Nonprofit helps Georgia music business make the case for a statewide music tax incentive

Georgia is synonymous with nice music historical past, whether or not it’s OutKast, R.E.M., Luke Bryan or Gladys Knight — and the record goes on. Now, a number of musicians and business leaders are hoping to make their case for why Georgia ought to have tax incentives for the music business.

The transfer would mirror the success of incentives offered to the movie business years prior, which led to the state turning into a manufacturing hub for a number of notable franchises and movie studios.

Based on the Georgia Division of Financial Growth, movie and tv business productions spent $4.4 billion in Georgia throughout fiscal yr 2022.

A nonpartisan research group within the Georgia legislature referred to as the Joint Georgia Music Heritage Research Committee was assembled throughout the 2022 legislative session to assess tips on how to broaden and encourage the music business to develop and spend money on the state, in addition to tips on how to make the most of and promote the state’s huge music historical past. A nonprofit named Georgia Music Companions is hoping to prepared the ground in making the case.

To date, they’ve had conferences in Macon and Athens–two main music hubs within the state–with others to comply with.

“We had all kinds of presenters from native authorities, arts organizations, musicians, music educators and venue homeowners,” Mala Sharma, president of the Georgia Music Companions board of administrators, mentioned of the gatherings.

“I feel the conferences are going very properly. We’ve obtained nice engagement by the legislators on the committee,” she mentioned. “I feel they’re studying loads concerning the business, the challenges we face, the alternatives in addition to actually what and the way we are able to presumably take some steps to proceed to develop jobs right here, but in addition to compete with what different states are doing as properly.”

These conferences have additionally had some star energy from among the state’s largest music names who’re hoping to assist make the case.

“In Macon, we had Chuck Leavell, the Rolling Stones’ keyboardist,” mentioned Sharma. “He was additionally keyboardist with Allman Brothers. He has been a champion of Georgia’s music business for such a very long time.” 

Sharma argues that the case for better incentives for the music business is constructed into music’s presence throughout the state.

Georgia Music Companions hopes to construct momentum towards concrete motion on the tax incentive throughout the 2023 Georgia legislative session.

“Music is one thing that contributes to each group already inside Georgia,” she mentioned. “You understand, we see it in colleges and church buildings, growing artists and musicians, songwriters. We see it in colleges. And we’ve obtained 48 secondary packages throughout the state which can be educating college students in music or music enterprise arts, administration majors.“

She additionally mentioned that it’s a matter of retaining Georgia’s music expertise in Georgia.

“We need to discover alternatives to maintain them right here and supply jobs for them after they graduate,” she mentioned. “Sadly, proper now, many of the graduates of our packages are leaving the state.”

There are different states within the U.S. that presently have devoted music places of work in authorities — together with Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas. Sharma hopes to encourage Georgia to open considered one of its personal.

“If we had been in a position to have a devoted music workplace, the place there’s a staff of business professionals that know and have relationships, understand how the business works, they might actually be working to advance music alternatives and funding in our state,” she mentioned.

And past that, Sharma mentioned the advantage of a vibrant music group speaks for itself.

“Musicians which can be right here, lots of them actually spend money on their native communities and already give again, whether or not it’s via nonprofits or instructing or via profit live shows,” she mentioned. “Music is a type of issues that contributes immensely to the standard of life. And so I feel that’s why we really feel it’s a worthy trigger.”

That is the primary in a sequence of experiences from GPB News following Georgia Music Companions’ pursuit of a music business tax incentive via the 2023 legislative session.

This story involves Reporter Newspapers / Atlanta Intown via a reporting partnership with GPB Information, a non-profit newsroom protecting the state of Georgia.