What if you’re serious about getting something going?

Sections:
1. Intro
2. Are you the right people in the right place with the right plan?
3. How literary orgs create models to replicate (826 and Youth Speaks)
4. The Graveyard
5. Start Up Steps
a. Research
b. Audience
c. Posse
d. Pilot
e. Assess
f. Partner 

Franchising Ideas

The All-ages Movement Project is a national nonprofit organization founded in response to the statement: “I wish I had one of these where I lived.”

This sentiment is echoed repeatedly by young people, musicians, parents and others when they hear about, visit, or get to experience being a part of a organizations like the ones listed in AMP’s directory. By the time I left the Vera Project, I had 72 emails in a folder from people all over the country asking me for help.

Desire to replicate a good idea, is by no means unique to youth music organizations. The fact that there are few resources in the midst of such demand, however, is a little unusual. You could chalk this up to a lot of things like:

• Transitory nature of participants in collectives
• Maxed capacity of scene ringleaders
• Allergies to documentation and long term thinking
• Leaders moving up and on without giving much thought as to helping to sustain the place where they got their start

Most simply put though, a lot of folks would argue that it’s fundamental for people to figure it out on their own—you know, DIY. And for the most part that is true.

It’s one thing to say you want to have an org like “x” nonprofit all-ages venue or “y” hip hop program and it’s another to put some time into understanding those organizations and if and why they don’t already exist where you live.

The title of this article, “What if you’re serious?” is adopted from a compilation CD of the nation’s first youth-run record label in Ann Arbor, MI ("What if We're Serious?). It captures the moment where their pipedream program idea got traction and they made it happen. It also communicated their dedication to a broader audience, full of skeptics.

You can and should reach out to the national models that inspire you. In January 2008, AMP will publish an article about how organizations like the Spot in Denver, CO (highlighted at the end of this chapter) have taken great strides to empower other communities to do similar work. These people have figured out something about how to allow grassroots/DIY development while helping people avoid making all the same mistakes. They have updated D-I-Y to Do-It-Yourself-Together.

That said, Chris at Gilman isn’t going to be able to tell you about the local regulations, if there are 15 or 5,000 teenagers into punk and hardcore, where to find a building with a landlord that is down, or if there is enough of an music industry and/or progressive philanthropists that can support your cause where you live. You do have to figure that out yourself.

Also, even if you do ask for help, sometimes the leaders that you reach out to at the places you like can’t really tell you how they are making it happen. The history has been lost, or the operation is so second nature that it’s hard to articulate. Usually, the person(s) are so entrenched the local culture they don’t know what it is about their environment that supports their work. You have to get all investigative journalist/anthropologist to figure it out. 

People, Places and Plans 

Maybe this is stating the obvious, but the marriage of the right people with the right place is the most obvious reason an organization makes it. Once you understand this, you can devise your plan of attack.

I’m working with a collective of relentlessly dedicated all-ages promoters in San Francisco whose members are inspired by Jim Smith’s organization The Smell in Downtown LA. The Smell (link to AMP profile) is a righteous spot that has been around for 8 years booking the exact kind of arty indie punk my peers are into, nurturing emerging musicians (a handful of which are being heralded as the next big thing in music actually), engaging young people in its operations, and evolving it’s own sound, and for that matter, culture.

So it goes, the San Francisco’s collective first step is to try to understand how Jim is able to do what he does both because of his skill set and philosophy and also how being in Los Angeles lends itself to the Smell’s existence. I wonder if within the 9 DIY organizers that comprise the collective, if at least one of us has kind of long term commitment to our vision that Jim does and if San Francisco is as desperate for a community oasis like the Smell as Los Angeles is.  Not that we have to have the exact same story, but understanding more about the people and the place at the Smell, will help us in thinking about what an All-ages Oasis will look like in the Bay Area.

Some basic questions to ask yourself:

1. Is this the right idea and scale of idea to serve this community (meaning you need to have some idea about the size of demand for your potential project)?
2. Is this a project that can grow new leaders or is it dependent on one person to keep going?
3. How much time do I want to give in both the short term and long term to this project? Who else needs to be involved from the get go?
4. Is this an independent business or a nonprofit?5. Given where I live, my access to financial resources, and the relative commitment of those involved, does it make more sense to go legit or operated under the radar?
6. What organization(s) can I reach out to for help?
7. Is it most important to me to serve my friend group, to nurture a very specific scene, or to serve a broader community?

These things can help you formulate a vision that will inform they way you plan to make things happen. Yes, planning is good.

D-I-T in Youth Literary Organizations (Learning from Youth Speaks and 826 National)
Within the field of youth literary organizations, a world slightly removed from such a DIY mentality, two San Francisco organizations, Youth Speaks and 826 Valencia, started national networks in response to the demand for supporting people in other places wanting to replicate their work.

Youth Speaks was founded in 1996 by poet and author James Kass started and now has 6 chapters (with another dozen waiting in the wings) in what is called the Brave New Voices network.

In 2001, Youth Speaks acted as the fiscal sponsor of another youth literary organization co-founded by award winning author Dave Eggers. Within a year of 826 Valencia opening (which is part drop in tutoring program for kids 8-18 and part pirate store), demand came pouring in from people around the country wanting to start 826 type organizations in their communities.

After putting a lot of thought and energy into what that would take, 826 responded by starting “826 National,” and dedicated at least one full time staff to coordinating and offering these programs:

1) An annual seminar open to anyone who can pay $350 registration fee. The seminar offers instruction on everything from understanding why 826 services are important, to how to run the multitude of 826-type programs, to fundraising.

2) An open application process to groups that are serious about starting an 826 affiliate. Qualifications include doing a community assessment, being connected to an education professional, making a plan for how you will set up the space and raise money, and proven access to skilled volunteers.

Within years, 826 National has accepted seven affiliates into the network and their success grows in bounds only matched by that of the founding author’s writing career.

The Graveyard
Every mid-sized to large town has an all-ages venue and youth organization graveyard. Between the mid-eighties and mid-2000’s, in Seattle alone, I can count 10 legal all-ages venues that shut down and another 10 that were operating under the radar. Within a year of doing research to find as many youth music organizations in the US as possible, 7 of the 125 I found shut down, some that had been around for 10 years or more.

In talking to folks throughout this process, people kept telling me the names of beloved deceased organizations, offering up yet another chance to do an autopsy and tell the rest of the world what choices were made in that life, that brought it to an end. Jabberjaw, Epicenter, Meow Meow, Velvet Elvis. And where the physical spaces have long since been replaced by another theater group, retail shop, condominiums or parking lots; memorialized spaces live on in coffee table books, myspace profiles, and blogs.

In poking around at the remains of Portland, OR’s all-ages scene I found these bits and pieces of commentary about why some organizations fell to pieces.

“Davey Jones was your favorite venue. But you didn’t take care of it and neither did we.” – reads the “About” section of the defunct all-ages venue’s myspace profile.

On a blog called Urban Honking, Todd Fadel of the Meow Meow imparts these three fundamental problems his sees with people who want to start a legal all-ages organization:

1) Artists, the natural instigators of such a project, often don’t have any organizing experience, business plans, or operating capital
2) Founders don’t take into consideration the neighbors/neighborhood into account

3) The concept of “all-ages” has nothing to do with including or catering to kids

START UP STEPS

In the land of the living, I interviewed 20-odd founders of thriving organizations and here are the take away lessons that I heard repeated over and over again.

1. RESEARCH -  Invent a new wheel for your community
When I asked Mazi from Words, Beats and Life what words of advice he would impart on someone trying to start a new music organization in their community, he said simply, “Don’t.” He went on to say that his negative reaction was based on the fact that there were seven organizations already in DC but that only one or two of them were actually healthy because the resources were stretched thin. Because this is the case for hip hop organizations everywhere, Mazi is starting something of a national hip hop organization support group to overcome the battle of scarcity and lack of connection to one another.

Mazi’s point goes to prove that if you are interested in filling a void in your community, you need to do your homework and find out what else is going on in regards to youth and music programming and what has happened in the past. What’s up with the house doing shows down the street or the late night teen program that the Community Center is running? If there isn’t anything like what you’re doing locally, do research nationally and look at what is working in other towns like yours (and do we have a directory for you!). If there are already youth music organizations in your area, try to fill in the gaps working with a different age group, genre, or in another neighborhood if appropriate. Try to assess what the community needs and think about how you can best fulfill that need.

ACTIONS
1) Develop a list of youth, art, and/or music organizations locally and national to approach. Businesses usually have to do this before they start up.  Approach existing organizations for help knowing what kind of information you need to get out of them. Offer to write a letter or make a statement in support of their work in exchange for their time.

2) Put it on paper! Combining your ideas with the research you have gathered, draft a proposal for starting your organization. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but is should cover who, what, why and how. Most advisors, funders, or potential collaborators won’t get on board without some sort of documented explanation.

RESOURCES – AMP Directory

2. AUDIENCE - Define what you mean by “all-ages” or “youth”
Age stratification infiltrates a lot of culture (especially dominant culture) and by default, a very age specific grouping can happen even in ALL-ages organizations. From AMP’s perspective, as long as that age grouping is mostly under 21--the age that defines participation in music communities--it’s fine. That is the audience in need (insert picture of music starved teenager here).

But going back to what Todd from the deceased Meow Meow said about problems with all-ages organizations, it’s important to know who your audience is and how best to serve them. Are you all-ages but youth-centric or not?

In terms of working with young people, the most effective organizations erase the line between those being served and those serving—i.e. young people are involved in leading the best youth organizations. Unfortunately, generally the younger you are, the less access you have to resources necessary to do things like raise money, secure space, and get insurance, so it’s important to identify adult allies that can help you ensure your sustainability.

Even if you don’t really by into or understand the idea of why it’s important to empower and build power with young people, taking considerable steps to be as youth accessible as possible is going to differentiate your group or business in helpful ways.

ACTIONS

1) If you are a young person or group of young people trying to get something going, find a local mentor and some adult allies. These people can help you navigate complicated systems, open funding doors for you, and get return phone calls. Approach potential adult advisors with your written plan in hand.

2) On the other hand, for groups of adults wanting to do something for young people, you must work with young people to do so. Check out the spotlight on the Neutral Zone for a great example of a parent-teen collaboration.

3) Often times a group of youngish adults that have recently graduated from the realm of all-ages are the ones that are leading up this effort. They have the double duty of trying to reach up and down in their age alliance building efforts.

4) For people without any sort of youth agenda or folks setting up commercial all-ages venues, you will still need to differentiate yourself from being a standard nightclub where the vibe is generally very condescending if not hostile to young folks. You too, will benefit from thinking about what it really means to be youth friendly. Some really smart folks in Ypsilanti, MI actually make a map of local youth friendly businesses that are passed out to students, parents, teachers, and other business owners.

RESOURCES 
Check out these orgs on the AMP resources page ((link to AMP org resources page)The Innovation Center For Youth and Community Development
The Movement Strategy Center
YouthandCommunity.org (University of Michigan)

3. Build up a POSSE
If you have to book, promote, do volunteer recruitment, run a sound board, remix tracks, make posters, write press releases, maintain websites, deal with hospitality, deescalate conflicts, etc you won’t last very long as a one-person operation. Participatory culture starts at the beginning. You are going to want as many experts giving you input along the way, and beyond experts you just need bodies to do the work, and charming schmoozy types to sell it.

PS- I highly recommend having someone in your crew that knows something about bookkeeping, or at least has the desire to learn about it.

ACTION
1) Do outreach.
a. Post flyers around town about starting your organization and hold community meetings where you talk about the purpose, mission, and vision.
b. Identify specific individuals you want to get involved in the project and try to rope them in

4. PILOT a program
Hey, listen you, reading this and thinking about starting something up. I seriously want to know you years from now and talk to you about the amazing things going on at your successful DIY music space or about the artists making it big from your youth music program. But you should know, this stuff, though it is fun and rewarding and all that, is still HARD.

Genetic Disorder said this in a review about the 924 Gilman book:

"Putting on shows is a nightmare of a thankless job and anyone who's in a band should be forced to do it at least once. Organizers have to deal with neighbors, cops, landlords, drunken idiots, egotistical musicians, and every other nightmare personality types just so three or four crummy bands can blow out your eardrums and then bitch about how they weren't paid enough.”

So please pace yourself. You may have visions of grandeur, of multiple programs and multiple events happening every night, but try to focus on doing one or two things well first.

That said, within those things you are going to want to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t, what is received really well, or what makes you and the other volunteers want to pull your hair out.

ACTION
1) Think of your endeavor as a “pilot project” or a test run. Plan to put out one record or putting on one series of shows and see how it goes. This way people, including you, won’t get freaked out by the potential long-term relationship.

5. ASSESS things By proposing a pilot program you are setting yourself up to evaluate the your idea when the project is over. To do this, you must be keeping track of some things.

For instance, you could keep track of how many people come to each show or how many hours you spent in the studio with the recording artists. You should also adopt a scrapbook mentality and start saving everything—posters, photos, tickets, videos, audio recordings.

Then evaluate. You must. Get into the habit of reflecting on your work from the get go and give yourself a break by taking time off from producing shows or programs to do it.

ACTIONS
1) Set up a few easy things to keep track of that will help you document your progress.
2) Evaluate your progress by asking yourself and your collaborators what was successful, what was challenging, what opportunities exist to make things better, and what things could potentially endanger your work. And, yeah, write it down!

6. PARTNER
A lot of stuff comes up when you are running a public venue, working with young people, or participating in the music industry, and building relationships in your community. When you first start, you might feel like you have to be everything to everyone. You might want to start a pirate radio station, provide sexual assault counseling, offer tai-chi classes and host a sewing circle on top of everything else you are doing. I

n general, you should make sure you are doing the one or two things you wanted to do well first before taking on new programs, especially with things that aren’t obviously connected to your mission.

Lisa Dengiz, one of the founders of the Neutral Zone, says having great partnerships is key to avoiding “Mission Drift.”

ACTIONS
1) Build alliances with organizations and business in your area to expand the pool of resources you have access to.
2) Ask an organization that specializes in an area your organization has issues with or an interest in to do a workshop or training for your key members.
3) Think about trading show passes or recording studio hours to organizations working with different populations of young people to expand your reach.