Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-03-31
Photo: Courtesy of Julianna Photography
Moon Magnet has always felt like more than a business. It is part artist collective, part educational hub, part studio, part event engine, and fully rooted in the kind of DIY imagination that has long made Denver’s music scene such a fertile place for experimentation. That spirit is at the heart of founder Reed Fox’s story, and it is a big reason why Fox is now being recognized by CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media as one of its 2026 Outstanding Alumni honorees.
In the days following our conversation, Moon Magnet added another milestone to its growing legacy, earning Westword’s “Best of Denver” award for Best Mobile Music Recording—further cementing its role as a creative force across Colorado’s music landscape.
Since launching Moon Magnet in 2013, the same year he graduated, Fox has helped build not only his own creative path but a wider support system for musicians, students, performers, and curious minds across Colorado. We caught up with him to talk about the evolution of Moon Magnet, Denver’s creative heartbeat, and the philosophy that continues to guide everything he builds.
You founded Moon Magnet the same year you graduated from CU Denver in 2013. What was the original vision behind the project, and how has it evolved over the past decade?
Many of us lived together in a house, and the original dream was to record music with friends in the studio, throw shows featuring our friends' bands, and release their albums on CDs, tapes, or records. In 2013, Moon Magnet Collective began doing all of those things. It started as a spark between me and some of my closest friends: Derrick Bozich and CU Denver alumni Anna Smith and Neil Lyons. Many other friends helped along the way, including Justin Maike and my wife, Jamie Fox. It was a DIY artist collective inspired by other collectives like Laura Goldhamer's Long Spoon Collective or Elephant 6. Over the last decade, that "artist-first" spirit evolved into a full-scale creative ecosystem. It began as a group of friends making music videos with ladybugs and Mylar blankets, and evolved into three established Colorado businesses. Moon Magnet is a Music School, DJ Production Company, and Mixing & Mastering studio. It’s humbling to look back on how we went from making art to building the infrastructure that helps other people find their unique musical voice. The throughline has always been the same: bring people together through music and give them a space where they can find their sound and radiate their essence.
Moon Magnet seems to operate as a whole creative ecosystem — a music school, recording studio, DJ company, and artist collective. How did those different branches develop, and how do they support each other?
Each branch started separately and organically. Moon Magnet Mixing & Mastering has been around since 2013 because the studio has always been part of the original vision. I've been teaching since 2013, but didn't end up naming the teaching business Moon Magnet Music School until I started hiring more music teachers in 2020. I've been DJing since 2018 and named the business Moon Magnet DJ Productions in 2022. Once it really started taking off with over 30 events a year, I started hiring more DJ's.
Here's some info on each:
Moon Magnet Music School is a Denver music school offering in-home music lessons, online music lessons, and professional music production coaching. The school has 25 teachers who teach in-home lessons to over 100 students across the Denver metro area. Quite a few of our teachers are CU Denver students or alumni. With Moon Magnet Music School, you can learn how to produce music with one of our many engineers, finish your music in 90 days, or learn to play an instrument and perform at concerts. Students can take piano lessons, guitar lessons, voice lessons, DJ lessons, music production lessons as well as many other instruments. Classes are available in person at your house, as Moon Magnet teachers drive to you.
Moon Magnet DJ Productions is an award-winning Denver DJ company that won Best of Zola the last two years. We provide wedding DJs, corporate event DJs, and private event entertainment throughout Colorado. I started a monthly Baby Rave at The Pearl (formerly Mercury Cafe) two years ago with Danny Newman (I saw that you/Mike are friends with his wife Christy, small world!), and now Moon Magnet specializes in kids’ birthday parties as well.
Moon Magnet Mixing & Mastering is a Denver recording studio offering professional mixing and mastering services for bands, independent artists, and touring musicians. Moon Magnet has mixed dozens of albums and projects over the years and has worked on projects for Meow Wolf, The Estes Park Museum, and Misra Records.
Denver has become an increasingly vibrant music city in the past decade. From your perspective, what makes the local scene unique compared to other cities?
Denver has a real DIY spirit. People here build their own shows, support local artists, and take creative risks. There's a mix of genres and styles that all cross pollinate, and that openness creates room for projects that don't fit neatly into one category, which is part of the foundation Moon Magnet was built on.
The city also has world class venues and institutions like Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Meow Wolf Denver that give local artists a platform alongside major acts.
Education seems to be a major part of your mission. What do you hope students gain from working with Moon Magnet beyond just learning an instrument?
At Moon Magnet Music School, we teach piano, guitar, voice, DJing, music production, and many other instruments. Students can take in-home lessons across the Denver metro area or online. The instruction is the core, but what I hope students walk away with is confidence and a sense that creativity belongs to them. I want them to leave knowing, “Your brain is allowed to play”.
Moon Magnet has been involved with the Underground Music Showcase. What has that festival meant to you?
To many local artists, the UMS is the heartbeat of our scene...
Watch Reed Fox’s CU Denver Outstanding Alumni Speech:
That philosophy—“your brain is allowed to play”—was also the centerpiece of Fox’s recent Outstanding Alumni speech at CU Denver, where he spoke about creativity, curiosity, and building a life in music.
With a Westword “Best of Denver” award now added to the story and a message of creative permission resonating far beyond the classroom, Fox’s work continues to expand in real time. Moon Magnet isn’t just a business—it’s a living, breathing creative network built from friendship, persistence, curiosity, and the belief that art can open doors for other people.
Learn more:
Moon Magnet
Music School
Recording Studio
DJ Productions
Reed Fox
