Mike's Music Exchange
Location: Building AA
Owner: Mike
(Q) Tell me about your business (experience, dream, vision, etc.)?
(A) Mike's Music Exchange has the mission of connecting local artists to the community, and the community to local artists. Eldorado is teeming with great talent, but does not have a well designed place where people can connect through performances and events to share that talent. This is the purpose for the exchange. Mike's Music Exchange combines a performance space, a cost effective recording studio, a musical instrument store, and a one-on-one teacher student instructional space to attempt to enhance and enrich musical connections within the community.
(Q) Why did you choose to open a business in Eldorado?
(A) Aside from Eldorado being my home and place of work for the last 8 years, it also allows me to direct my energies toward something that is good for our community, and something I believe the community really needs. When I discovered La Tienda's community based business vision, I knew the time, the place, and the vision was right for starting this kind of business.
(Q) How do you anticipate interacting with the community?
(A) Community involvement is critical to the success of the exchange. Aside from simply renting out a performance space and providing a music store and recording studio, the exchange will promote local musicians and their music through a variety of means. For example, the exchange will promote lists of bands and musicians for hire, but it will also allow musicians that would otherwise not get a chance to interact with each other to have a place to meet, play, and share ideas. It is my hope that home grown musicians will be able to record and promote their music right here in the community from which it is born. In addition, the venue provides for community involvement through events that would otherwise not have a comfortable venue, such as community theatre productions, art showings, and the like.
(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?
(A) Simply stated, La Tienda's vision will transform an otherwise standard commercial office complex into a gathering place for the community; a place where people will want to be. Eldorado stands alone not only geographically but also culturally from Santa Fe, and La Tienda will give the community something it really needs - community interaction.
(Q) What makes your business unique?
(A) Mike's Music Exchange is a synergy of multiple businesses that work together. Although you can find a performance space, an instrument store, a recording studio, and instructional space in town, you will not find them near each other, and they wont be able to provide these services in conjunction with each other. By placing all these services in one convenient location musicians and music lovers will have a home for their music and a musical outlet in which to express it. And even better, its just right down the street from where we live.
(Q) How long have you lived in Eldorado or what is your connection to the Eldorado Community?
(A) My wife Lisa and myself (both born and raised in Iowa) arrived in Eldorado in 2001 from Dallas, Texas with our then 2 year old daughter Jessica after searching for years to find a way to live and work here; we, like many others, found the natural wonders and great climate irresistible. Two years later, our New Mexico born son Ben arrived. We live just two blocks from the Eldorado Community School where we are active in helping out the school through various clubs and organizations. Since arriving here we've found many great friends and a connection to the community that makes us proud to call Eldorado our home.
(Q) Any other thoughts, comments?
(A) I would like to personally congratulate and thank the owners and visionaries at La Tienda for giving Eldorado a unique gift; in time our community will come to appreciate how a dead office complex can be transformed into a living community center through heartfelt effort and a driving commitment to community involvement.
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