Photo by Daniel Pak

This article was written on special assignment for the Art Beat blog through the TeenTix Press Corps, a teen arts journalism program run by TeenTix, a youth empowerment and arts access nonprofit organization. Read their other Art Beat articles here.

By TeenTix Newsroom Writer Mickey Fontaine

“Before I heard about Totem Star, I was going to studios to pay $80 for an hour,” said Mkmuzz, a young Seattle musician. “Most of my projects were never finished the way I wanted them to be. Because of time, you had to wrap things up and just get out. Hearing about Totem Star [from my co-worker], you could get as many hours as you want. It’s all free. I thought he was joking at first.” Despite his initial doubts, Mkmuzz explored Totem Star further.

The program acts as a guiding light to young recording artists from all walks of life. Totem Star offers mentorship and guidance in the form of free lessons, workshops, and additional programs. In an intimidating industry that is often prohibitively expensive to those starting out, Totem Star has created accessible avenues of creativity through hard work and investment.

Totem Star began as a six-week work training program that sought to give youth who were recently released from juvenile detention an outlet to express themselves through music. This one-off project gained significant traction, resonating with the former Mayor, Michael McGinn, who hosted the youth in the Seattle City Hall after hearing their album. From this project, Totem Star eventually grew into something much larger: A nonprofit organization dedicated to offering vital resources to young recording artists who often wouldn’t otherwise have access to them.

They’ve since built a state-of-the-art recording studio in King Street Station, offered countless free lessons, and opened their doors to practically anybody who is seeking mentorship. This change was slow and took significant effort, but has had a large impact on young musicians in the area. To understand their impact more, I spoke with Mkmuzz, who has been recording with Totem Star for several years.

“Growing up, I always loved music. I come from a culture that’s just used to making it. In my family and school, people would always be singing together,” said Mkmuzz. “So, making music has always felt really natural for me. I got into choir when I was 14 and moved here after 2 years. After a while, I lost some of [my] singing ability, so I knew I needed vocal practice and stuff like that to get back up to where I was when I left the choir.” He later spoke about how he first got involved with Totem Star.

“I heard about Totem Star from a co-worker. We were talking about making music, and he was like, ‘Well, Totem Star could help you.’ For a second, I thought it was fake or something because there is nothing like that.” He spoke about the prohibitively expensive nature of studio time that hindered his musical process before and how it differed from Totem Stars’ highly accessible approach.

“We set up an online interview because COVID was happening at the time, so we couldn’t meet up in person. We had a meeting online, and the producer asked me a few questions about my interest in music and all that. That’s how I got connected. It was very easy.”

He described the shock of his first few recording sessions and how Totem Star enabled him to more easily realize his artistic visions.

“It was just an amazing feeling… [to have] a whole free program where I could just go in when I wanted. At [other] places, they would call you when they’re free. They’re often booked up, and it’s very inconvenient to find time. But with Totem Star, they’re available all the time. It was all just hard to believe.”

But Totem Star isn’t just a studio; they also offer mentorship and guidance in the form of free lessons, workshops, and additional programs. This is what makes Totem Star so vital. They educate and empower young musicians rather than just leave them to figure out everything for themselves for a high price. They build relationships and tailor their guidance to the needs of their patrons. Mkmuzz spoke about how this benefited him.

“Before, I never finished anything because it was get in, get out. Nobody there knew me or what I wanted. But with Totem Star, it’s way more relaxed. You’re not rushing through the process because of how expensive it is.”

MkMuzz spoke about how he plans to explore the more educational side of Totem Star in the future. “For me, I was most interested in recording, but there are mentors and music teachers, and it’s a plan of mine to go and learn more about guitar and also practice my voice because I want to get as good as I was in choir.”

Totem Star has served, promoted, and mentored many other young artists like Mkmuzz with a diverse range of programs. Their studio is an invaluable resource, but they also get a lot done outside of the booth. With their performance program, The Stage, Totem Star helps to give young musicians a voice with a quarterly series of open mics and showcases that are free for anyone to sign up for. They also have strong connections with community organizations such as the Seattle Art Museum, Gates Foundation, Seattle Public Schools, ACES, and more. With these ties, they can advocate for fair pay and manage young artists as they move forward with their process and get contracts.

Totem Star is more than a studio or a workshop; it’s a launchpad for young recording artists that is always free, accessible, and welcoming. It’s refreshing to see such an open organization in a competitive industry with such a high barrier of entry. Programs like Totem Star are what build the foundation for the future of music and open doors for new artists.