City image and the politics of music policy in the “Live Music Capital of the World”

Abstract

Few cities have developed and promoted their music scenes like the selfproclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin, TX. This mid-sized city is home to an estimated 200 music venues, 1,900 music acts, and 8,000 musicians (Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau 2010). The music industry generates over $616 million and provides nearly 11,200 jobs (City of Austin 2001). Over the last 20 years, local government has recognized not only these direct economic impacts, but also the indirect impacts, treating the sector as a critical amenity that attracts and retains technology workers and firms to the city. However, over the last decade, the pre-eminence of music has been challenged by two interrelated factors: first, policies oriented toward promoting central city redevelopment and, second, a policy discourse associated with the creative city thesis adopted by competing development and cultural policy interests. As I have detailed elsewhere, on the one hand, political leaders have adopted creative city language to justify their pre-existing economic develop - ment and redevelopment strategies. On the other hand, those in the Cultural Arts Division (CAD) incorporate this language in plan discourse to argue for more direct support for artists (Grodach 2012b). Both agendas have introduced real and perceived threats to the strength of the local music industry. This chapter examines the ascendancy of and policy challenges to the music sector in Austin, illustrating how music representatives attempt to manipulate and promulgate a counter discourse to address these challenges and retain music’s dominant policy status.