Baltimore Music Box
Providing Education & Opportunity
The Baltimore Music Box is a recording studio and musical instrument/equipment library that serves to cultivate creativity in Baltimore by providing access to the pursuit of musical interests and activities.
Baltimore Music Box aims to provide workshops, classes, and performances within Unity Hall in an effort to establish the community center as a place for artists activities. The circulating musical instrument and equipment lending library will be available at different membership tiers. Members of this library will be able to borrow instruments and equipment that are needed for practicing, performing, recording, teaching, or for use in educational programming. We are working to populate our inventory with items that will attract beginners and professionals for different reasons and purposes. Our goal is to bring together new and existing resources and opportunities for all people in the city to share. We’re always working to meet the needs of our members, and we remain committed to playing a key role in the community.
To learn more, simply get in touch.
Do you want to help us build out our library? See our wishlist.
Do you have musical instruments or equipment that you would like to donate to the Baltimore Music Box lending library? If so, please let us know here!
Do you have musical instruments or equipment that you would like to see the Baltimore Music Box lending library provide? Let us know here!
Timeline/History
We began conversations with Somerset Development Company, LLC about their idea for a center for community arts, education, and training (Baltimore Unity Hall) in 2019.
In 2019 the BMB team met with the Baltimore Tool Library which has a similar mission of empowering communities to improve their lives and environments through affordable access to resources.
Throughout the summer of 2021, BMB sent out an initial community intercept survey to engage artists around the city asking critical questions around the need of these services and received hundreds of responses in favor of the library and its resources.
Baltimore Music Box became officially incorporated as an LLC on October 8, 2021,
On February 22, 2022, Governor Hogan announced Project Restore Awards. Baltimore Music Box was awarded a Property Assistance and Business Operating Grant from DHCD.
In the upcoming months we will be outfitting and soundproofing the music recording studio.
We are developing a partnership with Ableton Live in the effort of providing quality materials in the recording studio for people to use.
To date, we have received over 50 items donated to help populate our instrument and equipment library.
We expect to begin operations in Fall of 2022.
About Us
Stephanie Ray
Founder and Operations Director
Stephanie is a versatile performer and curator of musical projects in Baltimore City. Since 2011, Stephanie has co-directed Classical Revolution Baltimore which has presented over one hundred free performances in Baltimore City collaborating with a diverse range of venues and organizations including the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Mount Vernon Conservancy, Maryland Citizens for the Arts, WTMD, bbcon, OrchKids, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Stephanie is a founding member and performer with two local contemporary music ensembles, Mind on Fire and Pique Collective, both of which focus on unique collaborations and innovative programming as a primary driver for their creative projects. In 2022, Stephanie became a musician-owner and council member for the musical cooperative Groupmuse. An active member of her community, Stephanie serves as the Communication Chairperson for the Madison Park Improvement Association where she co-directs a free summer community music series called Arts in the Parks in neighborhood green spaces that have been traditionally redlined. Stephanie enjoys a busy freelance schedule, regularly performing with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and the National Cathedral Choral Society. Stephanie received her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Texas at Austin and Master of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Jeremy Lyons
Founder and Communications Director
Jeremy Lyons has over twelve years of experience performing, teaching, composing, and producing events in Baltimore City. As a guitarist, Jeremy gives solo recitals and has appeared with organizations such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and other chamber ensembles across the country. He also regularly performs with his duo partners Soprano, Lisa Perry, and Flutist, Stephanie Ray. Jeremy also performs on period instruments such as viola da gamba, lute, and Baroque guitar, and for more modern compositions, he uses his electric guitar in combination with electronics and other live media. While maintaining an active performing career, Jeremy is a guitar instructor at the Baltimore School for the Arts and several other music schools in the Baltimore area. An advocate for contemporary music, Jeremy regularly writes music, collaborates with other composers, and enthusiastically participates in music that connects to a variety of audience members. He is a founding member of two Baltimore-based contemporary music ensembles: Mind on Fire and Pique Collective. These ensembles explore the many sounds, sensations, experiences, and possibilities that arise from a performance, held in a public space, that invites the audience to immediately react and interact with the show that they attend. Jeremy received a BM in guitar performance (Summa Cum Laude) from the Florida State University and holds a MM in Guitar Performance and Pedagogy, a MM in Musicology, and a DMA all from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. Jeremy uses his background in scholarly research and writing every day at the organization, RIPM, where he is the digital projects coordinator.
Dr. Erik Spangler
Studio Manager, Instructor and Creative Facilitator
Erik Spangler (DJ Dubble8) is a composer and electronic musician living in Baltimore, Maryland. Engaged equally with ensemble improvisation, live electronics, studio production, and notated music, Spangler aims to dissolve cultural boundaries while drawing all corners of inspiration into evocative soundscapes. His compositions have been performed across the United States and internationally by ensembles including the Atlantic Brass Quintet, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Rhymes With Opera, and International Contemporary Ensemble. Performances as an electronic musician include collaborations with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra, American University Jazz Workshop, and Cornell Symphony Orchestra. Founder of The Vigil all-night music festival at MICA (2010-present), he is also co-founder of Mobtown Modern music series (2008-12) and Baltimore Boom Bap Society (2011-present) live improvised hip hop collective/music series. Spangler holds degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (B.M., Music Composition, 1999) and Harvard University (Ph.D., Music Composition, 2004). He has taught sound art, music production, live electronic music, and composition at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Towson University, Ithaca College, and K-12 schools in Baltimore, with additional work as a musical accompanist for modern dance classes at Towson University, Goucher College, and University of Maryland.
