Companies like JJ Babbitt, a renowned manufacturer of
mouthpieces for clarinets and saxophones, continue to employ
people locally. On the performance side, SoMa has sent out a
casting call to attract street performers for festivals, ArtWalks and
– hopefully – random occasions to enhance downtown storefronts
and restaurants.
“We’re not keeping music alive. Music
is keeping downtown alive,” says
David Smith, general manager of the
Lerner Theatre. “Activity is evidence
of life, and longevity is driven by
activities. … Music and other creative
opportunities engage people and
make memories. The goal is to
encourage people to have a positive
experience here, create that memory,
and want to experience it again for
themselves or with friends and family.
“When that happens, they then
become downtown’s future.”
Music can be an attraction on more
than just a concert calendar, as well.
During ArtWalk in May, musicians
could be found everywhere – a
drummer on the sidewalk, a harp
player in an atrium, and a rising star
on guitar working the Lerner lobby.
Those experiences, Smith says, are what SoMa wants to help
business owners see at all times of the year.
“Right now, we’re event driven. We’d like to see this have a more
organic consistency,” Smith says. “We want people to know they can
count on stopping downtown and find something going on.
Great resources for music
news and happenings:
“And that’s what makes SoMa special.
It’s the foundation for that kind of
collaboration with businesses and people
living down here – people find purpose
in this revitalization, and that’s why it
feels this one is going to stick.”
- Lerner Theatre
thelerner.com
-Sauder Concert Hall at Goshen College
gcmusiccenter.org
-Elkhart Jazz Festival
elkhartjazzfestival.com
-Downtown Elkhart Inc.
downtownelkhart.org/events
- On The Record blog by Angelle Barbazon
The Jazz Festival plays on
By far, the biggest local music event is
the 27th annual Elkhart Jazz Festival.
The 2014 edition on June 20-22 will
welcome Grammy winners Aaron
Neville and the Preservation Hall Jazz
Band, as well as more than two dozen
other acts.
Smith says the event is evolving to attract
a younger audience for sustainability.
The community has had plenty of
discussions over the years about the
event, its impact, and the course it should take. The crowds of
visitors and the attention it brings cannot be denied.
elkharttruth.com/living/on-the-record
Kate Schrock, marketing coordinator for Hopman Jewelers, said the
store usually is out of the loop on downtown events because of its
location, but a singer under the front awning brought people in.
“We enjoyed having the singer out in front, and it drew attention to
the store. People listened to him, then came in to see us,” Schrock
says. “We weren’t sure what to expect, but we’re glad for how it
turned out.”
An assessment by Purdue University more than 10 years ago pegged
the economic impact of the weekend at nearly $1.3 million, with food,
tickets and lodging accounting for about half of the total impact.