Music is so much more than just notes on a page. It can be cathartic for those needing to express themselves and work through emotions and trauma. The Bridge Music Project is all about using music and songwriting as tools for youth to deal with life’s challenges. For their amazing efforts in this area, The Lewis Prize for Music just awarded them a 2024 Accelerator Award with a grant of $500,000 to support their work with SW Washington Youth.
The Lewis Prize for Music is a music arts organization that focuses on supporting Creative Youth Development. “Over $3 million in funding will give young people access to music education, strengthen the well-being of their communities, and put music at the center of efforts to establish equity,” shares a spokesman for The Lewis Prize for Music.
This was the third year The Bridge Music Project applied for the grant, which includes a three-round application process. Last year they made it to the top six or so, says Bobby Williams, executive director for The Bridge Music Project. This year, they made it into the top three. “it’s a total game changer for us,” he shares. “Having applied twice before and almost getting that last year, we definitely worked as hard as we possibly could on the application.”
The Bridge Music Project Uses Grant Money to Continue Youth Music Workshops
As a nonprofit, The Bridge Music Project relies on grants and donations to survive. Bobby explains that because of this, hours and hours of their time is spent on grant writing and applying. A large grant like the Accelerator Award allows them some breathing room.
“We want to do more of the same of what we’ve been doing,” shares Bobby. “We’re going to use [the grant] to hire more teaching artists to help facilitate our different workshops. We’re also going to take it as an opportunity to explore new ideas. So much of our time goes into pursuing grants, as you can imagine, as a small nonprofit. And so, this is going to give us a little breathing room where, you know, maybe we’re not going for every grant but we’re doing more programs.”
They will still be applying for some grants, but having this amount of money allows them to not spend so much of their time on grant writing, giving them more time for their important work. This includes programs like their Thurston and Grays Harbor counties songwriting workshops, where youth ages 14-21 are taught by music mentors how to write and record their songs. They also have a mentorship program where youth are paired with a music mentor and meet bi-weekly. The youth are mentored on songwriting and music production.
One of the programs they have been focusing a lot on recently, and will continue to do so with the help of this grant, is their workshops at juvenile detention centers. Currently, they run their 8-week songwriting workshops at Green Hill School in Chehalis and Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie. During the course, the youth learn about songwriting and production, including recording and performing their original works. The feedback has been very, very positive, Bobby shares. “It’s been some of our most meaningful work yet,” he continues. “And it’s been great just working with the youth there and just hearing their voices and them sharing their hearts and what they have to say it’s been a very powerful experience for everyone.”
Supporting The Bridge Music Project
If you are interested in helping The Bridge Music Project with their work, Bobby says they are always in need of volunteers. Currently, they have teaching artists and administrative director positions open. They are also looking for a new headquarters, something with multiple breakout rooms and a large meeting area. Of course, donations are always accepted. For more information about their programs or how to get involved, visit The Bridge Music Project website.
