Makin’ the Scene
So, what is it that makes a happenin’, local music scene so happenin’? I’ve been tumbling that little gem around in my head for a while. So, here it is: My top 10 list (actually, top 7 and in no particular order) of what I think makes a local music scene successful.
Pockets of Culture. Within any given city with a good music scene, you often find small sections of that city that develop “personalities” or cultures of their own. Often it is a several block radius that has a concentration of bars, music venues, small shops, and other attractions that help create an overall feel. You can usually drive to one of these pockets, park your car, and walk to any of the attractions or events. This seems to create a concentration of “good time” energy.
Diversity of Venues & Music. Having a variety of venues with unique atmospheres providing an array of different musical options seems to be a common characteristic of good music scenes. It gives people the opportunity to mix it up and experience new things. Some venues offer multiple bands or styles in a single night. Either changing bands on the same stage or multi level establishments offering different experiences on each floor.
As far as the bands go, we can’t live on rock alone. Different styles keep things lively and interesting. I’ve also noticed that diversity in the song list of a single band is popular: injecting a few good covers into a set of originals or, for you cover bands, playing a very wide range of covers or styles keeps the listener engaged.
Local Business Support. Having the support of local businesses that are not directly related to the music scene is also helpful. If surrounding shops and retailers recognize the power of a strong music scene, they can provide invaluable advertising real estate by allowing ads in front windows and at their POS (point of sale). Business owners will also provide sponsorship money in exchange for advertising space in event media and, for a premium rate, banners at the show. This can be a great resource for the business: potentially hundreds of people staring at a stage for hours with the business logo clearly visible.
Quality of Music. If the music sucks, the scene is going to have a hard time. Of course, determining what “Quality” music is is a slippery conversational slope that I don’t want to get into just yet. Suffice it to say that if the people are not coming out, one of the reasons might be that they don’t like the music.
Networking Tools & Promotions. Getting the word out to the community is crucial. If people don’t know what’s going on….. well …… they don’t know what’s going on, so they will be more likely to hit the local Blockbuster and rent a movie. Bands and venues must have a strong communications network to tap into. In college towns you see fliers taped to lamp posts and local businesses offering bulletin boards for advertising. Band and venue websites are also popular, but more helpful to the party goer are resources that provide an aggregate of local event information (shameless srqscene self promotion). Also, local radio stations and local “rags” help with getting the word out.
Demographics & Economics. The predominant age and income level of an area also plays a big role in both the “quality” and “style” of the scene. As far as styles go, an older, richer community might be more interested in classical music or easy jazz, while a college town might have more rock, hip hop, or fusion music. The quality of a scene is effected by the strength of an economy. Strong economies should provide people with more money to spend on music, allow businesses to invest more in the arts, and create a stronger financial environment for musicians to exist in.
The General Public. One of the most difficult things in building a good music scene seems to be getting the buy in from the people who want to go experience music. Often, it would seem, a lot of people want the “known quantity”. They seem to be less willing to spend the time and money to go see a band or bands that they don’t know.
It is my intention to follow this post up with a discussion of how to apply some of these ideas, and others, to our very own Sarasota music scene. So, please feel free to join the conversation.
Tags: Music Articles, Music Scene
