This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.

The lights dim, and the audience in the half-full Grand Theatre settles into quiet anticipation, as the first notes of Stevie Wonder’s hit “For Once In My Life” ring out from the stage.

Near the front corner of the stage, a man stands and starts to dance, drawing curious glances. Soon, others rise from their seats and join him. Within a few songs, the energy spreads throughout the auditorium, as audience members sway, clap and dance in the aisles and between rows.

For CJ Drisdom, founder of the nonprofit Utah Creative Arts Foundation, the kind of interconnection seen and heard at that recent concert is the recipe for bringing people together through music. The foundation launched last November and kicked off programming with Motown Mondays in February – Drisdom said he hopes the shows will become a mainstay in local entertainment.

These events, he said, are like a bowl of gumbo, with each community member bringing something unique.

“So what does it take to make a unity soup?” he said. “You have to put a little patience in there. You got to put a little love in there, you got to put a little respect in there, and knowledge of what other people’s cultures are.”

Motown Mondays marks the first major program from the collaboration between Changing Lanes Entertainment Group and his foundation, which he said is dedicated to expanding diversity and opportunities in Utah’s art scene. Supported by Changing Lanes, proceeds from the series go back into the foundation to support local artists.

The monthly performances, running through October, feature the work of Motor City icons, like the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Wonder.

Growing up in Southern California, Drisdom said he wasn’t exposed to Motown until he attended college at Cal State Long Beach — and, he said, he became a sponge for great music. Years later, after moving to Utah and forming his band, Changing Lanes, he was ready to share the Motown spirit with Utahns.

“Motown Mondays is not new. It is in every, pretty much every, metropolitan place in the country. Utah has never experienced that,” Drisdom said.

According to the Motown On Mondays website, the movement covers weekly concerts in more than 40 cities, functioning as a live music dance party featuring musicians and DJs playing Motown music.

The idea of Motown music started in 1959 in Detroit, when Berry Gordy founded Motown Records. More than just a record label, though, Motown became a cultural movement, according to the Motown Museum in Detroit.

Nic Jackson, a member of the L.A.-based Butter Funk Family Band, said Motown as a genre transcends race and ethnicity. “They called it The Sound of Young America; this music is for everybody,” he said. “It’s not just black music. It’s not just white music. It’s American music. It’s part of the whole world to enjoy.”

Jackson performed as part of the Stevie Wonder tribute at The Grand Theatre on March 2. When Drisdom first invited him to perform, Jackson said he wasn’t sure what to expect. He didn’t think Utah had a music scene beyond the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, but that perception quickly changed, he said.

“I remember when I looked to my left, to the audience, there was a pocket full of people [who] were just dancing, and I was like, ‘it seems like you guys have been starving for this,’” he added. “It’s something that the city needs.”

Motown in Utah

Clifton Sanders, a retired higher education administrator, said that while Motown Mondays is new to Utah, the genre is not unfamiliar in the state.

Sanders said he was surrounded by music at an early age, with a father who played saxophone and a mother who sang. Over the past 30 years, he has performed professionally as a saxophonist, both as a soloist and as part of the G. Brown Quintet.

Sanders emphasized the music has never disappeared. Younger generations are listening to it, they just don’t always realize it, he said.

The concerts, he said, are “a way of getting generations to come together around the shared love of music. It’s nostalgic for the older folks, but it’s a revelation for the younger folks.”

Motown’s message especially feels relevant today, he said. Music rooted in joy, offering a vision for a better life, even in the face of struggle and heartache.

Connecting with audiences

The Motown Mondays shows are usually 90 minutes long, with a band and guest vocalist covering Motown classics, Drisdom said — with an emcee explaining the significance of each song.

“The expectation is that you feel like you got to get a great big hug for the night,” he said. “You’re going to come in there and feel like, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of love in here.’ That’s not even having to do with the music. That’s just the people that are in there.”

Mona Lisa Talbot purchased tickets to attend six of the eight shows at the Grand Theatre, noting the music lets her relive her younger years.

After years of attending live music events in Utah, Talbot said Motown has rarely had a strong presence in the state.

“I personally think it’s a cultural thing. I’ve seen a lot of groups come here, and, on larger stages, bigger venues,” she said. “They bring in a lot of rock stars and a lot of country music there. I’ve never seen Motown brought in there.”

Decades later, she said she believes the music continues to bridge cultural gaps.

Talbot, who is Latina, said Motown was just as present in her community as any other genre of music.

“They were us, and we were them. And we miss it. We still play it in our cars. We stream it,” she said.

The foundation looks ahead

Drisdom said the Utah Creative Arts Foundation’s long-term goal is to continue expanding opportunities for artists and audiences across the state through a variety of music genres — by hosting a weekly event that will be reframed as “Music Mondays.” He said the event is designed to introduce and educate audiences to new music, and bring people together from different industries to network.

Drisdom said Utah audiences are eager to see more genres and music on stage, and he hopes the shows create a broader sense of connection across communities.

“And how do you, how do you do that?” he said. “You make it happen. You create this soup, like gumbo.”

When to hear Motown Mondays

Concerts are scheduled at The Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City, on the campus of Salt Lake Community College. Tickets are available at changinglanestix.com. Here is the lineup:

July 13 • A tribute to Gladys Knight and the Pips.

August 3 • A tribute to the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson.

September 14 • A tribute to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

October 5 • A night dedicated to Motown duets, celebrating such acts as Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, and Smokey Robinson and Mary Wells.

Kate Degering wrote this story as a journalism student at the University of Utah. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.