Music for the (Right) Ages?

From our correspondent, Paul Gottschling:

As northern Virginia sprawl threatens to squeeze local youth bands out of suburban basements for fear of racking up noise complaints, it could seem that Loudoun might take a turn for the tuneless. But luckily for fledgling garage jammers, the Loudoun Foundation aims to give the county's adolescent musicians a career boost by attracting nationally renowned bands to Ashburn for a weekly series of concerts, the Loudoun Summer Music Fest.

And as the Summer Music Fest draws larger crowds--12,000 ticketholders the first year, 55,000 last year--the concert series has intensified its music industry luster, scoring such high-profile acts for 2007 as Taylor Hicks (last weekend), Peter Frampton, and Pat Benatar.

Yet curiously, the artists chosen for this otherwise youth-minded event generally are not hot acts with the younger set.

"Most of [the bands] are very family-oriented, but you have some like Marshall Tucker and those guys, where you get your standard beer-drinking, havin' fun kinda people," said Tracey Parent, president of the Loudoun Foundation. "Our goal is to utilize the Summer Music Fest to ... get to meet and create relationships with the musicians and the music industry to mentor the kids within the community that are up-and-coming musicians, and give them that upper hand and advantage that they might not get."

Plus, when the Music Fest stages the more boomer-friendly musicians, the Loudoun Foundation sees a spike in revenue from increased beer and ticket sales. About 3,500 showed up for Taylor Hicks show (at least he has that American Idol thing going on); Blues Traveler drew about 4,200 people.

But the mottled lineup shows no sign of hampering the Foundation's youth programs, which have put young musicians in a studio with their professional counterparts, given away thousands of dollars in musical equipment, and put fledgling musical groups on tours through Europe.

What do you think of Loudoun's music scene?

By Jonathan Krim | July 13, 2007; 11:21 AM ET
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Comments

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The Marshall Tucker Band is a great outfit. Underrated and brilliant, actually. They are NO beer drinkin' pack of rowdy boys. A useless quote. Tracey Parent does not know her music.

Posted by: LoudounRocker | July 13, 2007 08:26 PM

Hats off to a great concert by Marshall Tucker Band. T. Parent was way off base with her quote. M.T.B. is No. 1!!!