10… 55… 125… 350… 654… 36,000…
These numbers are not incremental nor exponential (obviously!). While seemingly random, together they represent 25 inspiring years of collaborative music and the impact a single program has had on our community.
In 2002, STG introduced More Music @ The Moore, an education initiative that brought together young local musicians of all genres and styles—including the now globally recognized and Grammy Award-winning rapper Macklemore—to create music with support and mentorship from an acclaimed music director. With a final performance at the historic Moore Theatre on March 1, the first iteration of the program cracked open a new, exciting channel of music cultivation and discovery in Seattle.
Fast forward to 2026, where we will welcome 10 musicians to The Moore with a final performance on August 7. These exceptional young artists will continue to mix up diverse music styles following two weeks of unique collaboration and music making.
Since 2002….
654 young artists have participated. In addition to Macklemore, notable alumni of More Music include Lucia Flores-Wiseman (The Voice), international opera star J’Nai Bridges, ParisAlexa, and members of Thunderpussy.
More than 125 mentors have provided participants with guidance, advice, and support.
10 music directors have served as inspiration for participants and facilitated songwriting, musical collaboration, and more. Kim Burse, Mike Elizondo, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Robert Glasper—all exceptional producers, songwriters, and musicians who have worked with countless pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hop artists—are among this group.
More than 350 original songs have been written. Click here to watch past performances of these incredible collaborations.
A staggering 55+ genres have been represented! They include (and are certainly not limited to) A Cappella, Acoustic Pop, Alternative, Ambient, Americana, Bluegrass, Brass Band, Celtic Folk , Chinese Erhu, Classical, Contemporary Classic, Country, Electronic, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Disco, Filipino Gospel, Folk, Folk Harp, Funk, Gospel, Grunge, Hard Rock, Hip Hop, Indian Classical, Indie, Industrial, Jamaican Reggae, Japanese Classical, Japanese Taiko, Jazz, Klezmer, Latin Chant, Mariachi, Metal, Musical Theatre, Mongolian Traditional, Neo-Soul, New Age, Opera, Percussion, Pop, Progressive Pop, Psych Rock, Punk Rock, R&B, Rock, Roots, Russian Gypsy, Samoan, Scottish Fiddle, Singer-Songwriter, Ska, Soul, Spoken Word, Steel Pan, Techno, Theatrical percussion, Tibetan Opera, Tongan, Vietnamese Pop, Zimbabwean Marimba.
Finally, more than 36,000 audience members have experienced the final performances at The Moore and celebrated the incredible talent, artistic excellence, and musical diversity of our region.
The impact of More Music is clear and we are proud of the multitude of ways it has created meaning in our community.