Sacramento Music Census finds music industry ‘out of balance.’ How city leaders want to change that
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
As Sacramento's music scene continues to grow, so do the opportunities local artists try to seek out. But access to venues and resources hasn't necessarily gotten easier.
The Sacramento Music Census' latest report found that the city's live music scene is "out of balance."
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While music creatives — which include musicians, bands, producers and more — dominate 78% of Sacramento's music ecosystem, venues and presenters only take up 7% of the music ecosystem.
Nearly 1,400 people in the music industry from Sacramento, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties participated in the study.
Fifty-two percent of those respondents said that they can't find local music industry service providers and 63% need more affordable professional services.
A top concern is increasing diversity in music income sources, as 75% of respondents said their incomes come from work outside of music, and 86% said that they have less than four local gigs per month.
Amid these findings, the city of Sacramento is proposing seven changes to city ordinances:
Gregory Molina, the vocalist for Sacramento band A Moments Notice, told KCRA 3 that while there are events like Concerts in the Park, Sol Blume and Aftershock — these big events don't give opportunities for up-and-coming musicians.
Another issue is the high cost of putting on a show yourself. A one-time special event permit costs $1,331 in Sacramento, while the same permit costs $367 in San Diego and $510 in San Francisco.
"Being a musician, there are a lot of expenses that come with it, so sometimes $1,300 is a lot of money in the grand scheme of things and with having to get a possible stage and lights, it becomes a little bit less attainable," Molina said.
Molina isn't the only local artist hoping for the ordinance changes.
Eddy, a local musician, said that even renting a spot inside a local business sometimes can cost them between $500 to over $1,000 for a few hours.
For Sacramento City Council Member Karina Talamantes, this means more outreach and opportunity in her district and she's already eyeing Northgate's Taco Plaza as one location that could potentially benefit from these events.
"Not just in downtown, but throughout the entire Sacramento region on the Northgate corridor, on Power Inn, and all the other places that typically don't get much music activity," said Talamantes.
A new ordinance should be drafted by October.
