Macon Magazine

Truist.com Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2022 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are ser vice marks of Truist Financial Corporation. Care isn't just what we do at Truist—it's who we are. We make sure people around us feel supported and more in control. We find out what's important to our clients, and make it important to us. We get involved in meaningful ways with our communities. Why? Because real connections and real care create better outcomes. Now that's powerful. When you start with care, you get a different kind of bank. days of the year. If institutions have that capacity, they can take a chance on local acts, who then can leap from Middle Georgia to broader circuits, which can rain back down on Macon's music reputation. The idea is to support the next Little Richard or Allman Brothers Band and solidify Macon's music future. A second vital point is safety. The study indicates the city's downtown renaissance is threatened by ineffective enforcement of public policies. Sound Diplomacy cited a lack of consistency with law enforcement and permit applications that disincentivizes following regulations downtown. While, say, illegal food trucks or sidewalk-parked cars don't seem directly related to selling concert tickets, these activities create an air of lawlessness that leads to more serious nightlife safety problems. Macon can address this by increasing collaboration between entities like the tax commissioner and sheriff's department in concert with the needs of downtown businesses and cultural leaders for strong compliance and enforcement. Meetings began between the Sheriff's Special Response Team (S.R.T.) and downtown nightlife owners in May to remedy this communication gap, focusing on action items like closing alcohol-serving venues on time. Next, social inequities in education drive isolation among music scenes in the city and stifle access for some individuals. Segregation and resource allocation in private schools over public schools contributes to this issue, the study said. Finally, the impact of COVID-19 and a slow transition to digital markets also holds music culture back. Funding has been secured for the second phase of the music plan. Macon Arts Alliance Executive Director Julie Wilkerson said this will turn research into action steps: "Phase two will offer organizations and educational institutions direction to expand existing programs and create new programs that fill current gaps in Macon's music ecosystem. We should advocate for resources that enable artists to take the next step toward professionalizing their work. This is key to developing Macon as a music city." The study has already inspired new resources for musicians and cultural workers. In February, the first Capricorn Music Business Summit was held to connect interested musicians with training on recording, getting an agent, marketing, and more. Taking place at Mercer Music at Capricorn, guest speakers included national leaders like producer Steve Ivey, who's won or been nominated for multiple GRAMMY and Emmy Awards and has had Billboard #1 songs 17 times. The summit sold out, indicating the demand for such programs. Macon educators aren't afraid of innovation. The goal, of course, is an ever-bigger presence of music in our lives. According to Gan: "We need music, spiritually. It's necessary for human life. If we can have more flash mobs, and more kid's choirs singing on street corners, and more people packing the house for the symphony – we'll find better ways to just be with each other. It binds people to make something happen." Macon Magazine has highlighted several stories about music education and development. Check out an article on legacy educator Gladys Williams, a talk with Bibb teacher Levita Carter, and a report on the impact of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings. JUNE/JULY 2023 | maconmagazine.com 45

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