Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1523410
June/July 2024 | maconmagazine.com 127 as adding additional cultural workers. The Macon Music Strategy breaks down an extensive, 170-page report into 16 specific key recommendations. They recommend creating a music board for Macon and formally designating Downtown Macon as an entertainment district. Another recommendation is hiring certain personnel, such as a cultural officer for the city (an executive who aligns cultural vision with community action). In addition, a "nighttime officer" could oversee the music and tourism economy after normal business hours, when much of the music ecosystem comes alive, requiring timely management. Hiring these cultural workers would be one way of enacting the study's overall recommendation that locals advocate for and support music-specific funding priorities. These leaders, alongside local arts workers, could collaborate to create structure around how Macon manages and promotes its cultural assets, Sound Diplomacy said. This includes programs and resources for the training and development of industry professionals, supporting local venues to increase the number and variety of live music events available, music technology training, audience development, a comprehensive marketing and communication plan, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Other strategies are suggested, such as incentivizing the creation of more family-friendly events and redefining regulations to be more music-friendly. Additionally, they suggest creating a one-stop shop where business operators can access resources related to those regulations, such as permits, funding opportunities, and fair pay guidelines for arts industry professionals. The plan also includes an extensive comparison between certain policies, like noise ordinances in Macon, against a best-case scenario in a city elsewhere. For example, the report says that in comparison to Macon, Boulder, Colorado's sound ordinance policy is more easily accessible to the public. Boulder's information shows how to measure noise, what the permitted levels can be, and how to legally obtain exceptions for concerts and music festivals. Certain stakeholders have expressed that soliciting input from a wider variety and a greater number of local parties may have strengthened the study's specificity, and others point to the opportunity cost associated with hiring a global firm rather than local advisory. Opinions vary as to how implementable Sound Diplomacy's strategies are for Macon specifically. While the steps outlined above are broken into short, medium, and long-term stages, providing a general framework, significant investment remains to be made to enact them in a way that meets our city's unique needs. ABOVE Mercer University hosted the Capricorn Music Business Summit. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith for Mercer University.