Adopting Music Value In Transforming A City To Become More Sustainable

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Apart from focusing on infrastructure development, countries all over the world should adopt music value in transforming a city to become more sustainable, according to the managing director of the Sound Diplomacy of London, Shain Shapiro. He said music was a powerful tool and played an important role in bringing the success of economic growth, tourism development, education, job creation and cultural development. Every time artists performed live, there was a value chain behind them and understanding these economies was the first step to becoming a music city, he said. "Building a strong music city such as in London is about breaking down barriers, opening doors for musicians and helping the local music industry grow. "With decades of experience in the music industry, we are able to bridge the gap between music and the world of policy and urban planning," he said when speaking on The Role of Music in Achieving Our Sustainable Development Goals at the 9th World Urban Forum (WUF9) here Monday. Sound Diplomacy is the leader of the Music Cities movement, which sees culture built into the urban environment through policy and helps governments develop healthy music ecosystems. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Americana Music Triangle (AMT), Aubrey Preston, said the values of music must be protected and the growth should be in tandem with the country’s growth. "In terms of the policy, music must have a place to grow and the musicians must have a good connection among them to make the music expand rapidly to all over the world," he said. The week-long WUF9, which began on Feb 7, boasts over 500 events, including assemblies, high-level round-table talks, dialogues and special sessions. -- BERNAMA