Diverse voices unite to give you the tools for turning your city into a Music City.
In an inspiring journey that underscores the transformative power of music, Huntsville has emerged as a beacon of artistic and economic growth, gaining the recognition of being “Alabama’s First Music City” in the process. Tapping on its musical heritage and a steadfast commitment to fostering a vibrant music scene, the city is successfully creating a real time advocacy timeline for becoming a Music City.
It all began with the launch of a comprehensive music audit in 2018, which provided a deep understanding of Huntsville's musical landscape. This crucial step allowed local leaders, artists, and community members to come together to establish a roadmap for harnessing the potential of music as a catalyst for growth.
Building upon the findings of the music audit, Huntsville took a significant stride forward by establishing the Huntsville Music Office, currently led by Matt Mandrella. This entity became a central hub for fostering collaboration between musicians, industry professionals, and the wider community. Since its creation, the Music Office has served as a meeting point for the local music ecosystem, promoting initiatives such as the Huntsville Music Month, a Live Music Calendar, live music festivals and hosting Quarterly Music Community Meetups.
Another milestone of this process (and a result of the music audit) is the construction of the Orion Amphitheatre, a state-of-the-art music venue. This open air concert hall is putting Huntsville on the map for bigger touring acts, including acts such as Weezer or Ja Rule, and becoming a must-visit stop for music tourists taking the “Nashville to Muscle Shoals” route of the Americana Music Triangle. In addition to that, as local musician and founder of the “Listen Local” initiative Alan Little noted, “the construction and programming of the venue has helped the community to take notice of the diversity we have within the local music scene and to give more reasons for artists to stay in Huntsville to develop their careers instead to moving to other music hubs such as Nashville or Austin”.
Now, as a testament to Huntsville's remarkable commitment in cultivating a thriving music ecosystem, the city is set to host the upcoming Music Cities Convention. This prestigious event will bring together more than 400 industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders from around the world to explore the intersection of music, community development, and economic growth.
As the countdown to the Music Cities Convention begins, the event is thrilled to announce a second round of confirmed speakers and a preview of the talks and presentations that will be taking place at this event on 18-20 October, 2023.
Newly confirmed speakers include:
Nurit Siegel Smith, Executive Director of the Music Forward Foundation (USA)
Mark Ball, Artistic Director of UK’s Southbank Centre (GBP)
Nadia Niakossary, Director of Development of RCP Companies (USA)
Joy Styles, City Councillor of the City of Nashville (USA)
James McKissic, President, ArtBuild (USA)
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Los Angeles City Councilmember, Council District 8 (USA)
Priya Chandel, Director of Bye Bye Plastic Foundation (USA)
All of them join an exciting lineup of more than 30 speakers that will be participating in this event.
At the same time, the event's schedule has revealed the titles of several discussions and presentations that will take place over the course of these three days. These topics will explore the intersection of music with other areas of public policy, broadening the mind
Some of them include
“How Adaptive Reuse Can Turn Existing Buildings Into New Cultural Hubs”
“Young People Are The Future: How Can The Voice Of 16-25 Year Olds Be Amplified In Music Policy Development”
“Music Urbanism: Rethinking the Role of Music & Culture in Urban Development”
“Music And Healthcare: Taking Care Of Musicians Is How You Take Care Of Cities”
“Using Your Destination’s Strengths To Create A Globally Leading Music Tourism Offer”
“It Doesn’t Need To Have A Shovel: How To Turn Music Into Workforce Development”
This event will serve as an additional advocacy step to solidify Huntsville as a thriving Music City, while also acting as a meeting point for sharing best practices, connecting with like-minded professionals, and inspiring other communities to embark on their own journeys toward becoming music cities.
If you’re looking to learn about the tools you need to turn your city into a music city (just as Huntsville is doing so), then this will be a must-attend conference.
You can get your tickets for the event here.
About Huntsville Music Cities Convention:
The Music Cities Convention will be held on October 18-20th at the Von Braun Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. This will be a 3 day event that will gather 400+ professionals to discuss and network around all music cities related topics, from music & economic development, to music tourism, music and real estate, community building, night time economy and more. The event will also host the award ceremony of the Music Cities Awards.
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