Why this matters

The mountains made the music. Now the music can carry the region.

In 2024, the Northeast Tennessee Music Census asked 1,213 of the region's creatives, presenters, and supporters what they needed. This is what the data said and what we're doing about it.

01 / The census

1,213 of us stood up and got counted.

The census measured a music economy built almost entirely by working creatives: 78.5% artists, 11% venues and presenters. Most of the region's shows happen on stages seating fewer than 100 people, and only 37% of headline slots go to local talent.

The census told us exactly what was missing.

Not talent, and not stages. What the data demanded was connection and a voice. We're the response: one free community that connects our region and advocates for its artists, venues, and supporters at the hyperlocal level.

51%

named a place to connect and collaborate as their greatest need

50%

of venues and presenters want an advocate inside government

42%

of venue operators face regulatory confusion nobody helps them navigate

What it's worth.

Arts and culture add $74.5 billion in value and nearly 445,000 jobs across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky, per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and arts audiences spend $38.46 with local merchants beyond every ticket. Every corner of our footprint is setting visitor records.

$927.2M

Northeast Tennessee visitor spending, 2024

$1.3B

Southwest Virginia tourism economy, 2023

$1.4B

spent along the Blue Ridge Parkway, 2023

$1.1B

Eastern Kentucky tourism spending, 2024

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2023) · Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 · state and regional tourism offices · 2024 Northeast Tennessee Music Census · Explore the full dataset

Already in motion.

This is what getting counted looked like. Watch the region show up for the 2024 census kickoff at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia.

Video courtesy of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission.

02 / Thank you

Powered by community partners.

These community partners recognized the importance of the 2024 Northeast Tennessee Music Census and helped make it happen.

City of Johnson City / Freedom Hall Civic Center●Well Made Music●Create Appalachia●Tennessee Hills●ETSU College of Business and Technology●Tri-Cities Airport Authority●Appalachian Highlanders Pipes and Drums●Birthplace of Country Music●Creative Energy●Plan A Films●Dobyns-Bennett Band●Volume Interactive●Downtown Kingsport Association●My New Favorites●Symphony of the Mountains●Theatre Bristol●Tennessee Economic and Community Development●Visit Johnson City●Believe in Bristol●Visit Mountain City●Tennessee Entertainment Commission●Mountain Empire Children's Choral Academy●Explore Bristol●Sound Music Cities●First Tennessee Development District●East Tennessee State University●Tennessee Department of Tourist Development●Kaifa Events●Visit Kingsport●Niswonger Performing Arts Center●Northeast Tennessee Tourism●Paramount Center for the Arts●Northeast State Community College●Tennessee Tourism●Maurices Music●Meadowview Marriott●Tennessee High School●Clayton Potter Music●JAM of Upper East Tennessee●Elizabethton Carter County Tourism●Johnson City Chamber of Commerce●Johnson County Center for the Arts●ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies●Post Bop Revival Jazz●Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation●Rosser and Rosser Luthiers and Woodworking●Jonesborough●4thirteen●City of Bristol, Tennessee●Brian Rieck Music Studio●Main Street Elizabethton●Greene County Partnership●Damon Heath●FoundersForge●City of Bristol, Virginia●DW Productions●Town of Unicoi●Town of Bulls Gap●ETSU Music Department●Boxdrop●Fiddling Leona and JP●City of Johnson City / Freedom Hall Civic Center●Well Made Music●Create Appalachia●Tennessee Hills●ETSU College of Business and Technology●Tri-Cities Airport Authority●Appalachian Highlanders Pipes and Drums●Birthplace of Country Music●Creative Energy●Plan A Films●Dobyns-Bennett Band●Volume Interactive●Downtown Kingsport Association●My New Favorites●Symphony of the Mountains●Theatre Bristol●Tennessee Economic and Community Development●Visit Johnson City●Believe in Bristol●Visit Mountain City●Tennessee Entertainment Commission●Mountain Empire Children's Choral Academy●Explore Bristol●Sound Music Cities●First Tennessee Development District●East Tennessee State University●Tennessee Department of Tourist Development●Kaifa Events●Visit Kingsport●Niswonger Performing Arts Center●Northeast Tennessee Tourism●Paramount Center for the Arts●Northeast State Community College●Tennessee Tourism●Maurices Music●Meadowview Marriott●Tennessee High School●Clayton Potter Music●JAM of Upper East Tennessee●Elizabethton Carter County Tourism●Johnson City Chamber of Commerce●Johnson County Center for the Arts●ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies●Post Bop Revival Jazz●Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation●Rosser and Rosser Luthiers and Woodworking●Jonesborough●4thirteen●City of Bristol, Tennessee●Brian Rieck Music Studio●Main Street Elizabethton●Greene County Partnership●Damon Heath●FoundersForge●City of Bristol, Virginia●DW Productions●Town of Unicoi●Town of Bulls Gap●ETSU Music Department●Boxdrop●Fiddling Leona and JP●

03 / Mission & vision

Our mission

We unite and advocate for Appalachian music creators, presenters, and the people who support them, growing the region's economy, tourism, and workforce.

Our vision

We envision an Appalachian region where music, on its own, sustains creatives, fills venues, draws visitors, and pays the region back for what it's always given.

04 / Training the workforce, not just the talent

A talent pipeline needs a business pipeline behind it.

86% of the region's creatives taught themselves the trade, and the business side of the ecosystem is thin at just 10.5% of census respondents. We're calling on colleges, trade schools, and industry partners across all four states to help close that gap.

The data told us what to build

Help us build it.

The advocacy has already started. Add your voice to it.

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