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The Music Box is owned by the City and leased through an in-kind agreement to the Downtown Lincoln Association (DLA).
The Downtown Lincoln Coalition (DLC) is an affiliate membership board of DLA. DLC serves as the operator of the city-owned space, under the leadership of the Downtown Lincoln Music Council.
MBX is Partnering with Philip Zach and Zach Watkins to lead the education and development of the space.
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The Music Box started with a simple but powerful belief: that music has always been part of Lincoln’s identity—and that we should invest in the people who make it. Today, this space becomes a home for those creators. A place to rehearse, record, collaborate, teach, and inspire.
It didn’t happen overnight. It came from our City and Mayor. From the Downtown Master Plan. From conversations with musicians. From listening to what the community wanted. And from a bold vision shared by civic and business leaders.
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Zach began his music journey at Berklee College of Music where he studied Jazz Percussion - leading him into full scholarships in music performance at 2 state colleges in Nebraska. Inspired by his collegiate years in the education program, Zach instructed and mentored as a public school/program educator for over 15 years, recently receiving LPS’ Inspiring Staff Member Award. A true representative of the independent recording artist, Zach has single handedly developed 2 internationally recognized bands - accumulating 7 regionally acknowledged tours, 11 unofficial SXSW showcases, 4 internationally acclaimed albums, opening act for Lupe Fiasco, Durand Jones, Matt & Kim, and more, as well as acquire a record deal with Kansas City based record label, The Record Machine.
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He’s had 4 #1 singles on Billboard charts with an additional 2 in the top 10. After a decade of full-time touring and releasing 10 studio albums, he has owned and operated a recording studio downtown Lincoln since 2011 and works mostly with artists from around the country and around the world, while releasing his own albums along the way. He’s collaborated with and produced music for multiple Grammy-winning artists, has written music that’s been featured in over 200 films and national ad campaigns, and has performed in over 1000 cities in 9 countries.
