CLEVELAND — The way we celebrate holidays in 2020 has changed, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up some local traditions. This year’s “CircleFest” celebration, presented by City of Cleveland’s Department of Utilities, in University Circle, has reinvented how you can experience organizations like the Cleveland Museum Art and The Cleveland Orchestra.
As part of WKYC Studios' “Home for the Holidays” series, we focus on The Music Settlement, a centuries-old community music school, that is still providing live music and lessons in the holiday season.
The warm sound of Forest City Brass Quartet fills the air inside the Bop Stop as they rehearse for their virtual concert on Sunday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m.
“The holidays we have a pretty full schedule of virtual, live stream performances due to the pandemic,” noted Matt Charboneau, the Chair of Music at The Music Settlement.
“The Music Settlement is a 108-year-old community organization with campuses in University Circle, and with a campus in Ohio City. And we also own and operate a live music performance venue. We are community based and we have different service areas including music education, early childhood education and music therapy services,” said Charboneau.
That live music venue is the Bop Stop, on Cleveland’s near westside, which was gifted to The Music Settlement. Gab Pollack has been the director there since 2014.
“When we first opened, we did host music therapy and early childhood education. And even though over the years it has transitioned into more of a true jazz club, after we cover the cost of the show all of that money is reinvested in music education at the Music Settlement,” stated Pollack.
“In December the Bop Stop is hosting about 20 to 25 live streams. You access them on our Facebook page at show time and we just solicited for donations,” said Pollack. “What is really important is that we are getting musicians working, we are getting musicians paid.”
“Obviously that is a time we hope we can get back to in person music instruction and in person enables and chamber music and jazz studies,” said Charboneau.
For a full schedule of live performances at the Bop Stop visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bopstop/
You can see our special web-extra video on The Music Settlement in the player below: