For the present question about how to understand the factors driving where musicians do or do not cluster, we might simply try adding measures of number and density of non-profits, non-profit spending on music, and maybe music schools/conservatories.

How about Ray Charles, Bing Crosby, Robert Cray, Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Kenny G, Tingtad & Rumbel, David Lanz….they all have very deep roots in Seattle and Tacoma.

The grunge scene had nothing to do with the number or lack of studios in the area. Cobain et al were from Hoquaim on the Washington coast not Olympia OR Seattle. Cobain was intent on his sound being his own, not that of a producer; or more importantly an engineer. Typically studios are run by engineers not music producers. Nirvana was simply living the style of music they created and they grew a young audience that followed them. Moreover, there were few places for them to play due to their age, so they played house concerts which in turn developed personal relationships with their audience.

A music editor called me last year to confirm that LA is no longer the recording capital of the world. How could LA be a recording capital with home studios ubiquitously cropping up in every kind of configuration imaginable? Phil Spector was the producer of the 20th century that brought that particular claim to fame to Los Angeles. But it’s no longer even relevant.

Music scenes are created around like-minded groups of people who understand and gravitate toward the sound new groups develop in communities across the country. Will Ackerman who is credited with pioneering the new age genre played his first paid gig in Seattle with 3,700 people attending a solo guitar gig. It was promoted by Jeff Heiman of KZAM for the Bumbershoot Festival in the late 1970’s. Ackerman recorded his debut LP in Palo Alto, but Seattle is very much associated with contemporary instrumental music and native pioneers of the genre like Eric Tingstad and David Lanz.

Nashville is somewhat different in that it was a city populated by musicians tired of being disrespected for their traditional values and cordial mannerisms by a much harsher scene in LA and other large cities. Nashville made their own way on their terms, much the same way Nirvana established grunge. The difference is Nashville capitalized on the deep roots that had been established by The Carter Family and the variety of subgenres associated with country music that were folk traditions imported by immigration to this country. Two examples are Celtic roots and bluegrass; and the slack key guitar from Hawaii via Spaniard cattle rustlers.

There are a great deal of positive things that can be said or written about the dynamics around any given music scene. Let’s hear from other communities with burgeoning music scenes, and come together for the sake of the music.

Music scenes like Woodstock, Haight/Ashberry, Greenwich Village, Monterey Bay or Motown are where industries were built, very rarely is it the other way around unless one lives in a very rural or underpopulated region. Nashville is really the leader in terms of an “industry” today as there is no longer a recording capital…Nashville is as close as it gets. Until there is solid leadership and an infrastructure that will allow all styles of music, there will be no industry.

Janet Hansen
Scout66.com