It was just about this time of the year 42 years ago that Tom “Mitch” Mitchell and Eric Larson brainstormed the idea for a competition for musicians, songwriters, producers and engineers based on the quality of studio production. Gathering other recording pros together, Mitch and Eric created the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition-NM MIC.
Within 2 years, the New Mexico MIC awards was a reality and no one deserves more credit than Mitch and Eric and a handful of volunteers that made this happen. They convinced Grammy Award winning producers and songwriters like Nik Venet (Linda Ronstadt) and Harriett Schock to come to New Mexico to give our little program a needed boost.
Prior to the NMMIC, recording studios in New Mexico did not share information or cooperate with one another and the music coming out of New Mexico was not on par with the rest of the world. There was a “good enough” attitude that was pervasive here with only a handful of studios busting their butts to do quality work.
The solution was to create a competition where everyone could showcase their best work. And it worked beyond all expectations. They built it into one of the most prestigious and equitable music awards shows in the country.
In 2027, the NMMIC, now known as the New Mexico Music Awards will celebrate its 40th awards show and its 43rd year as an organization and it would not have been possible without Mitch and Eric. Let’s tale the time to applaud Mitch and the family of Eric Larson for making New Mexico a global music contender.