Branding places through music and culture means advertising distinctive music styles, institutions or specific architecture which seems to make cities attractive, build an image as culture or music metropolis and show ‘their’ inherent creative capital. In fact, urban policies often focus on public perception outside and prestigious projects inside to strengthen their status within a global competition of ‘Creative’ and ‘Music Cities’, e.g. with marketing campaigns or sensational new musical buildings like concert halls and opera houses.
But how are local scenes and the conditions of musical production affected by the ongoing developments in many urban areas? Are the very producers of cultural and musical artefacts disregarded by local policy makers and politicians?
Regarding the city of Hamburg, Germany, transformations of musician´s situation through urban restructuring can be presumed, though the setting seems to be rather complicated. Differing points of view among local musicians - from quarreling against instrumentalisation of arts and culture to recognizing new chances for musical careers - demonstrate the existence of varying implications.
On account of this, initial point of research was an empirical evaluation of conditions and needs of musicians in urban areas. Combining results with local developments and comparing them with planning policies and cultural politics, first assumptions can be made and discussed in the panel.