Local nonprofit works to aid community through the power of music
(FRISCO, Texas – April 18 2024) Once a month, the music of locally based North Texas musicians fills the shops, restaurants, and pavilion of Main Street.
The all-day event, titled “Music on Main,” entices people to shop and eat in a musical atmosphere, all the while drawing higher levels of foot traffic for restaurant and shop owners. An array of local artists are given platforms to showcase their music and talents to the people of Frisco. This monthly event has been running for two years now, overseen and put together by the non-profit organization Melody of Hope.
“It is a monthly arts and culture experience where we pair our merchants downtown with artists,” Melody of Hope Founder and Executive director Charlie Wendell said. “We create a downtown vibe.”
According to Wendell, the idea was formulated after she and her team took note of Frisco’s obvious lack of the arts in its downtown areas.
“Frisco is pretty stale on the arts,” Wendell said. “We just decided to contribute to the problem instead of complain.”
The program falls in line with Melody of Hope’s mission, which is to support local musicians and infuse the city of Frisco with some much-needed artistic liveliness, while also partnering with a countless variety of charities in an effort to help support the community as well. Wendell, who earned a master’s degree in music business, entered the music industry right out of college only to realize there were darker aspects of the industry she hadn’t been prepared for. During her one-year move to Africa that Wendell, inspired by her faith and passion for music, drew up plans to create what would soon become Melody of Hope.
“I felt really compelled that God was telling me to move overseas and share the gospel,” Wendell said. “So when I was over there I just started working on a business plan for when I got back to the States that incorporated my three loves, which are Jesus, people, and music.”
Melody of Hope’s daily operations includes booking and coordinating musicians to be paired with their nonprofit partners’ various events, such as fundraisers and galas. Networking with monthly donors is a portion of Wendell’s job, which is needed to secure funding for supporting their nonprofit partners in supporting the community.
“It’s really a grind,” Wendell said. “You have to have a passion for non-profit world because the first couple of years you work pretty hard, but you don’t see a lot of money coming in.”
For Wendell, though, the challenges and tribulations have been worth it. In the 10 years since the formation of Melody of Hope, Wendell and her small team have worked to build around 250 live music programs that support nonprofits in the community. Recently, Melody of Hope was even named Frisco Chamber of Commerce nonprofit of the year.
“That award is voted on by citizens and residents, so that was really cool for us to get,” Wendell said of the awarded title. “That means the public is seeing what we’re doing and supporting us and voting on us based on merit.”
That, perhaps, reflects the residents of Frisco’s desire for more arts and music to be incorporated into the city’s spaces. Music is the great equalizer, according to Wendell.
“I think anyone can get behind a cause or support something if it’s based around music, it’s the universal language,” Wendell said. “It’s not based on race or religion or socioeconomic status. Anyone can love a song or a band regardless of their background, so I do think it’s the universal connector.”
Lorynn Robb, a musician who sings and plays the guitar, has played for Frisco’s Music on Main event several times. She continues to return to the program due to the positive ways it helps support artists and musicians.
“Music on Main is helping local artists perform and actually make some money doing what they love,” Robb said. “Every location acts as the perfect place for a musician to invite friends and family as well, so they can help build a following or even get additional gigs.”
Ultimately, Melody of Hope and its programs believe in the power of music.
“When the human heart is moved by music, the world hears,” Music on Main Street’s website states as part of their mission statement. “With a single Melody of Hope a life can change.”