Successful professional musicians have a secret place where they love to live and work. It’s becoming less of a secret every day as more and more musicians move to Madison, Indiana.
There's a reason why Madison calls itself Indiana's Music City. You may wonder how that even possible in a town of 13,000 people. How could Madison be the Music City of anything? Well there's a reason. They’ve been building it for years. The truth is Madison's live music legacy has been around for decades and we're just building on something that was already great to begin with. People love the fact that they can come to a small-town jump in a golf cart and go from venue to venue to seeing different diverse interesting, live music at every single turn in Madison. We want to make sure that this isn't just a great place to play music, but also a great place for creative professionals to live, to tour, and to start creative enterprises. It’s a lot easier than doing it in the big city. Now, why would I go to a place, like Madison with 13,000 people, instead of going to Nashville or Austin?
One reason is basic economics. You could go to a place where supply is high in demand is still pretty good or you could go to a place like Madison where there's a huge audience for live music, and a large tourist base that also doesn't have the options of the bigger city. Plus, it's a lifestyle alternative, it's still affordable and there's an incredibly supportive community behind our musicians. It gives you incredible range as a touring artist being only 5 hours or less from Louisville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, Columbus, Cleveland, and St. Louis.
The secret to our great music city is the people here. It's not just about the music, it's about how we make it happen here that matters. The Madison Music Movement is really a pairing between music and economic development. We realize that some of the best communities, some of the most thriving communities, are the ones that have a great a music scene. A great music scene is something that really benefits people from across the community. It helps to make our economy better stronger and more inclusive. It also helps us to tell our authentic story and communicate that to other people.
People that feel they fit in here. We're looking to attract all the Madisonians out there who just haven't discovered this place yet but are waiting to show up on the doorstep and make a creative difference. That also takes a special kind of musician. Are you the kind of musician who also likes to build things and wants to create and build more than just a great sound, but also a really great environment for music, entertainment, and new creative ventures. This is the place!
Sure, Madison might be a great looking small town, but at the same time per capita, we guarantee there is more music happening here than just about anywhere else in the United States. Madison has a barge load of amenities that make it the perfect place to live your best creative life, or to start a creative business in a friendly, affordable environment. We have beautiful parks and scenic amenities. We have incredible, historic architecture, classic hotels and eating and drinking establishments. There are great little cafes all over the place where you can enjoy the view of town and places where that small town feeling is still alive, and one of the best River walks this side of the Mississippi.
Madison has parks that turn into theaters, and we even have several large festivals every year that are some of the best in the region and that bring in regional and national acts. Plus, we have an incredible pop-up music scene. You never know where you're going to see live music in a public place. We even have a big theater so you can see your name on a well-lit marquee. We got pizza! Oh, do we have pizza, and our visual art scene is top notch in the perfect way to keep you inspired. We have ginormous murals! Do you have ginormous murals? We've got ginormous murals and so much public artwork we’re giving it away.
We have entire streets reinventing themselves from the ground up around music and entertainment. We have world class breweries, Reinventing the old Spirit of Madison ice cream shops that host, pop-up concerts, and a few top-quality recording studios. Oh, yeah, even the local barbershop hosts, a live music series.
This is an incredible place for musicians, and just about anywhere you go in this town, you're going to meet friendly people who can't wait to see your next performance. Everywhere you go in Madison, you're going to see people collaborating with other people, putting their creative ideas to work to invent something new and exciting. They’re preserving the spirit of the past and while also charting a creative future for the community. Plus, we have that Hoosier Hospitality. So, you know that when you show up here, you're not only welcome but encouraged.
We've been cooking this stew for a long time. Building relationships, trying new creative endeavors, creating new venues, and really investing in the development of the arts. But, if you’re a music lover, there may be one thing missing. YOU. That's right. You. we need and value creative people. We need creative funders. We need creative Builders. Entrepreneurs who are interested in music and making music a real centerpiece of this community. That's what we're all about here. So, come on in. This is it folks, this is Madison. Come on out. Join the movement become part of our community story. We'd love to see it.
For more information, please visit the Madison Music Movement website.