiences here that they might not have access to anywhere else — especially in the Charlottesville area, as it is not necessarily a major musical hub. The MRC facilities allow for art to be made in a professional setting by student members, teaching them life skills and providing them with diverse opportunities from being trained in dance to recording original music.
“It’s the same recording studio you would get if you went to a real recording studio that you pay an hourly fee for,” Fox said of the MRC’s music facilities. “And yet we offer that to members for free.”
The MRC is equipped with more than just recording studios. With a gorgeous performance space lined with mesmerizing stained-glass windows, lively beat production spaces donned with neon signs and rooms for students to jam with their bands in, members are provided with a way to explore every facet of music.
The story of community connection is told most poignantly by MRC Community Coordinator Ike Anderson, who has been involved in the center for a long time and helped cultivate a program for dance. He offers a unique perspective as he was a member of the center during his own youth. Anderson recalls fond memories of joining the center in his younger years and expressing an interest in dance, which at the time, was not a program that was offered there.
“They built me a dance studio,” Anderson said. “I was dancing in that thing before it even had mirrors.”
Now, Anderson is returning the favor by running a hip-hop dance program through the MRC — many alumni of the program audition for and join X-Tasee Dance Crew, a competitive hip-hop dance crew at the University.
Anderson is not the only MRC alumni who is continuing to have a major artistic influence on students and participants in the center.
“Kids who join MRC really benefit from our program, and they go on to continue to do really awesome things,” Anderson said. “There are people that I grew up with at the Music Resource Center who are still recording artists, making albums, going on tour and getting into great colleges.”
It is clear that the MRC is a staple in the community that has improved the city in unmatched ways, including through their yearly fundraising event called “Party Like a Rockstar,” where they acquire about a third of their annual budget.
Taking place this year Oct. 28, “Party Like a Rockstar” engages the community in friendly competition and an exciting party where a few chosen Charlottesville residents who enjoy performing sing and compete to win the most votes based on their performances. The votes are equivalent to pledged donations, so the winner subsequently raises the most money for the center.
“It’s a really, really fun event,” Fox said of the fundraiser. “People look forward to it every year.”
It remains clear that the MRC is more than just an extracurricular activity. It is an incredible musical outlet — not just for the young people of Charlottesville — but for University students who are looking to get involved with music-based volunteering as well.
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