On September 21st, My Voice Music (MVM) will host an open house event to welcome the community into the nonprofit organization’s permanent home. Supporters of the youth-oriented music and mentorship provider purchased the former bakery building at 8911 SE Stark Street in November 2017. Several setbacks, including the death of MVM’s founding Executive Director, slowed renovation plans. However, the property is nearly ready to provide music-based after-school programs serving people ages nine through 24.

Ian Mouser founded MVM in 2008 while working as a youth Treatment Counselor at a Residential Treatment center. He realized songwriting and musical expression connected with the children better than other methods. Mouser developed and expanded that idea beyond a single institution, working with organizations throughout Portland that supported young people experiencing mental health and behavioral challenges. The early program focused on houseless youth or those placed in foster care, residential treatment facilities, and juvenile detention centers. In 2014, the organization expanded its offerings to the public through a youth-centered performance space and recording studio. Since then, the program has relocated four times, prompting the group to seek a more stable location built for their specific needs.

Andra and Daniel Georges purchased the Montavilla property as part of their ongoing support of arts organizations. Initially, the building would have contained the pre-existing Classic Crust Cafe & Bakery in the front with a remodeled MVM studio space in the back. The organization needed to secure renovation funds before proceeding, delaying construction. That holdup bumped the schedule several years, and then COVID-19 closers shifted priorities. “Obviously, during the pandemic, our whole make music together model didn’t work very well,” explained MVM’s Executive Director Amy Sabin. The youth support organization worked around those barriers and adapted to safety protocols, but the organization’s new focus centered on keeping the program going and not building a facility. MVM received a $500,000 grant from The Lewis Prize for Music in 2020, reigniting the center’s construction. In 2021, efforts to raise additional money for the program led MVM’s founder, Ian Mouser, on a cross-country bike ride. That fundraiser ended tragically after a vehicle struck and killed him while riding through Arizona.

The MVM Board of Directors remained committed to continuing the organization’s trajectory even after losing its founder. Several months later, they brought on Amy Sabin as the new Executive Director to lead the organization. Sabin had experience leading nonprofit groups with expertise in managing capital campaigns and construction projects. Around that time, the bakery tenant at 8911 SE Stark Street decided to close her business, and the whole building became available. That required more financial support and a commitment from the board. Sabin’s experience with this type of development secured the group’s commitment to the larger space and an endorsement from the building’s owners, who remained committed to the building’s future use. “When our niece Benna introduced us to MVM, we knew they shared our belief in the power of art and music to transform lives and to build community. Ian hooked us with his passionate vision, and Amy brought her energy and experience to help us complete the very long process of planning, permitting, and funding,” remarked Andra and Daniel Georges.

Over the last six months, crews have been busy working on this project, transforming the property inside and out. Contractors removed most of the internal walls within the building, creating a half-dozen rooms designed for sound isolation and purpose-built for music production. Portland required the building’s owners to construct new sidewalks along SE 89th Avenue and SE Stark Street, where landscapers will plant six street trees. MVM removed the front parking lot and created an open courtyard topped with pavers leading to a new accessible ramp entrance.

Although construction is ongoing, MVM intends to open to students on October 9th, just after crews finish work. The MVM staff have waited for nearly half a decade for this facility and are dealing with the reality of moving forward quickly after holding back for years. “It’s been five years of ‘is it happening,’ ‘it’s almost happening.’ ‘No, wait, not yet.’ And now it’s actually starting next week,” said MVM’s Director of Communications Trent Finlay. The organization has a substantial amount of musical and recording equipment to move into the space this week. Local manufacturer Audix supplied microphones to the organization, and Universal Audio supplied new recording equipment. Many other groups have also donated to the studio space, but this larger facility could use more. “We had this really big list of things that we wanted to do to make this a top-notch recording studio. When COVID happened, that increased the price of lumber and all these other things. So we had to shift a lot of that budget over to just making the buildout happen. So we still have quite a large wish list,” explained Finlay.

As construction work completes, the focus will shift toward readying the space for the after-school programs. Classes are open to the public on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale. Although they offer group classes and individual lessons, the focus is on something other than musical proficiency. “I like to think of them more as mentorship sessions. The reason I say that is because it’s not really focused on ‘let’s come in and learn a skill today.’ It’s more about the creative process and being a space for whatever kids need. If you never really feel like going in and doing skills, you could just talk to the musician-mentor about your day and what you’re feeling, things like that. So it’s very different than a music lesson in that way,” said Sabin. The program also offers sliding-scale therapy for youth and their families, where music is not the primary tool of interaction. Age range is a significant aspect of how MVM operates. They include people up to 24 years old to ensure those who rely on MVM for community and support have access even as other youth-based services may end. However, a significant number of people who grew up attending MVM transition to mentors, leading the programs and offering their experience to the younger generation.

MVM welcomes the Montavilla community to visit the space from 5 to 7 p.m. on September 21st. They have implemented noise cancelation throughout the building to be good neighbors but will always welcome feedback because their work can be loud. The MVM website lists classes and suggested pricing for Rock Camps, sessions, and programs.

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