WYEP Joins Initiative To Improve The Music Ecosystem In Pittsburgh

Nurturing The Arts

An initiative between PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY BROADCASTING Triple A WYEP, THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH and PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP has been formed to examine PITTSBURGH’s local music ecosystem and identify opportunities for the city to build a lasting and more vibrant music scene.  

While PITTSBURGH’s local music scene has a rich legacy, it has yet to fully share in the city’s broader resurgence.  “A healthy music scene representing a broad range of genres serves as an economic driver benefiting artists, businesses and neighborhoods,” said PITTSBURGH Mayor WILLIAM PEDUTO.  “We envision PITTSBURGH as a city where artists can more easily earn a living wage, musical programming is profitable for venues, residents are respected and neighborhoods hosting musical venues are safe and clean.”

ALLISON HARNDEN, Nighttime Economy Manager for the CITY OF PITTSBURGH, earlier this year organized a group of Pittsburghers representing city government, community development organizations, media, cultural and tourism organizations to attend a RESPONSIBLE HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE conference in AUSTIN that focused on nighttime urban economies and cultivating a well-managed and vibrant music scene.

Following these efforts, WYEP applied for and was awarded a grant from THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS to secure the services of SOUND MUSIC CITIES consultancy for a study expected to be completed in the first half of 2018.  A series of town hall meetings will garner input from key constituents: artists, community groups, venues, and the local music industry.  An initial schedule of these town hall meetings will be announced later this fall. 

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