The success of Nathaniel Rateliff (above) and his band the Wheel is emblematic of Denver’s thriving — but not always appreciated — music scene. Photo by Brantley Gutierrez, courtesy of Bart Dahl.
Since the inception of the Mile High Makeout, I’ve operated under the basic assumption that Denver music matters. However, that assumption has never been tested or proven. In fact, it’s been based on my own casual observations, half-remembered conversations and — let’s face it — emotional predilections. Observing the world with ears damaged by drum kits and eyes blurred by beers is never exactly scientific. So imagine my delight when I discovered that someone scientific had done my work for me — and had come to a startling conclusion: that music matters in Denver — even more than it does in self-declared music cities like Seattle, Austin, Chicago and Portland.
The Western States Arts Federation — better known as — is a 13-state arts advocacy organization that provides services, advice and, occasionally, funding to a number of arts organizations Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Under the leadership of executive director Anthony Radich, the Denver-based organization sponsors programs and projects in cultural policy, diversity and technology.
Westaf also occasionally support arts research, as it did last year when it commissioned an in-depth study of Denver’s music economy and community, the results of which will soon be publicly unveiled in a report called “Listen Local.” In its own words, the study is “intended to inform policymakers who are considering whether and how the City of Denver can sustain and nurture these music communities and thus benefit from the financial rewards associated with them.” In my words, it simply proves what we’ve said all along — that Denver rocks.
“Listen Local” has its roots in a national measurement of economic activity related to the arts called the , or CVI. Across the country, organizations like Westaf aggregate occupational data, tax records and many other measurements to arrive at a number that allows disparate states and metropolitan areas to compare the health of their respective creative economies. With a well-established and historically validated metric like CVI in place, it made sense to drill into the aspects of the index that are strictly related to music — things like CD and record store sales, music-related jobs, revenues from music venues and musical instrument sales.
Westaf’s research director, Ryan Stubbs, is intimately familiar with the CVI. He’s also intimately familiar with Denver’s music scene, having played in at least one noteworthy local band, the late, lamented . For Stubbs, it was easy to uncover surprising facts about Denver’s music economy.
For example, per capita spending on music-related items in Denver is twice the national average, as is full-time employment in music-related jobs. Folks in Denver also spend more annually on musical instruments ($21 per person) and CDs ($10 per person) than their counterparts in Seattle, Portland and Austin. Taking all of this and other data points into account, Stubbs and his research team’s conclusion is that Denver’s music-related CVI is more than three times that of the rest of the Mountain West, and more than two times that of the rest of the United States.
But the quantitative data is only half the story. “Listen Local” also contains a hefty dose of qualitative data, thanks to Dr. Bryce Merrill, assistant professor of sociology at the Indiana University South Bend and Stubbs’s former Everything Absent or Distorted bandmate. Through observations of local festivals, blogging and media coverage, a series of lengthy interviews with a number of individuals, tracking local bands achieving recognition elsewhere, and his own intimate knowledge of the Denver music scene, Merrill contributed a great deal of information that adds color and complexity to the story the numbers tell. Merrill even cites our own — where attendance doubled from 2,500 to 5,000 from 2008 to 2009 — as evidence of a thriving and energetic music community.
Brought together, the research in “Listen Local” verifies Denver’s strength as a music city. As the report’s introduction observes, “This study of Denver’s contemporary music community provides quantitative and qualitative data that confirm Denver has a vibrant and growing music community that is an economic asset to the city.”
Even so, the researchers point out that there are a number of things the city could do to further strengthen the reputation and economic power of music. Looking at what has made other metropolitan areas’ music economies so successful, the study recommends increasing the quality of local music at city-sponsored festivals, providing support to make it easier for bands to tour and encouraging collaboration between the music community and the city’s other vital arts communities.
“Assuming Denver city leaders would like to foster the development of the city’s music communities,” the report continues, “Denver should design and implement strategies that support music into its economic and cultural development plans.”
As Radich, Stubbs and Merrill share their findings with the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the Denver Office of Economic Development, they are optimistic that the time has come for Denver’s music scene to be nurtured and supported by public organizations. Without a doubt, an infusion of money to make the long drive from Denver to Omaha more affordable or a campaign that might make well-funded labels take notice of the talent in our fair city — anything that makes it easier for our homegrown artists to thrive and rock — would certainly benefit all of us. However, whether Denver city leaders will take notice of “Listen Local” remains to be seen.
Eryc Eyl is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years. Check out every Tuesday for local music you can HEAR, and the every Friday.
