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Association of Music Offices Launches With 14 Founding Members at Music Biz Conference
The Association of Music Offices launched at Music Biz in Atlanta with 14 founding members focused on local music ecosystems.
The Association of Music Offices officially launched Monday, May 11, at the Music Biz conference in Atlanta, bringing together 14 government music offices, community groups and industry partners under one national trade umbrella.
The new group, called AMO, is intended to support local music ecosystems by sharing resources and best practices. Its founding membership includes the Dallas Music Office, the Huntsville Music Office, the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, the New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy, the North Carolina Music Office, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, the Texas Music Office and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture.
Also among the original members are Georgia Music Partners and Music Export Memphis, along with the Recording Academy, Pace Public Relations and Marauder, a marketing and development organization that works with music communities, according to the release.
“Every city has a music scene, but most overlook it as an economic and quality of life driver,” said Matt Mandrella, music officer for the city of Huntsville, Ala., in a statement provided to Billboard. “As the country’s first municipal Music Officer, I’m so excited about the team we have launching AMO and even more thrilled to see other regions follow our lead in the future. Together, we have the opportunity to significantly amplify the power of music ecosystems nationwide.”
According to the announcement, AMO will act as “the collective voice for music office leadership” while working to strengthen music ecosystems across the country. The organization also says it will share expertise, support long-term economic impact and cultural vitality, and help “reshape how local governments and organizations invest in and sustain their creative economies.”
Reid Wick, the Recording Academy’s director of regional advocacy and member engagement, said the group grew out of “organic discussions about policy” and now has “the potential to transform how we support music at the state and local level.”
The launch release says AMO’s first-year priorities include building governance and membership structures, developing data and measurement frameworks to assess music’s local impact, creating community engagement models for diverse and inclusive music ecosystems, and establishing a central hub and resource library for engagement toolkits, funding mechanisms, education and related programs.
The announcement closes with a call for music offices and allied organizations to learn more about participating in AMO’s first year at www.musicoffices.org.
