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IAC Grants Boost State’s Music Industry
(Final part in a series)
The
musical landscape in two Iowa communities continues to grow with help from Iowa
Arts Council Community Music Development Grants.
IAC awarded $12,500 each to Davenport’s River Music Experience and the Greater
Des Moines Music Coalition last year, and the investments are helping each group
increase the visibility and vitality of their local music industries. Governor
Tom Vilsack has requested $25,000 to fund the program in the 2006-2007 fiscal
year.
In Des Moines, DMMC is making the most of its IAC grant funding to help underwrite ongoing operating expenses and a number of events and activities.
Created by Fritz Jünker about a year ago, DMMC is a collaboration of central
Iowa musicians, promoters, venues, business, community leaders and music fans.
Its grassroots mission is to advocate and develop an independent, progressive
music scene to boost urban revitalization and regional economic development and
retain young people in the Des Moines area.
In early March, DMMC hosted a town hall forum that discussed public radio services
in Greater Des Moines.
During the forum, Iowa Public Radio executive Cindy Browne expressed interest
in incorporating locally-produced music into local programming, an idea based
on the success Minnesota Public Radio has had with an adult-alternative station.
“This forum was one in a series DMMC has held over a period of several months,”
Jünker said. “Other forums have been ‘Commercial Radio Forum’
attended by industry executives, ‘Venue Owners Forum,’ ‘Recording
Label Forum’ and others.”
Also in this past year of operation, the DMMC launched the DMMC Presents Live Music Series, the Fast Forward DJ/Electronica Series, and a collaborative project with Des Moines Public Schools’ KDPS 88.1FM and the Des Moines Public Library to create a regional music library.
DMMC also hosted Gross Domestic Product — a regional music festival
March 31 at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The event featured 14 bands from central
Iowa’s emerging independent music scene.
In April, DMMC will host a “Backstage" Fundraising Drive in
Des Moines’ Historic East Village and will collaborate with Des Moines Young
Professionals Connection, Downtown Community Alliance, Impact Downtown and others
to coordinate an outdoor music festival May 13 in the Court Avenue Entertainment
District as part of a “Celebrate Downtown” weekend.
DMMC is a non-profit organization and collaborative movement of musicians, promoters,
venues, businesses, community leaders and live music fans who are committed to
building a stronger and more diverse live music economy in greater Des Moines.
DMMC’s primary mission is to advocate, sponsor and develop an independent,
progressive live music economy in Greater Des Moines for the purpose of urban
revitalization, regional economic development and the retention of its region’s
youth and future. Visit www.desmoinesmc.com
for more information.
