Since late 2009 performers living in Sedona have found a place to enjoy the company of like-minded people, learn more about their profession and have a venue for their talent.

Today, the Sedona Performers Guild and Studio Live are home to a growing number of area artists.

Suzie Schomaker was a performer in New York City — a singer, songwriter and guitar player. She moved to Sedona in 2008 and set out to study the music community here. Schomaker sat in a few times with Eddie Barantini. She noticed Sedona and the Verde Valley lacked a comprehensive, central hub for local performing artists. Performing arts outlets in schools was even scarcer, she said.

“I asked Eddie to get some people over to my house in late 2008 to see if anyone was interested in building a website. I had 50 people in my house,” Schomaker said. “What we ended up with was the performers guild and that we needed a place to teach, rehearse and perform.”

Now, 2½ years later, the performers guild has 175 members: singers, songwriters, musicians, actors and poets. Several people also work in the background on lighting, sound and stage.

“I would love to take the Studio Live building and make it a community performance school,” Schomaker said.

Alex Gorchesky, a senior at Sedona Red Rock High School, is one of the local musicians who has found a musical home with the performers guild. He may be the youngest member. Gorchesky plays guitar, which he started two years ago. He also has played bass for five years.

“My freshman year, a friend introduced me to the guild. He’s into acting. I was in a band with him, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,” Gorchesky said. “Our first big concert was at Studio Live for a battle of the bands.”

He said Schomaker wanted to do a battle of the bands for the young musicians around Sedona.

Being a member of the guild is a calling, a home in a way, but also a place of expression, Gorchesky said.

“I do sound and lights for many shows and perform there solo. It’s a learning experience for me and a place to express myself,” Gorchesky said. He is currently working on a solo CD.

Chris Spheeris is one of the original members of the guild and served on the board the first year. He and a friend remodeled the front lobby at Studio Live when it was just a shell.

“I’ve been hands-on from the beginning. It was fun seeing musicians united in a single purpose,” said Spheeris, who has been a musician for more than 20 years. “I also perform as a soloist and in a trio with Courtney Yeates on cello and Eric Zang on percussion. I play guitar.”

The guild, along with the studio, is a great place for any of the performing arts. There’s nothing like it in Sedona or anywhere around the Verde Valley, Spheeris said.

“It’s like a little Bohemian place. It’s very artsy,” he said.

The guild unifies the performing community, the musical community and brings in the public to enjoy the performances, Spheeris said.

His favorite event was the benefit concert for Japan earthquake relief the performers presented in April.

“We had more than 20 musical acts in 10 hours. It was an incredible day and raised almost $20,000 in a completely volunteer event,” Spheeris said.

Spheeris has used Studio live for practice, performing, teaching and filming.

The guild tapped into something dear to Rick Cyge’s heart. Before moving to Sedona two years ago he operated a music center in Boston for about 10 years. He hated giving it up to come to Sedona, but was overjoyed to find the guild and Studio Live waiting.

“What drove me in Boston was music and performances that enhanced the community. That’s what this is here,” Cyge said.

Cyge, a singer and songwriter, plays guitar and performs with his wife Lynn Trombetta, who plays flute and pennywhistle as the duo Meadowlark. For about one year, the two have served as staff members for the guild and Studio Live.

“I experience a sense of community here I haven’t felt anywhere I’ve lived,” Cyge said. “There are a lot of very talented people here. The breadth and depth of the talent in and around Sedona amazes me.”

Right now Cyge said the guild is recruiting more local performers — anyone who would like to perform — to join and invest in their own talents.

“We’re launching a homegrown series. Anyone, really anyone is invited even if they’ve never performed before,” Cyge said.

For more information, call 282-0549.