Carrying the Torch Through Memphis: Music Export Memphis

1.Tell us about Music Export Memphis: What’s the mission and vision? Who do you serve? 

Music Export Memphis creates opportunities for artists who live here in Memphis to tour, build audiences outside the city, and sustain their careers. Our vision is that Memphis can be a city of choice for musicians. When that's true, we all stand to benefit, because musicians make cities better. So all of our programs subsidize working musicians in one way or another. 

We provide grants for things like touring, merchandise creation, publicity, marketing, and attending industry conferences. We also provide customized grants for artists who have been invited to take advantage of a one-of-a-kind opportunity that they need financial help to access. 

And we also go out into the world, producing showcases and parties at festivals across North America. We’ll typically bring a lineup of anywhere from five to ten Memphis bands with us and we show off those artists; we put them in front of music industry and media fans, and we show off our city at the same time. 

2. How did Music Export Memphis start? 

Music Export Memphis started from a seed of an idea that I had in 2015. I was working as a publicist, primarily with local artists in the Americana roots or folk music space. I was traveling a lot, going to festivals and conferences, and I saw an opportunity for us to do something totally different, that would create meaningful benefits for our artists, and also drive the narrative of our city forward. 

We did our first event at Americana Fest in Nashville in September of 2016, with amazing support from the late Phil Trenary, who was at the Greater Memphis Chamber at the time. A lot has happened since then, but that's how we started.

3. Why is this organization located in Memphis? 

There is something different about Memphis and specifically the Memphis music scene that makes this a particularly compelling idea here. So many people around the world already know about Memphis because of our music legacy. We've done a really great job as a city promoting that history and that legacy. And people have come from all over the world to appreciate our incredible history. But what a lot of folks don't see is that Memphis is a city where the past, the present, and the future are interacting with each other all the time. 

We have an unbelievably deep well of talent to show off; we have a story to tell, and artists who live here who are deeply passionate about telling that story. 
 

4. How can Memphians get involved with Music Export Memphis? What are some big events or fundraisers that your organization has annually, and how can people contribute?

Memphians can get involved with Music Export Memphis by becoming a monthly donor. You can sign up at our website, musicexportmemphis.org. We also need volunteers. We have a big annual benefit every year in October at the Overton Park Shell, preview parties throughout the year, and we set up tables at festivals throughout the year to educate folks in the community about our work. We’re always looking for volunteers to help and plug in with all of those events. Volunteers can email Morgan Massey at [email protected].

This year, our Annual Fundraiser, the Tambourine Bash, will be on October 10, from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at the Overton Park Shell. For dates of upcoming Preview Parties, visit our website, musicexportmemphis.org.

5. Tell us about your organization’s dreams and goals for the short-term and long-term? 
 

We are really focused on growth right now, to be able to support more artists. And in the long-term, we’d like to change the way people see the music industry, expanding the popular understanding of what it means to be a working musician, to recognize that these people are cultural assets, they are small businesses, they're entrepreneurs. But the marketplace isn't currently designed to make it remotely easy to make a sustainable living. And that's true even if you're incredibly talented. We also have to recognize the value that our artists bring to our communities. By elevating that value, recognizing that value, and investing in them as cultural assets, we hope these artists can build a sustainable life here in Memphis. 

6. Tell us a little about you: How did you get involved with this organization?

I founded the organization, so I've been with it since the beginning, and I'm currently the Executive Director. I have a background in music publicity and before that I was a music journalist. I'm a PhD student right now in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis, and my research focuses on working class musicians and cities. I'm fascinated by this topic and driven by what I see is an acute need for us to change the way that we think about culture, the music industry, and how it all intersects in our cities.