How does the Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³) Program work?
An intro to M³: 2023 interview of co-founders Jen Shyu & Sara Serpa
- Program Description
The M³ program runs online from September – June (10 months) for 8 selected artists per season. During the program, participants are commissioned to co-create a musical composition with video (with one of the 8 selected artists) and a piece of creative writing. Participants are required to attend group Zoom meetings and are offered free professional development seminars, along with audio, video, and writing support.
- Music & Writing Commissions
Musicians are paired in duos with a fellow cohort member with whom they have never collaborated before. Each pair spends the first 7 months of the program co-composing and recording a new piece. M³ provides them support from an audio engineer and videographer to develop a music video of 4-5 minutes in length.
Musicians spend the final 3 months of the program developing their individual writing/essay/poem/artwork for publication in the M³ Magazine / M³ Anthology of Writings (see “M³ Magazine / M³ Anthology of Writings” below).
M³ will record an interview of each duo about their piece and collaboration process. It will be shared at the video premiere of their commissions later that year, on M³’s website, and on social media. Cohort members should be available for press opportunities/interviews.
Each participant receives $3,500 USD for completing the program. Payments are disbursed at three points during the program.
- Meetings & Time Commitment
From September through June, Cohort Meetings take place online once or twice a month for a total of 15 meetings. These 2-hour-long meetings (with one break) include group discussions moderated in rotation by the co-founders and the 8 artists themselves, through guided activities, plus a series of professional and artistic development seminars led by other community leaders and experts. Seminar topics range from composition to home recording to mental health to financial sustainability for artists and more. All Cohort Meetings are confidential and unrecorded.
Duos are also expected to meet online regularly outside of these group meetings while creating their co-commission together. All told, the time commitment to M³ is at least 8 hours a month.
- M³ Magazine / M³ Anthology of Writings
Each musician has a chance to contribute an essay/writing/poem/drawing to the M³ Anthology of Writings (currently published as the M³ Magazine). They will be offered workshops on creative writing and work one-on-one with a professional writer and Development Editor. The pieces will be published annually in the M³ Magazine and online, Development Editor, TBD. Our previous anthologies have been edited by Jordannah Elizabeth, Naomi Extra, and Kyla Marshell.
- M³ Festival
Upon completion of the program, all Cohort musicians are invited the following year to perform at the M³ Festival in New York City as bandleaders. They may perform in collaboration with their duo partners, solo, or with a different band with local NY-based musicians.
- Application & Selection Process
The selection process is organized in 3 phases:
Phase 1: Open Call, in which we welcome women and gender expansive musicians aged 18+ from around the world to apply for the next cohort. From this Open Call, 4 applicants will be selected to be in the next cohort.
Phase 2: Cohort Nomination, in which the current cohort nominates 8 musicians. From these 8 musicians, 4 are chosen to be in the next cohort.
Phase 3: Final Decision, in which M³ Team and the current cohort members use a vigorous scoring and rating system in order to find a balance and diversity among these Criteria for Selection:
Our goal is to find balance and diversity among these criteria:
• Artistic excellence
• Career experience
• Age
• Instrument(s)
• Access to networks
• Representation
• Geographical location
• Demonstration of collaboration based on response questions and references from collaborators. We seek musicians who are compassionate, egoless, and generous in their collaborative process.
The Open Call for Cohort 9 will begin on December 20, 2025 and close on January 20, 2026 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. The Application Requirements for the Open Call can be found here.
Announcement of next cohort will be made in June 2026. Watch artist and audience testimonials from our most recent M³ Festival 2025 as a window into our beautiful M³ community: