Music City's Brand = CREATIVITY - So why is the MCC idea so lame?

MCC boosters have spent a lot of time and energy talking about the “Music City” Brand, without talking about what that brand represents. In our opinion, that brand is defined by Creativity – it starts with music, but the visual, performing and media artists in our city are world-class.

So how did these proponents of the "Music City Brand" come up with such an un-creative, worn-out solution? It would appear that they never explored other ways to boost tourism besides an enormous downtown convention center that will benefit a tiny minority of (and very few, if any, minority) citizens. Instead of placing one huge bet on the MCC, how about a bunch of smaller bets that will help the rest of the county?

Since Nashville's Priorities has done all the other work that MCC boosters and the Mayor should have done, let us provide some creative solutions that will grow tourism:

• Properly fund all of our attractions – from the Adventure Science Center to the Nashville Zoo
• Focus on creating more events – Country Music Marathon, Music City Bowl, CMA Week ring a bell?
• Re-visit the Plan of Nashville – hundreds of Nashville believers gave the city their best ideas – let’s use them! Hmm -- the link seems dead: coincidence? it's like they didn't want people digging around in that...
  
• Consider more legalized gambling – hey, I didn’t say creative wouldn’t be controversial
• Work more closely with colleges and universities – edu-tourism, anyone?
• The Music Row Creative Development Zone – with tourist features so they can learn about famous Music Row instead of driving slowly and aimlessly down 16^th Avenue trying to see what all the fuss is about.
• The Arts Tour – Frist, Van Vechten, Cheekwood, Arcade galleries, Alan Lequire's studio, and the list goes on.
  
• Realize Jefferson Street’s Tourism Potential – civil rights, American music, cultural authenticity -- all perennially neglected by the city.
  
• A Family-Friendly Corridor off 8^th Avenue – connect Ft. Negley, Greer Stadium, Adventure Science Center
• Leverage Nashville’s appeal to history, environment and healthcare
• Complete Riverfront development - on both sides of the river
• Develop Opryland 2.0 – that’ll shut ‘em up about an amusement park
• Develop an easy-to-use, convenient transportation system – now, this one is big-ticket, but also benefits all of Nashville.

A brilliant, creative community deserves abundant, creative solutions to its problems, not a tired old idea that hasn’t worked out from coast to coast. Tell your Council Members you’re against this – the fat lady has yet to take the stage, and she’s still in the wings until we the people make our voices loud enough for her to sing “our” song. (Did I push the metaphor too far? Sorry…)