Music

It’s a steep climb to the Harkin Store from the road nestled along the Minnesota River below. But, the folksy melodies echoing from high above compel feet to bound up the stairs.

It’s become a part of Stillwater’s annual Fourth of July celebration. For a couple of hours before the fireworks, the 17 musicians (and a vocalist) of the St. Croix Jazz Orchestra (SCJO) fill Pioneer Park with music—impeccably played, sonically lush, sophisticated arrangements of music by jazz greats, with room for improvised solos by some of the best musicians in the Twin Cities.

It doesn’t happen by accident. The story of how the SCJO came to be dates back to 2002.

If walls could talk, the walls of a high school would talk mostly of dreams. Every weekday the halls and classrooms flutter with possibilities, and for a group of students at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, one of these possibilities might start to feel more like reality.

They were just kids the first time they played instruments in the same city, but their passion for everything music continued for four Edina natives into their adult lives—eventually leading to the creation of their rock ’n’ roll band Medium Rustic. While they are all grown up now with families and day jobs, Andy Matysik, Joe Carpenter, Chad Lindell and Scott Thorp have found a creative outlet that has exceeded their expectations.

The streets of Minneapolis buzz to the beat of music. From the acoustic concerts at farmers markets around town to the black and white stars of First Avenue. At the center of this musical hub is Twin Town Guitars, a school of music and retail shop in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood, and a staple in the Minneapolis community for 20 years.
 

An engineer, an entrepreneur and a couple of account managers walk into a bar …

Since 2014, cover band Manhassen has performed at area venues. “[The name] started as a joke because we were a bunch of guys from a gym in Chanhassen, but then we were either too lazy to change it, or it started to grow on us,” says Derek Bush, lead vocals and guitar player. “At some point, it just became us.”

Two Maple Grove music schools, Spark Music Studio and All Things Musik, bring their talent to the public—teaching local kids and adults all about music, and teachers hope each student will soon join them on a musical journey of discovery.

The 13-acre Excelsior Commons park area was designed with summer nights in mind, with public recreation space, playgrounds, swimming areas, sports facilities and restrooms flanking beautiful Lake Minnetonka in the heart of bustling Excelsior. It’s home to Art on the Lake, the hometown Fourth of July celebration, and countless smaller events.

Read: Amor Towles

Since 1988, audiences of all ages have attended a local concert in support of the community’s educational leaders. The annual Mahtomedi Music Faculty Concert is not only a fantastic way for educators to exhibit their musical endowments, but all proceeds go to a great cause as well.