By 
June 16, 2023
There are as many varieties of music as there are people. Think about your own music collection for a moment – I’d be willing to bet you like songs from multiple decades and genres.
That’s what’s so great about the medium – there is something for everyone and every taste, much like paintings and pottery. What we listen to and enjoy says a lot about who we are.
I’m passionate about music because I genuinely love it in all forms. And because I was an aspiring musician in a previous life, I understand the sacrifices and challenges our local music community faces.
The Huntsville Music Office wants to help our homegrown artists overcome some of those challenges, but it won’t happen overnight. We’re working hard backstage to develop things that I genuinely believe our music community will be excited about, including an export program that will provide assistance to touring artists based in Huntsville. I really look forward to sharing more about that soon as we get it dialed in.
Your voice matters
What’s our mission? To make Huntsville, Alabama, one of the great international music cities.
The stage at The Orion Amphitheater has been graced by numerous internationally renowned acts since it opened in May 2022, including Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews Band and Josh Groban.
There are some who think we’ll never be at the level of an Austin or Nashville, but those cities had to start somewhere. It’s not out of question to think we’ll get to that level, but it’s going to take preparation, planning and – most importantly – buy-in from our community.
Buy-in from local artists is also paramount to the realization of our music city dreams. Whether you play to 8,000 people at The Orion Amphitheater or 100 people at The Electric Belle or Gold Sprint, your voice matters to the Huntsville Music Office.
Your voice also matters to members of the Huntsville Music Board. Each of them are active in the music community and have great insights on policy changes and initiatives that will benefit local musicians as well as those who work behind the scenes.
Setting the stage
A big part of attracting visitors and new residents is hosting the best live music performances in the nation and ensuring we have the facilities to accommodate them. It’s key to being part of a broader conversation.Make no mistake – we have venues that are second to none. The Orion is the shiny new rock star in town, but we’ve got great venues all across the city. Some might even argue that a front porch in Five Points is the best place to see a show.
Huntsville Music Officer Matt Mandrella is interviewed by City Council President John Meredith at The Orion Amphitheater as part of the Council President’s Forum.
Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss The Orion as well as in-roads the Music Office is making with Huntsville City Council President John Meredith as part of his monthly forum. The program will premier at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, on HSV-TV and HuntsvilleAL.gov/HSVTV.
Miss the event? Catch replays on Comcast channels 16/1088 or WOW 42, or watch it on-demand on City Video.
High notes
The year is half over, but we have a full slate of music initiatives on the horizon, all of which will help us increase our musical footprint. Here’s a sneak peek:
Make Music Day
Make Music Day is an all-ages, all-inclusive celebration of music open to anyone who wants to perform or host performances.
First up is Make Music Day on June 21. This is a great opportunity for Huntsville to show how much music means to the community.
Make Music Day is an all-ages, all-inclusive celebration of music open to anyone who wants to perform or host performances. The goal is to provide an equal platform for musicians of all skill levels, interests and walks of life and to inspire the next generation of music makers.
We’re excited to be co-hosting this event with the Huntsville Hospital Music Therapy Program, which leverages the power of music to heal the body, mind and spirit.
Participating is easy. Visit the official Make Music Day Huntsville website to create a profile and sign up to perform or host . Performers can even match their talents and plan a performance together.
Do your part by performing music for just 15 minutes that day, even if it’s just in your own living room.
Music Cities Conference
From Oct. 18-20, Huntsville will host the Music Cities Convention, which will bring some of the best and brightest music city minds to the Rocket City. The Huntsville Music Office is proud to be presenting this important event with our partners at Sound Diplomacy and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Conventions aren’t generally something to get excited about, but this is truly a remarkable event and a huge feather in our musical cap. We’ll have thought leaders from all over the world here seeing what Huntsville is about. That’s why it’s important for us to put our best foot forward in terms of hospitality as well as support for our current music ecosystem.
Our guests will be fully immersing themselves in all things Huntsville, including our music venues. My hope is for packed houses for all our performers while the convention is in town. If you like what you hear, make supporting live local music a part of your weekly routine. Check out our comprehensive live music calendar to see who’s playing.
The Music Cities Convention will be in Huntsville Oct. 18-20.
Want to keep the beat with all our upcoming events? Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter featuring the latest news and information from the Music Office. I also encourage you to follow Huntsville Music Office on Facebook.
If you want to network with other stakeholders in the music community, please join us at our HSV Quarterly Music Meetups. The next meetup will double as a kickoff to Huntsville Music Month in September. Be on the lookout for information about that soon.
Let’s go!
– Contact Music Officer Matt Mandrella at Matt.Mandrella@HuntsvilleALgov.
