How does a city restore its soul?
Posted on August 27, 2007
Imagine a vibrant, neon-glittering street famous for hosting blues and jazz greats just blocks from a historic hotel. In the 80s, businesses shut their doors and the street becomes a magnet for crime and vagrants. Fast forward a few decades… and the city gets it act together, driving an area revival that saves historic structures, cleans up the area, and once again transforms the street into a mecca of arts and culture. We could be talking about Roanoke’s Henry Street in 2010. But for now, let’s talk about Memphis’ famous Beale Street from 1990 to present. It’s a very similar story, from which we might gain a lot of useful insight
The turnaround story in Memphis 20 years ago looks very similar to the one we’re writing for ourselves in Roanoke. The Peabody Hotel stood proud in the heart of downtown after a multi-million dollar renovation. Unfortunately, few guests braved a downtown stroll after dark. W.C. Handy’s home stood blocks away about to fall in among old juke joints that had practically become crack houses. Main Street was lined with empty storefronts that were covered with metal garage doors.
Just a few years later, the Peabody Hotel is Peabody Place, with high end retail and residential properties, and a pedestrian mall that runs to Beale Street. The historic home of the blues is alight with new neon, music theaters, and restaurants. And humming down Main Street is a new trolley line that carries tourists and professionals from one end of downtown to the other.
Granted, Roanoke it not Memphis. But the revival that is now underway on Henry Street has the same promise that the Beale Street renovation had. The first key step in the Memphis revival was the influx of downtown residents. It’s a good sign that we’re beginning to see that phenomenon take root in Roanoke. We’re talking trolleys. And we’re rescuing historic blues and jazz venues from destruction. Also good signs. But we’ve also had a few missteps.
Where is Henry Street? We changed the name to First Street. That’s like changing the name of Beale Street to Second Street. It’s throwing away our heritage. And, we came within inches of building a Social Security office on the street’s largest vacant lot. Can you imagine coming out of B.B. King’s nightclub and looking up at a non-descript federal building?
Thankfully, the street has the anchor that could become the catalyst to returning Henry Street to its former glory. During less enlightened times, the Dumas Hotel was the only place in town where African-American entertainers could stay. And it hosted some of the greatest musicians of our time. Today, if Ella Fitzgerald or Duke Ellington came to town, we would be falling all over ourselves to reserve the nicest suite in the Hotel Roanoke.
The Dumas Hotel is now the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development, and home of the Downtown Music Lab, a non-profit, after-school music and recording studio for students and professionals. If the Downtown Music Lab has its way, we’ll bring those kinds of musicians to town, put them up in our nicest hotel, and bring them over to the Dumas to serve as guest instructors, performing in the intimate theater and laying down a few tracks in the studio. We’ll also continue giving youth of all means a safe and nurturing place to develop their creative skills. With the new partnership of veteran musicians Charlie Hamill and Cyrus Pace, that vision is becoming a reality.
Since 1999, Hamill has introduced thousands of local youth to music and provided a safe and nurturing environment to develop their creative skills and record music. With the move to the Dumas Center last year, the Downtown Music Lab now has five brand new recording studios, teaching rooms and access to the facility’s new theater. Now, Cyrus Pace brings his music education background to the Lab, allowing Hamill to focus on running the studios and daily operations.
As funding for the arts continues to get cut in our public education system, programs like the Downtown Music Lab become critical community resources. According to “The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation,” a May 2002 study conducted by The National Governors Association, students involved in the arts see increased academic performance, reduced absenteeism, and enhanced skill building. Interestingly, the study goes on to show an even more striking case for arts-based educational programs among disadvantaged populations, especially at-risk and incarcerated youth. “For at-risk youth, that segment of society most likely to suffer from limited lifetime productivity, the arts contribute to lower recidivism rates; increased self-esteem; the acquisition of job skills; and the development of much needed creative thinking, problem solving, and communications skills.”
Perhaps that’s why there’s a close correlation between the decline in arts funding and the rise in the dropout rate. Members of the Downtown Music Lab have to stay in school. In return, they get one of the best after-school music programs available for just $125 per year. And, scholarships are available. No one gets turned away for lack of funds.
Pace, who holds a masters degree in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music, will also be offering curriculum studies such as ensemble groups, summer camps, master class seminars, and a “rock school for adults.” While Pace specializes in guitar, his clients also include drummers, pianists and band and orchestral students. He will also be teaching individual lessons to students who want to pay for the additional instruction. The accomplished artist can be heard on the local circuit performing with groups such as the Pace Brothers Organ Trio (with brother James) and Le Hotclub de Big Lick among many others; he has also shared the stage with such formidable talents as Dr. Lonnie Smith and René Marie.
Hamill is the producer. He’s been a fixture on the local music scene for twenty years. Each year since the lab opened, he has produced a CD of original music performed by students. The Lab is about to release its 7th full length album. As is the case on previous albums, there is a wide variety of music on this record, including jazz, funk, rock and classical. Look for be a CD release party and concert on Friday, September 28th at the Dumas Center.
It would be great if the Downtown Music Lab produced the next teen superstar. The more guest instructors who visit, the more inspiration the kids will have to achieve great things. After all, they’re learning on the same floors where the musical greats of our time stayed. There’s an aura there.
Let’s just hope that the promise of the Downtown Music Lab and the heritage of the old Dumas Hotel and the Ebony Club across the street are enough to push developers and city planners in the right direction. We could have our own Beale Street—and it could be anchored by a tenant that’s teaching our youth how to appreciate their heritage while making something of their dreams and steering them towards a bright future. All we need now are a few of the old-style clubs and restaurants to rise up on those empty lots, some neon to tell people it’s alive. And maybe a name change—back to the Henry Street that it once was.
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