Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill Eddins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Founded in 2020 by Matt Engstrom and Bill Eddins in response to the civic unrest that engulfed Minneapolis/St.Paul because of the murder of George Floyd, MetroNOME Brewery LLC is a socially missioned, majority minority brewery based in the Twin Cities with the mission of Nurturing Outstanding Music Education. Our goal is to grow the business and use our profits to fund music education for underprivileged youth in the Twin Cities Metro area.
MetroNOME Brewery opened its doors to the public in February 2022, in Lowertown St Paul with a taproom, a performance/rental space called Fingal’s Cave, and a 10 barrel brewhouse, and in November, 2023 surpassed $1 Million in total sales. Since April 2022, MetroNOME has hosted over 900 performances and music related events, over 500 of which have been free to the public. Performances have primarily featured local musicians, ranging from fundraisers for inner city music schools to a performance by international jazz superstar trumpet legend Wynton Marsalis. MetroNOME has collaborated with such leading cultural institutions as the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, The Children’s Theater, Cantus, and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, and has hosted concert fundraisers for the Cuban American Youth Orchestra, St Paul School of Music, Center for Music, St Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and many other music-centric nonprofits in the Twin Cities Metro.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. Obstacles have included a completely different Hospitality economy coming out of COVID than the one going into the pandemic, our bank pulling funding at the exact moment we started growing through distribution, and global economic downturn, and the impact of the ICE surge on the local economy. Somehow we’re still here and poised to turn the corner this year.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a classical musician by trade – a conductor and pianist. It’s my job to fly around the world and make music with these fabulous orchestras and wonderful soloists, and it’s really been terrific. I started MetroNOME because I wanted all children to have access to learning music, of any type or style. Music is the great connector between people and societies, and when we learn to play music we learn to play together as humans. It’s this aspect of MetroNOME that I love the most, when young musicians come and try out their love of music in public, and get the chance to learn and grow.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
A nerd. I graduated high school at 14, went off to one of the best music conservatories in the world – The Eastman School of Music. Oh, and I’ve forgotten more about Middle Earth/Tolkien than the rest of you know. Star Trek, too. Yep, a nerd.
Pricing:
- $5 pints during Happy Hour
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.metronomebrewery.com
- Instagram: @metronomebrewery
- Facebook: @metronomebrewery
