Guest Columnists
Guest Column: Supporting the Memphis music ecosystem
Elizabeth Cawein says about Memphis music: “2024 has been full of wins so big, so long-anticipated, so hard-fought, that I had to spill some digital ink celebrating them all.”
There are 35 articles by Elizabeth Cawein :
Elizabeth Cawein says about Memphis music: “2024 has been full of wins so big, so long-anticipated, so hard-fought, that I had to spill some digital ink celebrating them all.”
Elizabeth Cawein asked musicians what makes a gig worthwhile, outside of what they are paid. Their answers came down to one thing: They want to be valued.
In this playlist, Elizabeth Cawein highlights “all the new Memphis music you might’ve missed from January to June.”
“An intentional focus on our cultural economy from the top can be a gamechanger for our city. Let us finally embrace and profit from this rich natural resource the way other cities have – off of our artists, our creators, our backs – for years.”
“All of us, together, can change the conversation from ‘Memphis is on the cusp of something’ to ‘Memphis is really doing something.’ ”
“The work we do doesn’t exist in response to the legacy of Elvis Presley. It exists in response to our contemporary scene — scenes, really — that are thriving, diverse and full of transcendent talent.”
“If you’ve been struggling lately, I hope today, for just a minute, you can look at your city the way the outsiders do.”
What would be possible in Memphis if every neighborhood was less than a mile’s walk to a beautiful gathering space where live music – and dance, and public art – was being performed on a regular basis?
Memphians make beautiful music, and maybe more so together. This months playlist showcases collaboration, with a bonus mix of Memphis Christmas music.
Our desire for convenience begat streaming, but our desire for experiences never went away. It’s old meets new. Just like Memphis.
Elizabeth Cawein: When we look even more broadly at the culture of our city, in many cases the things we’re most proud of are borrowed from Black culture.
Tickets for Levitt Shell’s first two fundraising concerts sold out within hours, indicating that audiences are chomping at the bit for live music and shared experiences.
A mix of Black women music-makers from Memphis, past and present, honors both February’s Black History Month celebration and Women’s History Month in March.
The answer is simple and it also stings. It’s in Nashville because Nashville asked for it.
We can pledge not to go “back to normal.” Normal, in the best of times, found us donating to GoFundMe campaigns to cover emergency medical bills of folks in our music community. Normal was $100 a gig for musicians. Normal is the system that’s broken.
‘Your friends and family may be familiar with Memphis music past, but how much do they know about Memphis music present? This playlist includes a selection of the freshest tracks I’ve played on my WYXR show “Straight from the Source.”’
Elizabeth Cawein’s lifelong love affair with radio informs her new WYXR show, “Straight from the Source,” and the October Playlist.
As a fan at a virtual concert, you always have the best seat in the house, the bathrooms are clean and close, and the drinks are strong and really cheap.
Buy some Memphis music, y’all. Our independent record stores are back open and doing shopping by appointment, which, honestly, is pretty cool.
Before this is all over there will be plenty of other songs like Yo Gotti’s "Recession Proof" that comment specifically on the pandemic. Even the tracks that don’t feature bridges about Zoom meetings will still reflect the mood and feelings of this moment.
We should be as bold and bullish about our contemporary black music as we are about all of our claims to fame, from FedEx and Holiday Inn to historic music attractions to dry rub ribs.
This month's playlist is accompanied by news about the Music Export Memphis COVID-19 Relief Fund, which to date has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to individual Memphis musicians.
If you love what you hear, let the mix play a few times to be sure the artists see a few pennies. Now is the time to buy that extra record, download an album instead of streaming it, spring for that cool T-shirt or koozie or sticker.
It was a cosmic certainty that the one for me would be a music lover, too, but you already know the argument I’m here to make: Memphis music is the perfect soundtrack for falling in love, no matter who you are.
At gatherings, I only have to share one fact to get people interested: It’s music from Memphis.
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