OBSERVER Newsroom
The City of Sacramento has launched the Sacramento Music Census to better understand the present lived experience of people in the music community in the capital region.
Led by the Office of Arts + Culture and music consultant Sound Music Cities, the census project will also inform a review of the regulations and policies that impact the arts and entertainment industry.
“I want to see music grow here in Sacramento and we need to ensure our regulatory system supports that goal,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “The music census is a crucial step along the way to meeting the needs of our creative community and building an environment that will help our music scene blossom.”
The census and regulatory review process will help identify specific improvements that could be made to the requirements for artists and creative enterprises, such as permitting entertainment, events and creative industry development projects as well as insurance and security requirements, among others. It is also likely to inform future programming, partnerships and investments.
“We all recognize that COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on the creative economy and live entertainment in particular,” said the City’s Creative Economy Manager Megan Van Voorhis. “Getting a current read on the situation in the music community will improve our ability to advance recovery in the sector on a number of fronts and ensure a vibrant music scene for residents and visitors alike.”
Musicians and music-industry professionals including venue owners and music nonprofits in Sacramento, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Yolo & Yuba counties are encouraged to take the survey at sacmusiccensus.org by Oct. 30.
The survey is anonymous. Census questions include general information about demographics and occupation types, as well as music industry professionals’ perspectives on issues such as belonging, diversity and equity. The census survey should take approximately 12-15 minutes to complete.
Funded by the City’s Measure U tax, the census and regulatory review is part of the City’s “Creative Edge” plan to build upon and expand Sacramento’s unique creative economy.
The music industry in the City of Sacramento produced nearly $113 million in sales in 2020 and supported approximately 1,400 jobs according to data from Creative Vitality Suite, a creative economy data tool and service of the Western States Arts Federation.