The Unseen Barriers: Exploring Gatekeeping in Local Music Scenes

The local music scene, whether it be for rock, reggae, rap or EDM, is always lush and full of talent, coupled with individual artists and bands that are itching to make a name for themselves and to grow their audience. Everyone likes to see new names enter the fray, and to see what they are made of. Though there is one aspect that the audience and concert goers will need to understand when it comes to artists making their way around. There tends to be a lot more going on behind the scenes than what is being let on. Whether its drama, the promoters being picky (or favoring their friends), cliques deciding who deserves to play or why someone shouldn't be given the spotlight. In either case, there's an unseen element that tends to dominate the local scene that should be taken into account.

Imagine being a fresh-faced musician, guitar in hand, songs in heart; an aspiring DJ with a flash drive full of bangers or a band with a killer set list wishing to step into the local scene only to hit an invisible wall. This is the reality for many burgeoning artists trying to carve out their space in the music world. In this post, we delve into the phenomenon of gatekeeping in local music scenes: what it is, why it happens, and its impact on new talent.

This is a phenomenon that is not only prevalent within the local scene around my city, but it seems to be a common issue throughout the country, if not the world, especially for those that do not have a booking agent or a team to back them up.

Understanding Gatekeeping in Music Scenes

Gatekeeping is the process by which control is exerted over who gets a chance to be heard and who remains in the shadows. In the context of local music scenes, it often manifests through established musicians or influential figures who hold sway over what music gets promoted and who gets the opportunities to perform.

Take, for instance, a local band competition where the judges are all members of long-standing, popular bands. New artists often report feeling sidelined in favor of those with established connections or similar sounds to the reigning favorites. Same can be said for DJs, rappers and indie artists who struggle to make connections with the right people and are more often than not left in the dark. Its not just the new dogs that attempt to enter the scene that have issues, even old dogs that have been around for several years have the same kind of issues due to factors of gatekeeping not wishing to break the mold or promoters deciding to hold themselves to specific sounds for whatever myriad of reasons they will give themselves.

Causes of Gatekeeping

Several factors contribute to the prevalence of gatekeeping in music scenes. Culturally, the music industry often values familiarity over novelty, leading to a cycle where only certain types of music or artists get attention. Economically, venues and promoters might prefer to invest in known quantities to minimize risks, which discourages them from featuring new artists.

It may be understandable that the few times that risks are taken for some venues and promoters, and they fall apart; this causes for the likelihood of new artists being brought in to become less likely in the days ahead. Another thing to keep in mind is the matter of drama being brewed because one promoter or individual within these cliques doesn't like a specific artist due to their tastes, how they act or because they "haven't done enough to show commitment to their projects." Sure, artists will show they want to work and show they are willing to show up to events at any given day of the week, though such efforts are often moot and display a low level of significance. Drug use behind the scenes is also a potential outlier, though this shouldn't be heavily focused on.

Impact of Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping can stifle creativity and diversity within a music scene. When new voices are suppressed, the music landscape becomes homogeneous and reflective of only a small subset of tastes and experiences. This limits the scene’s growth and prevents it from evolving, feeding in to the already seeded levels of nepotism and preferential treatment that's abound near and far.

Moreover, such levels of favoritism and one sidedness can discourage new artists, causing them to abandon their music aspirations or to leave their local scenes in search of more inclusive environments. This loss of talent is detrimental not only to the individuals but also to the vibrancy and sustainability of the music community as a whole. Artist retention, because of such practices, is what will keep many local scenes stagnant with their growth, and will only push more artists to find success outside of their given cities or states, while holding resentment for those that choose to be picky with what they have their audience experience. When you already have an abundance of one specific sound or genre, and have little for other genres or sounds, you limit the possibility of a new kind of experience exploding with popularity amongst concert goers.

Moving Forward: Reducing Gatekeeping To foster a more inclusive and dynamic music scene, concerted efforts are needed from all stakeholders:

• Promoters and Venues: Implement fairer booking policies and actively seek out new talent.

• Established Artists: Mentor emerging musicians and advocate for more open opportunities.

• Audiences: Support new artists by attending their shows and spreading the word about their music.

This philosophy is touted about and expressed repeatedly, and yet for the artists that get lost in the noise of it all, it still pushes away the outsiders that wish to become a part of something bigger. There are promoters out there that are always seeking out new talent, give existing artists a chance when they're able to bring in bigger names to match said artist's niche, though there are some promoters and groups that tend to have something in their psyche that acts against the interests of the lesser known artists, especially when financial situations or behind the scenes actions are taken that go against the well being or the best interest of the artists in question.

In any case, breaking down the barriers of gatekeeping in local music scenes is essential for nurturing talent and ensuring a rich, diverse musical landscape. By understanding and addressing the root causes of gatekeeping, we can create a more equitable and vibrant music community for all artists. The effects of such nepotism as a whole are felt, and playing favorites (some promoters come to mind) or booking the same acts week after week doesn't do more than to solidify this notion. Clubs that have their respective resident DJs and/or bands is a matter of its own accord, though for events that say that they are willing to book new talent should hold themselves true to their statement. This would give rise to new venues and promoters taking this approach, and steal the spotlight away from those that choose to otherwise feed into such partisanship.

I'm not going to name names, groups or promoters that have acted in such regards, or continue to act, as I have no quarrel. I'm merely positing my observations of the music scene that I've analyzed thus far.