Limited funding to promote New Orleans music

New Orleans CityBusiness, 5/7/07 - Sour Notes: "The New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corp. receives $1 million annually from the city general funds and less than $100,000 went to the music office’s annual budget.

'We didn’t have the money to follow through on great ideas,' [former head of Office of Music Development Scott] Aiges said. 'If you don’t have the money you can’t do anything, and that was before the hurricane.'

NOTMC President Sandy Shilstone said her organization’s budget was cut from $10.7 million in 2004 to $5.2 million in 2006 following the hurricane. Since Katrina they haven’t had any money available to fund a music office even if one still existed.

But the NOTMC hires musicians for events and commercials whenever it can, Shilstone said, and donated $100,000 in advertising to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2006 and 2007. It has also partnered with WWOZ to produce live music shows featuring local musicians to broadcast on 50 public radio stations nationwide for 18 months starting in the fall."