Mayor Paul Soglin’s proposed operating budget for 2013 includes funding to support Madison’s vibrant music scene through a new music festival.
The city’s financial committee, the Board of Estimates, approved $25,000 to fund Make Music Madison, a new music festival designed to bring together the community through a shared musical experience on June 21, 2013.
“The idea of [Make Music Madison] is that it is just sort of a holiday where citizens are encouraged to bring music to outdoor spaces,” Arts Program Administrator Karin Wolf said.
Wolf said community members can sign up as individuals or as a band to perform for community members in public places throughout Madison, such as Library Mall, areas along State Street and in local parks.
The goal is to create a “wall of music” by hosting a hundred free mini concerts in communities across Madison, according to Wolf.
“I’m very excited about the fact that it will engage thousands of citizens in a creative act,” Wolf said.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the city should not only provide funding for city services such as fire and police officers, but also for events such as Make Music Madison which promote the musical opportunities the city has to offer.
“Music is one of the very unique art forms that transcend almost every socioeconomic class,” Resnick said. “It’s something that we can all appreciate.”
But Board of Estimates members did not agree with all of Soglin’s music ideas for the city.
One of the proposed items in Soglin’s budget that Board of Estimates members cut was a proposal to make a music video promoting Madison.
Soglin compared his musical video vision to one that Grand Rapids, Michigan created, which featured community members walking around town singing along to “American Pie” and has received over five million views on Youtube.
While some council members agreed the video would benefit the city, Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12, said a “slick” video created to draw tourism to Madison would be a “flop.”
“What you want is something that is low-budget, ad hoc done by some UW student in their dorm room,” Rhodes-Conway said.
