This Must Be the Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better

by Shain Shapiro

This Must Be the Place explores how music can make cities better.

This Must Be the Place introduces and examines music’s relationship to cities. Not the influence cities have on music, but the powerful impact music can have on how cities are developed, built, managed and governed.

Told in an accessible way through personal stories from cities around the world — including London, Melbourne, Nashville, Austin and Zurich — This Must Be the Place takes a truly global perspective on the ways music is integral to everyday life but neglected in public policy.

Arguing for the transformative role of artists and musicians in a post-pandemic world, This Must Be The Place not only examines the powerful impact music can have on our cities, but also serves as a how-to guide and toolkit for music-lovers, artists and activists everywhere to begin the process of reinventing the communities they live in.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Adult

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars!

I’m not convinced there was a book in this, to me this looks more like a long form essay aimed at policy makers, business leaders or politicians rather than for music lovers. Shapiro goes on a journey across some of the English speaking world to look at exposing the people who have been challenging and trying to reform a number of regressive, racist and often illogical laws relating to musical licenses throughout the western world. Shapiro also has a personal investment in raising awareness and improving music ecosystem policy infrastructures.

He traces Nashville’s world class music reputation back to 1925 where an insurance company owned a radio station there, they used this as a platform to promote business, but it also promoted local culture of the time – country music and things snowballed from there. Allegedly on last count in 2019 the music industry supported 16,293 jobs. We also learn about the likes of Austin branding itself as “The Live Music Capital of The World” which can apparently be traced back to around 1985 and then of course began the SXSW festival in 1987.

At one point Shapiro brings up the point about so few primary schools teaching MC and DJ skills instead they stick to pianos, violins and cellos etc, in spite of Hip-Hop apparently being the world’s most popular genre – I understand his point, though is this to suggest that schools should automatically switch to what is most popular?...following that logic should we then be getting schools to teach kids how to become online influencers or content creators?...I’m not sure chasing trends is the role of schools?...

This book does make you think about the way music and even a lot of art culture in cities has been heading, thanks to rampant widespread gentrification across the world many older artists have acknowledged that it would simply not be possible to exist or create in the same way they were allowed to in the cities in the past, as thousands did particularly in places like London, New York and Melbourne etc, particularly in the period from the 70s to the 90s. No longer are the same opportunities available for newcomers to stay in squats or cheap accommodation in these cities, as they have been increasingly priced out of the market and so are forced out into the suburbs, and so the creative arts are left for the elite to dominate.

Which is obviously sad and ironic as it was often the broke creative types who worked so hard to make these run down or former industrial spaces so fresh and appealing, building the buzz which pulled so many others in and this ironically often causes the gentrification and we become in real danger of being left with sanitised, hollowed out inner cities which again become the preserve and domain of an indifferent elite who are often absent or contribute very little to a sense of community, seeing their homes as mere assets in a bigger portfolio.

One subject Shapiro is rightly concerned with is the closing down of so many venues and unfortunately less (venue options) is more (power and profit) for the inevitable financial interests who sweep in, sew up markets and keep prices artificially high, leading to increases of a more sanitised and expensive experience for everyone else.

I was incredibly lucky enough to grow up close enough to a city with a world class live music scene, something which has become all the more apparent now that I live on the other side of the world in the Boondocks with a close to non-existent one, (within reasonable distance), so I can certainly relate to the sense of taking access to great live music for granted and also what it feels like when you no longer have it within easy reach.

[Malia Odekirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick book and caught my attention since it tackles music and policy. I loved the arguments about music being fundamental to humans, as demonstrated especially during COVID-19. The idea of codifying protections for musicians and venues while still respecting the needs of those living/working nearby gives me hope for the understanding of musical labor and value. I’m curious to learn a bit more about what Shain Shapiro does now.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Must Be The Place made me see my city — and the music in it — in a whole new light. Shain Shapiro weaves storytelling, research, and real examples into a book that’s smart, heartfelt, and inspiring. It’s a love letter to music and community, and it left me imagining how every street, park, and venue could hum with possibility.

[Jona · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting concept but honestly it said everything it needed to say in the first half. For me the second half was a slag and I genuinely considered dnf-ing it. Wouldn't have missed much if I did. If you're very interested in possible future policies that can be implemented locally it might be more compelling. The epilogue was so idealistic and impossible that it genuinely made me laugh out loud. Wouldn't recommend but had interesting ideas.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea that a thriving music scene (performance, recording, education) can improve a city is an intriguing one and Shapiro makes this point rather effectively. As a fan of music and believer in its ability to unite people and ameliorate life, I’m totally on board with the premise, but it just feels like this should have been an essay instead of a book—Shapiro’s tendency to repeat himself doesn’t necessarily strengthen his argument. A good read for those interested in policy-making around music ecosystems, but otherwise I’d probably give it a pass.

[Odhran O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute game-changer for my career. As someone running an indie label in Ireland, it gave me the language and evidence to reframe the conversation around music's impact on economic and social infrastructure. It connected all the dots for me, showing how the challenges our local artists face aren't isolated issues but symptoms of a system that undervalues music's role.

This book gave me a practical roadmap and the confidence to start focusing on a solution: building a proper, data-driven music policy, starting in my hometown. It's a call to action and a toolkit for anyone who wants to make their own place a better place for music.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting delve into the importance of music policy and how it should work alongside urban planning, taking social inequities into consideration too. Really insightful for those working in these areas, but also for avid music fans. Was a bit repetitive at times, though it picked up at the end.

I had no idea Ben from Mumford and Sons set up Omeara in London! It’s such a good music venue!

[caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was hesitant abt this bc the author is a phish fan (haha) but it was simply so interesting. as someone from a "music city" i feel like i have never really considered the difference between being a music city culturally and infrastructurally but wow. also really interesting separation between the post-pandemic industries behind music tourism, live music, and streaming

[Emily Chavez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! It's a great start to a conversation that needs to continue-- that music is a crucial aspect of a thriving economic and cultural ecosystem. Feel like some ideas were half baked and relied on personal experience/feelings.

[Colin Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book but not enough of a page turner to keep me engaged.

[GnosticShockmaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong but got worse. Too much repetition. The epilogue felt like a parody.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole other way of thinking about music.

[Bec]

(DNF) Kinda interesting but not quite my niche at the moment. Myabe one day I'll retry it if I wanna read more about history/geography of music business