NPR ran a story on Detroit’s music scene, reviewing the city’s long history of groundbreaking artists and contrasting that history with today’s blighted conditions. The story includes an interview with members of the Detroit Cobras. Favorite quote: lead singer Rachel Nagy explains, “That [bad economic] environment is also a reason why this kind of music thrives — because we can do whatever we want; we can play as loud as we want.”
The article’s headline poses the question: “Why Can’t Detroit Cash In On Its Music Scene?” We’ll see you that question and raise you one, NPR: Should it?
Also last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a feature on artist communities in Cleveland – enclaves subsidized by nonprofit developers and city policies. City planners see these communities as the foundation for rebuilding healthy neighborhoods. Musicians, painters and sculptors make the community attractive, and the city folk move back. It is a long-term strategy for regrowth, and we hope artists in Cleveland reap long-term rewards.
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