No matter how long you’ve lived in Park City, chances are you have come across a Mountain Town Music production. From Park Silly Sunday Market to Woodenshoe Park in Peoa, citizens and visitors enjoy free live music all summer long at more than a dozen venues around Summit County.
This summer, Mountain Town Music marks its 25th year thanks in large part to Executive Director Brian Richards, who prefers the title of community conductor of musical affairs. Some longtime locals may remember him as the owner of Orion’s Music Shop located at Snow Creek Plaza from 1997 until 2009. Music has always been an integral part of Richards’ life, from the joy of thumbing through his mom’s record collection to leaning on the healing properties of music to help process the grief of losing his son five years ago.
Richards describes the nonprofit as “a community connector.” He says, “A summer concert provides a social experience that includes spending time with friends and family, watching your neighbors dancing in the audience or playing on stage, and taking in the fresh mountain air and sunshine. Music is the background to that social experience. We want to ensure that music is free and accessible to anyone in Summit County.”
Mountain Town Music started as Mountain Town Stages, a spinoff of the Park City Arts Council. Back then, they collaborated with a professor of architecture from the University of Utah to construct stages for live music throughout Summit County. When Richards became involved, the organization was rebranded as Mountain Town Music, and the focus shifted to owning production equipment and gear.
“Providing a high-quality audio experience is important to the community and the artists,” Richards emphasizes. That requires top-notch equipment and skilled engineers, which are accessible thanks to grants and public funding. Richards and his son, Jack, are the only two full-time employees at Mountain Town Music, and they rely on a crew of independent contractors to help make music happen.
Aside from the production and programming of hundreds of events each year, education is a tenet of the organization. The Michael James Richards Scholarship Fund provides internships and scholarships for students interested in a career in the music industry. The group also funds music and audio engineering curriculum at Park City High School. Students enrolled in the class receive precedence for the audio internship program, which offers collegiate-level opportunities for high schoolers interested in a career in the music industry.
The scholarships are awarded to students who want to pursue music as a profession and are not just a one-time gift. Mountain Town Music supports recipients throughout their collegiate or technical school journey, through funding, experience and exposure. “By providing a pathway to a career in the music industry, we are creating a sustainable music community, explains Richards.
Whether it’s through production, programming or presenting, Mountain Town Music is involved with dozens of local organizations and communities. Each partnership has a different model since no one size fits all. For example, when working with other nonprofits like the Youth Sports Alliance, Mountain Town Music shoulders the production costs for events like Jans Winter Welcome. For Newpark Amphitheater shows, Newpark Owners Association pays for the production, which Mountain Town Music provides at a low cost.
At the end of the day, the goal is always the same: to make music happen. As you are out and about this summer, keep your eyes open for Mountain Town Music. You will notice the nonprofit everywhere and understand their integral role in Park City’s diverse music landscape.
