Successful Music City: What It Takes to Build One?

Its believed that music can bring communities together, and that is why people from all walks of life, including policy makers, local entrepreneurs, musicians came together (the music cities convention was held in Washington D.C.) to discuss what makes for a successful music city. The aim of the convention was to highlight and discuss ways improve the role of music into the urban culture.

The purpose was to include music into the various programs and culture of cities which have in the past proven to be extremely helpful in certain cases.

For eg New Orleans uses the music industry to promote tourism, while, the music industry is one of the top 10 contributors of Austin’s economy. Bravalla Festival in Sweden is a good example of good revenue generation where they garnered around 15 million through music.

These cities have clearly set an example of promoting music successfully as a part of their culture which not only livens up the city but also helps in boosting the economy. It attracts tourists and new residents too.

The power of branding music has not only made some cities a tourist attraction to the world, some others like Austin have also managed to be labeled as the “live music capital of the world”. Apart from the nickname, there are additional benefits of more jobs and affordable housing for artists. Needless to say, the audience also get to enjoy some good music.

Video: Music Makes Cities Better

The most important role of music was initiated through music related programs in schools. For e.g. in Denver Public School, some programs included arts and humanities. Speakers from various organizations such as Youth on Record and Turnaround Arts were involved and It seemed to boost these low-performing schools into thriving educational centers. Students from these programs on an average displayed improvement in math and reading compared to their counterparts who did not have these programs.

However, there are ample challenges countered by such a musical city plan, technology and innovation being one of them. Funding for music and arts are often overshadowed by technology and innovation. Apart from which there are security concerns to be factored at the time of such musical events.

With all its pros and cons, what is to be highlighted here is that music can truly transform a city positively and has the potential to benefit economies in the process. If planned properly and if effective strategies are put in place, many can benefit from such musical initiatives in their neighborhood.