The Sterling Music Exchange (SME) is a 501(c)(3), which provides opportunities for young adult musicians to perform in the community. We believe that community music performances build personal development skills, social capital and encourage civic engagement in our young adults which leads to positive engagement with the broader community.

Description:
Sterling Music Exchange has three programs described below.

(1) Acoustic Concerts: This program provides performance opportunities to young adult musicians who perform as soloists and as ensembles featuring classical and popular music on the violin, piano, cello, guitar and vocals. Venues for these events include art shows, church halls and area businesses such as the Cider Mill, Sterling which has hosted 8 performances during the past 2 years.

(2) Battle of the Bands: This program has occurred annually for the last 5 years and is well attended.
This event involves performances by at least 6 bands made up of young adult musicians. Prizes are awarded to the top three bands and as well as individual performances. Local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Heifer Project and Wachusett Greenways have been invited to set up tables and promote their services at the event.

(3) Social Awareness: SME has sponsored 6 film screenings to promote awareness of human rights.
The award winning film documentary, Senorita Extraviada – Missing Young Women has been purchased and screened to raise awareness of violence against women. SME has also held voter registration at some of their events.

History:
Sterling Music Exchange was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in April, 2004. It received approval from the IRS for tax exempt status in July, 2005 as a public charity.

SME has a Board of Directors made up of four people from the community.

Contact person: Pete Cormier, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

23 Justice Hill Road Sterling, MA 01564 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.sterlingmusic.org

North Central Ma Network of Nonprofit Organizational Profile

Organization Type:
	Arts, Youth Development
What is your organization trying to change; whose lives; and the impact that you seek?
	The Sterling Music Exchange (SME) is a 501(c)(3), which provides opportunities for young adult musicians to perform in the community. We believe that community music performances build personal development, social capital and encourage civic engagement in our young adults. In addition, these events create opportunities for positive engagement with the broader community. We also have volunteers who perform duties such as promotion, writing press releases, coordinating events, announcing performers etc.
What are major challenges/obstacles your organization faces in trying to meet your mission?
	We attempt to create partnerships with local businesses and organizations which can provide a venue for our performances. We believe that the best venue is a centrally located business which has the space for holding informal concert performances of small 2-3 person ensembles and whose owners are supportive of the arts as a means of public engagement.
Please describe some of the major accomplishments and successes of your organization.
	We were formed two years ago and our musicians have performed at over 2 dozen performance events. Some of the venues include the Leominster Art Show, Mechanics Hall, Worcester State College, Assumption College and various other venues. We have provided over 40 young adults with multiple opportunities to perform and in some cases, earn money with their music. SME was awarded the Gold Star Award by the Massachusetts Cultural Council in 2005 for an event which combined a battle of the bands event with voter registration and exhibitions by Wachusett Greenways, Heifer Project, Habitat for Humanity. We have developed a strong relationship with a local business, The Cider Mill, which has been mutually beneficial. Our performers have a local venue in which to play and The Cider Mill attracts shoppers with the music.
Have partnerships with nonprofit/forprofit/government helped you to advance your mission?
	Yes. We hold recurring performances at the Cider Mill in Sterling which is a retail business that houses more than 50 artists and shop owners. Our musicians perform their every two months. We have also partnered with other nonprofits to provide entertainment at their events such as the Leominster Art Association, Guild Dancers of Luneburg, Fairbridge Project of Worcester, Wachusett Greenways, Habitat for Humanity, Amnesty International etc.
Key Programs/Title and Description:
	Acoustic Concerts This program provides performance opportunities to young adult musicians. Musicians perform as soloists and as ensembles featuring classical and popular music on the violin, piano, cello, guitar and vocals. Battle of the Bands This program has occurred annually for the last 5 years and is well attended. This event involves performances by at least 6 bands made up of young adult musicians. Prizes are awarded to the top three bands and as well as individual performances. Social Awareness SME has sponsored 5 film screenings to promote awareness of human rights. The award winning film documentary, Senorita Extraviada – Missing Young Women has been purchased and screened to raise awareness of violence against women. SME has also held voter registration.
Budget:
	FY2006 Revenues: $ 3,150. Expenses: $ 2,768. SME is a small organization with modest financial needs and no staff members. I perform the role of executive director on a part-time, unpaid basis. We depend on donations from local businesses and grants. In FY2006 we received grants from local cultural councils in Sterling and Clinton. We also just received a Hoche-Schofield grant of $ 500 as part of our annual appeal to obtain a new sound reinforcement system.
If resources were of no concern, what need would you most like to address?
	I would hire at least one staff member to perform volunteer coordination, fund raising, promotion. I would also consider expand services into the areas of Clinton, Leominster, Fitchburg and Worcester where I believe there is a greater need for our service.
Other comments:
	SME has a board of directors made up of local business leaders and a youth board made up of volunteers which provide guidance to the executive director.

Overall Experience   
Opening Doors to Great Opportunities!

I am able to perform for people who just love music! It is so rewarding to put a smile on people's faces, doing something I love. SME gives me that opportunity.... to bush the dust off my guitar, and start making MUSIC again! posted by ReginaTobin on August 19, 2006

Overall Experience   
For a musician, it was very rewarding to take part in SME!

A real strength of the Sterling Music Exchange is getting youth involved. Music provides a great reason for people of different ages and backgrounds to get together and find common ground, and SME creates a positive environment for making music! Being part of the Exchange helped me to enjoy and become comfortable with performing. I had a lot of fun taking part in SME events and was grateful to get low-pressure opportunities to explore showmanship. Constructive, valuable, and fun! posted by DML on August 16, 2006

Overall Experience   
Volunteering for the SME has always proved to be a great experience.

The great thing about volunteering is that it is just as simple as selling some food or selling tickets at a Battle of the Bands for a couple hours. To know that even doing that can make a difference to the life of someone else rather than yourself is fantastic. posted by abclark on August 15, 2006

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