What makes a music scene? In simplicity, it’s another word for community: shared purpose, interaction, and mutual support. A music scene shares the purpose of cultivating good music, making meaningful experiences at shows, and ultimately just having a good time. Live shows are the embodiment of interaction whether it’s between audience members or spectators and performers. And these interactions build mutual support: buying merch to support artists, grabbing your best bud a beer, and cheering for an encore.
But that doesn’t answer the question of what makes a music scene. In a 2012 issue of The Atlantic, Caitlin Curran wrote that “it’s an ecosystem idea.” That to build a music scene, it takes more than musicians. It takes affordable rent, venues willing to participate and encourage, an audience to build off of, and the resources to record and present music. It also takes community partnerships to supply the beer and kombucha, restaurants to feed everyone, and manufacturers to make the merch.
At the final rooftop show of the year on August 31, I introduced blues legend Mike Trask by saying that I do my best to see and work towards the Truro of tomorrow. And there’s a reason I see music and live performance as central to building that Truro.
Music is community.
There is no difference between a thriving music scene and a thriving community. One is the embodiment of the other. I read the news about new road developments, new affordable rentals being proposed, new parts of town being built up, and more. I hear of new restaurants, wonder about what new construction will become, and talk to colleagues about how Truro hosts the latest hallmark NS event—the NS Stampede. We’re building so much, creating so much, and it sometimes feeling scary. However, when I look at it I think, look at all the music we’re getting ready for.
And now, I am here to break it to you: Truro is the music scene. There is no division between venues, between artists’ and their genres, and the various audiences numerous organizations and businesses host. We are all the music scene. You don’t go out to shows? Wait, did you hear music at the Truro Farmers’ Market? Well, you’re a part of the music scene. Did you hear a busker on Inglis? You’re in it now. Were you at Julia’s Lounge for karaoke? Welcome to the scene.
And as Truro grows, our music scene inevitably does too.
It used to be that a music scene was an exclusive club to join. We’d say the underground music scene or the indie scene. When I was growing up, we talked about the difference between ‘scenesters’ and ‘hipsters.’ (One wore colours, the other wore shades). But, just like the idea of ‘selling out,’ the gatekeeping to scenes has broken down. Now, the community is the scene.
It sometimes feels, working in the arts, like you need to make a constant push to convince people why art and music are important. That’s an idea I’ve let go of. It’s because I see Truro’s thriving music scene everyday: the Honda bumping hip hop down Prince, Randy playing guitar at the market, Bologna Colorado at Truro Brewing, K-OS at Belly Up, or music at the Marigold. When you participate in music, you’re participating in community. The music and arts scene needs no defence—it’s happening everyday, everywhere, all around us.
Welcome to the scene friends. We’re gunna have fun.
Marshall Feit
Executive Director
Marigold Cultural Centre