Sixth City Sounds Is Helping To Amplify Local Music
Initiatives such as CLE Music Shelves are helping bands get heard.
The organization was hosting its second “Mixing Session” on a night in late November. The networking and socializing event brought together a panel of entertainment lawyers to answer legal questions from local musicians. At the nonprofit’s first gathering, the turnout was sparse — only about 30 people attended.
Tonight, however, attendance at the Beachland Tavern was double that number. “People stayed for at least an hour after the panel ended and asked lawyers questions,” he says.
It’s one of many signs that the arts nonprofit is gaining traction since being founded last year by Eisenberg, Sofar Sounds Cleveland founder Jeanette Sangston and Seafair singer Chayla Hope. Created as a rallying point to connect musicians with city resources and promote Cleveland music’s economic potential, Sixth City Sounds has started multiple projects that amplify Cleveland’s musical voice.
The nonprofit launched a website (sixthcitysounds.org) with an extensive database of music-related resources, such as booking agencies or places to buy gear. But Sixth City Sounds is even more interested in offline amplification of local artists’ music.
On the heels of co-sponsoring last year’s RTA Summer Jam Sessions — pop-up concerts that featured musicians playing on trains, buses and at stations — the organization is teaming up with Destination Cleveland to help get local acts booked in front of out-of-town visitors at events. Plus, its popular CLE Music Shelves initiative continues to place local artists’ releases for sale on designated shelves at area businesses, such as Lakewood’s Nature’s Oasis.
Recent shelf rosters included indie-popsters Sister Smirk, eclectic soul-electro troupe Mourning [A] BLKstar and pop-rockers the Commonwealth. It seems even placing their records near each other has led to some real-life connections.
“When we told the artists who else they were going to be on the shelf with, Mourning [A] BLKstar said, ‘We get to be on with Sister Smirk and The Commonwealth? That’s awesome — we’ve never played with these guys, but we really want the opportunity to now.’ ”
