12/18/2025
Greetings local music fans and supporters. As 2025 comes to a close we wanted to thank each and every one of you, artists and fans alike, for another stellar year here at The Music Collective Hamilton. The sheer amount of talent in this region of the country never ceases to amaze us. It’s truly inspiring to see it play out on our stage and across the tristate.
We set out in February of 2023 to carry the torch that had been lit and carried by The Music Cafe, run by Keith and Antoinette for 23 years. That’s an amazing feat of commitment and pure love for local musicians and the whole scene. Upon hearing of their retirement, and having performed and seen firsthand the beauty and importance of a listening room experience for fans and artists alike, we decided that this torch needed to stay lit.
We embarked on the journey in early January 2023. We wanted to revamp and rebrand the program and give it a more modern flair, complete with more social media influence and presence as well as community involvement. A collective so to speak. So we had the new name, The Music Collective Hamilton. On February 28th 2023 we had our first program under the new name. Since that date we’ve hosted tons of incredible musicians, some local and some from as far away as Columbus, Ohio and beyond. We’ve made some great and lasting friendships that have sprung their own connections and sources for getting our own music to further reaches and platforms. Some of these folks haven’t been “found” yet, while others are already leaving their marks across the region. It’s programs like this that help these folks find their way. It brings like minded individuals together.
With all of this said, we regret to let you know that we have to step away from The Music Collective. It is and has been an incredibly difficult decision to make. We went from a monthly installment to the current quarterly sessions as a necessary evil to keep it going. As you know we have our duet, Stick & Bindle, that has really picked up steam and keeps us super busy, not to mention work schedules and life in general. One of us lives on the East side of Cincy and the other in N Ky, south of Florence. With all things considered it has become increasingly difficult to juggle all of these necessities. We’ve gone through all the ideas and weighed all the options and unfortunately at this point, it’s just not something we can continue to keep afloat. We don’t feel we can continue to give the program the time and attention it deserves.
With that said though, if anyone would like to continue this journey or know someone who may, we’d love to see that happen! More than anything, we’d love to see it continue forward! We can put you in touch with the right folks etc. We can get you started and walk you through the program as needed. Please feel free to share this and spread the word.
We truly appreciate each and every one of you that have made this such a rewarding program. The friends we’ve made along the way are priceless and the musical camaraderie has left an indelible mark on us.
A huge thank you to John at Miami University for allowing us the opportunity to use the space on High Street for these gatherings. Thank you to all of the folks who came out to support these incredible acts! Most of all thank you to the musicians who volunteered their time and put themselves out there to share a little part of themselves. You are appreciated and much needed. Keep going! We want all of you to know how much you mean to the community and this world.
Support local, support the little guys. Keep showing up for each other!
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts! Much love and respect,
Anne and Steve
