Sound Diplomacy was contracted by the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia, Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, and the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area to deliver the first comprehensive music strategy for The Shoals.
The Shoals Music Strategy provides an extensive blueprint to work off of to continue to expand the role music has across the region’s economic development, tourism and community engagement strategies.
The study engaged with more than 200 professionals over a twelve month period. It also mapped the music ecology across the region and engaged with a wide range of stakeholders across city government, the music ecosystem and wide industries. The study was written by London, Berlin, Barcelona and New Orleans based firm, Sound Diplomacy.
What we have done
Katja Hermes, Director of the German Office and Head of Projects, and Azucena Micó, Senior Project Manager, spent two days in the are, conducting a series of roundtables and interviews with local stakeholders and visiting some of its main music spaces.
We conducted roundtable sessions and several interviews, and spoke with over 30 local stakeholders to get more insights on the area’s music ecosystem.
On October 4, Shain Shapiro travelled to the area and conducted 2 more roundtables and an Open Forum where he explained the next steps of the project.
In November, we closed the music tourism and the music ecosystem surveys. Its analysis will form part of our Strategic recommendations. In addition, we submitted the first deliverables, including regulatory assessment and literature review.
We’re currently gathering data for the upcoming Economic Impact analysis and we continue speaking to stakeholders from across the region’s music ecosystem.
Between December and March we have been analysing the results of all the pieces of research, that will conclude in the final draft of the report in April. Azucena Micó presented the first draft of the action plan to the four cities in March. There will be a revision period after that.
In May 2019 Sound Diplomacy presented a first draft of the Music Ecosystem Assessment and Strategy.
Originally posted