After Governor Roy Cooper declared 2019 the North Carolina Year of Music, the North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC) and Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) launched Come Hear NC, a year-long initiative to support and celebrate music in the state. The success of the initiative led to the creation of the North Carolina Music Office, with the aim of facilitating ongoing music-based programming and investments across the state. Part of NCAC, earlier this year it was renamed the Come Hear NC Music Office (CHNCMO).

The North Carolina Arts Council has long supported music in the state. Efforts include awarding grants to music organizations and artists; presenting the North Carolina Heritage Award, which recognizes traditional musicians for lifetime achievement; developing cultural tourism music trails; and offering Traditional Arts Programs for Students, which connects master musicians with young learners to sustain North Carolina’s grassroots music heritage. NCAC continues that stewardship of North Carolina music with the Come Hear NC Music Office.

The Come Hear NC Music Office expands the portfolio of programs NCAC can deploy to serve communities, musicians and the music industry.  For instance, CHNCMO is developing new online resources like genre primers, such as the recently released genre primer on rap in North Carolina. CHNCMO is also working to expand opportunities with music festivals across the state.

CHNCMO has developed valuable collaborations with other agencies, music networks, and creative economy organizations. Examples include the National Independent Venue Association, the artists and producers involved with the PBS-NC music program Shaped by Sound, and networks of musicians and music organizations engaged in recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene. These relationships help CHNCMO and NCAC understand the precise needs of musical artists and the role they play in the state’s creative economy.

NCAC is also embedding music-sector perspectives, informed by CHNCMO, into its collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, to support creative industries and recovery in Western North Carolina. Together, the North Carolina Arts Council and Come Hear NC Music Office will develop programs and partnerships to ensure that music reaches every North Carolinian.

For more information on state arts agency programming, contact NASAA.