Macon Magazine

Gan concurred that digital music technology is becoming critically important for faculty: "I think we're starting to move into this philosophy, away from old time musicianship, where your instrument can be your computer. If you're a DJ, manipulating technology in a live performance, you still have an instrument." There's consensus among these professors that today's music students face pressure to become a multifaceted one-man-band to accomplish their goals. The evolution of social media and streaming services have changed how talent gets networked into management and audiences, o en demanding that they not only compose or perform, but also record, mix, edit, and release their own work. Programs and facilities are emerging to fill this need. Middle Georgia State University has a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Musicianship "designed to prepare the practicing musician for the 21st century cultural economy," according to its mission statement. And Mercer has restored Capricorn Sound Studios, with music students taking classes and recording there alongside professionals. Collegiate programs connect with younger students and the public through performances. Macon's colleges provide hundreds of free or low-cost performances each year, from both student groups and touring artists like jazz legend Branford Marsalis, who commands high value tickets around the world but performed a sold-out concert for just $5 at Mercer as part of the Jubilee Artists Series. Undergraduate ensembles have a broad audience outside campus recitals. Brittan Braddock, assistant professor and director of bands at Mercer, cited the "side-by-side" model of taking college performance groups directly to high schools, where the two groups share the same stage, as a highly effective form of education: "The impact is our future music educators teaching real live students, and performing next to them. Having a college student sit next to them teaches them unknown tips and tricks, plus the younger student sees the possibilities of continuing on themselves in music." Braddock is eager to create new pathways for Mercer's instrumental program to interact with the community. Next year, she'll add elite wind and brass quartets for specialty chamber performances and start a new university band to create inclusive and flexible opportunities for students. Graduate students get a chance to lead while music education majors can try their hand at secondary instruments. And for her spring concert? She's taking the wind ensemble to the Society Garden, so students get in front of a completely different crowd at the popular bar. "We've got a place for everybody at every level of participation. There's a chance for everyone to play, and anyone can listen," Braddock explained. Ultimately, music scholars in Central Georgia all seem to feel eager to get beyond the ivory tower and promote music as a force for harmony. Myrick says it best: "I get to be a bridge builder between people who do the thing, people who are experts, and people who study. So, I get to bridge the world in ways that feel productive and constructive." A "MUSIC STRATEGY PLAN" GUIDES THE REGION'S DEVELOPMENT Music professionals may be out of class and off-campus, but they are still growing. The city's leaders in arts, tourism, and economic development have teamed up with international consulting group Sound Diplomacy to create a Macon Music Strategy to guide the region's future. The first phase ended in a local music ecosystem assessment, created from survey data and roundtable discussions with musicians, arts administrators, government leaders, and more. The key findings? Of all the US cities studied by Sound Diplomacy, Macon ranks second in number of recording studios available and in live venues. But according to the study, most venues are not dedicated live music spaces. This environment prioritizes regional touring acts and underestimates the importance of local artists and the various arts professionals involved to support them. There is "a lack of professionalization on the artists and creatives in the city. Local artists are recognized for their high-quality work, but they are seemingly not supported in the effort of taking the next step towards professionalization, an effort that is key for the strengthening of the music industry in Macon." What does that mean for local guitarists busking during First Fridays or bands booking shows at JBA? It refers to the lack of creatives acting behind-the-scenes, both literally and figuratively speaking. There's lots of spaces to play and record as a band, but they remain emptier than they should because of the lack of engineers, technicians, agents, and more behind them. It's hard to make a living in music even in a major hub like Nashville, but the presence of these vital people who turn the lights on and connect bands to audiences allows venues to operate more FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: PROFESSOR NATE MYRICK OF MERCER UNIVERSITY, PHOTO BY LEAH YETTER. THE CAPRICORN MUSIC BUSINESS SUMMIT, PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER IAN SMITH. 44 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2023

• Cover