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This Isn’t Your City Planner’s Guide to Urban Growth
Real music cities aren’t built from market data or government “strategies.” They emerge from the connection people have to a place and to each other. It’s the raw, undeniable power of a shared musical identity.
We’re not talking about stadium shows or biker bar cover bands. We’re talking about authentic places where musical creativity drives entrepreneurship, revitalizes neighborhoods, and creates an unbreakable sense of place. We explore the cities people crave because of the music, the musicians who define a city’s brand, and the powerful economic ecosystems that follow.
The Universal Language of Economic Development
The Music Cities is a media and education platform that uses music as a framework to uncover the hidden lessons in branding, innovation, and authentic economic development.
Not everyone loves museums or theater. But have you ever met anyone who dislikes all music? We haven’t.
Music is the ultimate human connector. It stirs emotions, forges tribes from strangers, and makes a place feel open and welcoming. It’s also a powerful economic driver, supporting a hidden, often underestimated, economy. On The Music Cities, we expose that hidden economy and dissect the stories of how music builds the world’s most vibrant places.
Our Approach
We explore the collision of music and economic development in eight key areas:
- Music-branded cities
- Cities made by music
- Musicians who brand cities
- Place-making music events
- Music’s hidden local economy
- Musician entrepreneurs
- Songs and albums tied to places
- Businesses shaped by music
Join us as we uncover the lessons, find the unfair advantages, and tell the real stories of the places where music is the ultimate economic engine.
Keep looking for the music in your city’s story!
Do you have an idea for an episode where music and economic development converge? Let us know podcast@themusiccities.com
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