Lisa Gain is a critically acclaimed Columbus, Ohio-born singer-songwriter. Since 1996, she has been performing music as a solo artist all over Ohio. In the Fall of 2015, she finally formed the Lisa Gain Band (formerly known as Lisa Gain & the Rusty Silos.) The band plays a mix of popular covers from all genres as well as her Americana, Alt-Country, & Smokey Folk Rock originals. Lisa also enjoys hosting occasional Songwriter rounds. Lisa has had her music played on NPR as she was crowned the first ever Columbus Tiny desk contest winner in 2018. PBS / WOSU has used her music on many different TV shows. Lisa also won an Ohio Music Award for best Americana single for her original song "2 packs of cigarettes" in 2014. Lisa's voice has been described as "Conjuring up memories of Janis Joplin at her finest." - Album Review by Rocking Magpie in the UK.

Shiloh Hawkins is a Folk Singer-Songwriter and Instrumentalist best known for her organic songwriting approach and emotive vocals. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, her musical career has taken her as far as Austin, Texas, but the pull of home brought her back to Ohio, where she currently resides in Columbus.  Shiloh has released two full-length albums, as well as numerous singles under various projects. She is the frontwoman of the four-piece Folk quartet Common Blue Violets, a band she started with her siblings in 2023. She has collaborated with artists locally, regionally, and nationally, spanning from rock to hip-hop and lots in between. Her new record, set to be released in 2025, is an evolutionary breakaway from previous work.

Mark Sims began writing and performing music in central Ohio in the late 1990s and had released four full length solo albums and several singles. He has played and recorded with bands such as the Tough and Lovely, Eileen Motok and Intuit, the Southern Diplomats, the Thrashers, Erika Holicross, the Japanese B-Sides, Anthony Michael Lowe, The Paper Airplanes and more. His current work is a blend of Grenwich Village folk, country blues and modern indie rock and he focuses on fingerpicking guitar with introspective lyrics. 

Caitlin Kraus is a singer and songwriter living in Athens, OH. Originally from Columbus, OH, Kraus has performed her music solo and with a band over the past decade. Her music is melodic, largely lyric-based, and falls within indie-folk/alternative genres. In 2016, she released a self-titled 7″ on label Keeled Scales and recorded at Estuary Recording, both based in Austin, TX, where she lived for five years. In 2020, Caitlin completed her first full-length album What Rises followed by her second full-length album Gone Beyond–both recorded and produced by Bernie Nau at Peachfork Studios in Pomeroy, OH. When not writing music or performing, Caitlin works as a counselor and music therapist in the mental health field.

The Kirk Horn Fund for Music
Kirk put an enormous amount of heart into Music in the Round, serving on the planning committee and acting as emcee for many years. He was a visionary member of Short North Rotary, responsible for many of the club’s shenanigans—including a concert in Africa benefiting the Rafiki kids. His vision was to take music to kids at home and abroad—it’s only right that we help carry on the vision he established through Music in the Round! The program has been giving music lessons to kids in Columbus Ohio and beyond.
Future Ready Five
To prepare children for a bright future, we must start early. Ninety percent of a child’s critical brain development happens before age five. The FR5 Focus Plan looks at the system as a whole and the main factors that play a vital role in a child’s ability to develop, learn, and grow. The Focus Plan was designed with voices from the community to serve families from all walks of life to ensure every child is kindergarten-ready by 2030.
Magenta Girls Initiative
Building programs to lift women and girls out of poverty in Africa and beyond. Magenta Girls Initiative (MGI) is a women-led non-profit organization formed by two Rotary International Peace Fellows and two Ugandan women experts on gender and education working in academia.
Ready for Kids
Supports children and families throughout the adoption process, offering grants and resources designed to help parents with the financial burdens the adoption process can create.
Remote Area Medical (RAM)
Providing free, quality healthcare through pop-up medical clinics around the United States, offering quality dental, vision, and general medical care at no cost to patients. All services are free on a first-come, first-served basis. No ID is required.

Music in the Round is an annual fundraiser hosted by the Short North Rotary Club.  Each year we raise funds for local and international beneficiaries while listening to great music.  This year's beneficiaries are Kirk Horn Music Fund, Riverview International Center - RIC, Ride 4 a Woman, Rides 4 Refugees, PEARLS in Haiti, and the Short North Rotary Foundation.  All proceeds from our silent auction will go straight to these beneficiaries as they strive to continue with their mission.   

Music in the Round is a unique concert format that originated in Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe and grew organically from the traditional jam session. The only rule: the artists must play songs they’ve written themselves on the instruments on which they were written. Music in the Round audience gets to hear the artists talk about their songwriting, particularly the stories, and emotions surrounding the song’s creation. It’s a treat for music lovers featuring some of the most talented musicians Columbus has to offer.

Our Mission

We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.