Saturday, September 6, 2014

Field of Dreams - Music Entrepreneurship II

"Location, Location" written by Dean C. Minderman sums up a few main points: Music is being used to create an economy for the geographic locations that are willing to take a risk by stepping out of the box.

Music has been used as a means to boost the economy by creating jobs as well as its appeal to create tourism.  Because of music, people are finding a reason to move to a certain area for a job or visit a certain area for a vacation. Minderman mentions the Mizzou New Music Initiative as an example. The Mizzou New Music Initiative has been promoting new music while creating a way for musicians to earn a living by creating a concert series, hosting the International Composers Festival, as well as engaging in compositions written specifically for prominent landmarks around the area such as the Missouri Botanical Garden.

After I read this article, I thought of Rockport, Massachusetts, where I had been a summer marketing intern for Rockport Music. The town of Rockport, MA is the definition of grassroots musician entrepreneurship. In 1981, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival began with the vision of singer Leila Deis and composer-pianist David Alpher.  Small concerts were held at the local art gallery, then came the educational components, and finally the Shalin Liu Performance Center was built in 2010--- And if you haven’t been able to see this beautiful music venue that overlooks the ocean, then you should consider finding the time to do so! Rockport Music has grown so much from starting off as a twelve concert series of chamber music. The entity now produces a jazz festival as well and hosts concerts throughout the year.

It goes to show that with a lot of elbow grease, the world can be a better place. If you build it, they will come.

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