THE PLAN!
Always try to start with a great plan. Our defiition of a great plan is one that serves everyone well... one in which everybody benefits! That’s what we believe we have... a win-win plan.
WHO and WHAT and WHY
Our plan recognizes 2 groups that each have specific needs. The first group is the general public... at least the part of the public that enjoys watching great musicians play great music. Music in America is heavily marketed to youth and has been since the 1950s. In 1957 it made marketing sense to focus on teens because they represented the largest generation, the “Baby Boomers,” and the first generation to have its own money and make its own decisions as to where and how to spend it. Although that generation is now reaching retirement the music marketers are still marketing to today’s teens and even preteens. This leaves a gap.
The second group is musicians. We have several generations of musicians who make their living playing music locally. The music business seems to focus on musicians who become famous and sell recordings. But there are many, many talented musicians who are not motivated by fame or selling recordings on a national scale. They often specialize in a specific type of music, many of which are no longer served by today’s record industry. Typically, they are not chart makers in today’s market but have tremendous skill at what they do. In a streamlined retail world they are finding fewer and fewer places where they can play their kind of music. This leaves a gap.
The Georgia Heritage Music Hall wants to bridge these two gaps by bringing together these two groups... musicians and music fans... in an environment that benefits both.
WHERE
It has to be somewhere with easy access. Somewhere safe and friendly and reflective of the history where the music, and the musicians, thrive.
We’re close to settling on a 73 year old building in an historic small town with easy access to Atlanta and its expressways. That means it's also easily accessible to the citizens of the state of Georgia and the visitors, tourists, and business travelers to the metro Atlanta area. Our building is in the historic Village of Stone Mountain.
The Village of Stone Mountain is a 20 minute ride from downtown Atlanta with expressway access within 1 mile of the Music Hall... yet the environment is one of history, heritage, and tradition. None of those qualities have to be manufactured... they already exist in a town that celebrates historic preservation. It’s exactly the kind of place for the Music Hall.
HOW
Sometimes a good plan is a simple plan. We think our plan qualifies for that. The model for live music usually falls into 1 of 3 categories: in a restaurant; in a nightclub; or in a concert. We’ve decided on a fourth option... in a music hall!
Typically a restaurant wants to turn tables multiple times each evening. The longer one party occupies a table the less food can be sold and the less money can be made. If you play music that makes folks want to stay and listen, you’ve already messed up the restaurant plan!
A nightclub knows you will stay so they charge a door fee or cover charge. You often pay a lot for the privilege of staying and listening to the music. Most often a nightclub has alcohol as its profit center. Sometimes the alcohol, and all the problems that accompany it, overshadows the music.
A concert generally has a large seating area to fill. The promoter feels safer promoting a well known act in order to bring out enough people to fill the venue. Of course, a well known act leads to a hefty ticket price. Often this results in a reduced list of performers because matching the level of a big name performer’s fee with what an audience is willing to pay becomes a chess match. Most venues are too big for any kind of intimate setting to happen.
Our Music Hall approach borrows from the best of these categories and tries to eliminate the shortcomings of each. We will have a restaurant but its purpose is to offer convenience to our music customers. Unlike the nightclub, the Music Hall will focus on the music and the musicians and not the alcohol. Unlike a large concert, the Music Hall is small, close and intimate. The sound is pristine and the performers are right in front of you. The best part is the modest ticket prices. You might have to save all year to go see your favorite big name recording artist but a trip to the Music Hall is affordable enough to become a weekly habit.
