Detroit Regional Music Census

Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils are proud to be community partners for the Detroit Regional Music Census.

I’m inviting you to help spread the word about this opportunity to shine a light on the role music plays in our culture and communities, while giving us all a tool to help ourselves. 

The census has been administered by Sound Music Cities in other towns like Nashville, Austin, Asheville, Cleveland and others. Thanks to backing from The Detroit Music Collective, Portfolio Medics and partners across the region we have this chance to raise our visibility in a meaningful way. The goal is simply to understand the needs, challenges, and economic contributions of the region’s music creators and workers. The results will help inform future funding, workforce development, policy decisions, and industry-support programs aimed at strengthening Detroit’s globally recognized music culture. 

If you've attended one of our music scene mixers at Guitar Hi-Fi you may have met Kevin Kay, founder of the Detroit Music Collective and a key player in this effort. He has 30+ years of experience in the music industry and a resume reads like a CVS receipt. For brevity, he has worked at Chrysalis Records, Polydor Records, The PolyGram Label Group, Island Records, V2 Records, Mercury Records, Dreamworks Records, Virgin Records and Sony Music Nashville, working with many artists including U2, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, David Bowie, Melissa Etheridge, 30 Seconds To Mars, Nelly Furtado, The Cranberries, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and others. 

“Detroit has always been a music city—home to innovation, culture, and world-changing sound,” says Kevin. “This census ensures that the individuals who make up our music community have a voice in shaping the future of Detroit’s creative economy.”

As far as who should participate in the census, the answer is any one at any level who works within the music ecosystem, from DJs to record store owners, venue bartenders, musicians, studio owners, producers, pro audio providers, music instructors, journalists, etc. that live OR work in the 10 county area surrounding Detroit - a 75 mile region. The survey is slated to go live in the first week of February.

If you’d like to read more you can visit this link:  https://detroitmusiccollective.com/detroit-music-census/                   

Thanks to Kevin Kay for participating in our events and inviting us to do some good.