Music Export Memphis
As a nonprofit export office for Memphis music, Music Export Memphis creates opportunities for Memphis artists to showcase their music outside the 901, building their careers and building our city’s international reputation as a contemporary music destination.
We talked to Elizabeth Cawein, Executive Director of Music Export Memphis, about the organization’s work supporting Memphis musicians and shaping opportunities for the future.
1.Tell us about Music Export Memphis: What’s the mission and vision? Who do you serve?
Music Export Memphis creates opportunities for artists who live here in Memphis to tour, build audiences outside the city, and sustain their careers. Our vision is that Memphis can be a city of choice for musicians. When that's true, we all stand to benefit, because musicians make cities better. So all of our programs subsidize working musicians in one way or another.
We provide grants for things like touring, merchandise creation, publicity, marketing, and attending industry conferences. We also provide customized grants for artists who have been invited to take advantage of a one-of-a-kind opportunity that they need financial help to access.
And we also go out into the world, producing showcases and parties at festivals across North America. We’ll typically bring a lineup of anywhere from five to ten Memphis bands with us and we show off those artists; we put them in front of music industry and media fans, and we show off our city at the same time.
