The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities on Wednesday launched the DC Area Music Census, a community-led initiative to gain a better understanding of the current needs of the greater Washington area music community.
The census is completely anonymous, designed for all members of the music ecosystem (creators, producers, venues, engineers, music industry employees), and covers the broader D.C. metro area including Prince George’s, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Howard, Frederick and Charles counties in Maryland and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, Prince William counties as well as municipalities Arlington City, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax City, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia.
To launch the census, the commission has teamed up with a national cohort of cities organized by Sound Music Cities, a leading Austin-based provider of music ecosystem studies and music census work. The census will inquire about general information such as demographics and occupation types and diversity, equity and belonging.
If the census is successful, the commission plans to continue with the census project across other arts disciplines in the District, including theater, dance, and visual art.
Lead partners in the project include the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, The Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture, and Arlington Arts.
Those interested in participating can go to dcmusiccensus.org.