Muse Music Online

N E W S

Muse Music offers venue, cafe, studio

January 21, 2009

If you and your friends are searching for a quiet, late-night place to sit, talk and munch on food or you are in a band looking for somewhere to record your music -Muse Music, a place where music lovers find local talent, could be the place for you.

Located at 151 N. University Ave., Muse Music is one of Provo's best-kept secrets. Its owners and operators, husband and wife duo Jake and Melissa Haws, both graduates of BYU, are two of Provo's most adventurous entrepreneurs.

Muse Music opened in 2002 as a record store and venue for local shows. Over the years, it has changed its appearance and function several times. Before coming into the hands of Jake Haws in April 2006, Muse had experienced several different owners.

"We've been working little by little, but did most of the work in the fall of 2007," Melissa Haws said. "Some businesses do everything at once, but we do what we can."

The café opened in January of 2008 and offers a wide variety of sandwiches, soups, drinks, hot chocolates, sweet pastries and the ever-popular grilled cheese sandwich.

Melissa Haws said the café's regular customers would agree the best things on the menu are either the turkey pesto or the Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

"We have a cult following," she said, laughing. "Especially [for] the Ultimate Grilled Cheese. They like what they like [and] they won't change!"

Also unique to Muse is its extensive selection of Italian sodas.

"I'm from Tacoma (Wash.) ... and whenever I would hang out with friends in a café, I would get an Italian Soda," Jake Haws said. "My family made them all the time [and] I saw that there were not a lot of places [in Provo] doing it."

The café is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to midnight.

Muse offers recording sessions in its studio for $35 an hour to anyone interested. Jake Haws has already recorded for more than 50 bands and singer-songwriters, including Provo bands Neon Trees and Saint Sebastian's School for Wicked Girls.

"[We record] mostly bands that play here," he said. "If they don't have the money to pay the entire amount, they can work it off playing shows here. For every five hours of recording, bands receive a free hour."

Despite all of its changes, Muse has stayed true to its original function as a music venue for local talent. Muse is open Tuesday through Saturday nights for shows. Every Tuesday is jazz night; every Thursday is acoustic night and each night in between features bands of a variety of genres including rock, experimental and dance-pop groups.

In addition to managing Muse, the Haws' recently purchased a button-making machine to make buttons for bands. Melissa Haws spends her time creating fun and unique crafts to sell at Muse and at local craft shows including ornaments, books and day planners. The couple also manages a blog, found at musemusiccafe.blogspot.com, posting interviews with bands that play at Muse and other news.

Spencer.Flanagan@gmail.com

Source: BYU Daily Universe

http://newnewsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/70793