A Q&A with Leaders in the Huntsville Music Community

Dianya Markovitz, Cultural Programming Manager for The Orion Amphitheater, Matt Mandrella, Huntsville’s Music Officer, and Codie Global also known as Codie G., an artist and industry professional born, raised, and residing in Huntsville, Alabama, share their thoughts on the growing, changing, and thriving music community in Rocket City and how the addition of The Orion Amphitheater drives it forward.

How would you describe the music community in Huntsville?

Dianya Markovitz: Vibrant and diverse. Collaborative and celebratory. A walk around downtown yields encounters with drummers, guitarists, violinists. Roll down your windows while driving past The Camp at night and you’ll hear the scales of a bass and a roaring crowd. Check the walls at Bandito Burrito and you’ll see a dozen flyers for upcoming shows. I have been fortunate to live in cities with “scenes” but Huntsville’s is truly unique and honestly, it was not the scene I envisioned when I moved here last August. Hip hop, rock, and country shows, certainly. But opera singers, brass bands, barber shop style quartets, producers, orchestras and drumlines? And everyone is willing to share their craft, their wisdom, and promote each other’s shows? That’s a collaborative and supportive community.

Matt Mandrella: The foundations for a successful music ecosystem are already in place here. Huntsville has a unique, diverse, vibrant, awesome, and inviting music scene that significantly contributes to our local economy and employs people throughout the region. We also have world-class venues and a supportive local community packed full of phenomenal musicians and enthusiastic music fans. Now it’s time to put more of the building blocks in place needed to help establish Huntsville’s music identity apart from other music cities and grow our creative economy.

Codie G.: Passionate. From the artist, studios, venues, to the music schools, all the way to the historians. Huntsville has a very passionate music community.

What drew you into the Huntsville market? If you are from here, what contributes to you wanting to stay?

Dianya Markovitz: Initially, I came to Huntsville for a coveted position with tvg hospitality as the Orion Amphitheater’s Cultural Programming Manager. However, with each day came a new discovery and within weeks I fell in love with the city and its incredible community. There is a genuine kinship among Huntsvillians, a care and concern for one another and a reverence for diversity.

Matt Mandrella: I moved here for the job, and we fell in love with the community as soon as we came in for the first interview! I can’t think of a better place to raise a family, and there’s an endless amount of “things to do” now and that list will only continue to grow with each month that passes.

Codie G.: I’m a Huntsville native. I’ve spent time traveling in the US and abroad via two opportunities: one as a Military Service member and the other as a manager to a Huntsville hip hop group (G-Side). Seeing the world and always comparing my destinations to Huntsville, I found myself cherishing the special pieces of the building blocks here, and chose to reside in my birthplace to help nurture the trajectory for the next generational transition.

How does Huntsville embrace its artists?

Dianya Markovitz: As an observer, I see a city that fully supports and encourages artistic expression - all forms of expression. Public murals and sculptures. Street corner busking. Free concerts at Lowe Mill and Big Spring Park. Open mic nights. Artist development workshops, music education programs and mentorships. If the city didn’t embrace its artists, I don’t think you’d have such a wellspring of expression. And there certainly wouldn’t be a Music Office whose mission is to advocate for Huntsville’s artists locally, regionally and nationally.

Matt Mandrella:Functional and successful music cities and ecosystems require leadership from a variety of people who come from different sectors of the music industry. Leaders who not only understand musicians, but who also understand venue operations, booking, PR, marketing, promotion, policy, tech, education, civic/performing arts, operas, symphonies, community events, production, festivals, small businesses, big corporations, non-profits, and sponsorship. Leaders who realize how easy it is for those in the music industry to feel like the government doesn’t work for them and that it doesn’t want to work for them. We’re going to change that perception in Huntsville. Because our city can and very much wants to work for our music community, and that’s an invaluable resource that not many other music scenes have the advantage of.

Codie G.: I think it’s getting better. We have definitely made music a focal point. The opportunities are far more vast than 10 years ago but I think we lost the ability to export Huntsvilleartists beyond our own borders. I believe the comforts of the internet contributed to that. Having tangible products forced us to leave the comforts of Huntsville. I would love tosee more Huntsville artists taking the show on the road and showing the world our music can compete on every level.

What opportunities are available to artists and musicians in Huntsville?

Dianya Markovitz: Immediately, I think of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library’s BLAST program. The BLAST music service is laser focused on supporting local artists and is an incredible platform for musicians to have their work heard. Right now, there’s upwards of 90 albums from Huntsville and North Alabama artists ready to stream - for free. I cannot speak highly enough of that program.

Matt Mandrella: The city is taking music very seriously, and cultivating a successful music scene plays a significant role in Huntsville’s long-term strategy for smart growth. Music is a primary pillar of Mayor Tommy Battle’s workforce development strategy, commitment to quality of life, and his desire to provide more inclusive cultural and creative offerings for current and future residents. Our geographic location also provides a tremendous opportunity for touring artists to develop their fan bases outside of Huntsville’s city limits. Artists living here are only a short drive away from Nashville, Atlanta, Memphis, Chattanooga, Birmingham and other markets where they can play shows without needing to allocate added expenses for overnight hotel stays.

Codie G.: When we speak on what opportunities are available, I have to say the sky’s the limit. If a person wants to learn music, open a studio, design posters, become a concert promoter, start a DJ service, introduce your children to music computer programs, perform at The Camp…I mean the list goes on. It is attainable. I would like to see more collaborations between financial institutions and music creator ideas in the future. I believe in my hearts of hearts that is the next level of opportunities needed to sustain Ecosystem building. Huntsville is laying a dynamic infrastructure at the present moment.

How does the addition of The Orion Amphitheater contribute to the music community?

Dianya Markovitz:The Orion is committed to supporting local musicians. In the few months since opening in May, we’ve had the great fortune of hosting several Huntsville and North Alabama players. The Camp to Amp Festival featured a dozen local performers, the Orion’s opening weekend lineup was made exclusively of Huntsville and North Alabama musicians and several local musicians have performed during our post-show afterparties. We aim to provide multiple avenues for local artists to play the Orion through local showcases, festivals, pop up shows and more. The Orion is a venue for all musicians - not just the big name, big ticket artists.

Matt Mandrella:Significantly! Music tourism is already a large draw for the city and the economic impact it generates will continue to grow at a rapid pace. The international attention and buzz generated from the highly anticipated opening of The Orion Amphitheater combined with the caliber of talent being booked at Mars Music Hall, The Von Braun Center and other venues throughout the Huntsville area are steadily positioning us closer towards our goal of becoming one of the world’s most premier music destinations.

Codie G.: It establishes Huntsville as a top tier destination for top tier artists. The optics provide Huntsville with the aesthetics needed for more people to inquire about the town nestled in the Tennessee Valley. Being a devout tourist myself, I can see how people would come to town for a show, grab a bite to eat, stay the night at one of the local hotels, and gas up in the morning on their way home. That experience alone could lead to a person’s fondest memories for a lifetime.

What does the future look like for the Huntsville music community?

Dianya Markovitz: Bountiful and boundless. There is a lot of attention on Huntsville right now - from its title as Best City to Live in America to the launch of the Artemis to the addition of the Orion. People are moving here for its culture, opportunity and sense of community. With new people comes new opportunities for exposure and support for the music community. New ideas, new approaches, new collaborations among musicians. New venues will continue to pop up, and more shows will take place. The music community will continue to expand and perfect its scene. Its reputation will grow and result in an influx of artists, music fans and industry folks who don’t want to miss out on being a part of this scene.

Matt Mandrella:As mentioned, the foundations for a successful music ecosystem are already in place here, so now it’s time to put more of the building blocks in place needed to help establish Huntsville’s music identity apart from other music cities and grow our creative economy. Our goal is to cultivate Huntsville’s music scene in a way to where it’s recognized on an international scale with other US music hubs. We don’t want to be the same as Austin, Nashville, Chicago and Memphis, but we do want to be in the same conversation. We want tourists and large groups coming to Huntsville to be well aware that NASA is here, but that we also offer a world class music scene unlike anywhere else. An exciting music identity will also help lure residential and commercial development.

Codie G.:The future is bright! We just have to prepare for the next shift and pray attrition doesn’t pace out the subject matter experts, before the next generation is ready to steer the ship. I work life cycle logistics at my day job, so I view everything in comparison to the line of work, but that’s a Huntsville thing. On a serious note, I’m in my mid 40s, the next music workforce is anywhere from 15 to 20 right now. The future looks like them…the success of what we are doing today depends on them.

What can fans expect as the music offerings in Huntsville continue to grow?

Dianya Markovitz: I think fans will see a city that’s teeming with nightly live entertainment. With the fantastic number of well-established live music venues, plus the recent addition of Mars Music Hall and The Orion, fans will have a multitude of options to experience live music on any given night.

Matt Mandrella:A rising tide lifts all boats. There are a lot of good people in both the music industry as well as other economic sectors who may want to be part of what Huntsville has to offer. We want to program as much music as possible throughout the city to continue building excitement around all aspects of our music culture that makes more people and businesses want to move here whether they’re an artist, an engineer or a rocket scientist. Music Education is also a significant piece of our ecosystem, so it’s important for us to identify and develop more engaging music programs across all age levels within our schools and colleges. We need enhanced music programs that not only help develop better performers, but that also provide great training for any and all work involved behind-the-scenes.

Codie G.: Five years ago I would have said more consistency, but I think we have accomplished that on all fronts. To be honest I don’t know. What I do know is how passionate people are about music here isn’t going away. I think that’s the fuel and you need to fuel to keep the fire going.