Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/338735
26 | I nsIgh t • J u l y 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m online: Click to hear Mile of Music founders Cory Chisel and Dave Willems discuss the genesis of the festival and their vision for its future in downtown Appleton. The creative economy M ile of Music and other art-related efforts such as the Fox Cities Book Festival are a part of "placemaking," a buzzword that's been getting play lately as Appleton develops its downtown core and looks to the future. "People want a sense of place – that's really what we're doing – creating a place that's vibrant, walkable and ultimately more livable," stephany says. "An event like Mile of Music does add to the vibrancy." While a creative economy stems from arts and culture, there's an economic dynamic that grows from it, stephany says, like rings in a pool of water. e next ring might be a creative technology business, or a design firm. Music is a connecting thread, she says. And music draws people into places, which is part of having a vibrant downtown. Revitalization expert Fred Kent, who led the redesign of Rockefeller Center and times square in new York, said at the InDevelopment Conference in February (hosted by Insight Publications in Appleton) that a vibrant place needs 10 things for people to do. Live music can be one of those things. "My greatest experiences with music tend to be those cozy, intimate settings, whether it be an intimate little bar, like Fox River house here in Appleton, or somebody's living room doing a house show," says Jean Detjen, who is a member of Mile of Music's artist recruitment team. "ese are the kinds of experiences where you feel like you get to know the person. When people show their vulnerability through music, it connects you with other people that are sharing that experience AT A GLAnCe: Mile of Music 2014 » Dates: Aug. 7 to Aug. 10 » Artists/bands: 225+ including members of Foo Fighters, Wilco and R.E.M. featuring their project bands » Performances: 600+ » Venues: 60+, about 25 open to all ages » Budget: $435,000 » Recent recognition: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named Mile of Music one of the top five concert events worth a day trip from Milwaukee. » Major sponsors: Stone Cellar Brew Pub, Appleton Post-Crescent » Tickets: Mile of Music is free, but VIP passes allow priority access to events and other events special to VIPs. Cost is $150. Purchase at mileofmusic.com/tickets. » Funds: Profits from the Mile of Music Festival support both the Mile of Music Education Fund, which provides more music opportunities within Appleton public schools through the Appleton Education Foundation, and the Creative Downtown Fund, providing seed money for projects to help build Appleton's creative economy. "I think because the name is Appleton, they just think of like, apple pie, and this perfect little town," Chisel says. "It's really fun to not prove them wrong. e attitude of people that live here is really what makes it special. It's nice that we have the river, nice that we have the (Lawrence University) chapel, but it's an unusual thing to be a stranger and roll out of a van and get to a community that feels like it really wants you there. But with a name like Appleton – a couple of my friends have likened it to Brigadoon, or something like that." sort of like a magical disappearing city, Mile of Music has been just a once-a-year occurrence – but both Willems and Chisel would like to see Appleton become a year-round music destination. ey're already working on it. For example, Mile of Music has booked musicians each saturday at the stone Cellar Brew Pub throughout the summer, Lonsway says. e intent is for the Mile of Music to become a year-round entity in the Fox Valley. since the staging infrastructure at some of the venues has evolved, those venues could easily support more shows throughout the year, Willems says. Other events are in the works for the winter. "We're looking to find 50 or 60 partners that are willing to help build that brand to really make it work, so it becomes an area of destination for young musicians and young music fans, so that whole vibe can just kind of foster," Willems says. Willems and Chisel want to continue to build Mile of Music's reputation as a brand so people automatically associate it with top-quality curated music. People might not always recognize the artists' names, "but they'll know there was a lot of care put into the decision to bring this person into the community," Chisel says. "We've also been investigating the idea of a four-walled music space to foster the up-and-coming artists in our community and more regularly have Appleton be a stop," Chisel says. "We'd like it to be somewhere that people think of when they're on a national tour. We want them to think Appleton is a place they have to go." Chisel and Williams hope to build on the festival in other ways, too, possibly adding other art elements, much like south by southwest, which includes film and interactive technology components. "We were shooting for a difference-maker," Willems says. "We didn't know it would be a game-changer." Coming attractions For a complete list of the bands coming to Mile of Music, visit mileofmusic.com/mile-of-music-artists.