A 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Cleveland, Ohio, Renovare Music is a dynamic chamber ensemble that bridges divided communities and creates restorative experiences through music, storytelling, and relationships.

Program Areas

Renovare currently pursues its vision of bringing hope and healing through music in three ways:

Renovare has performed and led worship over 420 times since its inception in 2018. While some of these performances have happened as far away as California and Austria, Renovare maintains a focus on their local Northeast Ohio community. Renovare has a heart for people in marginalized spaces (ex. prisons, homeless shelters, hospitals, disinvested neighborhoods), which is where 75% of their performances occur. The remainder of their performances occur in venues ranging from the Maltz Performing Arts Center to community gardens, with an emphasis on connecting communities that are siloed from one another. The same high quality performances are offered in every setting, creating shared experiences for people from all walks of life. Renovare’s fresh, creative performances span multiple artistic genres and invite audiences everywhere into meaningful connection through interactive musical experiences.

Renovare’s trained Teaching Artists use Documentary Songwriting to support and empower individuals throughout the community whose voices often go unheard. This highly collaborative approach to songwriting demystifies creativity and allows someone with no musical background to express themselves through high-quality songs. (To learn more about documentary songwriting, visit www.docsong.org ) The original Documentary Songs (DocSongs) that result from this unique process are included in some of Renovare’s concerts, in an effort to increase understanding and inspire action in the broader community. Past songwriting projects have focused on Black infant and maternal health, a sisterhood of Black, female, urban beekeepers, resident leaders in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, and more.

Renovare leads weekly classes at two prisons, offering men and women behind bars the opportunity to learn to play violin, viola, or cello in a supportive group setting. Renovare’s “Unmuted” class at the Grafton Correctional Institution began in 2018, and provides an opportunity for undergraduate students at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music an opportunity to serve as assistant teachers. Renovare’s “Music for the Soul” class at the Northeast Reintegration Center began in March 2022. Both groups give public performances twice each year, allowing family, friends, and community members an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of these musicians.

Renovare does this work because we believe there is a God who is restoring every part of this world. We want to use our unique artistic gifts in that process as we love our neighbor, affirm the value of all people, and cultivate reconciled communities.

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