Abstract
This article considers live music policy in relation to wider debates on the cultural (as opposed to instrumental) value of the arts. The findings are based on research into amateur/enthusiast, state-funded and commercial concerts across a range of genres – classical, traditional folk, jazz, singer–songwriter and indie – using the Edinburgh Queen’s Hall venue as a case study. We argue that (1) articulations of the cultural or intrinsic value of live music across genres tend to lapse back into descriptions of instrumental value; (2) although explanations vary from audiences, artists and promoters as to why they participate in live music, they also share certain characteristics across genres and sometimes challenge stereotypes about genre-specific behaviours; and (3) there are lessons to be learned for live music policy from examining a venue that plays host to a range of genres and promotional practices.
Highlights
We argue that (1) articulations of the cultural or intrinsic value of live music across genres tend to lapse back into descriptions of instrumental value; (2) explanations vary from audiences, artists and promoters as to why they participate in live music, they share certain characteristics across genres and sometimes challenge stereotypes about genre-specific behaviours; and (3) there are lessons to be learned for live music policy from examining a venue that plays host to a range of genres and promotional practices
It is part of a broader AHRC project on Cultural Value, which aims to ‘establish a framework that will advance the way in which we talk about the value of cultural engagement and the methods by which we evaluate that value ... [beginning with] an examination of the cultural experience itself and its impact on individuals and its benefit to society’ (AHRC 2013)
What kind of value do promoters, performers and audiences derive from participating in live music? How can qualitative research into the cultural experience of live music be used to complement existing research that seeks to build and develop audiences? How might research into the non-economic value of live music be used by policymakers as well as the stakeholders listed above? We explored these questions via a case study of the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, a 900-capacity venue which hosts approximately 200 performances of live music a year across all musical genres
Summary
This article considers live music policy in relation to wider debates on the cultural (as opposed to instrumental) value of the arts. The findings are based on research into amateur/enthusiast, state-funded and commercial concerts across a range of genres – classical, traditional folk, jazz, singer–songwriter and indie – using the Edinburgh Queen’s Hall venue as a case study. We explored these questions via a case study of the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, a 900-capacity venue which hosts approximately 200 performances of live music a year across all musical genres.
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