It's great to see this dialogue taking place, and we would love to see music become a solid, economic driver in Portland. We are home to so many gifted musicians and an industry future with unlimited possibilities.

At the Musicians Union, Local 99, we obviously place great importance on the ability of musicians to make a living at their art/craft. There are many reasons why it is more difficult now than ever. I certainly agree that the OLCC is part of it, though not a new component. They have never been, and never will be, a friend to live music. Short of their demise, it will be very difficult to change their operational guidelines (Though not impossible, with the right efforts). Looking back to their decision a few years ago to disallow minor musicians the right to perform in licensed premises, and the obvious failure of the intended policy outcome, it still took us a year and a half to overturn that decision and return to the previous system that had worked since their inception. That clearly shows their mindset, and they are a definite problem.

I was very pleased to see both Terry Currier and Dave Allen point out the need for musicians to be supported, financially and otherwise, in their home town. To be the best artist/musician you can be, you need to be able to focus all your attention on your music, while surviving financially. Dare I say, "livable wage". While there could be much discussion on the econmics of clubs and whether they could pay more at this juncture, whether musicians need to starve for their art, or the myriad other issues, Local 99's main focus has been on exposure. Not the kind you get by playing for free. The kind you get from radio.

We challenged the FCC license renewals of 3 Portland Radio stations for, among other things, not fullfilling their obligation to serve in the "Public interest, convenience and necessity". Read "localism". Or more clearly, not enough local bands on local radio. While there are ever more options for showcasing your music, radio is still, for now, the top dog. Our goal is to create what are called "Citizen Agreements" that would require radio to adhere to certain community standards. An example of what could be mandated, in theory, is a defined percentage of local music broadcast on local radio. Canada has requirements like this for Canadian music. This is not telling radio what to play, just that they have to be responsive to the community. It's my understanding that Austin has more local talent and diversity on their local radio. Could that be playing a role in that successful scene?

KINK and KNRK should be applauded for at least airing some local music, but it could be more, and it should be all stations. Imagine local radio with enough first hand knowledge of the scene, that they could/would champion a hot band to the great masses that don't regularly frequent the clubs, but listen to radio.

So, our desired results for these efforts--the more exposure/airplay a band gets, the larger the audiences, the more the club cash register rings, the more the band gets paid, and the musicians can say goodbye to the barista job.

I also wanted to pay homage to the "starving musican" comment above. While this is a very insecure industry, and there is certainly no guarantee of success, it is never completely the musicians responsibility to pack the club. I have certainly played in a town with multiple clubs where I could draw a crowd in one and not the other. Was that because I didn't market myself right, or was it that the club wasn't the place to be (club marketing?). I think club owners, bookers, etc. may be too eager to lay it all on the musicians. Everyone plays a role in a successful club or scene.

Which leads me to what I think is the real question. Can the entire music community work together to create a "Portland Scene" that is a true economic driver? We have some great people already working together in this town, it's time to spread that reach and become even more inclusive. The "Music Biz" is very diverse and competitive, and because AFM members include everyone from the Symphony, to Bruce Springsteen, to Built to Spill, we are well versed in the challenges of working across stylistic boundries. That said, if the Portland music community can sussessfully cross those boundries, we can strengthen our overall ability to create the changes needed to grow the music scene.

Local 99 is readily available to participate in the continueing dialogue and actions required to move Portland towards becoming an ever more thriving music city.