Fair Play: What if the Music Stopped?

Calling all music makers, venue owners, promoters, producers, and hard core live music fans to discuss what does and doesn't work about the Pittsburgh music scene, and to gauge interest in making changes and improvements collectively.

To the Club Musicians --- you are the content-makers giving us hours upon hours of your heart and soul, helping us to celebrate, unwind, and elevate our quality of living. You invest your lives in this. What do you receive in return? Are you making it? What do you need? What do you want?

Promoters and Venue Owners -- do you value your content-makers as the professionals that they are? If not, what's holding you back? How can we improve?

Audiences -- does it matter to you that your favorite band works all night and might go home with less than minimum wage? Would you work in similar conditions? If you could choose to see your friends and favorite bands at a club where you knew they were taken care of would that make a difference?

We think so! Based on the Fair Trade Music (TM) model, we believe that in the same way a Food Co-op can coexist with a Giant Eagle, there is enough room to create an alternative model for live music and their audiences, one that allows people to choose where and how to hear the artists they love based on a set of standards of ethical treatment of the content-makers.

Are you interested in exploring this with us? Are you interested in living in a city like that? If so we need you. We need your enthusiasm, experience, and wisdom. We need you to help us dream up ways to make this a reality.

Hosted by Spirit, moderated by Christiane Leach of Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and led by veteran singer/songwriter Heather Kropf with a panel of musicians and industry pros, this meeting is open to everyone who cares. Nothing is pre-determined. Your content will shape the future of Fair Play. We look forward to getting this conversation started!