New Musician's Cooperative to Open in Norwood

The Musician's Cooperative of Birmingham will open its doors for the first time on February 1st, 2011. The 16 bedroom mansion is located in Birmingham's historic Norwood neighborhood. It will provide nearly 20 local musicians with affordable housing, practice space, and recording facilities.

The cooperative is part of an initiative to assist passionate musicians in networking with like-minded individuals. Members of the cooperative will work together to share resources, knowledge, and inspiration. “Its like a brotherhood,” says co-founder Tyler Trierweiler, “we feed off each other's creativity”.

In the past, the building housing the cooperative has been home to a bank, a reception hall, and an insurance company. The updated space will feature an in-house recording studio, rehearsal lounge, video editing suite, communal kitchen, meditation room, 5 bathrooms, and 16 bedrooms. Members pay $300 a month, including the cost of utilities. The building is zoned commercially, and founders of the cooperative are planning to create a coffee and variety shop inside the mansion which will be open to the public and run by members living there.

The Musician's Cooperative of Birmingham is a spinoff of another location which has seen great success in South Bend, Indiana. Like the South Bend Cooperative, the Musician's Cooperative of Birmingham will be democratically run by the residents living there. Regular events are to be hosted by the co-op including Sunday night dinners, weekday jam sessions, group meditations, and monthly house shows. Members work together to facilitate new projects that benefit both the cooperative and the community.

An innovative household video project serves as a way for members of the cooperative to reach out to new fans and followers. Members of the cooperative act as cast members of a documentary series posted as weekly webisodes. The series will follow the housemates as they move in, adapt to life in the cooperative, and pursue their musical dreams.

The Musician's Cooperative of Birmingham continues to seek new members before its opening on February 1st. Membership at the cooperative is open to all musicians and artists. If interested in moving into the house visit
www.themusicianscoop.com for more information.