Live music is good for you and good for cities, research
says
Concerts SA will launch their latest research report in Cape
Town and Durban. It Starts with a
Heartbeat builds on previous ConcertsSA work to set out practical options
for supporting the growth of live music audiences, as well as motivate why such
support is a good thing.
The Durban launch will take place tomorrow (December 2) at the
Durban Art Gallery. The research will be presented by Andre Le Roux and Ignacio
Priego of the SAMRO Foundation. They will be joined by Salim Washington, Brian
Xaba, and Marlyn Ntsele as panelists, and Russel Hlongwane as facilitator.
Amongst the benefits of live music for individuals, many
international studies have shown how participating in live music contributes to
health and wellbeing including physical fitness, improved immune response and
more robust mental health.
But that’s just some of the benefits. A thriving live music
environment helps to unite communities and generate social awareness. For the
economy, live music is a major generator of revenue in its own right, while
helping cities and provinces brand themselves and attract foreign direct
investment. Businesses that locate themselves close to a vibrant live music
scene can attract top employees, enhance productivity and innovation, and
indirectly help to retain and grow their market share.
The next 5-10 years, the report explains, will be a crucial
time for interventions to support live music in South Africa. Live music has
already overtaken recorded product as a source of revenue, and this has opened
multiple opportunities for local venues and music organisers. Many of these
music entrepreneurs are SMMEs – precisely the sector local economists and
policy-makers have singled out as one of the most fertile sources of future
prosperity.
The report unveils new research conducted in collaboration
with the Wits School of Arts in 2015. This provides up-to-date, detailed
knowledge about what attracts audiences to live music, and what deters them.
The research suggests local authorities have a key role to play in making live
music more attractive and accessible. Policy options range from basics, such as
improving public transport, to more innovative strategies such as giving the
night-time economy (within which live music mostly occurs) a special status in
planning processes. Cities elsewhere that have done this have seen both a
growth in revenue from music activities and an improvement in safety and
security, something South African cities sorely need.
It Starts with a
Heartbeat can be accessed and downloaded for free on the Concerts SA
website at www.concertssa.co.za
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