Meet Becca Raccone | Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Becca Raccone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Becca, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Music First came around after a friend who was a musician passed away. After chatting with local musicians, I found the the life my friend lead was common amongst this career group. Being a person who worked in the accounting field, not having access to health insurance, or mental health, or being able to cover my basic needs was a foreign concept. I did not understand until that point, what being a musician meant. This is why Music First was created, to help assist musicians. From mental health to education classes on how to operate as a musician.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel that my background is best described as different. I started my working career in the culinary field, even went to culinary school. After a few years, I got a little burnt out. That is when I started, I guess, bouncing around different careers. I learned graphic design, then marketing and ran my own graphics company for a bit. Then worked as an assistant for a few companies, then ended up doing accounting for the last few years. I am not in the career field that I went to school for, I feel that is pretty common these days. Everything in my background made starting Music First easier, it also helps with assisting musicians.

When it came to getting funding for us, that was the first big challenge. A fair amount of music driven grants are for specific purposes, like getting a musician funding for an instrument or helping them with a gig expense or rent, but not a lot whose by laws allow for grant funding to a nonprofit like Music First. That is where my background came into play. I was able to connect with some fiends who also saw what Music First was trying to become. Not only have they helped with getting our musicians paid gigs, but we are in the process of bringing a music venue to Longmont’s downtown area due to their influence. With us having a venue, we will become self-sufficient, having to rely less on grants while still being able to assist our musicians.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am not going to lie, I am more of a home body but when I do venture out for a non Music First purposes it is typically for some outdoor reason, like bike riding or paddle boarding, stuff of that nature. I ride the LoBo trail a fair amount, which is the trail between Longmont and Boulder, CO.

Music First hosts events ranging from solo artists to larger bands most weekends, sometimes we even throw a festival. They can be at Cheba Hut on Main street the first Saturday of the month, or Grossen Bart Brewery or Copper Sky Distillery, all of which are in Longmont. These are the places I tend to go.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mike Root, I had an idea at the beginning of last year and he has help me grow that idea into what it is now. He has made himself available to questions that come up for me, helps me clear up issues that are confusing, and is a vital reason why we are in the position we are in. Mike’s mentorship is priceless.

Website: www.musicfirstco.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089753524876

Image Credits
The two large group shots are from Longmont residents, Chantel Mohar and Linda Cranston. The others are from our event with the Nalani Effect featuring Regi and Adam Wooten.