Building Music Cities

During her keynote on music, Elizabeth Cawein expresses her passion for the performance art. In 2011, the speaker founded Signal Flow Public Relations and avidly advocates for a thriving music scene in Memphis and abroad. Her talk centers around the necessity of music and how to implement this art form into the narrative of the urban city.

With the coming of the Internet and developments of technology, there are limitless resources that aid the creation and discovery of songs. More than entertainment, the keynote on music identifies the art as "a way to navigate life," to connect people across social gaps, economic divides, and language barriers.

Elizabeth Cawein maintains that the smart city is a music city. By implementing and supporting this creative sector, metropolitans are able to create a flourishing ecosystem, where jobs are created and the community is closely integrated. To do so, the city needs to act as an incubator. For one, the assets need to be identified and quantified — from record studios and labels to schools, instrument shops and the like. Secondly, challenges need to be confronted. These usually are associated with the available resources, city infrastructures, and the economy. Finally, Elizabeth Cawein's keynote on music advocates for an implemented leadership and a working strategy to act as a catalyst to move the initative forward.