Music Resource Center

Building Community through Music

The Music Resource Center has been a downtown Charlottesville institution for three decades. Founded in 1995 by John Hornsby and other local musicians who believed in the power of music for young people, it grew from a space above the old Trax music venue into its longtime home in a historic Ridge Street church. What makes it worth a family’s attention isn’t just the gear, it’s that MRC is a safe, diverse, and creative community where 6th–12th graders learn, grow, and make music together. It’s genuinely built for every kid, regardless of what a family can pay.

Why Families Love It

For parents of a music-obsessed middle or high schooler, MRC is a rare thing: a place their teen actually wants to be after school, doing something creative and supervised. As a nonprofit after-school program, MRC provides unlimited voice, instrument, and dance lessons, practice space, mentorship, access to instruments and equipment, performance opportunities, summer camps, and recording studio time. Once a teen is a member, that access is theirs to use. The center serves 300-400 members per year and runs on core values of creativity, access, and community.

The affordability piece is at the heart of MRC. The organization’s belief is plain: no adolescent should go without access to the arts, and money should not get in the way of creative, talented young people who want to pursue music. There’s also real history and community muscle behind the place (the Dave Matthews Band and other benefactors supported its move to the Ridge Street church in 2004) but day to day, it feels like a neighborhood spot where teens are mentored by adults who care.

What to Expect

Membership starts with an in-person application, so the first step is reaching out to the center rather than just walking in to play. Families and teens meet the staff, tour the space, and see the rehearsal rooms, recording and production setups, and dance studio. Because fees are set on a sliding scale, the cost conversation is handled up front and privately, based on family size and income. Once a student joins, they get to use the lessons, studio time, camps, and space as often as they like. The model is built around unlimited access, not a per-session meter.