Creating for Ourselves
In this first exploration, we look at the powerful role music plays in shaping economies and introduce the core mission of The Music Cities. We reject the “pie-in-the-sky, academic preachy planning” and instead focus on the real convergence of music and economic development. This isn’t about how to run a festival; it’s about finding the “unfair advantages” and hidden economic infrastructure that music creates.
We delve into the philosophy that guides this channel, inspired by Rick Rubin: you don’t create for the audience; you create for yourself . That authenticity is what resonates, and it’s the mindset that guides everything we do here.
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Show Notes
- The Guiding Principle: The show is founded on the Rick Rubin philosophy of “creating for ourselves”. The most authentic and impactful work, whether in music or in placemaking, comes from a genuine vision, not from trying to guess what an audience might like.
- The Mission: This podcast explores the collision of music and economic development, focusing on the “special stuff”—the unique advantages and hidden economies that can’t be easily replicated.
- Talent Is Not Enough: A lesson learned from both the music industry and urban development is that success requires more than just assets or talent. It requires a combination of work ethic, luck, and most importantly, the will to succeed.
- The BusinessFlare Soundtrack: We introduce the “Do Not Apologize” Soundtrack, a curated playlist where each song represents a key part of the economic development story: market disruption, implementation, doubt, and success . It’s our mission statement in sonic form.
- Eight Areas of Exploration: The podcast will focus on stories within eight key categories where music and cities intersect in remarkable ways.
Links & Resources Mentioned
- Book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
- Book: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
- Playlist: The BusinessFlare “Do Not Apologize” Soundtrack (Youtube) (Spotify)
- Website: businessflare.net
- Website: themusiccities.com
Transcript
[Intro]
Do you ever face that inner critic saying, “What if other people don’t like this?”
Rick Rubin has a great answer for that. In his book, he says the audience comes last. You don’t create for them. You create for yourself. And the irony? That’s often the best thing you can do for your audience . So much of why big movies flop is because they’re made for “what the audience might like” instead of being made by someone who actually cares. That’s not art. That’s commerce.
[Why This Podcast Exists]
This podcast is not going to be your generic economic development content. We’re kicking this off as a real convergence of music and economic development. We’ll talk about a lot of things under that umbrella, but today’s episode is called Creating for Ourselves. And Rick Rubin’s right — creating for yourself is something I’ve learned both as an entrepreneur and as a musician. That’s the mindset that guides everything we do here.
I’ve been a musician since 1981. The green guitar behind me — that’s the same one I carried in the Army. It wasn’t green back then, but I’ve played it in cover bands, original bands, solo gigs, group gigs, in small venues and big ones . And I’ve been in economic development since 1994, starting in South Beach. I spent 15 years with the City of Miami Beach, ending as Director of Economic Development. Since 2012, I’ve been on the private side, advising local governments on economic development through BusinessFlare — an awesome, collaborative, entrepreneurial enterprise. One of our niche revitalization drivers? Live music strategies.
So, this podcast is where those two worlds — music and economic development — come together. Not in a “how to run a festival” way. There are already good resources for that. We’re here for the special stuff — the unfair advantages, the Purple Cows, the hidden infrastructure. We’re here to find lessons in music that translate into economic development, sometimes in ways you wouldn’t expect.
[The Music Lessons That Shape Cities]
In music, I’ve done it all: 80s cover bands, blues gigs in Amarillo when I was still underage, acoustic sets on River Street, even a Miami Beach city staff band called Cone of Silence. I’m not the most technical guitarist in the world, but I love music. I immerse myself in what I love, I learn everything I can about it, and I bring that same approach to my work.
And here’s something I’ve learned — in both music and cities — talent is not enough. You’ve got to have the will to succeed, the work ethic, and yes, a little luck. I’ve known guitarists more talented than most rock stars, but they didn’t have the combination of work ethic and right-place-right-time moments. Cities are the same way. To become a superstar, it’s not just about assets. You need the will. You need that lightning-in-a-bottle moment.
Those lessons shaped my approach at BusinessFlare — an authentic, implementation-focused, action-oriented way of doing economic development. It’s art as much as science. We have the data, we do the analysis, but in the end, we’re creators painting a canvas. That’s the “flare head” mindset. It’s tribal. Seth Godin talks about tribes in his book — the deadheads, the parrot heads, the Swifties, even the Babymetalverse. Tribes are led as much by their members as their leaders. It’s about mindset and attitude.
[The BusinessFlare Soundtrack]
Music is part of our daily work. If you walk into our office, even if I’m deep in a spreadsheet, you’ll hear music playing. That’s why we created the BusinessFlare “Do Not Apologize” Soundtrack. It’s not random. Every song is curated with a reason — and together, it’s basically our mission statement in sonic form.
Here’s a taste: Babymetal – BMC: Market disruption, energy, defiance.
Iron Maiden – The Trooper: Momentum. Charge into the unknown.
Nightwish – Amaranth: Beauty and resilience — powerful but calm.
Babymetal – Karate: Discipline, balance, innovation.
Judas Priest – Painkiller: Implementation done fast, surgical, and fearless.
Xandria – Nightfall: The doubts before transformation.
Unleash the Archers – The Vision: Strategy and myth-making.
Babymetal – Headbanger: Unreasonable hospitality and chaos before the spark.
Arch Enemy – The Ego Fights Alone: The solitude of leadership.
Powerwolf – Incense and Iron: Branding and performance.
Cryptex – The Promise: Strategy as a commitment to place.
Nightwish – Storytime: Storytelling with cinematic precision.
Iron Maiden – Aces High: Your victory lap.
Moonlight Haze – Never Say Never: Our theme. Do not apologize.
This isn’t just a playlist. It’s our blueprint — the gut-punch sandwich in sonic form. It tells the economic development story: doubt, planning, implementation, success.
[What This Show Will Cover]
We’re looking for stories where music and cities collide in remarkable ways. Here are the eight categories we’ll explore:
Music-branded cities
Cities made by music
Musicians who brand cities
Place-making music events
Music’s hidden local economy
Musician entrepreneurs
Songs/albums tied to places
Businesses shaped by music
We want the Purple Cows — things that can’t be easily replicated.
[Closing]
If anyone asks, “What does BusinessFlare sound like?”, it’s that playlist. This podcast is where we tell the story our way — creating for ourselves, trusting that authenticity resonates. Check out musiccities.com for episodes, the soundtrack, and ways to share your own story. If you’ve got a music-meets-economic-development story — whether it’s about a place, a business, or a Purple Cow — we want to hear it.
Until next time — keep looking for the music in your own city’s story.