Can you envision a community where music is not just entertainment but a way of life? A place where music shapes its culture, its economy, its health, and its identity. A city where music catalyzes creativity, innovation, and social change.
You’re looking at a Music City.
In the Creative Ecosystems Seminar, led by Shain Shapiro (Founder & CEO of Sound Diplomacy), GLI Fellows discover how music can transform urban spaces and communities. They learn how to harness the power of music beyond the traditional music industry and how to create policies and strategies that support and activate music as a resource for development. Guided by Shapiro and a range of expert guests, from city mayors and urban developers to concert promotors and artists managers, GLI Fellows explore how music attracts tourism, generates income, promotes well-being, and fosters diversity and inclusion.
Music Cities are not just a dream. They are a reality for many places worldwide that have embraced this vision and earned international recognition. Liverpool (UK), Nashville (USA), Auckland (New Zealand), Kingston (Jamaica), Tongyeong (South Korea), Kinshasa (Republic of Congo), and Varanasi (India) are some of the cities that have been designated as Music Cities by UNESCO.
What about your city? Could it benefit from becoming a Music City?
