It is important to speak to the artists and find out what they need or what resources they don't have. We've already heard from them that they don't have enough PR and that we need more venues for local music.
SoundCorps Board of Directors
* Corey Petree of Jolly Walrus Productions (chair)* Tish Calitz of Action Environmental (secretary)* Daniel Barber of Elliott Davis Decosimo (treasurer)* Tia Capps of The Company Lab (CO.LAB) (at-Large)* Mark Hackett of Evans Harrison Hackett, PLLC (at-large)* Darian Scott of Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce* Monica Kinsey of Track 29 and The Revelry Room* Scott Bruce of Chattanooga Times Free Press
If you are a party planner looking for a dance band, where would you turn for suggestions? Or maybe you are dance band, looking to play more corporate gigs or weddings, how do you get your name and contact information out there?
Maybe you work in film and video doing lighting or set construction and you'd like more work. Maybe you are a musician who would like information on how to put together an electronic press kit, but you don't even know what an EPK is.
Sure, there are places for advertising your talents, and there are books or websites on all of these things, but now there is a local resource that is trying to put it all under one umbrella.
SoundCorps is a nonprofit launched earlier this month with the simple goal of growing the music economy in the Chattanooga region. According to Executive Director Stratton Tingle, the organization's mission is to accomplish that through educating and working with both professionals and music enthusiasts.
"Our mission is to make the market bigger and stronger from within and without," Tingle says.
That mission statement is expanded on its website - www.soundcorps.org - which says Soundcrops wants "to re-establish Chattanooga as a music mecca with a healthily growing cultural economy. Success for us means Chattanooga has more music venues, sound recording studios, record labels, record stores, retail outlets, music industry professional services firms and more."
SoundCorps is funded by grants from the Lyndhurst, Benwood and McKenzie foundations. Tingle says the initial funding is for three years, but he hopes to make it sustainable through fundraising.
His success or failure will be based on data gathered in 2014 by TXP Inc, a research company in Austin, Texas. Funded by the same three foundations that are funding SoundCorps, "The Economic Impact of the Music Sector in the Chattanooga, Tennessee Region" offered a look at the current state of the local music industry and offered strategies for expanding and the enhancing the music sector.
It found that, in 2013, the local music sector generated about $137 million in revenue from everything from ticket sales to wages to local and state sales tax. The study offered recommendations for ways to increase that number.
Among those recommendations are:
* Designate a downtown district focused on entertainment and music.
* Establish a City of Chattanooga entertainment and special events office.
* Create a Chattanooga music resource center.
* Implement a Chattanooga music sector marketing plan.
* Increase collaborations between the music sector and music education.l
Tingle says SoundCorps' role in those strategies is evolving and he has spent the last year getting organized, in particular getting the website up and running. Primarily, SoundCorps will be a resource for and a liaison between the city, music fans and professionals in the industry, he says.
To that end, he has spent the last several weeks explaining to people what SoundCorps is, how to register on the website and how it can benefit them. Because it is a new idea, the message isn't always clear.
"I'm still trying to get a grip on how they can be a resource," says Chattanooga Presents owner Carla Pritchard. Among other events, Chattanooga Presents produces Nightfall. "I'm not sure if they are a resource for equipment or information or both, but I do feel confident that their whole focus is promoting the music scene, and that is a good thing."
One of the goals for SoundCorps, according to Tingle, is to serve as a conduit for gathering and sharing information between all groups involved in the local music industry, including bringing together musicians, venue managers and owners and sound and tech crews.
"If they find out what the other guy's needs or challenges are, it helps," Tingle says.
The big push at the moment is encouraging music industry people to go the SoundCorps website and register. Registrants can list their contact information, skills, the type of music they play, etc.
Local poet, songwriter, artist and SoundCorps board member Genesis the Greykid says bringing everyone to the table is the primary role of the organization. But, just as important is making everyone aware of all the things that go into building and sustaining a thriving music industry.
"It is important to speak to the artists and find out what they need or what resources they don't have," he says. "We've already heard from them that they don't have enough PR and that we need more venues for local music.
"It's exciting what is happening because everyone is learning that there are a lot of little things that all add up."
Tingle says SoundCorps intends to hold workshops or seminars for musicians on how to be more professional. At these workshops, professionals will offer such tips as how to do everything from marketing to budgeting to presentation.
"Budgeting is a big thing," he says. "Even if you see playing music as just a hobby, you still need to budget."
These quarterly workshops are called TakeNote and the next one is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center at 200 E. M.L. King Blvd at 6 p.m. For more intensive learning, SoundCorps is partnering with music schools at Belmont University, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Georgia to create multi-week music business course.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.