Mutual Muse was founded in November of 2017 by Melanie Dewey of local Progressive soul group, MELD. After living in Nashville for 3 years, she began to feel a disconnect with the traditional music industry model. She noticed that many bills, and show lineups, very rarely strayed from including artists from "scenes" or "genres" unique to their own. To combat this, Melanie turned to the Burning Man'
s principle of "radical inclusion," and began booking shows with artists that have diverse fan bases, in an attempt to bring new fans, supporters, and musicians together that otherwise might not venture outside of their comfort zones. "What it comes down to, is we're all in this together. Together we are stronger, and together we can use our art to make beautiful things happen in this world. But it starts with accepting one another's diverse talents, and not getting sucked into the traditional exclusivity or judgment that has been often found in the industry in the past. This is our time to reinvent the wheel, and grow as a grassroots community." Overall, the mission of Mutual Muse is to unite unique artists and musicians in support of causes greater than ourselves. Ultimately, we aim to use art to celebrate and promote things like diversity, environmental sustainability, and the rise of a grassroots-minded community, guided by radical inclusion and creativity. The end goal for the organization is to eventually grow and link grassroots communities all across the world. Within this network, artists will be able to help each other find unique artistic opportunities, and collaborate freely.
