Music Archive Update
Monroe County Public Library and Musical Family Tree Launch Partnership
The Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) and Musical Family Tree (MFT) are pleased to announce a shared partnership that will help preserve local music for ongoing enjoyment by the Monroe County community.
Since 2004, MFT has developed and maintained an archive of local Indiana artists. Featuring hundreds of artists and thousands of original songs, much of their archive contains music that is unavailable anywhere else. By combining MFT’s existing archive and MCPL’s archival expertise, both organizations are looking to preserve existing local music while also providing opportunities for new artists. The MFT archive also allows its users to see which bands have performed together, shared band members, and other collaborative efforts.
“Music and songwriting is another form of storytelling, and we believe this warrants inclusion in our Library’s collections,” said Lisa Champelli, MCPL Collection Development Manager. “We want to help our community members discover the creative works of local musicians, much like how they’re able to find books by local authors. Musical history is another way of learning about the shared identity of a community, and by providing access to this extension collection, we hope our patrons’ love of local music continues to grow.”
Recently, MFT’s founder, Jeb Banner, rejoined the organization as board chair. After rejoining, Jeb implemented a complete rebuild of the MFT archive’s website. Last October, he organized a two-day festival for MFT’s 20th anniversary in Bloomington at the The Back Door and Blockhouse Bar venues.
MFT has its origins in the ‘90s Bloomington scene. In the mid-90s, Jeb worked at Second Story, now defunct, and booked local bands, often recording those performances.
“Reflecting on MFT’s journey—along with our Bloomington roots—a partnership with MCPL feels like a natural fit,” said Jeb. “So much of the music that first populated the MFT archive was recorded in Bloomington in the ‘90s. The Boomington music scene, past and present, is a critical piece of MFT’s DNA.”
In addition to preserving local music, MFT is currently taking new submissions from local bands across Indiana.
To submit music, go to musicalfamilytree.com. Bands and musicians seeking equipment to record their music for submission are encouraged to use the Level Up Digital Creativity Center located at the Downtown Library.