iAM Music Institute

Background Statement

Founded by artists, for artists...

iAM MUSIC was founded in 2013 by two professional musicians

After several years of relentless touring and spearheading with Colorado-based independent project Hello Dollface, bassist Jesse Ogle, and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ashley Edwards began to notice a lack of connection and support opportunities in the music industry for hard-working, talented, independent musicians. In 2011, the two founded Independent Artist Management, a by-artists-for-artists networking and tour management cooperative for like-minded, unsigned musicians pursuing careers in original music. This is the origin of the “iAM” in iAM MUSIC. The name has become an affirmation of the organization’s deepest goals and principles.

In 2013, they free-formed what is now the iAM MUSIC Outreach Programming with “passion presentations” at high risk youth correction facilities, alternative education programs, project based middle schools and high schools, and have since created accredited 3-5 day per week dedicated band coaching full music education and production at Animas High School, Big Picture High School, Liberty School, Boys and Girls Club Ignacio, and the La Plata Youth Services Therapeutic Day program with multiple coaches , ZERO-Obstacles programming which includes free instrument rentals, full-rehearsal space and sound gear, no-cost-to-student education and mentorship with a focus on writing original music, theory, recording and production, networking, and team development in the classroom. Each semester, the program presents #YOUTH Student Showcase free to the community featuring all of theIn-House and Outreach Programming Student Performances and the #YOUTH Original Student Showcase in the Spring to feature young talented songwriters, producers, and composers.

iAM MUSIC is committed to its mission to pursue innovative ways to empower and encourage mutual support among musicians of every level while cultivating originality, and creating opportunities and space for collaboration and mentorship for both youth and aspiring as well as professional musicians. In addition, iAM MUSIC Fest! was launched in 2015 as a festival-format iAM MUSIC benefit to recycle funding back into education while presenting the community a special event bringing world-class independent musicians, visual artists, performing artists, local eateries, and businesses together for the purpose of sharing ideas, creating meaningful relationships & exchange, and social activism through creative expression in the Southwest.

In 2017, The iNDIGO Room listening space was added to the iAM MUSIC studio space bringing an intimate, independent listening room style music venue to the region. Each month iAM MUSIC brings weekly and monthly ongoing community events such as Songwriter’s Series, Songwriting Panels, Jazz/Funk/Soul Jams, Saturday Concert Series, Ongoing Music Workshops, Internship programming, and coaching and lessons As of 2020, iAM MUSIC is an established living wage employer in Colorado and produces over 50+ ongoing events each year hiring 200+ musicians from all over the US, and in turn the revenue generated is re-invested into the education and empowerment of the voices and musicians of the next generation.