Mayor Bill De Blasio And Media And Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin Announce June Is "New York Music Month"

Full calendar of public events throughout the five boroughs, industry panels, resources for musicians, free rehearsal space, walking tours of iconic music sites, and more

NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio, Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Julie Menin, and NY is Music co-founder Justin Kalifowitz today proclaimed June is New York Music Month. The first-ever citywide celebration of New York's diverse and thriving music sector features 30 days of events designed to showcase and support the makers of New York City's soundtrack. The month-long initiative highlights and cements New York's status as the music capital of the country, if not the world.

Some highlights of New York Music Month:

· 2,000+ hours of free rehearsal space for NYC-based musicians through community development organization Spaceworks, underwritten by MOME.

· Free concerts: New comprehensive website listing free and ticketed music events all over the city including free co-branded concerts at SummerStage, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, Lincoln Center Presents, Northside Festival, Make Music New York and more. All can be found at www.nymusicmonth.nyc.

· Free walking tours of iconic music sites as well as a digital map produced in partnership with Foursquare.

· Online toolkit for musicians: MOME is putting out an RFP to create a first-of-its kind on-line resource to help musicians with the business side of their careers, with contracts templates, guides for registering music and ways to generate revenue. 

· Music, tech and real estate conference: A day-long event at NYU Steinhardt, "Sound Development NYC" will explore what comes next at the intersection of New York City's music, tech and real estate industries with panels on venue preservation, music tech innovations, and more.

"Throughout its history, New York City's diversity has fueled remarkable innovations in the arts - and nowhere is this clearer than the City's music industry," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "The incredible range of musical styles that have originated here in New York are a testament to, and reflection of, our city's multiethnic roots. In naming June 2017 as New York Music Month, we celebrate all the contributions our city's music creators have made here, and encourage New Yorkers to experience all that our music community has to offer."

"We are so excited to present this month-long celebration of New York's primacy in the music industry," said Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment. "Not only is New York City the birthplace of hip-hop, salsa, and punk rock, and the place where jazz, classical, and other genres were nurtured into global forces, we are also home to the largest and most diverse music business ecosystem on the planet. New York Music Month is the first citywide celebration of the past, present, and future of music in the five boroughs. With a full calendar of events, industry initiatives, resources for musicians, music tours of local neighborhoods, and much more, there's something for everyone."

"We are delighted to partner with Commissioner Julie Menin and her fantastic team at the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment in producing New York Music Month," said Justin Kalifowitz, Co-Founder of NY is Music and CEO of Downtown Music Publishing. "As the global music business experiences a true renaissance, there's no better time to recognize the industry's broad impact on New York's economy, identify key challenges and opportunities for the creative sector and create new networks of common interest across all five boroughs. NY is Music co-founder, William Harvey and I thank the Commissioner for her supportive role in encouraging the growth of New York's music industry, and helping to ensure that New York City continues to be the music capital of the world."

Background

Music is central to the city's economy, social fabric, and cultural identity, but the industry only gained a home in a City agency a little over a year ago when it became part of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment's portfolio. MOME's mission is to do for music what it has done for the city's thriving film and television production industry, growing and supporting it for the benefit of all New Yorkers. In March, the agency released the first NYC Music Industry Economic Impact study which detailed the importance of the industry as a driver of jobs and economic benefits in the city. The report also contained suggestions for how the City can support and grow its vital music ecosystem. New York Music Month is the first major initiative following on the heels of that report.

Organized to coincide with other major NYC area music events in June, the New York Music Month calendar boasts both public and industry facing events, including, but not limited to, Governor's Ball, the 48th Annual Songwriter's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the 100th anniversary of the National Music Publishers Association Annual Meeting, A2IM Indie Week, the Northside Festival, and SummerStage and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! opening weekends. The comprehensive listings available at www.nymusicmonth.nyc highlight music events at venues both large and small, world-famous and under-the-radar, in an effort to highlight for New Yorkers all that the city's live music industry has to offer. New Yorkers are encouraged to use the hashtag #NYMM2017 to learn more about upcoming events and New York's rich music culture.

Resources for Musicians

The talented people who make up the city's creative communities are a vital part of what keeps the economy humming, and the City wants to do its part in supporting and helping music creators thrive. New York Music Month features some tailor-made programs and free opportunities for the city's music-making community.

· Free Rehearsal Space: Recognizing the difficulty of securing affordable practice spaces in New York City, MOME will underwrite over 2,000 hours of free rehearsal space for NYC-based musicians, in partnership with nonprofit cultural community development organization Spaceworks. Rehearsal space will be available in three separate sites in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Long Island City, Queens.

· Online Toolkit for Musicians: MOME is issuing an RFP for the creation of a first-of-its-kind complete online toolkit for NYC musicians to help them maximize revenue with the music that they make. The platform will include boilerplate language for contracts, step-by-step guides to register music, connections with local businesses and services and other ways to generate revenue in the local economy.

· 'Making Money with Music' Workshops: MOME will provide workshops for musicians on how to turn on new revenue streams with their work, while continuing to make the music that they love.

Celebrating New York City's Soundtrack

Hip-hop, salsa, folk, electronica, minimalism, and punk rock are some of the genres that sprouted in New York -- the city where exciting hybrids of jazz, opera, and classical also flowered. New York Music Month will also give fans a map to the city's musical geography.

· Free Music Neighborhood Walking tours: So many neighborhoods have played pivotal roles in the development of music as birthplaces of pioneering artists, homes to cutting edge music venues, and even inspirations for global music movements. Tour companies around the city will be offering walking tours of the sites and neighborhoods that nurtured some of New York City's most iconic music, provided for free by the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment. Each tour provides an in-depth history of a different style of music in each neighborhood.

· Online Map of Iconic Music Sites: Find out what happened in your backyard! In partnership with Foursquare, MOME is developing a comprehensive map of artists' homes, venues, and other iconic music sites throughout New York City. Take a look and see where music was made in your neighborhood.

· Free Entrance to the Museum of the City of New York: On June 18, New Yorkers can visit the brand-new Rhythm and Power: Salsa in New York exhibit, as well as the rest of the museum, by mentioning "New York Music Month."

· Free Entrance to the Rubin Museum: Free day of admission to The World Is Sound exhibit on June 24 for those who mention "New York Music Month."

· Spotify NYC Playlist: The music-streaming giant headquartered in NYC is creating a New York City-themed playlist.

· Music Movies as Part of Movies Under the Stars: Free outdoor movie series presented in partnership with NYC Parks Department will have a musical theme. 

Conferences, panels, and workshops:

· Sound Development: NYC, a full-day conference at NYU Steinhardt that will explore the intersection of music, tech, real estate, and economic development on June 1. More information about the conference is available on the New York Music Month website.

· Women Behind the Music: A panel discussion and career fair aimed at young women aspiring to careers in the technical side of music production with hosted at Spotify on June 21.

· LGBTQ music workshops: A month-long, three-part series bringing together LGBTQ musicians, artists and industry professionals to provide new perspectives to LGBTQ youth. Each session will focus on a different theme in music, art, and industry, taught by influential LGBTQ figures in interactive educational environments.

Quotes from Industry Partners

"At Lincoln Center, we believe music should be a part of all New Yorkers' lives. That is why we present hundreds of free performances each year in all five boroughs, offering programming that is as diverse as the city," said Lincoln Center President Debora Spar. "We are delighted to participate in New York Music Month, working with the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment to make it easier for artists and audiences to connect through the power of music."

"We are thrilled with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment's efforts to support music in New York City, and delighted to have the 39th annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival be part of the New York Music Month campaign. For almost four decades, BRIC has presented free music from around the world and around the block under the stars at our idyllic home at the Prospect Park Bandshell -- listening, watching, and enjoying the potent culture that our world has to offer. June is the most glorious time of year in NYC, and we can't wait to see and hear the city and its people come alive, and come together with music." - Jack Walsh, Executive Producer, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival

"City Parks Foundation's SummerStage is thrilled to join the Mayor's Office in celebrating New York Music Month," said Erika Elliott, Executive Artistic Director of SummerStage . "June marks the launch of free SummerStage shows in Central Park and 15 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs, bringing high quality performing arts to New Yorker's in their own backyards all summer long."

"NYU Steinhardt and the NYU Music Business Program are thrilled to partner with The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment on the June 1st Sound Development: NYC conference at our historic campus in the heart of Greenwich Village," said Larry Miller, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, NYU Steinhardt Music Business Program. "We look forward to welcoming a diverse group of leaders in the fields of music, media, technology, real estate and education as we celebrate New York Music Month and the countless ways that music contributes to New York's culture, economy, and quality of life."

"Music is at the heart of New York's backbone and catapulted Brooklyn from the longtime home of artists & writers into the cultural epicenter of the world that it is today. This is exactly what we aim to showcase at Northside in Brooklyn, and we are thrilled to be part of the first ever New York Music Month!" - Daniel Stedman, Founder and Publisher, Northside Media

"As a music festival by New Yorkers for New Yorkers, we are psyched that the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment has declared June as Music Month New York! NYC is alive with talented musicians and music fans eager for more, and Music Month New York is the perfect way to celebrate and enhance the vital music ecosystem that drives our shared culture." - James Burke, Executive Director, Make Music New York

"The Museum of the City of New York is proud to celebrate New York Music Month, especially as we launch Rhythm and Power: our new groundbreaking exhibition on salsa as a musical phenomenon and social movement. Music is one of the most vibrant ways the diversity of our great city asserts itself and we welcome New Yorkers and tourists alike to join us and celebrate the rhythms of the city at the Museum this summer." - Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director of the Museum of the City of New York

"Casita Maria is incredibly proud to lead the development of the South Bronx Culture Trail Festival 2017 in partnership with the Bronx Music Heritage Center and Dancing in the Streets, which celebrates the borough's rich and diverse culture with Latin jazz, Bomba y Plena, R&B, Mariachi and Garifuna music and so much more. The Festival is a testament to the rich and plentiful talent in the Bronx, as well as an appreciation to the resilient community that continues to give birth to emerging cultural movements. We are excited that this year the Festival is a part of New York Music Month, organized by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, the first ever citywide celebration of New York's rich musical heritage."--Haydee Morales, Executive Director, Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education

"We welcome all music makers and aspiring musicians to develop their creative practices at our spaces, so this initiative is a huge boon," said Risa Shoup, Executive Director at Spaceworks. "We're thrilled to partner with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, NY is Music and all involved to make our music rehearsal spaces free during the month of June as part of this initiative to celebrate and support New York City's vital and historic music sector."

"The Center and New York City share an unwavering appreciation for arts and culture, and we're thrilled to be a part of New York Music Month to bring music education to our LGBT youth community," said Glennda Testone, Executive Director of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. "Collaborating on Commissioner Menin's initiative to bring workshops to The Center throughout June will provide LGBT youth with a connection to music, as an art form and an industry, allowing them to explore music as a passion and potential career path."

"Sound shapes culture. Music connects people across time and geography. At the Rubin Museum, we are taking a closer look this year at how sound shapes our existence and can become a tool for transformation," said Patrick Sears, Executive Director of the Rubin Museum. "We're thrilled that the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment is celebrating the many facets of music and culture during New York Music Month. As one of the diverse places to experience sound in New York City, the Rubin Museum is proud to offer free access to our new exhibition The World Is Sound on June 24."

Quotes from Elected Officials

"New York City has been a national touchstone for music evolution and innovation for generations, and it is exciting to see our local musicians recognized and afforded additional resources for their work through the establishment of New York Music Month," said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. "From the underground sounds of Brooklyn, to the Latin melodías in my own district of El Barrio and the South Bronx, this month-long celebration will serve to empower community music scenes and educate New Yorkers about the real songs of the city, and the City Council is proud to be a supporter of such a valuable initiative."

"New York has a long history of musical innovation and our theaters, clubs, studios, and other community spaces have set the stage for countless musicians to connect with audiences here and around the world," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finklelpearl. "New York Music Month provides a thrilling opportunity to celebrate and experience this rich heritage. The inspired partnership between the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and Spaceworks will provide local musicians with the space they need to make it here in New York. My agency is a proud supporter of Spaceworks, and it is one of the cornerstones of this Administration's commitment to expand the supply of affordable workspace for artists living and working in New York."

"New York City has always been a place musicians come to produce and perform their best work, find inspiration through a city that's constantly changing and pushing boundaries, and form collaborations with other artists to make music that crosses over the boundaries of culture and genre," said Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer. "As the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries, I'm thrilled to join in proclaiming June as New York Music Month. This month-long celebration will empower amateur and professional musicians alike by providing the resources needed to continue creating and performing in spaces all across our city, from a neighborhood park to the stage of a world-renowned performance center."

"New York City is known internationally as the center of the music industry and the creative capital of the world," said Council Member James Vacca, Chair of the New York City Committee on Technology. "Dedicating a month to the celebration of music pays tribute to our history as a place where new genres emerged and musicians cultivated their craft. I look forward to a month of activities where we get to show off the greatest aspects of our city and experience the best of what our city has to offer. I join Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Menin in their appreciation and promotion of music in our city."

About the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment encompasses the key economic and creative sectors of film, TV, theater, music, advertising, publishing, digital content and real estate as it relates to these industries. In total, these sectors account for over 305,000 jobs, and an economic output of $104 billion. The office promotes New York City as a thriving center of creativity, issuing permits for productions filming on public property, and facilitating production throughout the five boroughs. It also oversees NYC Media, the largest municipal broadcasting entity in the country including five TV Stations and a radio station with a reach of 18 million households in a 50-mile radius.

About NY is Music

NY is Music is dedicated to advancing the importance of music in economic development, culture, and education in New York. Working with over 200 businesses and institutions encompassing every facet of New York's multi-dimensional music industry, the organization focuses on identifying and increasing awareness of the music industry's cultural and economic impact, creating new networks of common interest, promoting music education, and supporting the future of New York's diverse music ecosystem. NY is Music was established by Bill Harvey and Justin Kalifowitz in 2014.