John Denver, Judy Collins and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have for decades symbolized Colorado music, reinforcing the sense that our folk, pop and rock scenes are the foundations on which all others have built.
As Colorado music diehards know, it’s just one perspective on history. That’s clear in the 50 or so inductees in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF), ranging from the aforementioned to jazz great Charles Burrell (“the Jackie Robinson of classical music,” per the hall’s website), to big-band legend Glenn Miller, blues singer-songwriter Otis Taylor, surf band The Astronauts, and vocalist Dianne Reeves.
“The first nine years of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame were really focused more on celebrating the past and educating people about our music history,” said Karen Radman, executive director of the nonprofit organization, which was founded in 2011. “We’re going to continue to do those types of inductions, but our board did some soul searching after a couple of really quiet years, so this year is about expanding.”
On Saturday, June 29, the CMHOF will induct its first opera honoree in the form of the Central City Opera. The performing arts company, along with opera singers Cynthia Lawrence and Keith Miller, and the late conductor John Moriarty, represents the CMHOF’s first “destination induction,” as Central City Opera called it, and heralds a year of change for CMHOF.
Its budget has jumped year-over-year since the pandemic, this year landing at roughly $400,000. Thanks to donations, services and other forms of income, its revenue last year hit $270,000 — which doesn’t include in-kind services, such as pro bono legal help and advertising considerations. Sources include civic boosters, donations, foundation money and public grants.
“We also will have another jazz class in the fall, which will be our second in all of 13 years,” said Radman, who joined CMHOF in January 2020 and became full-time director one year later. She formerly worked as executive director of the music-education nonprofit Take Note Colorado.
“We’re trying to ensure that we’re hitting different kinds of musical genres and that we’re doing more in diversity and inclusiveness in genres, geography, and in the demographics of individuals,” she said.
Besides the jazz induction, which is scheduled for Oct. 29 at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (tickets are not yet on sale), the Music Hall is finalizing details for an as-yet-unannounced new home, having flown from its perch at Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s Trading Post in January. It’s teasing “new Hall of Fame exhibits at a central location in downtown Denver,” and promoting a program that routes money and resources for mental health and addiction to Colorado musicians.
It’s also pushing a new partnership with the legacy project of shuttered jazz venue El Chapultepec — whose name is newly prominent at Denver jazz club Dazzle — and co-promoting shows with them. El Chapultepec Legacy Project co-founder Anna Diaz said the CMHOF partnership opens doors and “allows us to be more transparent and accountable to donors,” according to a news release.
“It’s inspiring when community-based organizations see Dazzle as the space where they can deepen and expand their roots,” said Dazzle owner Chad Schneider in the statement. “It speaks to the ways that music connects all of us.” (The show, “Ode to the Early Days,” arrives at Dazzle on July 21, with $25 to $40 tickets on sale at dazzledenver.com).
Radman said the resources that CMHOF is now offering through its Keep the Beat program have been compiled from a long list of proven partners. It’s offering 25 mini-grants of $1,000 each to musicians in counseling services — with a minimum of eight sessions provided — thanks to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and Backbeat Foundation. The hall’s programs are open to not only artists, but also to industry professionals such as lighting crews, stagehands and tour workers.
“I think we’re in a place of complementing other organizations that exist,” Radman said. ” One of our goals is to help (draw together) those organizations so we can see what they’re doing and learn from each other. Can we help music tourism? How can we open more shows to more people? That’s what we’re trying to learn.”
One of CMHOF’s biggest challenges, however, is keeping the pace it has established while it vies for more public attention. Its board consists of heavy hitters such as Scott Tobias, co-chairman of the hall and, like other board members, a charitable contributor to its budget. He’s also CEO of Denver-based Voice Media group, and publisher of the resilient Denver alt-weekly Westword.
“Over the years we have been pretty grassroots as far as how we’re reaching people,” said Radman, who has relied on social media and CMHOF’s website for its public-facing identity. “But we want to bring more people to the cause and co-promote Colorado music with tourism organizations, so we’re finding ways to do that.”
Originally Published: July 1, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
