Home to famed musicians and sounds, from Bob Dylan and folk to Prince and The Minneapolis Sound to the punk rockers of the 1980s and 90s, our bus tour shows the places that put Minneapolis music on the map.
The tour brings to life the results of the 2018 Minneapolis Music History project by the City of Minneapolis. The study included the completion of a robust historic context which tells the story of the city’s music from 1850 to 2000, and the identification of significant music history sites which raised awareness around the city’s key music locations to preserve and promote them through tourism. Many cities throughout America have their own unique sounds, but the locations where their unique musical offering were developed are not always known to planners, leading to the demolition and loss of places with high tourism value. For example, through this study and the completion of a historic context on Prince done by Zschomler, thousands of fans now visit the accurate locations associated with the artist, increasing tourism dollars in the city. By demonstrating how popular culture sites unique to each city can be identified, preserved, and promoted, attendees will learn the tools and techniques they can apply.
Music is associated with historically marginalized groups (e.g., African Americans, Latino Americans, women). The Minneapolis study resulted in the doubling of historic properties associated with African Americans, so while other contexts are needed (e.g., education, law, medicine), music history offers opportunities to increase inclusive/equitable planning.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the people and places associated with their city’s unique music history;
Educate citizens about how preservation of music history leads to tourism; and
Increase the stories of historically marginalized groups through the lens of music history.
.jpg "Jason W. Wittenberg, AICP photo")
