Detroit Music Museum

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...ding/83705220/

Free Press with a story about a group led by local attorney Howard Hertz, who has represented Eminem, George Clinton and Jack White, wants to put a music museum in Detroit, presumably Downtown.

"The nonprofit organization doesn’t have a public name yet. No detailed blueprint or budget is set. But with fund-raising efforts set to kick off, the project was unveiled onstage during Friday night’s Detroit Music Awards at the Fillmore Detroit by group founder and entertainment attorney Howard Hertz. Hertz’ announcement to a theater of music professionals was intended to spark momentum for the budding project.

They'll be seeking millions of dollars from Detroit corporations and philanthropists. If all unfolds as hoped, a museum would be in place within two to four years, likely within an existing downtown structure, Hertz said. Exhibits and memorabilia would highlight Detroit music and artists — Motown, rock, jazz, techno, hip-hop — alongside a performance space and recording studio."

Interesting and intriguing idea. They mention Motown Records in New Center and some of the music events in Detroit, but that's it. I think it would be a cool idea for a larger space that pays tribute to all the music in Detroit's history.

My question is, where would be an ideal spot in Downtown Detroit for something of this size?

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Originally Posted by Zads07

My question is, where would be an ideal spot in Downtown Detroit for something of this size?

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Now that the the Detroit Sound Conservancy is preserving what they can find of the Graystone Jazz Museum's collection, maybe the new museum could use the Graystone's former space in the Book Building.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...ages_detr.html
http://detroitsoundconservancy.org/graystone-legacy/

Or, restore the Vanity or Grande Ballroom for the museum. They're probably too far from downtown to be a viable tourist destination right now, so that's just a fantasy.

There's so much about Detroit music I can think of -

but also think of the music museum in Acme Mi. which brought me to tears so many times as I walked through it.

I wonder if converting the Music Hall to a Museum with a smaller performance venue would make sense. You could save almost all of the architecture. I know many would see it as some sort of ironic tragedy but the Hall is struggling to survive financially and this could give it a second life.

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Originally Posted by 401don

I wonder if converting the Music Hall to a Museum with a smaller performance venue would make sense. You could save almost all of the architecture. I know many would see it as some sort of ironic tragedy but the Hall is struggling to survive financially and this could give it a second life.

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I like your thinking! There's also plenty of land around Music Hall to add museum space.

I read this article when it first came out and thought...ok interesting concept but are they serious about Music City? What hole could they possibly live in where they didn't know this nickname already exists in Nashville? I guess not knowing off hand is somewhat understandable but they could've done a Google search unless the headline is misleading and they don't want to actually use "music city" for this project.

This article also has Howard Hertz saying this was all his idea, and I have first hand knowledge that he is wildly overstating with that claim.

It sounds like a great idea as a tourist destination, but there are already music museums in Detroit: Motown, Submerge [[Techno), the former Graystone Museum as mentioned previously, and the Kid Rock lab at the historical museum.

Other than building something akin to the Experience Music Project in Seattle or the Rock and Roll HOF in Cleveland, we would be doing ourselves a disservice. Go big or go home!

I am sure Gilbert is mulling this over. One of the concepts for the Hudson's block involved civic space and possible space for a museum. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if something like this, or the car museum DG wants, ends up there. Perhaps it is a twofer.