“Take Me to The River” Brings Lively Evening of Soul, STAX and Record Tracks to Museum of Making Music

In a star-studded event on Saturday, September 17, Memphis legends, music education patrons and community champions came together to “Play it Forward” at the Museum of Making Music’s (MoMM) Gala fundraiser event, “Soul, STAX, and Memphis Tracks.” The annual Gala event was attended by 150 museum patrons and raised over $55,000 in donations that will grant music education programs, museum access and scholarships to both children and adults in the San Diego community.

“The work of the museum would not be possible without the generous spirit of our donors and their shared passion for music and music making at every stage of life,” shared Carolyn Grant, Executive Director of the MoMM. “I am humbled by their support and desire to participate in the museum’s mission to serve our community through music.”

Guests of the Gala were treated to traditional Southern fare, a silent and live auction, and an evening of artist performances from musicians featured in “Take Me To The River;” the award-winning, full-length documentary directed and produced by Martin Shore. The film brings together multiple generations of Memphis musicians and chronicles the history of STAX Records. The crowd danced to performances from the legendary founder of STAX Records and “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” hit-maker, William Bell; producer and longtime member of the groundbreaking band the Talking Heads, Jerry Harrison; award-winning audio engineer, producer and owner of Royal Studios Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell; Memphis rappers, Frayser Boy and Al Kapone; STAX’s Hi Rhythm Section; The Memphis Horns duo, and many other musical guests.

The weekend’s festivities kicked on off on Friday afternoon when film director Martin Shore, along with William Bell and Frayser Boy visited San Marcos Middle School as part of their national Take Me to the River Education Initiative. Students viewed a short trailer of the film and participated in an interactive discussion with the music legends (view footage from the event here). Later that evening, the museum hosted an exclusive screening of the documentary followed by a panel discussion which saw a capacity crowd in attendance.

Donations raised at the Gala will help the museum offset its annual operating cost in continuing to provide access to visitors to discover a century of instrument innovations that shaped and continue to shape our musical culture. With over 500 vintage instruments and hundreds of audio and video clips from industry luminaries, the museum provides a unique, memorable and educational adventure to nearly 40,000 visitors from around the globe each year. Additionally, the museum’s year-round music education programs are crucial to thousands of children, adults and seniors in San Diego County. These efforts include the museum's Title One Fieldtrip Program, an annual venture that provides free access to the museum for low-income students from Carlsbad and the neighboring communities of Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos and Escondido and a scholarship program that enables fixed-income adults and seniors the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.

The Gala received generous support from museum members, patrons, NAMM members and local businesses including South Coast Winery, Starbucks, Stone Brewery, Vigulluci’s Cucina Italiana and many others.

Photos from the event are available for editorial use; credit Tim Whitehouse:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ve3yyvwd3w957pl/AADfi3g1CkpEORsTUQkHgFZZa?dl=0

About the Museum of Making Music
Opened to the public in March 2000 by NAMM, the Museum of Making Music (MoMM) is located on the first floor of NAMM’s global headquarters in Carlsbad, California. The Museum was developed to celebrate the vibrancy of the music products industry and to showcase the deep impact music that music and musical instruments and products have on us as individuals and as a society. MoMM preserves our musical heritage (1900 to today) and provides opportunities for cultural enrichment through special exhibitions, innovative concerts and educational programs for a wide range of audiences.

MoMM’s core message is that the world of making music is an inviting and remarkable ecosystem. Whether it’s making the instrument, making the sale or making the music, the experience of music is a precious element of daily living and should be available to everyone, regardless of age, income level or ethnic background. For details on the museum’s concerts, exhibits, workshops and outreach programs, please visit www.museumofmakingmusic.com.