CLEVELAND — Many consider Cleveland the birthplace of rock and roll. Industry advocates will tell you Northeast Ohio is still home to one of the most active music scenes in the country. Now, musicians, venues, and others are collaborating to strengthen that scene.
On Tuesday, Cuyahoga County announced the launch of a new live music and entertainment task force called Cuyahoga LIVE!
“Our region has a legendary music history, including home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and live music continues to be a driving force in our culture and economy,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne in a press release. “Cuyahoga LIVE! is about recognizing that live music isn’t just entertainment; it’s an industry that deserves real support. With this task force, we’re bringing together the best minds in the public and private sectors to help us create a successful and sustainable live music environment.”
Visitors to the Rock Hall on Tuesday told News 5 that they knew the city as a destination for music history.
“They brought me when we were much younger, on a family trip, to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said Jenna Erb, who recently moved to Cleveland from Upstate New York.
Ricardo Ibarra was visiting from Brazil and said, “We went here to visit the city and it’s a chance to see the Rock and Roll museum.”
Lifelong Northeast Ohio resident Francesco Luke was visiting the museum for the first time.
“It lived up to its reputation,” he said.
The newly formed Cuyahoga LIVE! task force hopes to capitalize on Cleveland’s reputation as the birthplace of Rock and Roll and bring more attention to the thriving local music scene.
“Cleveland is a music city already. Other cities have music commissions already - or music offices - and it’s time Cleveland stepped in,” said Sean Watterson.
The co-owner of the Gordon Square venue Happy Dog and co-founder of the Cleveland Independent Venue Association is also among the first members of the new task force. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the live entertainment industry recognized the importance of collaboration and supporting entertainers.
He hopes Cuyahoga LIVE! will be able to better organize existing resources and leverage new ideas for the industry.
“This is sort of recognizing the assets that we already have and then trying to make better use of it, take better advantage of it and support the people who are in that ecosystem,” he explained.
Other groups have also been doing their own work to support live entertainment in Northeast Ohio and look forward to collaborating.
“There’s already so much going on here that it should be really easy to put all the pieces together,” said Cindy Barber, the co-owner of the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern and executive director of Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future.
The nonprofit helps mentor rising artists and connect industry professionals with the resources to launch their careers. It’s also in the process of creating the Northeast Ohio Music Arts Development (NOMAD) campus, which will offer a variety of professional performance, rehearsal, recording, and streaming facilities near the Beachland Ballroom.
Barber explained that the task force is a step towards creating a music commission in Northeast Ohio. A 2024 Greater Cleveland Music Census found that the majority of survey respondents said they believe the live entertainment industry would benefit from formal advocacy.
A commission would focus on programming, creative grants, audience development, regulatory improvements and ecosystem support.
“It could be this whole good infrastructure that would provide jobs,” Barber said, pointing to opportunities for workforce development and income opportunities for the region.
Others believe the economic investment would also be matched by a cultural investment in live entertainment.
“If you don’t support your local music scene, the music kind of dies in a sense. They’ve all got to start somewhere,” said Luke.
The temporary task force is still looking for input and members for various committees. You can stay up to date on the group’s activity and get involved by filling out this online form.
