Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Music Economy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Musicians and venue owners urge rules that preserve Nashville’s live-music economy
Summary
Business owners and musicians told the town the draft ordinance should be balanced so live music and tourism are not unduly constrained; several suggested periodic reviews and clearer, fair enforcement standards.
Local performers and business owners told the council that while they support clarity and enforceability, rules must preserve live music’s role in Nashville’s tourism and hospitality economy.
"Live music is one of the parts of what makes Nashville work," said Omni Bartels, a local business owner whose establishments host multiple weekend shows. Bartels said live performances support local musicians and businesses and warned that overly broad rules could harm the town’s visitor economy.
Keenan Rainwater, president of the Brown County Music Association and a longtime musician, said he generally supports the newly proposed ordinance as a compromise between prior drafts that some musicians considered too restrictive. He recommended periodic review — perhaps six months after adoption and then annually — to adjust standards as implementation experience accumulates.
Musicians also described practical challenges for enforcement: certified decibel meters can be expensive, and tracing a measured reading to a single source (car, dog, music) can be difficult. Rainwater urged stakeholder engagement and training for enforcement staff so judgments are consistent and defensible.
Speakers asked the council to avoid treating live music as a secondary economic activity and to craft rules that allow venues to operate while limiting intrusive sound on nearby properties.
