New Music USA Announces Second Cycle of New Music Inc. – Chicago

2023 NMI-Chicago grantee Pleiades, credit: Ricardo E. Adame

Incubator program will provide funding, mentorship, and cohort learning for small-budget, artist-led music organizations based in Chicago

Applications will be open January 29-February 26

Access the guidelines and application here

New Music USA announces today the launch of a second cycle of New Music Inc. in Chicago, IL (NMI-Chicago). NMI-Chicago is a city-specific incubator initiative supporting small-budget, artist-led new music groups and organizations through pivotal stages of organizational growth. Spanning 18 months, the hands-on program combines financial investment and peer-to-peer learning within a cohort environment that includes leaders who represent a range of music genres, neighborhoods, and backgrounds. Chicago-based brand strategist and arts executive Kori Coleman will serve as Program Coordinator for this cohort. In this role, she will work closely with the participants to connect with mentors and each other and help them reach their established goals.

Coleman, who was also Program Coordinator for the previous cycle of NMI-Chicago, is a graduate of Spelman College with a degree in Philosophy and has a background in marketing and advertising. In her role as the Executive & Artistic Director of D-Composed, she invests much of her time in guiding the overall strategic and creative vision of the collective. She works and collaborates with notable and upcoming Black creatives across the world, so D-Composed can transcend genres and mediums through their innovative and conceptual programming. She was recognized as an emerging leader and selected to be in the inaugural cohort of 100 changemakers across the United States for The Obama Foundation’s Obama Leaders USA. Kori was named Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of 2024 and was recently named one of Chicago’s Top Producers in Music for Newcity’s Music 45.

Made possible through generous support from Walder Foundation, NMI-Chicago will be open to Chicago-based music organizations — including performance groups, ensembles, collectives, record labels, festivals, presenters, and venues — with an operating budget of less than $250,000. Applications will open on January 29, 2026, with program activities beginning in June for the 12 selected organizations.

New Music Inc. emerged from community conversations that New Music USA organized in 17 US cities beginning in 2020. In these conversations, members of local music communities were invited to speak about their current opportunities and challenges and how national resources like New Music USA can best serve regional music ecosystems. The discussions revealed that while many key US music cities boast an abundance of small, artist-led music organizations that are presenting excellent work, these organizations lack the financial resources and the capacity to pursue strategic collaborations and mentorship that will help ensure their long-term sustainability.

To address these gaps, New Music USA developed a regional capacity building initiative that combines financial support with skill building in a cohort setting intended to provide meaningful support to artist-led organizations at critical points of growth. With the support of the New York Community Trust, an initial cohort was launched in New York City in 2021, called the New Music Capacity Building Program. The program has since expanded to Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and plans are underway to expand the program to additional cities across the US. Each cycle of New Music Inc. enables New Music USA to help support the long-term connectivity and strength of the designated city’s new music ecosystem. Funding from Walder Foundation makes this second cycle of NMI-Chicago possible.

New Music Inc aims to directly address the needs of small, artist-led music organizations by providing them with financial support coupled with hands-on skill building in a cohort environment intended to foster collective learning and collaboration. Each grantee organization will receive $8,000 to support their participation in the program, plus cohort learning sessions, a dedicated mentor, and opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange over the course of 18 months. Through mentorship, sustained guidance, and financial awards all within a cohort experience, the program helps organizational leaders identify, chart, and pursue their unique capacity needs.

“As founders, organizers, and groups navigate the complexities of growth, we believe New Music Inc. can offer holistic support—blending financial resources with connection, learning, and the exchange of experience—to best plan for this change,” says Vanessa Rose, President & CEO of New Music USA. “We thank Walder Foundation for investing in this collaborative work and helping us foster a thriving Chicago music community.”

NMI-Chicago Program Coordinator Kori Coleman adds: 

“New Music USA’s New Music Inc. program plays a vital role in strengthening Chicago’s music ecosystem. By pairing financial support with meaningful opportunities for connection, learning, and shared knowledge, the program empowers organizations to build capacity and create sustainable impact. Its influence extends well beyond individual participants, contributing to a more resilient and collaborative music community across the city.” 

Funders and donors interested in exploring how to support a New Music Inc. program in their city are invited to contact Marc Giosi, Director of Development at New Music USA: [email protected]g.   

About New Music USA  

New Music USA’s mission is to nurture a vibrant and inclusive community for artists and listeners. To us, that means supporting the many musical approaches and ideas being created and performed today. We welcome all artists/organizations who are curating compelling sonic experiences, influencing original musical creations and presentations, and contributing to the sounds of tomorrow. newmusicusa.org 

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