The Kamloops Music Collective is committed to building a vibrant and diverse music culture in Kamloops by offering music-based programs to youth in the community. Through their education and programs, the Kamloops Music Collective inspires kids to follow their passion for music and the arts.
We caught up with Kim Mangan to learn more about the programs the Kamloops Music Collective offers and what the next steps are for the organization. Kim’s passion for music education has been a guiding force in her leadership role as Executive Director of the Kamloops Interior Summer School of Music (KISSM) for the past 10 years, and now of the Kamloops Music Collective.
Name: Kamloops Music Collective
Type of Organization: Charity
Headquarters: Kamloops
Number of Employees: 2
Year Founded: 1978
The Problem: We try to ensure that there is music education for youth in our community. It’s not that there is a lack of music education and programs in Kamloops, but there is always a demand for more.
The Solution: The Kamloops Music Collective inspires young people to follow their passion for music and the arts through a variety of year round music programming.
For four decades, KISSM has been an anticipated summer experience for thousands of youth in our city and region. Each year, KISSM welcomes about 280 students for an intensive 3-week, music camp, which includes opportunities for students age 5 to 18 to participate in music education classes and in planning and performing for parents and the community.
Recently, in addition to KISSM, the Collective has expanded their programs to offer new and innovative ways for youth to access music education. Whole Note, which provides private music lessons, a scholarship to KISSM and opportunities to perform with local music groups, to students in grades 6 to 11 who face financial barriers. The Collective also works with local schools to offer a program called BAND Together which introduces youth to concert band music and participation. The Kamloops Music Collective has also been working with organization in the community such as the Boys & girls Club and the Kamloops Brain Injury association to offer music programs to a diverse demographic of musicians.
Accomplishments: Three years ago, the only program we ran was the Kamloops Interior Summer School of Music, so our biggest accomplishment is offering new, year round programs. Kids would come to KISSM, but then everything would stop and we would disappear for 8 months of the year. Year round programming keeps us visible in the community and allows us to work on new partnerships and projects which help encourage kids to take part in music.
Next Steps: We are looking at possibly developing additional programs for kids in the community and expanding our reach through our existing programs. We would love to expand beyond Kamloops – we have started looking at expanding into Vernon and Kelowna as well.
What We Need Help With: Right now we are looking for help with marketing and communications and our business model. I know what I want to do, and having a clear sense of where we’re going in the next three years and creating a business model behind that is really important.
Website: https://www.kamloopsmusiccollective.info/
To learn more about the Kamloops Music Collective, connect with Kim.
