Mainers Who Inspire Maine-Jeff Shaw From MAMM

Townsquare Media, along with  Berlin City and Atlantic Federal Credit Union are proud to introduce Mainers Who Inspire Maine. You don't have to be a super well-known person to be able to be inspirational. There are Mainers every day who are doing the everyday types of amazing things to keep Maine going in this pandemic. It's bringing out the best in so many people and we want to celebrate them!

Our first Mainers Who Inspires Maine is Jeff Shaw founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Maine Academy of Modern Music. Jeff and his team have been inspiring the musical talents of Maine kids for over 13 years. Think of MAMM as Maine's statewide School of Rock.  Under Jeff’s vision and leadership, MAMM helps kids discover their talents in all phases of creating music. The MAMM Team are amazing music educators and have grown to be statewide in the last few years. As with everything else, things changed drastically for MAMM when COVID hit. MAMM was super-nimble and found new ways to keep kids rocking through remote learning and safe in-person programs such as summer camps, ensembles, and chorus rehearsals. MAMM even gave free lessons to the kids of front-line workers. Amazing!

Jeff told us:

"At MAMM, we believe in the transformational power of music to enrich the quality of life. MAMM provides a healthy, positive, and fun outlet for creative expression and an environment to practice important life skills. Our core values are rooted in the important role music plays in cultivating harmony, resilience, leadership, and community."

• HARMONY: We teach our students that together we can achieve great things. Music is an important tool that promotes communication, teamwork, and cooperation.

• RESILIENCE: In the belief that learning from failure makes us stronger: each new note, chord, beat, or measure provides an opportunity to get it right or improve.

• LEADERSHIP: Through collaboration and performance, students develop confidence in themselves, their voice, and their ability to make an impact on the world.

• COMMUNITY: Music brings people together. MAMM programs and events connect students to their communities, foster relationships through shared experiences, and engage audiences across Maine."

MAMM is a certified 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Arts Organization and serves over 1500 low-income and at-risk students statewide annually.

Jeff Shaw is a Mainer who inspires Maine. Thanks to Berlin City and Atlantic Federal Credit Union for helping us recognize Jeff and all the inspiring Mainers out there!