A forum on the future of the Little Rock music scene 'What would it take?'

By Sarah Stricklin

I don't think I'm going to shock anyone by saying that cities larger than Little Rock offer more in the way of cultural events. I doubt anyone reading this labors under the delusion that our art and music scene here can rival those in New York, Austin, Los Angeles, Nashville, etc. Those places have more money, more people, more venues, more academic institutions, more practice spaces, more public transportation, more studios.

But a deeply altering realization for me, about a year ago, was that Little Rock's smallness can itself be a benefit. Something I can take advantage of here, something that wasn't possible when I lived in Austin or Chicago or Boston, is the fact that I know everyone. While this has its disadvantages when it comes to, say, dating, when it comes to making changes in the city, knowing people is game-changing.

True to my age bracket, the year-ago realization came in the form of a Facebook post. Yet another dear friend was leaving Little Rock for brighter artistic horizons in larger metropolitan jungles, and I was desperate to put a finger in the dam. How do we keep our creative people if they don't find it possible to work here? So, I turned to the digital corkboard and asked, "What would it take, realistically, for Little Rock to become a supportive city for artists and musicians?" Seven days, 90 comments, several private messages and a handful of arguments later, 20 people met to talk in the Oxford American's Annex behind South on Main. The post, the conversations that followed, the months of meetings and emails revealed a powerful truth: Most of the people in Little Rock talking about the condition and future of the local arts and music scene were talking about the same few things.

We approached a handful of friends who are active in the music community here, and asked them their thoughts on the future of the Little Rock music scene. What is the best or worst thing about being an artist here? What does it mean to be a part of the local music scene, and what could we do to improve it? Their replies follow. To participate in the survey yourself, find the Little Rock Arts Survey Facebook page.




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