_{By Mike Romero}

Long before concert venues, streaming platforms, or even cities, people gathered outside to tell stories through song. In villages, in wagon trains, in primitive encampments –all in the open air. That’s the tradition The Great Wide Open Mic founder Martin Murray wants to revive. He believes music still has the power to connect people in ways that modern life often doesn’t.

“I believe many life experiences have led me to this exact moment and this exact project,” he says. 

Those experiences stretch back decades. Martin grew up in a musical family, shaped by a father and grandfather who made music part of everyday life. After earning a degree in environmental studies, he eventually found himself balancing two very different musical worlds while living in California.

During the week, he performed original environmental education assemblies for elementary schools, often outdoors, singing with children and teaching sustainability. He even built a solar-powered PA system so his performances could run entirely on energy from the sun. On weekends, he hosted an open mic, mentoring first-time songwriters while sharing the stage with seasoned musicians.

Both experiences left an impression.

“So I was performing at hundreds of schools singing original sing-along songs with kids, and then on the weekend I would be jamming with some amazing artists and coaching brand new songwriters very hesitant to get up on stage,” he recalls. “There were many moments where I felt I was exactly where I belonged.”

After moving to Utah two years ago with his wife and four children, his professional life shifted. His work as a director for a solar company meant less time for school assemblies, but the desire to create meaningful musical experiences remained. At the same time, he found himself thinking about something larger than music.

“As a nation we have been deeply divided into sides, sometimes absolutely loathing the other side of the aisle,” he says. “We are so tied to our political and religious affiliations that we are regularly burning bridges or vilifying neighbors, friends, and families for thinking different than us.”

Watching political and cultural divisions deepen, Martin began imagining an event that asked people to meet somewhere outside those identities altogether.

“The Great Wide Open Mic is a culmination of all of my experiences and my desire to create a community based on an experience we have been sharing for 40,000 years – tens of thousands of years before any organized politics or religion. It is a project that does not require anything but leading with love and meeting people where they’re at and celebrating life for all of its joys and sorrows through song,” he says. “It is a project that truly takes us back to our roots and needs only passion and love for your neighbor to be included.”

That philosophy shapes everything from the lineup to the venue itself. Rather than booking performers who fit a single genre or scene, Martin is intentionally building a roster that reflects the diversity of Utah’s songwriting community. Technical ability matters, but so does lived experience and perspective.

“I’m not just looking for all artists from the same background,” he explains. “I am intently paying attention to the content of their songs and their individual background to make sure that this list of pre-booked performers is diverse in skill, experience, and background… If you came to the show, you would be able to walk away feeling all of the expressions and experiences that people from this region are feeling.”

For the inaugural event, that community will gather at Glen Canyon Amphitheater, an underused venue nestled against the mountains above Provo. Martin hadn’t attended a performance there before discovering it through recommendations from local musicians, but one visit was enough to convince him it was the right place to begin.

“After visiting it, I became in love with the idea of a show there for our first event,” he says. “It is about as ideal as you could ask for.”

The venue is also part of a larger vision. Every season, The Great Wide Open Mic plans to relocate to a different natural setting, allowing each landscape to shape the atmosphere of the performances while introducing audiences to overlooked outdoor spaces across Utah. Future locations will largely be guided by the musicians and community members who participate.

While admission is free, Martin has designed the event to prioritize the artists. Performers aren’t simply given a slot onstage and a handshake. They’ll receive professional recordings of their sets, podcast interviews, paid performance opportunities, and compensation for playing.

“As a long-time professional musician myself, I know how hard it is to find a gig that pays,” he says. “I never want artists to be playing our event thinking it’s not worth their time.”

The first event is funded through a successful GoFundMe campaign, but Martin hopes future editions will attract local sponsors as the audience grows. True to form, his long-term goal is to create a sustainable model – where community support allows the event to remain free while continuing to invest directly in local musicians.

It’s an ambitious vision. But if it succeeds, Martin won’t measure success by attendance alone. His hope is that musicians discover a new place to perform, audiences discover new songwriters, and Glen Canyon Amphitheater becomes one more piece of Provo’s growing live music ecosystem. More than anything, he hopes people leave having shared an experience that feels increasingly rare.

“I have had many life-changing experiences while watching live music,” he says. “It is our intention to provide life-changing experiences wherever we go.”

For one evening in late August, at least, the plan is simple: gather outside, listen closely, and remember that singing together is one of humanity’s oldest traditions.

Catch the first concert at Glen Canyon Amphitheatre on August 29, 2026 at 6:30 PM. Located in Glen Canyon Park, the show will feature Provo’s only solar-powered stage. If you would like to apply to perform, email thegreatwideopenmic@gmail.com or DM them on Instagram. You can follow The Great Wide Open Mic here.

While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “Alibi” by Utah alt-folk artist, Angel of Remus, below.