Music commission gaining focus

Memphis may be known to most outsiders as the home of the blues and birthplace of rock 'n' roll; however, most Memphians would opine that it's been quite awhile since the city has breathed any life into the local music business.

Indeed, with the exception of the now under-construction Gibson Guitar plant, the city has been slow-placed in its efforts to attract new capital investment for the local music industry, instead, depending on standbys such as Sun Records and Beale Street to generate revenue.

To counteract the growing sentiment that "when Memphis thinks about music, it only looks backward," last year, both the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments adopted a resolution aimed at boosting the Memphis music economy. The result, a year later, is the formation of the Memphis/Shelby County Music Commission, which will serve as a vehicle to stimulate economical growth in the music arena.

Tom Jones, public affairs officer and senior assistant to Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout, says the new commission will play a vital role in propelling Memphis' economic growth.

"Over the past year, we've met with people in the music community to talk about what government should do for the music indu[sgl dagger]stry here," Jones says. "We discussed the different facets of the music business, such as manufacturing and tourism, and (the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments) came up the possibility of creating a music commission. We quickly established that there is a need for (the Memphis/Shelby County Music Commission) in terms of Memphis' economic big picture."

Jones says once it was determined a commission was necessary to capitalize upon Memphis' rich musical heritage, an advisory board was quickly set up to formulate priorities for the commission.

Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, served on the advisory board, and says he anticipates the commission will serve as a means for Memphis to "once again regain its prominence in the music industry."

Kane anticipates that the commission will focus on many aspects of the music business.

"I think that the commission will consider music in a lot of different business forms," Kane says. "There's the whole business aspect of maintaining, as well as creating, viable recording studios, the distribution aspect of music and developing new artists here. Those are just a few of the areas. Over the last 20 years, (Memphis) has allowed other communities to flourish in the music industry. Until now, the city has been asleep at the wheel."

With annual funding of $200,000 for five years allocated by the Memphis 2005 Strategic Economic Developmenlt Plan, officials hope the commission will wake the city up.

Comprised of 20 board of directors, (10 were chosen by Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout, the other 10 nominees, chosen by City of Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, are still waiting for final approval from city council ), the commission will aggressively assume a myriad of responsibilities, including: developing a business plan; formulating a music strategic plan by coordinating business community resources; and developing a package of business incentives to attract investment and new business. Additionally, the commission will work in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce to recruit additional music industry firms to locate in Memphis/Shelby county and to oversee a plan to pursue music-related meetings and conventions in conjunction with the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The commission's board ofdirectors includes John Hornyak, executive director, Memphis chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; Bruce Demps, vice president and general manager, Clear Channel Communications, Inc.; and Mary Unobsky, executive director, Crossroads Music Expo. David Less, president of Gibson Entertainment, a division of Gibson Guitars, and previously executive director of The Blues Foundation, will serve on the commission as well. Less says the commission's first goal, after choosing an executive director, is to clarify what the music business is all about in Memphis.

"I think that there's a real confusion, a really natural confusion, about the difference between the music business (in Memphis) and the tourism business here," Less says. "The tourism business does really well promoting our heritage. But, we also have a music business here that's been overlooked."