Cuyahoga County backing live music with formation of task force: Press Run (2025)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “Music lovers, get ready to turn up the volume,“ starts a Cuyahoga County release stating that it is launching Cuyahoga LIVE!, a new live music and entertainment task force dedicated to strengthening the region’s vibrant music scene, supporting local artists and venues, and making Northeast Ohio a premier destination for live performances.

“Our region has a legendary music history, including home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and live music continues to be a driving force in our culture and economy,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, in that release. “Cuyahoga LIVE! is about recognizing that live music isn’t just entertainment; it’s an industry that deserves real support. With this task force, we’re bringing together the best minds in the public and private sectors to help us create a successful and sustainable live music environment.”

Ronayne recently convened a coalition of musicians, venue owners, promoters, educators and cultural leaders to develop goals, priorities and strategies that amplify live music’s impact on the local economy, create new performance opportunities, and ensure that the beat goes on for generations to come.

“We’re ready to help our artists and venues take center stage,” said Ronayne.

Data released by the Greater Cleveland Music Census showed that more than 75 percent of survey respondents identified the creation of a music commission as a key opportunity for Northeast Ohio. The county notes that a vibrant live music and entertainment scene stimulates regional economic development, boosts tourism, and strengthens local businesses and venues.

Local music advocates Cindy Barber, Executive Director of Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future, and Sean Watterson, Co-Founder of the Cleveland Independent Venue Association, are helping to guide the county’s efforts.

“The live music industry in Northeast Ohio is full of talent, but it needs more resources and coordination to reach its full potential,” said Barber. “This task force is about uniting musicians, venues, and policymakers to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support the people who bring music to life in our community.”

Added Watterson, “Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have always been a music town, but we can do more to amplify our efforts whether it’s more funding, better policies, or simply making it easier to put on a great show. Cuyahoga LIVE! will help set the stage for the future.”

Cuyahoga Live! will kick things off by forming committees to explore audience development, workforce development, culture and belonging, and artist and industry support.

Residents can sign up here to stay informed about the Cuyahoga LIVE! Live Music and Entertainment Task Force, and upcoming announcements.

Shaker deer questionnaire: Shaker Heights residents are encouraged to fill out a deer questionnaire that can be found at shakerheightsoh.gov/deer.

The city’s deer management program includes a periodic questionnaire to evaluate its effectiveness. Even those who have completed it in previous years are being asked to do so again and to share it with others who may wish to add their input.

The questionnaire is available through May 19. Hard copies of the questionnaire are available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at Shaker Heights City Hall, 3400 Lee Road. For more information, visit here.

Growth at JCU: John Carroll University is celebrating a wave of momentum as this year’s Admitted Student Celebration drew 420 admitted students and more than 1,200 guests to the University Heights campus last weekend (March 21 and 22), marking a substantial increase over last year’s attendance of 256 students.

Highlights included a Scholar’s Dinner on March 21 that honored top scholarship recipients, and March 22’s Celebration for all admitted students, which featured a dynamic welcome ceremony, academic breakout sessions, specialized tours of campus and surrounding neighborhoods, and dedicated parent and student sessions.

This momentum follows JCU welcoming its largest incoming class in five years in 2024.

Early confirmations for fall, 2025 are already outpacing any of the last five years by more than 60 percent, reflecting heightened interest in the University’s Jesuit educational experience.

JCU received nearly 5,000 applications from across the country and became more selective this year, admitting about 3,600 students from 40 states. Accepted students have until May 1 to confirm their enrollment.

“We are so proud of our accepted class of 2029,” said Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Carolyn Noll Sorg, in a release. “This is an exceptional group of student leaders --with a 3.83 average GPA among them -- and we’ve looked for ways to help them build their connection to JCU and each other as they plan for their future and make final college choices.

Philanthropic support at JCU has also reached new heights, with donors contributing $24.7 million this year, up dramatically from $14.9 million last year.

These investments directly benefit academic programs, scholarships, and the student experience, underscoring donors’ belief in the University’s mission and future. JCU has a robust endowment of more than $300 million.

Symphonic Band spring concert: The University Heights Symphonic Band will present its annual free Spring Concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6 at the Dolan Science Center atrium at John Carroll University.

This year’s theme will be “Stories and Folklore.” Every selection in the program will have a story behind the music.

UHSB will perform music by George Gershwin, Leory Anderson, Richard Wagner, Samuel R. Hazo, Steve Reineke, Moises Molerio, Richard Saucedo, and John Philip Sousa.

Cleveland Heights egg hunt: The Cleveland Heights Spring Egg Hunt is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon April 12 at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.

The hunt will include a face painter, balloon artist, magician and a craft station.

Attendees are asked to bring their own basket to carry eggs.

Maltz Museum author event: Join the Maltz Museum for an evening with Linda Ambrus Broenniman, the author of The Politzer Saga, a recent winner of the Wilbur Award, as she tells the story of finding her roots and honoring the memories of her family.

A summary of the book from the author’s publicist states: “A house fire in 2011. A box survives. Its contents became the catalyst for a quest whose seeds were planted in 1983 -- the day Linda Ambrus Broenniman learned that her Catholic father was Jewish and that what little family history she knew was a lie.

“Searching for truth, Linda pieced together the astonishing story of eight generations of her Jewish ancestors -- the Politzer family -- and their remarkable lives lost to her father’s secrets.”

The author event will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. April 16 at the Maltz Museum, 2929 Richmond Road in Beachwood.

For more information, call 216-593-0575.

A jazzy Shabbat: At 6 p.m. April 4, Congregation Mishkan Or will present a unique worship experience, a Jazz Shabbat, featuring five of Northeast Ohio’s top jazz musicians.

A message from Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo states that during this upbeat Shabbat, pianist Marshall Griffith and Wolfe will collaborate musically with Paul Ferguson (trombone), Dean Newton (bass), Jack Schantz (trumpet), and Brian Sweigart (drums).

“You’ll hear new melodies and old standards with a ‘twist’ and our Shabbat worship will include a Torah reading,” Wolfe wrote.

Also, at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 6, Mishkan Arts will present a Spring Music Concert featuring two choirs, Koleinu and Kol Isha, and the TKO (the Tischler Klezmer Orchestra).

“Everyone is invited to join us for a delightful, one-hour presentation of music and song,” Wolfe stated.

Congregation Mishkan Or is located at 26000 Shaker Blvd. in Beachwood.

Music therapy for kids: Join Connecting for Kids for a hands-on session of Music Therapy & More at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9 at the Lee Road Library branch, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.

This program is designed to teach families how to use music to improve their child’s academic, motor, communication and social skills as well as behavior. It is intended for families and their children, ages 0 - 6 years, who have concerns about development.

For more information, call 440-570-5908.

NOACA community meeting: The Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency (NOACA) -- Greater Cleveland’s transportation and environmental planning agency -- will be holding an open house for Cleveland Heights residents to provide information about projects planned for the next few years.

Residents are encouraged to attend and give feedback.

The meeting will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 4 at the Lee Road Library branch, 2345 Lee Road. Registration is not required.

Lee Road Action Plan update: Engineering has begun for the Lee Road Complete Street Improvements project in Shaker Heights.

The city has partnered with Cuyahoga County to engineer and construct the Lee Road Complete Street improvements envisioned in the Lee Road Action Plan.

City leadership and staff are involved with the design to ensure it fulfills the Plan’s vision. In February, the city, county, and the county’s engineering team (Chagrin Valley Engineering and SmithGroup) began with a walk of Lee Road, discussing the existing conditions and planned improvements.

The engineering team also met with select neighborhood and business stakeholders to gain further insight into the community’s vision for an improved Lee Road.

Later this spring, the city will invite residents, businesses, and the broader Shaker community to review preliminary plans and provide ideas as design begins on a three-lane roadway, bike infrastructure, and targeted streetscape improvements. Construction is planned for 2027.

To learn more, watch this video.

Hansen to lead JCU’s Boler business school: John Carroll University has announced that Sean Hansen has been named the new dean of the Boler College of Business, effective June 16.

Hansen joins John Carroll from Rochester Institute of Technology, where he served as professor of management information systems and chair for RIT’s Marketing and Analytics Department.

“Dr. Hansen comes to us with deep experience in core strategic areas for the Boler College of Business and Academic Affairs more generally,” said Bonnie Gunzenhauser, JCU’s vice president of academic affairs, in a release. “As an accomplished scholar with a proven track record both inside and outside of academia, Dr. Hansen is prepared to provide strong strategic leadership for the Boler College of Business from day one.

For Hansen, a Euclid native, joining John Carroll represents a homecoming. He has personal connections to the University through his father and uncle, both John Carroll alumni.

“I’m very excited to come back to the community of Northeast Ohio that I know very well,” Hansen said. Hansen earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University before starting his career in management and technology consulting.

It was while pursuing his MBA at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University that he discovered his passion for academia.

“After getting my MBA, I realized how much I enjoy the academic environment -- places where you can explore new ideas, engage with thought-provoking questions, and participate in intellectual discussions and debates,” Hansen said.

This realization led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Management with a specialty in Information Systems, and since earning his doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in 2010, he has spent the past 15 years teaching and guiding fellow faculty at RIT.

Arcadia construction starting in Shaker: Construction is getting underway on Arcadia, a new mixed-use development at 3393 Warrensville Center Road.

The Shaker Heights Economic Development Department states that the project will bring additional housing, retail, and office space to the Van Aken District, and include 141 residential units -- both apartments and townhomes -- and a portion of units will be leased to households earning 80 percent and 100 percent of Area Median Income.

The project will increase the diversity of housing options within the city.

Arcadia will feature new ground floor retail, second floor office space, and ample on-site parking within its five-story structure.

Expected to be completed at the end of 2026, the development is expected to add new energy and business opportunities to Shaker Heights.

Learn more here.

If you would like to see your item appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 12 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net.

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Cuyahoga County backing live music with formation of task force: Press Run (2025)

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